Friday, December 14, 2012

Holiday Party

We celebrated the season of kindness 
by making cards for Southpoint Terrace nursing home residents,
stockings,
a healthy snowman snack,
playing several "Minute to Win It" games,
having Chik-fil-A for lunch with friends and parents,
and a Florida snowball fight!
A special thank you to all of our parents for sending in party items and volunteering.  
Our party was a great success because of you!
Crystal Wreaths
Hope the winter wreaths we made this week will bring back happy memories
of third grade
when you hang yours up every year!

Friday, December 7, 2012

December Flag Raising






Hopefully you were able to make it to this morning's Flag Raising!  The third grade classes brightened up a gloomy, grey day by dressing in holiday attire and beautifully singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth".






Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Holiday Traditions


My dad's family is from Holland (also called The Netherlands).  It is a small country in the western part of Europe.  Can you find it on the map?

My dad and his family came to America in 1954.

This is Oma!
Oma means grandma in Dutch.
Some facts about Oma:
Oma lived in Holland during World War II.
Oma walks two miles every day.
Oma still dances with the young people at family weddings.
Oma still has the cleanest house I've ever been in.
Oma was born in 1919.  
How many years young is she?

My dad spoke Dutch with Oma and Opa (grandpa), but unfortunately, no one taught my brother and me.  The only words I know are in a lullaby they sang to us.

Growing up, we celebrated St. Nicholas Day.  On the evening of December 5, we put our shoes by the front door (sometimes leaving carrots for his horse).  When we woke up the next morning, our shoes were filled with treats!


 
Sometimes we got the letter of our first initial made of chocolate.

 
I loved finding Dutch salty licorice in my shoes!  Sometimes we'd get licorice griotten, which look like sugar cubes, but have a marshmallowy texture and a slightly salty licorice flavor.

On this holiday, we also ate stroopwafels, thin wafer cookies filled with caramel.

Tonight at our house we are putting out our shoes and look forward them being filled with treats when we wake up!

Since many of our third grade social studies standards cover geography and culture, specifically in North America and the Caribbean, we will be learning about some of the winter celebrations that take place in those countries.

What winter holiday traditions does your family celebrate?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Flag Raising Performance


 
Students, make sure you are practicing our song for Friday's performance (8:30 in the courtyard).

Please note the change in lyrics:

Let there be peace on Earth
and let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on Earth,
the peace that was meant to be.

With teachers and students,
we are family.

Let me walk with my brother,
in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me,
let this be the moment now.

With every step I take,
let this be my solemn vow,

To take each moment and live
each moment in peace, eternally

Let there be peace on Earth,
and let it begin with me.

Let it begin with me.