Christmas, Christmas All Around

This years seems to flying by and Christmas is approaching so fast.  Christmas at school is one of my favorite times.  It's great to see the excitement of a child, as they see the lights on the Christmas tree, sing a Christmas song or when they make a Christmas craft.  So many of kids are experiencing things for the very first time, and I as a kindergarten teacher get share it with them.  We have been so busy and I know the next 9 school days will be world wind, but lots of memories will be made for some 5 and 6 year olds.
Take a look at some of the Christmas learning and fun we have been having.

 In the last week of November we studied Winter Celebrations around the world.  We had lots of fun and make a winter celebration book with pictures, crafts and information.  The kids loved it, and I including them learned a lot.  We learned about Christmas in Sweden, Holland and Mexico.  We also learned about Kwanzaa and Hannukah.  On last day we talked about the nativity.  That was the first time in 22 years I was able to tell the story of Jesus birth.  It felt very strange but great.  

 This little Santa has been welcoming my K-Crew kids for years.  He usually spends the Christmas season in the hall for all to see, but this year he came in to visit us in our room.  He sits in the room and watches all the boys and girls.  He gets lots of love and hugs.

We wrote about Santa. We labeled the things that Santa has and then went back and described Santa using color words.  The kids used the map to complete their writing each day.

I have not made this Santa in several years, but thought it was time give it another try.  The kids loved making him.  Some of them wanted wear him on their heads like a hat.  My husband then helped me and my short self out and put up all 22 Santas.  Wow! That's a lot of Santas.

I always love our gingerbread week.  I decided this year to make a different gingerbread and he turned out very cute. But.....with 22 kids he takes up two boards.  We used a regular sized paper plate.  Next year we will be using smaller ones.  :-)

Here are some of the big cuties up close.

Here is our gingerbread thinking map.  He turned out cute. The kids loved him.  We labeled him and then they practiced labeling their own gingerbread.  We also used the thinking map to write about our gingerbread man or girl all week. 

 I always love reading all of the gingerbread stories.  They are great to use to talk about the different parts of a story.  Each day I made a thinking map of the story that we read, and then they completed their own independently.

Here is some of my modeled writing.  Yes....I do know how to spell, but I let the kids tell me how to spell the words.  Our rule is...if it is up in the room we have to spell it correctly.  

 Merry Christmas

Lisa

K-Crew Kids Rock