Happy Holidays!

Season's Greetings from everyone in Room 108! Consider this our winter check-in and a thank you for everything you all do to help us learn and grow together. This shot was taken before we took a trip to see the Nutcracker Ballet. The boys and girls were all very dapper and on their best behavior to witness and incredible rendition of one of the most timeless holiday ballets.

This week will be a kind of holiday celebration with lots of seasonal activities and independent, partner, small group, and whole class activities. Tuesday, December 15 will be the Mann All-School celebration for positive behavior in December. All students in the school will celebrate by playing board games for awhile in the afternoon. Children and staff will be decked out in Mann-Wear and have their favorite board games to share with their friends.

Hope to see many of you at our winter party on Wednesday, December 16 to revel in the season's spirit and excitement before our long winter break!

Winter Time

Brrrrr! There's no looking back now. The blustery winds have started blowing and the first snow has fallen. Although nothing has accumulated yet, the cold feeling of winter has set in. You can help ensure your child is prepared for cold weather recess by sending them to school with a winter coat, gloves, stocking hat and any other winter clothing you want. When the snow sticks around, you'll want to be sure to outfit your munchkin in snow pants and boots, along with the normal winter garb. Snow and ice also mean wetness so its a good idea to send an extra pair of socks for your child to keep in their locker. Please help out by making sure your child is bundled appropriately for the winter weather! (It would also be a great idea to teach your little one the responsibility of bundling up on their own. I will of course be there to make sure everything is ship-shape.)

This Wednesday, December 9 students will be attending a Ballet Legere performance of Peter Tchaikovksy's Nutcracker Ballet at the Chodl Theatre located in Cicero. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to see one of the most famous holiday classics. It's also a terrific way to incorporate manners and etiquette into our every day lives. For the performance, children are asked to "dress up" by wearing ballet appropriate attire. Please reinforce with your child the importance of manners and etiquette as we will be learning about them this week. Here is a little preview of the "Russian Dance" from Nutcracker ballet. The music is infamously recognizable and forever timeless.



This time of year seems to always become very busy with all kinds of holiday hubbub and seasonal changes and decorations. Student in Room 108 will be reading, writing and learning about many of the more common holiday celebrations while being encouraged to respect the traditions and beliefs of other people and cultures. One of the most important aspects of this season is showing compassion for others and respecting traditions other families observe. Hopefully you can find time to discuss meanings of the holiday season with your child and help them understand how fortunate they are to have such wonderful opportunities as an American child.

Thanks for reading, dress warmly, and I will see you on the blacktop!