Like you, I was shaken to the core by the events that transpired in Connecticut last Friday.  It has been difficult to push it out of all our minds in order to maintain a sense of calm, routine and consistency.  I received a beautiful poem from a friend today via email that I will copy and paste at the end of this blog - maybe it will offer you a bit of comfort as it did me.

The staff at Leeds met with Mr. Smith on Monday morning to be advised of ways to handle student comments.  We do have support personnel in the school for any students who may show signs of trauma.  In kindergarten, not one student has mentioned any knowledge of the event.  My class has continued to work as expected the week before Christmas.  I want to thank each of you for however you chose to handle this awful situation - your sons and daughters seem to have maintained their innocence through this very evil situation.  As adults, we each question just how safe our schools are and how we can protect those we love.  I can only promise you that I will always do everything in my power to keep your child safe emotionally, academically and physically.

I think we will all be holding those we love a little closer during this holiday time and I wish each and every one of you a very safe and healthy winter break.   With love, Barbara Ann

Very Touching..... God Bless These Families!

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

This is the month of holidays and this week we have learned about Hanukkah.  We read a story about how the Maccabees defeated the king's army and how they returned to the temple and found only enough oil to last for one day.  However, when they lit the menorah, the oil lasted for 8 days!  On Monday we ''lit'' the first three candles on our homemade menorah and have added one each day.  We have been working on a Hanukkah project that will be displayed on our outside bulletin board by Friday. 

In Math this week, we have learned about how we use attributes to described things.  We began with attribute blokcs and children sorted them according to size, shape, color and thickness.  Then we used buttons to find common attributes.  Children are learning they can use many words to describe how things are alike and different.  We will be having a special Hanukkah treat on Friday and I am expecting the Elf ion the Shelf to show up any day now!

Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.  BA

This week our class has been learning about the African-American holiday, Kwanzaa.  Some of the Swahili words we have been using are very difficult for us to pronounce yet in spite of that, we now that Kwanzaa celebrates  the past and future with lights, unity, faith and feasting just like our more familiar holidays.    If you have a chance to visit the school, be sure to see our mkekas, the Kwanzaa mats that we have woven with construction paper.  They are proudly, and colorfully,  displayed on the bulletin board outside our classroom.  The sixth principle of Kwanzaa is creativity so today we completed a little project that will become a gift for some lucky family members!  Tomorrow we will begin learning about  Hanukkah. 

We are moving on to our third Math Investigations, What Comes Next?: Patterns and Functions. In this unit, students will investigate what makes a repeating pattern. They will focus on attributes of objects and think about which attributes (i.e., size, color, shape, orientation) are important in the patterns they will be making. Students will  work with simple and complex repeating patterns. They will have many opportunities to copy, create, and extend repeating patterns using a variety of materials and common objects. They will also use patterns to determine what comes next and focus on the part, or unit, of a pattern that repeats.  We have already had some experience with patterns on our monthly calendar so I think many of our students are quite familiar with patterns.

We also welcomed a new student, Patricia, to our classroom this week bringing our total to 19.  She has fit into our routine very nicely and is making friends quickly.

Math night at Leeds, this past Wednesday was very well attended and students and parents alike enjoyed playing Compare, Grab and Count, Roll and Record,  and  Toss the Chips.  Thanks to those of you who were able to attend in this very busy month.

I hope everyone enjoys a good weekend.  Barbara Ann