Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We had a wonderful week of learning about many different kinds of celebrations, from making tamales, to snowflakes to the Hanukkah game of dreidels.  Next week we will be focusing on individual family traditions of your children.  Thank you for sending in a recipe and questionnaire so that they will be able to explain their traditions to their friends.  On Tuesday, we will be mixing 1st classrooms in the morning to learn about 3 different family traditions from India, Great Britain and Haiti.

Thank you to the parents that could come in on the snowy Thursday afternoon to help with flea market purchases and Kids Food Basket prep.  We packed breakfast bags on Thursday for Kids Food Basket quite successfully.  They each wrote a little note to be packed in the bags for our friends to give them a little personal bucket-fill.  Having many parents join us for the flea market helped tremendously as well!

Coming home this weekend...
A book bag for some...others please choose a good book from home to enjoy!

I look forward to seeing many of you at our holiday party on Thursday at 12:30.  Please feel free to stay for the all-school Holiday Concert at 2:00pm!  Friday will be pajama day.  Our first grade friends can wear comfy clothes or PJs to school, bring one stuffed friend that can fit in their backpack (no large animals please) and slippers if they like.

...and just a friendly reminder about head lice in this winter season...one of my girls had it a few weeks ago, I've learned many new things with this experience!  Most important of all, check your child's head periodically, 'tis the season for these little pests to trapeze from clean head to clean head if there is contact these winter months.  Do not share hats or brushes with siblings or friends.  If this ever happens to you/your family and you are wondering what to do, I'd be happy to try to answer any questions you might have!
   
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!