School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 1 – Week 16
December holidays
These first-grade scholars are still young enough to get excited about holidays and yet, are exceptionally curious about the holidays and traditions of others. I think all of these young scholars have some awareness that different families have different traditions although they may have very little knowledge of other religious and/or cultural holidays. I have listed the following on the Board for the class:
· Christian
o Advent beginning November 27 this year
o Christmas – December 25
· Baha’i – None in December
· Buddhist – December 8 – Bodhi Day
· Hindu – None in December –
o January 14 – Makar Sandranti/Pongal
· Jewish – December 25-January 1 – Hanukkah
· Muslim – December 12 – Mawlid an Nabi
· Pagan – December 22 – Winter Solstice
· Shinto – No celebrations or rituals in December
· Sikh – No celebrations or rituals in December
· African Kwanzaa – December 26 – January 1
The assignment to the class was to discuss with their families how we can celebrate and honor our holidays and still respect the traditions and beliefs of others. I am eager to hear what these scholars have to say. I hear them coming now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies today but I will try to make time to bake some before we meet next week.
(Collective sigh.)
Me: There are many different ways of celebrating. I have written on the board what some of the religions and traditions celebrate in December. As you will see not of them have celebrations in December. The timing of our winter school break is usually based on the Christian calendar and traditions.
I am eager to hear what you and you families think about enjoying your holiday but also respecting what others do to celebrate.
Tara: Our family celebrates Christmas and the birth of the baby Jesus, but my mom works with a lot of people who do not celebrate Christmas. We have a party at our house next week. (She starts reading off a card she has brought with her.) Everyone brings food from their country to share with each other. Often families will share about their holiday At Christmas it is just my parents and the children. We go to church and then spend the day with my grandparents. We have also each picked a name off the tree at the homeless shelter and are shopping for gifts. Everyone in the family has a gift budget of $50.00. The gifts we buy for our child is taken out of that $50.00. What is left is given to the family member whose name you have to get them a gift.
Me: Wow. That is wonderful. So, Tara, if you spend $40.00 of your $50.00 on your child you have $10.00 left to get a gift?
Tara: Yes. Sometimes it is difficult finding a gift for $10.00. Grandma and Grandpa buy us gifts too.
Me: How about other families?
Sam: Uncle Jim, you know that all the neighbors come over to our house. Our neighbors are from everywhere. Paul says we have the whole box of crayons when all the neighbors come over.
Me: You mean that they are all different colors and shades,
Sam: Yes, black, brown, white and in between. Even yellow kinda!
Me: What happens on Christmas day at your house?
Sam: Usually we go to Ohio to grandma and grandpa’s. They have all my favorite food.
Ahmes: We are from Egypt and are Muslim. Soon we will have a birthday party for the prophet. We call it Mawlid an Nabi. We have sort of Christmas decorations in our home. We also go to mosque. In Egypt, the streets are decorated. It is fun.
Steve: Does Jesus get mad if everyone does not celebrate his birthday?
Me: Good question Steve. What do your parents say?
Steve: They told me to ask you
Me: Oh! Okay. I do not think that Jesus, the prophet or anyone gets mad. I think we have to think of God or Jesus in a way that we are used to. I know some people think differently than I do.
Sophia: My Aunt is a Bud. Oh a ….
Me: A Buddhist?
Sophia: Yes. They are having a party soon.
Me: The Buddhist celebrate Bodhi day as the day that the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, got smart. Some call getting smart by a big word – enlightenment. Here I will write it on the board.
Sophia: When I get an A will there be a holiday for me?
Me: Well, yes, when we do well in class we do have a little party don’t we?
Susie: More cookies?
Me: Yes. More cookies. Goodness you scholars have done well. It sounds like most of you and your families are trying to appreciate your own and other traditions. We all have parties of some sort and we all try to take care of each other. Are we saying that it is okay to celebrate our way and to not try to make others celebrate the same?
Class: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Me: I will bring cookies next week. How about we continue this talk and talk about Kwanzaa. Talk with your families about this and see what you can find out. Steve and Tara, will you hand out the papers please.
(Steve and Tara hand out the assignment.)
Great job. Have a good week everyone?
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written November 30, 2016
December holidays
These first-grade scholars are still young enough to get excited about holidays and yet, are exceptionally curious about the holidays and traditions of others. I think all of these young scholars have some awareness that different families have different traditions although they may have very little knowledge of other religious and/or cultural holidays. I have listed the following on the Board for the class:
· Christian
o Advent beginning November 27 this year
o Christmas – December 25
· Baha’i – None in December
· Buddhist – December 8 – Bodhi Day
· Hindu – None in December –
o January 14 – Makar Sandranti/Pongal
· Jewish – December 25-January 1 – Hanukkah
· Muslim – December 12 – Mawlid an Nabi
· Pagan – December 22 – Winter Solstice
· Shinto – No celebrations or rituals in December
· Sikh – No celebrations or rituals in December
· African Kwanzaa – December 26 – January 1
The assignment to the class was to discuss with their families how we can celebrate and honor our holidays and still respect the traditions and beliefs of others. I am eager to hear what these scholars have to say. I hear them coming now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies today but I will try to make time to bake some before we meet next week.
(Collective sigh.)
Me: There are many different ways of celebrating. I have written on the board what some of the religions and traditions celebrate in December. As you will see not of them have celebrations in December. The timing of our winter school break is usually based on the Christian calendar and traditions.
I am eager to hear what you and you families think about enjoying your holiday but also respecting what others do to celebrate.
Tara: Our family celebrates Christmas and the birth of the baby Jesus, but my mom works with a lot of people who do not celebrate Christmas. We have a party at our house next week. (She starts reading off a card she has brought with her.) Everyone brings food from their country to share with each other. Often families will share about their holiday At Christmas it is just my parents and the children. We go to church and then spend the day with my grandparents. We have also each picked a name off the tree at the homeless shelter and are shopping for gifts. Everyone in the family has a gift budget of $50.00. The gifts we buy for our child is taken out of that $50.00. What is left is given to the family member whose name you have to get them a gift.
Me: Wow. That is wonderful. So, Tara, if you spend $40.00 of your $50.00 on your child you have $10.00 left to get a gift?
Tara: Yes. Sometimes it is difficult finding a gift for $10.00. Grandma and Grandpa buy us gifts too.
Me: How about other families?
Sam: Uncle Jim, you know that all the neighbors come over to our house. Our neighbors are from everywhere. Paul says we have the whole box of crayons when all the neighbors come over.
Me: You mean that they are all different colors and shades,
Sam: Yes, black, brown, white and in between. Even yellow kinda!
Me: What happens on Christmas day at your house?
Sam: Usually we go to Ohio to grandma and grandpa’s. They have all my favorite food.
Ahmes: We are from Egypt and are Muslim. Soon we will have a birthday party for the prophet. We call it Mawlid an Nabi. We have sort of Christmas decorations in our home. We also go to mosque. In Egypt, the streets are decorated. It is fun.
Steve: Does Jesus get mad if everyone does not celebrate his birthday?
Me: Good question Steve. What do your parents say?
Steve: They told me to ask you
Me: Oh! Okay. I do not think that Jesus, the prophet or anyone gets mad. I think we have to think of God or Jesus in a way that we are used to. I know some people think differently than I do.
Sophia: My Aunt is a Bud. Oh a ….
Me: A Buddhist?
Sophia: Yes. They are having a party soon.
Me: The Buddhist celebrate Bodhi day as the day that the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, got smart. Some call getting smart by a big word – enlightenment. Here I will write it on the board.
Sophia: When I get an A will there be a holiday for me?
Me: Well, yes, when we do well in class we do have a little party don’t we?
Susie: More cookies?
Me: Yes. More cookies. Goodness you scholars have done well. It sounds like most of you and your families are trying to appreciate your own and other traditions. We all have parties of some sort and we all try to take care of each other. Are we saying that it is okay to celebrate our way and to not try to make others celebrate the same?
Class: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Me: I will bring cookies next week. How about we continue this talk and talk about Kwanzaa. Talk with your families about this and see what you can find out. Steve and Tara, will you hand out the papers please.
(Steve and Tara hand out the assignment.)
Great job. Have a good week everyone?
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written November 30, 2016
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