This post was written by Erin Kelly, our Preschool 3s teacher. She describes how she invited families to share their family traditions around the winter holidays and is an exceptional example of inclusion and honoring diversity.
Our winter break is upon us so I wanted to say an extra thank you to all the families who helped us celebrate Christmas with the different traditions from their families. We started with St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas, as they are very similar looking to Santa. They leave treats in children’s shoes in early December. Italy’s tradition, where La Befana (a kind old witch) is the gift giver, was shared by the Minarini-Smith family, and it was so fun and interesting. The Mach family shared a story and information about the holiday in Mexico which includes a pinata, and even brought one in for the class. Baking cookies is a long held tradition in many families like the Cardens, who came in and led a snowman cookie decorating presentation. Along with a few other holidays I included, it ended up being a successful way to expand on how Christmas looks all around the world.
When we came back in January, we talked about the new year. As adults we typically start the New Year with resolutions. This can be a confusing topic for preschoolers, so I was thrilled that the Posten family wanted to share a tradition they have started in their home…..affirmations. As a family and for each family member they think of positive statements and goals. To share this with the class they discussed what affirmation, means, then helped them explore ways to find their own affirmations through doing a craft. They glued on pictures and words to help make a keepsake to take home. Listening to a song by Snoop Dog called “The Affirmation Song” ended the presentation on a positive vibe with its good beat and age appropriate lyrics. Thank you, Postens, for this new idea and sharing it from one family to all of ours! #I am thankful #I am blessed