Children come to understand and appreciate why people throughout the world create traditions to acknowledge the changing of seasons, events of national or political significance, and religious observances.
Geography
Birthdays can be celebrated in the classroom by having the birthday child carry a globe and walk around a ‘sun’ once for each year of life. This reminds students that life is a cycle of seasons that occur because the earth turns on its axis as it revolves around the sun, and this complete cycle takes one year.
History
We encourage the child to bring photographs and a short story to share about their earlier years of life as they travel around the sun. This is a great opportunity for parents to share memories with their child.
Nutrition/Health
Families are asked to support our nutrition program by sending a healthy snack to share – fruit cups, frozen yogurt, vegetable pizza.
Consistent with school policy, do not send candy, cake, cookies, cupcakes or other sugar-laden treats. Refrain from sending balloons or gifts.
Other Considerations
If your child wants to have an at-home celebration and invite students from school, please put the invitations in marked envelopes and give them to the classroom teacher to distribute so that classmates who are not invited will not feel left out.
Holidays and Children
Holidays can have a powerful effect on children, especially during the holiday season that stretches from early October to early January. Children often show increased signs of excitement and distractibility during these months, which can affect their learning during the school day.
We understand the significance and value of holiday observances and the importance of helping students maintain perspective and follow a routine that provides stability and consistency for all learners. Riley Dual Language Montessori School guides and staff emphasize the cultural and creative, historical and societal aspects of holidays in these ways:
Keeping things as usual in the classroom. This means no elaborate holiday decorations that can distract students from their learning, no holiday parties, no costumes during Halloween, and no candy or cards on Valentine’s Day.
- Discussing and supporting children’s research about holidays here and around the world.
- Reading stories to children that describe the diversity of our culture and how a variety of holidays are celebrated in our country.
- Engaging in a whole school musical event with the emphasis on culturally expressive music and dance.
- Asking children to share their own family traditions.
- Inviting parents to share artifacts and information about family celebrations with the children.
- Helping children understand that the holiday season is traditionally a time for helping the needy in our community.
- Analyzing advertising’s influence on how we celebrate, understand, and spend money during the holidays during lessons/discussions with older children.