Another Video!
Enjoy these two wonderful children's stories for the holidays!
Posts
Good Old Santa Claus!
Here he is, that magical elf who, once a year, creates such a stir. Is he Santa Claus, St Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or Father Christmas? Just where did his legend begin? St Nicholas dates back as far as the third century. Of Greek decent Nicholas was born to a wealthy family. When he was a young boy his parents died in the plague and subsequently he devoted his life to God gifting much of his wealth the needy. Kris Kringle is of German decent, referring to the Christ Child. He came into homes long after everyone was asleep, leaving tokens to symbolize the gifts of Christianity . Father Christmas or Old Man Winter was a figure in pagan celebrations around winter. He travelled to peoples homes and in exchange for food and drink he blessed them with a mild winter. As as most old legends do, over hundreds of years, they merge together to create new legends. Hence our modern story of Santa Claus.
There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays!
The single most amazing thing about the holiday season is that it brings family and friends together. For a short time we all take a break from the madness of life and we celebrate our blessings. Happy Holidays wherever you may be!
Natural Disasters -How Much do we tell our Children?
Tsunamis. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, these are just of a few of the natural disasters children hear about. We often wonder how much information we should share with children, especially JK and SK students, when it comes to the elements. Our first instinct is to shelter them and keep the issues at bay. But the truth is that children are intuitive. The radio in the car, the news on TV, the newspapers and magazines on display, are all sensory input. Children see and listen a lot more than we think and they need to dialogue about this. We should allow them to share their theories, express concerns, and converse with peers. We find that focusing on how to help victims of natural disasters empowers children. A bake sale, collecting a jar of coins, food drive, care packages are just a few of the suggestions and contributions the children have made over the last few years. Mia draws the city as the winds of Hurricane Sandy swirl .