HOULTON, Maine — Each year at Houlton Elementary School, students in each grade level participate in a variety of holiday activities. Students in kindergarten and grade one enjoyed a special craft day, while second-graders hosted “Christmas Around the World,” learning about the many holiday traditions celebrated around the world.
Each of the five second grade classroom teachers, as well as, Resource Room teacher Ann Rairdon and Literacy Coach Janet Murakami, hosted a country. All students traveled from their home classroom with a passport so they could visit the various countries on their adventure. Each teacher presented a short video introduction of that particular country and some of the traditions. Sometimes a video provided step by step directions to make a project.
By the end of each 30-minute presentation, students completed a decoration or small project to take home at the end of the day, as well as gained knowledge of that particular country.
This year the students visited China with Martha Schools and made a little pig to commemorate the Year of the Pig 2019. Finland was the country for Lauren Fitzpatrick’s room, where students spread sun butter on a half of a bagel, then sprinkled it with bird seed to make a bird feeder for home. Students made menorahs in Emily Lilley’s class and learned about the Jewish tradition of the eight days of Hanukkah.
Katie Fitzpatrick shared the story of the poinsettia plant from Mexico and each student made a colorful blossom out of construction paper to take home. Poinsettias are sometimes referred to as the flowers of the Holy Night and the shape of the blossom and leaves are thought to be a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem.
Murakami, discussed the traditions of the Japanese and students wrote Merry Christmas using the characters of the language. In Rairdon’s room, students visited the country of France and learned a few holiday greetings in French. While there, they made a glittery decoration for their tree at home.
Lisa Kirk’s host country was England, where children learned about Father Christmas and special crackers opened at Christmas dinner.
(Courtesy of Karen Donato)
