During the last couple of weeks we have been reading books about different winter celebrations including Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.  As we have read about each holiday we have noticed characteristics they have in common:  light, special foods, gifts, songs, and time with family and friends.  We have focused our discussion to the spirit of giving and have since been exploring books about giving, noticing the many ways we can give to others, from making actual gifts, to giving a hug or a compliment, to simply being kind.  A favorite has been The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau.  The whole school is focused on noticing random acts of kindness in the next couple of weeks and our class is enthusiastically taking part, reporting the kind acts of others throughout the day.

It felt like a gift to have the playground covered with loads of fresh snow on Thursday morning!