Week of 2/16/18

Dear Parents,

This week we had a lot of fun. On Wednesday we had our Valentine’s Day party and covered the origins of this holiday starting with the Roman God Lupricus who is the god of husbandry and fertility. The Romans believed that Lupricus would protect them from the dangerous roving bands of wolves that would roam the lands that the Roman Republic ruled and would attack and devour livestock and humans. During the festival, the Luprici priests to Lupricus, would sacrifice goats and a dog in the Luprical cave where it is believed that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus were brought up by the she-wolf and would eventually become the founders of Rome. Women were hit from thongs made from the sacrificed animals so that they could be fertile and that they would have an easy labor. February happens to derive from the Latin word februa, meaning purification. It also coincides from another festival, Juno Februata ( Goddess of love, women and marriage), celebrated on February 14 where matches were made for future marriages. Later on Pope Gelasius chose to assimilate these two Roman festivals with the day of St. Valentine who secretly married young Roman soldiers as it was against the law for Roman soldiers to get married until they were able to leave the army. We also discussed the miracle that St. Valentine performed when he healed a Roman soldier’s daughters blindness. We talked about how religions influence other religions and are assimilated into new religions.

We also talked about how the Industrial Revolution and the railway in England made giving Valentines to loved ones popular. After that the students passed out sentiments to each other and we ended the day by ice skating. It was beautiful and sunny outside. The world is starting to rise from its winter slumber. Be on the lookout for groggy, hungry creatures like raccoons and opossums!

On Thursday we had similar discussion about Ash Wednesday that wove us back in time to look at the importance of ash and dust used in many religions all over the world to symbolize purification, repentance of sin ( or hurtful choices), and forgiveness. Some of those religions hail from the Nordic religions specifically relating to Odin. Did you know that Wednesday comes from Odin’s Day? We also traveled to India to discover that ash purification and forgiveness of sin was also practiced in the Vedic Indian Religion and the fire god, Angi, who is also the forgiver of sins. We also get the Latin word, ignis from this god and in return we get our English words, ignite, igneous and ignition. 

History is a great way to see how certain events through time weaves itself into who we all are today as a global community. You may not think that we are effected by events that took place thousands of years ago, but we are. The main goal of history is for us to study these events with non-judgmental eyes and see how we can make our world better and how we have a responsibility to think beyond ourselves and do so. 

Look for a beautiful art display in the front hallway filled with artwork representing their feelings about the Langston Hughes poem: Dreams. We will also have an interactive piece in which anyone may participate. 

Week of 2/2/18

Dear Parents,

Another week, another snow day! One of our students is a budding meteorologist and he is predicting two next week. 

This week I will continue to discuss the Class Meeting. This discussion will extent the next few weeks as I feel it is important to discuss the dynamics of the classroom and why these meetings are important to be held three times a week. 

Here I take the words from Chip DeLorenzo and Jane Nelson:

The class meeting is designed to be student generated and student lead. The meeting’s main objective is to solve problems through discussion and group brainstorming. The students create an agenda by putting their concerns on the agenda. ( In our room it is a small red box where the problems can be stored until a meeting) During the class meeting, the students discuss the problems openly and brainstorm solutions for the problem. Through this process students learn from the inside out. The Latin root of the word education is educate, which means to “draw forth”. When the adults “teach” by “drawing forth”, the students feel capable, belonging and significant, and more motivated to follow the solutions they help create. The Class Meeting is a safe place to solve problems because the focus of the meeting is taking on responsibility and solving problems instead of placing blame: children are never in trouble, never receive consequences and always focus on solutions.

At this moment, I am modeling with the students how a meeting is lead. In order for the classroom meetings to be successful, they need to slowly understand the objectives and to practice solving more benign issues that may be happening in the class or a made up problem. I believe that starting in a week or two students will be integrated into the leadership roles. 

I imagine you may have many questions already. 

Next week I will discuss how class meetings can provide an opportunity for them to learn important social and life skills. How they learn to take responsibility in solving the problems that arise in their lives instead of placing blame on others. How they can utilize these skills to have successful and healthy relationships with the people in their lives, whether it be a moment or a lifetime. 

Sincerely,

Christine & Sheena