Thanksgiving, etc.

The past few weeks have been so busy and hectic! During the week of Thanksgiving we did a lot of activities centered around the history of Thanksgiving and what it means to be thankful. It was difficult to get the Kindergarteners to really comprehend the meaning behind Thanksgiving. They thought the Mayflower was a pirate ship, and were then confused that there are no longer Pilgrims or Indians living today. Over Thanksgiving break, I went to New York City with all the Kindergarten staff. We had a great time, and when we got back, we showed the kids all the pictures we had taken. They really liked them and couldn't believe how tall the buildings were! They didn't understand the 911 Memorial. I was trying to explain it, without going into too much detail (so they wouldn't get scared). I told them all the names were names of people who had died. Someone asked where my name was, and someone asked where their Pappy's name was because he died. They did not understand what had happened there, or why the memorial was there. I guess this is something they will learn more and more about as they mature and are able to understand the complexity of it. Now, we are starting Christmas activities. They are so excited! The next few weeks should be interesting.