The Christmas Season

We had a curious parent who asked this week why we did so much at Christmas time. Lots of things have become our little traditions over the years. I suppose because we've gotten good feedback, and for us at the Garden School, the "always" word is "possibilities." We never really say, "Well, that's not possible," or "Other places don't do that," or "We can't." We're a do place and if it's a possibility, why not give it our best shot.

The holiday season, not my favorite, begins with Halloween and escalates quietly through Thanksgiving and commences with Christmas. It's a one thing after another time. We begin with an all day dress up and pretend day with Halloween. Getting the kids out in costumes is a battle, but it's something the kids really love. This year we went to my mother's nursing home. It was very special indeed to me personally.

With Halloween over, it was time to plunge into the play. Plays are probably the most memorable of all primary years. When you ask a child, "What do you remember about your school years?" or "What was your favorite school memory?" he will likely remember a play. Plays build cohesion, they build solidarity, they build self confidence, and they build a sense of begin, do, and complete - a group of actions too often left unfinished in the modern world.

But writing, learning, practicing, costuming, and directing is a lot of work and can't be done at recess time or after school. It's a school hour two weeks. That means a classroom hiatus must give way for the play. Is it worth it? For the most part, it's my experience that the break actually produces a clearer picture of school work. In my class, after the play, the children suddenly knew all their letters. It's been noted that the more children are in desks at school, the lower the test scores. The less time children are social and discuss school among themselves, the lower the test scores. People learn by sharing and sharing does not mean hours and hours of silent independent work.

Theatre, art, imagination, creativity, spontaneity, possibility all broadens the child and allows him to think outside the box. These are right brained activities that you can't get from a steady stream of worksheets and a nose to the grindstone approach to learning. By thinking outside the box, the child begins to explore the disciplines. He is no longer content with the limiting reach of the textbook. He wants to know why and how. This builds scientists and mathematicians.

When the play is over, it's time to do Christmas around the world. What do other people think of Christmas? What IS Christmas and why is it important? What do we DO at Christmas and why? These are questions that need to be answered for the young child in early childhood or they will not be important. The foundations don't begin in early adult hood; they begin in early childhood, and in the community. It's a trust issue. We spend a morning decorating the Christmas tree and making ornaments because that's our Western Tradition.

We start learning Christmas songs early so that children can really sing them. It takes three weeks of practice, but it's a life time of remembering. We read children's stories about Christmas, learn stories about miracles at Christmas time like the story of Our Lady of Guadeloupe, and St. Nicholas, and this year, we are learning the poem, T'was the Night Before Christmas.

During the Christmas season, we try to touch all the bases for those children who don't get to touch any bases. We will take the children to the Nutcracker today. This performance is a one of a kind in Evansville. It could be the only ballet these children ever see. The information gained today at this ballet could be a part of a child's imagination that allows him to do any number of things in his life. Ballet offers an out of the ordinary art form that encourages the idea that beauty of motion is very much a part of the human desire to be beautiful, to be flawless.

We produce an art show as a way for parents to inexpensively complete their shopping lists. Miss Amy has displayed the artwork in her classroom with a lot of love and affection for the kids. The children are delighted with their work, and will be delighted to see the smiles on the faces of the grandparents who receive it at Christmas time. It took about 40 hours of teacher work to produce the framing. Why do we do this at a rush, rush, rush time at Christmas? Because we've gotten feedback from parents who love it, so it becomes our pleasure. Most of my prominent artwork at my own house is my children's work from childhood. These things I treasure.

We do an golden angel of the day award and gift which is awarded to a special child every day. The child receives a box of goodies. Why a box? In the story, The Littlest Angel, such a box became the star that led the shepherds and the kings to the Christ child. It's a beautiful story that we read every year. Children earn angels every day, and one child who has been especially wonderful gets the golden angel. What does this teach? In my experience, the last of the behavior problems often subside with this little activity. The very idea that anything is possible - even really responsible behavior - and that pride and understanding comes from this behavior is often learned through little paper angels and a little box of treats. It's concrete; it makes sense; it works.

Then there is the last push to make gifts for parents in the last dash to the big Santa party.

For the party, parents are asked to secretly bring a little trinket toy that looks like it was made in Santa's workshop, and we have a visit from Santa who brings these things in an enormous green bag. There is a prize for the best behaved child, and a bean feast of cookies and cupcakes, and then it's over.

For parents, we usually have a charity we're collecting for because someone in the school community has a need. We have supplied some of our poorer families with whole Christmases right down to the turkey in some years. This year we are collecting for the ill who have been forgotten.

So that's the ticket. When it's all over, teachers dash home to do their own Christmas prep. At my house, I have 15 family members and lots of friends and out of town company to think about, so it never really ends until December 26.

And if you think Holiday season is busy, just wait until summer...