Happy December! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday with friends and family. November has been another busy month at Midtown with plenty of holidays and festivals to think about.

On Dia de los Muertos our teacher Cynthia shared some special items she brought from home to help us understand what the holiday means to her.

The month started and ended with rain and we had a blast playing outside in our rain gear! Whenever it rains we get our wet weather clothes on and make the most of the fun that can be had splashing in puddles and making sandy mixtures in the sand box.

In the week before Thanksgiving we learned about the Wampanoag tribe and what foods they might have eaten. We read the book Stone Soup, talking about the idea that sharing a little bit from each of us benefits the community. We then decided what veggies we would like to bring in to share in preparation for making our own stone soup.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday chopping and prepping and after starting with a stone, we added our chopped veggies, salt and pepper and simmered it nicely on the stove. We shared our soup with family and friends at our Fall Pot Luck.

The class has been building a gratitude tree, with everyone taking turns to write down something they are grateful for on a paper leaf and then taping it to the tree. Mom has been the runaway favorite thing we are grateful for. Other things include pets, toys, dad, siblings, trucks, relatives, painting, and hugs.

We are looking forward to more fun activities this month including a trip to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter to donate toys for the dogs, and our annual Holiday Party, before we break for the Winter Vacation.

You are receiving this newsletter because you joined our waitlist or contacted us through our website. It is a snapshot of the weekly emails that our headteacher Joe sends out to all parents at school, keeping them updated on life in the classroom.

Have a wonderful December!