Military Celebrations

During the month of May and the first Saturday in June there are significant military celebrations. These dates are commemorated through various ceremonies held on military bases. In the classrooms and schools, we honor these military events with guest speakers, activities related to the military and through books and discussions.

May 16th is Armed Forces Day that is celebrated in conjunction with Armed Forces Week. This day honors the members who currently serve in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

May 25th, Memorial Day (previously known as Decoration Day), remembers those military men and women who died serving their country. Many memorials are held on this day to honor our fallen men and women.

 

On Saturday, June 6th, the 71st anniversary of D-Day is celebrated. D-Day marks the day the Allied forces invaded the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

We know many of you do not teach military children, but we ask that you take the time to share the importance of our military members who help or helped to keep our country safe and free.  

Kinder Kids singing a medley of military songs! check them out!

Art and Writing Activities:

Books:

Thinglink of Videos:
   

Pinterest Board:

Product:

A Wonderful Time of the Year?

Yes, the holiday season is upon us and even with the stress and frenzy, for most of us it is a wonderful time of the year.  Holiday music, excited children, shopping sales, lots of holiday treats, two weeks off (YAY!) and being with family and friends are things many of us look forward to and enjoy. However, one of the realities of military life is the possibility of being separated from family and loved ones due to deployments. So a wonderful time of the year? Not so much for some of our military spouses and families.

Thankfully military installations offer programs that provide support for separated families during this time. In the schools, teachers, counselors and staff provide opportunities for children to feel connected to their deployed parent through Hugs for the Holidays and school /classroom activities. It is not quite the same as having mom and dad home for the holidays, but it does help. So while you are enjoying this wonderful time of the year, please keep our military families in your thoughts and prayers.

 

 

Keeping Busy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#WindyHillHandyWorks 

 

 

 

That’s Not Santa!  (Santas in disguise):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Stories:

 

 

Bring Him Home Santa (and if you can’t, keep him safe)

 

    

The children singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

 

 

The true meaning of the season:

 

 

Lots of Holiday Pinterest Boards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wish you all  Frohe Feiertage and Guten Neue Jahr! 

We're in a Pickle!

Christmas and pickles? As we have been out and about at German Christmas markets, we keep coming across ornaments shaped like a pickle. Pickles? What is up with that? Well, we used our trusty friend Google to find out what relation pickles have to Christmas. Come to find out, the Christmas tradition of hanging a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree is considered a custom from right here in Germany!

The ornament shaped like a pickle is hidden on the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Whoever finds the pickle shaped ornament on Christmas morning is supposed to receive an extra Christmas gift. However, this “German custom” is not a German tradition at all! There are other possible origins for the Christmas pickle, but nobody knows for sure where the custom of the pickle shaped Christmas ornament really started and why.

Personally, we prefer our pickles on a cheeseburger and not so much as a decoration on our Christmas tree, even if it is just an ornament. We are all for the extra gift though!

Pickles are a fun topic to talk about (and taste) in the classroom and there are some fun books and activities related to pickles too.  

 

Pickle Pixies!

 

Pickle Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickle Books:

 

 

The class singing Rudolph:

39 St. Mary Axe Building  known as the Gherkin Building in London

 

  

Pickle Pinterest Board