Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - December 7th

In first grade, students explore math's fascinating world of shapes and symmetry. Recently, they delved into the Ndebele tribe in South Africa, discovering that these talented artisans paint their houses using intricate patterns of shapes and symmetry. This cross-curricular approach is helping our young learners appreciate the universality of mathematical concepts and their real-world applications in diverse cultures around the globe.

Dear Friends,

baobab All year long Westfield students are engaged in our theme of We Seek to Create an Earth Restored. For instance, as a part of their study of Africa, children have been learning about the different peoples and geographies of the second-largest continent. Most recently they have been learning about the savannah and the Baobab Tree. In science and social studies, they are learning how this tree grows and is a keystone life form for the other plants, animals, and humans in its domain. They will also learn about the threats to these tree’s existence.

In language arts, they are using the Baobab as a prompt for their first effort at writing an opinion piece. Each student is making their own argument for the best name for the Baobab Tree. Examples, spellchecked here, include:

“ I think the best name is Tree of Life because it has food, water, and shelter for people and animals.”
“I think the best name is Upside Down Tree because it looks upside down with roots in the air and I think it is unique.” ~ Jack B
“I think the best name is The Monkey Bread Tree because monkeys eat the fruit from it.” ~Jack K
“I think the best name is Water Bottle Tree because it has water in its trunk. It looks like a water bottle. It can hold 26,000 gallons of water.” ~ Nolan

Names and naming have been a part of Middle School discussions as well. Right before Thanksgiving vacation, Norman Bayard, Dean of Friends Select School, spoke to Middle School students about the importance of addressing people by the names they want to be called. He talked about what it means for each of us to make the effort to correctly pronounce each other’s names. He used his own life story to show what had gone into his name and who he is as a complex, multi-dimension human being - a teacher, a black man, a son, a husband, a historian, a lover of comics, a father, a student of karate. Part of his presentation focused on the damage we cause by reducing a person or group of people to a single stereotype or derogatory term. Students came away from the presentation with a greater understanding of the power of names and naming in creating Westfield’s culture of belonging.

We are heading into the last week before our long winter holiday. Students are busy rehearsing for our winter concert. On Friday, there will be a decoration-making extravaganza as we turn our buildings into winter wonderlands. Yesterday in Meeting for Worship we celebrated our tradition of recreating the Nativity Tableau, like the first one created by Francis of Assisi some 800 years ago. Like this first one, students learned that our tableau combines pieces from the two different versions of the birth of Jesus into a single story. Next week in Meeting for Worship, Rabbi Perice will join us to celebrate Hanukkah and one of our families will share a favorite Menorrah with us.

Warmly,

Margaret Haviland

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Announcements:

December 15th - Holiday Concert - Live streamed and in Person 10:30-11:30
December 15th - pick up poinsettias you may have ordered through Family Council
December 16th - January 1st Winter Vacation
January 2nd - Classes Resume
January 4th - Family Council Meeting on ZOOM
January 12th - Teacher InService - No Classes
January 14th - MLK Day - No Classes