Spring Celebrations
From Holi to the Sun parade, we’ve been celebrating the change of the seasons this week!
Holi
Holi - a Hindu festival celebrated by hundreds of millions of people worldwide that celebrates spring, love, and new life. Shirvan, collaborator with Middle School, shared this part of his culture on Monday with some of our Middle and Elementary school students. Here is a recent NY Times article about Holi if you want to learn more: https://www.nytimes.com/article/holi-colors-spring-festival-india.html
He shared a bit about how his family in Trinidad celebrates Holi before they went outside to "play Holi." This is where we throw colorful powder at each other to celebrate the coming of spring.
Thank you so much to Vihaan's parents for getting powder for us!
Celebrating the Sun
Our youngest learners, 5-7 year olds, have spent the last few weeks exploring the SUN (the concept, the literal, the effects, the meaning of...). To synthesize their exploration:
1. We're growing sweet peas
Some in the light of the sun/Some in the darkness of a cabinet! We've been making observations about what differences we notice in the two sets of peas growing... and it's been really fun to see the tiny sprouts reaching for light and life. We also made our own little greenhouses for our sun peas to grow in our windows
2. We are gathering materials to make Sun Flags!
We had a fun conversation last week about what we could make to represent our exploration of the Sun, and we decided we want to make flags! For a Sun Parade! I think the Garnets are inspired by our peace and Halloween parades:) And of course, It makes sense to honor the Magnificent Sun with a parade:) Maybe we'll even write a Sun Song!
First, we gathered "Sour grass" aka Oxalis from the land just outside our doors.
Then, we used them to create dye bath
Finally, the students decorated their flags with fabric pen, embrodory, etc and made them into flags!
On Friday, they paraded around the school singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
