Liam had his class party first, on Wed, Dec 15 - I'm still in awe at how Miss Tere and Miss Andrea were able to get 13-3 year olds to stand in a line and listen to instruction for a full 5 minutes!! Then the kids stood around the snack table - a habit I'm sure they'll have for years to come (I know I still like to hang by the snack table and it's been a few years since I was in nursery school!). You'll see in the video that Liam doesn't do much singing which I find funny because for the last few weeks he has been running around the house singing all these songs. Stage fright perhaps? Excitement of the moment? Regardless, it looks to me like he still had a great time! See for yourself!
Liam getting ready for their "presentation"
Everyone gets in line
Starting to sing!
The "best" part according to Liam is the snack table!
Aidan had his musical the day after on Thursday night. This is an event that is for grades K-5 and is held offsite at an auditorium since BFIS does not actually have it's own auditorium. I can tell you right now that from the moment I told him he would not only need to wear a button down shirt, but also nice pants and shoes, it was a battle of the wills!!! Who would win???? I will just leave it that it was not pretty and Aidan will not be watching any tv this weekend...
Aidan and his friend Tony... apparently Tony's mom and I have the same "great" taste :)
How cute are they???
But it was worth it to get up to the concert. Josh originally was going to stay home with Liam since it would be a late night but at the last minute we decided to all go together. Unfortunately Josh, Liam and I were towards the back of the auditorium and Aidan was standing in the back row of his performance so I didn't get a good shot of him but you'll hear all the kids from kindergarten and first grade if you click the link below.
Aidan is a bit hidden in the video and I apologize for the shaky hands while filming - it was cold! Aidan is behind a student near where the teacher is standing. At one point the student in front of him (in the navy sweater) starts bopping around and you can catch a glipse or two of Aidan!
The concert was for kindergarten thru grade 5 (the boys' school is Nursery thru grade 12 so this was elementary only) and each grade did a song with a 2 performances done by the entire elementary school. Josh and I were in awe. Sure their voices don't sound perfect and who expects them to at this age, but what amazed us was that there were several songs sung in a variety of languages, not just Spanish and English. The one below was sung in Hebrew, Arabic, English, Spanish, French and Dutch and was done by grades K-5. This kind of thing is the reason I love this school. Let's put it this way, the 3rd grade class (which I didn't record) volunteered to do their song in both German and English. I applaud the music teacher for encouraging the kids to go outside what might be their normal comfort level and learn not only about music but music in different cultures.
Elementary school singing Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu
One last song that the kids sang all together was their school song, written by a current teacher at the school. The kids really got in to it and it was great seeing them all waving their hands while singing!
BFIS school song
To stray for a moment from the concert into one of the reasons I love this school, let me note that near the end of the concert some students from the high school got on the stage. They made a request from the parents to make donations to their cause, Habitat for Humanity. But this isn't the Habitat for Humanity at home where you go to a town in Massachusetts that needs some assistance building houses. These kids are going to Senegal... to build houses. It amazes me how broad their horizons are and how much broader those of my children will be by just being around the kids in this school. Anyways, moving on...
The final part in the school festivities is Aidan's class party being held today, Friday. It was very laid back and yet still festive. The teachers took time with each child to go around the room and ask them what they are thankful for this year. It was great listening to all their comments - some were typical of a 1st grade response and others were much deeper. They also had done a secret santa where they had to make a holiday card for another student in their class who's name they pulled from a hat. The cards were adorable and in 3D! They had a delightful time having snacks and hanging out and chatting - a great way to end the semester.
The kids will be on vacation starting this Thursday until January 10th. A much longer vacation than they would have at home. Funny because I've heard parents complaining that this is a "short" vacation this year. Hmmmm.... I think that 18 days will be more than enough for me! Looking forward to sharing our Christmas Eve/Day pics with you next week along with our upcoming trip planned for the Canary Islands. AND believe it or not, we are quickly approaching our one year anniversary here (Josh already had his earlier this month) in just a few weeks!!! So lots of updates to come. Happy Holidays!!
Julie
Listening to the teacher about how we need to give thanks this time of year (Aidan is on the left hidden behind the boy in the striped shirt)
Each person telling what they are thankful for this year
The rest of the class giving their thanks
And now it's time to chow down!
Yum - great holiday snacks!
The kids will be on vacation starting this Thursday until January 10th. A much longer vacation than they would have at home. Funny because I've heard parents complaining that this is a "short" vacation this year. Hmmmm.... I think that 18 days will be more than enough for me! Looking forward to sharing our Christmas Eve/Day pics with you next week along with our upcoming trip planned for the Canary Islands. AND believe it or not, we are quickly approaching our one year anniversary here (Josh already had his earlier this month) in just a few weeks!!! So lots of updates to come. Happy Holidays!!
Julie
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