About everything. And sorry for delay again!

Well. It's been a while since we wrote here. Sorry for that!

It's been such a great time here! As we already told, we've been exploring the Finnish forest. Before that we talked about the Moomins and after that we've been talking about a lot of stuff. So let's start from the week after the forest week. 

We made small performances which were advertisements about Finnish forest. That was the end of the forest season. On Tuesday May 3rd we talked about Santa Claus and Christmas. That was the same day when the local news came to shoot us. We picked up a Christmas tree from the forest together and talked about Christmas traditions with kids. We decorated the tree and sang some Christmas songs. But then happened the most amazing thing! Santa Claus called us and told that he was going to Texas for a World Peace Conference. And since he knew we'd be here he asked whether one of us could come and feed the reindeers while he would stop by in our classroom. So Eetu went to take care of the reindeers and Kalle (Charles, the other teacher of third graders at South Range) went to pick up Santa. While we waited, the kids had a chance to write letters to Santa for him to take with him on the way. The day was super exciting! And finally Kalle came back and he really had Santa with him!!! Kids were scared, excited, afraid, happy and everything in between. They had a chance to ask questions from Santa Claus and we took group pictures with him too.

The whole class with the Santa

After Santa stopped by we wrote him a thank you letter the next day so the students got to take his address to themselves incase they want to write him also another time. We also learned some Christmas words in Finnish and watched a movie that almost every kid in Finland watch every year: Santa Claus and the Magical Drum. 

Oh, and just a comment in between. We have been reading The Comet in Moominland for kids almost every day. It's usually how we have ended each day.

Well, after finishing with Christmas we started to talk about Finnish origins, Sami people. We built a Sami village to the hallway but it's still a part of our forest. We talked about their habits, their reindeers, their hand craft culture, their clothes…etc. 

The flags makes Northern Lights above the fell. 

Reindeer keeper family.

After this Sami day we found out there was a family emergency in Eetu's family. That's why he had to leave back to Finland. He was lucky to get the tickets so quickly! And he got home safely and I continue this teaching practice alone for last weeks. 

So we continued with kids about the shaman drum. Luckily the Finnish American Heritage Center has one that we were allowed to borrow. So I took a drum with me to school and we made some observations about it. I also told a story of my ancestor who turned in to a wolf when he was alive. And from that story my little sister has made a pictures for a shaman drum. And the kids have been writing fairy tales for the last four weeks so they all already had a story to think about and they got a chance to draw their stories on drums. Sure they were only papers, but they got to practice the symbols.

This drum was actually made here in Hancock.

With their drums everyone got a chance to sing a Sami song as well. :)

Then we started to investigate the Kalevala. I told them the story, a very very short version, and from this story each kid got a picture of a one part of the story and behind each picture there were a poem from that part of the story. So in the groups kids got a chance to remember what happened in that part of the story and they had to read the poems and try to understand what they meant. Afterwards we put the story in order without talking. It was almost right. :D

There you can see the Kalevala with pictures. From front to back.

In the end of that class we made a Sampo. Kids were the parts and it produced a magic that makes one not to be allergic to cats.

The next day we got a chance to see a kantele and also play them. They have those instruments at the Heritage Center like 20! I only wish Eetu would've still been here 'cause he would've known how to play one. And how to teach kids to play one too. But we had fun with those kanteles anyway. :) We also learned about Finnish people through stereotypes. Of course we also learned that stereotypes are not true! One should always learn to know the person and not judge them from where they're from. In the end of that day we had a small kantele concert at the classroom. :)

Well in the end of the week we started to explore about each student's family and their families' backgrounds. On Thursday they all got a homework to write on a map where their ancestors are from. Then we red some more Tatu and Patu and made comics from different families in the book. We finished the story about Comet in Moominland and I handed out the same book for the class. We bought it with Eetu to give to them as a present. So that they can read it later too if they want to. For the weekend everyone got a new homework which was to find out their grandparents parents and every member of their families if they will. That's because on Monday we'll build family trees to everyone. ;)

So here it is. The second last week at South Range Eelementary School. It's actually the last whole week 'cause next week's Thursday I'll fly away to Chicago for a week before heading back to Finland.

Oh! And as a tip to everyone! Each Sunday there is poka dance evening at South Range in Eagel's Lodge. There's a lot of cool people dancing poka (in Finnis: humppa). It's every Sunday from 5pm to 8 pm. The entering fee is 7 dollars so really not much! There's also dinner for about six dollars and you can eat as much as you want. Everyone who will ever come here should go there to dance! I'll not go this week but definitely next week I'll go again! :)

This is from Mother's day dance night. There were special decorations for every mother. :)

Well, that's all for now. Everybody enjoy your May!! :)

puss och kram

-Kaisuli