Mrs. Deeken needs assistance with the art show preparation. Any parents willing to help out with mounting art work, can contact her at ddeeken@neshaminy.k12.pa.us. We have many students to represent here at Tawanka and any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks:)

Every child is an artist until he is told he's not an artist. ~John Lennon

Mrs. Kirsch says string lessons are in full swing! Both beginner strings and advanced players are working hard in preparation for their concert. We can’t wait to play for you! Mr. Barber is working with the 4th grade chorus and they are quickly learning their music for the Holiday Concert. The concert is for all beginner string ensemble, orchestra and 4th grade chorus at 7:00 on December 14 at Tawanka Elementary. Hope to see you all there. Mr. O’Neill has band members learning “Jingle Bells” just in time for the holidays. They are also learning their first 5 note scale.

Kindergarten will be gearing up during the month of December the kindergarten classes will be taking a trip down “Gingerbread Lane”. We will be reading gingerbread stories from many different perspectives and enjoying gingerbread activities of all kinds throughout the month. Finally, we will enjoy decorating giant gingerbread cookies that will be sent home to share with the entire family. May all of our families have a happy, healthy and peaceful winter break.

1st Grade will be learning about winter holidays celebrated in different countries. We are planning to have children visit the six first grade classrooms for 20 minute sessions. Each teacher will detail some customs, traditions and activities associated with a particular holiday. The children will learn about Christmas (German celebration), Las Posadas (Mexican celebration), Hanukkah (Jewish celebration), Kwanzaa (African-American celebration), Diwali (East Indian celebration), and Winter Festival (Russian celebration). There may be food, dance, songs, crafts, and stories highlighting the rituals. It ties in well with geography and holidays in the Social Studies curriculum.

2nd Grade will taking a ride on the “Polar Express”

3rd Grade will be reading the book "Snowmen at Night" and will be creating snowmen out of milk jugs to decorate the third grade pod and other parts of the school. They will also write a narrative piece about what they do with their snowman for fun.

4th Grade will be doing a “Secret Classmate” We will be choosing names from a hat and writing special holiday wishes to a ‘Secret Classmate.’ This wish will be wrapped in holiday paper and hung in the pod! We can’t wait to be a caring classmate!

They will be read on Dec. 22. Sshhh…it is a secret!

Mrs. McNickle and Ms. Oliva are planning on doing a pen pal project this month! We are going to be writing letters to troops for the holidays. The 4th graders will be helping Ms. Oliva's Kinders write the letters and then the pen pals will create a holiday cover for the letters!