The month of December was filled with discussion of the holidays (both within the classroom and without!). Our classes learned about Hanukkah and Christmas (and, in the older class, Kwanzaa was introduced as well). The children made menorahs and painted/decorated Christmas trees. One day they even made some delicious-smelling cinnamon dough ornaments! The children had fun rolling the dough, selecting a cookie cutter, and carefully pressing the shape into the dough. They were anxious to take them home for their parents to see and delighted when the baking process was complete. It was wonderful to watch them proudly carrying their ornaments to their waiting parents. 
Our month culminated in a special visit from Santa Claus himself! The classes enjoyed singing holiday songs led by our music teacher and sharing a snack of cookies and milk. Afterwards, some of the children sat with Santa individually and shared their holiday wishlists … or, in some cases, whatever was foremost at the tops of their minds! Santa listened patiently to each one. 🙂 Each child got to choose a book from Santa at the end of the visit — what a treat! It was a festive send-off to the holidays. Can’t wait to see what the month of January has in store for our preschoolers! – Brooke Novales, Board Member at Large
