It was another busy and fun-filled week in the Blue Room which started out with a lesson on leprechauns. These tiny mischievous creatures were the topic of our storybooks and our inspiration to build a trap to capture one. We knew that there were leprechauns around when we saw some of their laundry left behind along with some tiny garden implements. We learned that if we caught a leprechaun, he would have to give us his pot of gold, and we couldn’t help but think of all the things we could buy with all that gold. (Candy, was the first thing that came to mind). We learned from the failed traps we had read about that we could do much better. We all worked together to make a fool-proof trap out of unit blocks, and we completed it with some green string and streamers that would be sure to attract and ensnare any leprechaun. For bait, we used a box of tiny donuts which we knew no leprechaun could resist. We knew that these tiny folk were often nocturnal, coming out of hiding while we were asleep to frolic and play and to count their precious gold. We left school on Monday filled with anticipation as to what we would find when we returned in the morning.

We learned about two smart, groundbreaking women this week. One was Florence Nightingale. From a young age, Florence, who came from a well-to-do family, was involved in charitable work helping the poor and ill people in the village. She believed nursing to be a divine calling and her purpose in life. She worked in a hospital where she improved hygiene practices and unsanitary conditions. This was noticed and led to her appointment heading the nurses in a war hospital in Crimea. Her practices at this hospital improved patient outcomes by an astonishing two-thirds. She is credited as an advocate and authority on civilian hospital reform, spreading her message in her publications and even from her bed after she became ill herself. To honor her practices, we set up a pediatric hospital, and all of the nurses, both male and female, were welcome to fill their own medical bag with a few essentials at the art table.

Nowruz, also known as Persian New Year, is one of the world’s oldest festivals, dating back 5000 years. It occurs on the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, in 2026 this falls on Friday, March 20th.  Almost 200 million people in more than a dozen countries worldwide celebrate Nowruz. We celebrated with an assembly where we learned about some customs and foods, and which concluded with the children having the opportunity, to join in a traditional dance.

On Friday we visited the Diversity Fair.  We saw many interesting presentations of different countries, cultures, and identities.  The presenters kept their explanations age-appropriate, and the children loved looking at and being able to touch everything!  We were able to participate in a drum circle with all of our friends.  We ended the festivities back in the classroom, where we sampled many different traditional foods.  It was a wonderful day, and the children loved every minute of it.