THE DESMOND NEWS!!!

Good morning defenders it is Friday January 14, 2022

Today instead of a read aloud we are going to be doing a Kahoot. Primaries your time is at 10:30 using my read aloud link and junior/ intermediates will be at 11:00. If the kahoot is full, you can join at 11:20. The themes are disney for primary and logos for junior and intermediate students.

Happy Thai Pongal to all who are celebrating! I have a special announcement from some grade 7 students. Please listen to it following my announcements. The video will be below this one!

As of right now we will be back to school on Monday. Please remember to follow the school rules to keep everyone safe. We want to remain at school and we want to ensure that we are following all the rules and routines to help us do so. Cannot wait to see all of your beautiful faces in real life on monday!

Remember defenders, we are a community of leaders, allies and innovative thinkers. Be kind to one another and enjoy your day!

Announcement from the Grade 7s*

Shanjana: *im going to say something in tamil* which means happy thai pongal!

Mathulan: Im Mathulan

Akye: I’m Akye

Shanjana; and I'm shanjana today is the first day of Thai Pongal. Now you might be asking why I said first well Thai Pongal has 4 days though in Canada we celebrate it for 1 day, in India all 4 days are being celebrated and in Sri Lanka 2 days.

Mathulan: The first day is Bhogi Pongal. All days are dedicated to the Suryan which is the Sun. This day is celebrated by wearing new clothes and focusing on the new and important things. This is the only day Canada celebrates while for India and Sri Lanka this is the first.

Akye: The second day is Surya Pongal. This day we most likely would go to the temple, as it is considered the main day! We also celebrate this by wearing new clothes or even cultural clothes. This is the last day Sri Lanka celebrates and the second for India.

Shanjana: The third day is Mattu Pongal! This is the day that is special to cows as that is what mattu means. In Sri Lanka they would bathe the cows and decorate them with cultural clothes. This day is also a day we celebrate Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati.

Mathulan: The last day is Kaanum Pongal! After all these celebrations from the previous days this day is about relaxation and having time with your family. It's mostly having and making happy memories! This is how Thai Pongal is celebrated.

Akye: You might be wondering but what happened to Thai Pongal? Let me translate it into English . It means the January Pongals. These 4 days are Thai Pongal. On all these days the main part is to enjoy some delicious pongal that is homemade! These are all our facts about Thai Pongal and enjoy this celebration!