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Park Avenue second graders travel the world through holiday traditions

A young person in a red sweater is sitting at a table, engaged in an arts and crafts activity involving a colorful toy boat.

Second graders at Park Avenue Elementary School took their learning global this week, as they explored holiday traditions from around the world, celebrating cultural understanding and shared connection!

Throughout the week, second grade classrooms each focused on a different country, with teachers leading lessons on their nation's holiday customs. Each lesson also included a representative craft.

See a gallery from the students' "travels" below this story!

“Students 'traveled’ from room to room, learning about traditions from Australia, Germany, Greece, Italy and Mexico," explained second grade teacher Jennie Theologis. "The whole time, they collected stamps in handmade passports that they created when the project began.”

The activity culminated on Friday afternoon, with lessons led by teachers Katie Schieman and Ms. Theologis, where students continued exploring how folklore, traditions, geography, and values shape celebrations across cultures. 

Four young children, two girls and two boys, are standing in a classroom setting in front of a display about holidays in Germany. The children are smiling and holding various craft items, likely related to the lesson or activity they are participating in.

For example, have you ever heard the folktale of the "Christmas Spider," which is popular in Germany and Ukraine? The story goes that a spiders' webs on a poor family's Christmas tree turned to silver and gold, inspiring the use of tinsel as a symbol of good fortune and Christmas miracles. The students made miniature trees with spider ornaments to honor this tradition. In Mexico, the students made the traditional Christmas flower, poinsettias! During Ms. Schieman’s lesson, students explored holiday traditions in Australia.

Down there, Christmas falls during the summer months. So, instead of snowmen and reindeer, students learned about sandmen and the kangaroos that pull sleighs, as well as unique seasonal vegetation like the Christmas bush.

“I learned that in Australia they call presents ‘prezzies’ and that instead of reindeer, kangaroos pull the sleigh,” said Paul Bordwine, a student in Ms. Schieman’s class. His classmate, Penelope Guevara, was especially interested in how geography and culture connect.

“In Australia, they have Christmas time in the summer, so we are making sandmen instead of snowmen,” she said. “My favorite part was learning about the flags. I like how their flag and ours are both red, blue and white.”

In Ms. Theologis's class, students explored Greek holiday traditions. First, they found Greece on the map, noting its coastal geography and that it is a peninsula. Lessons also highlighted cultural customs including decorating boats, called karavaki, to welcome sailors home, baking Christopsomo (Christ bread), and celebrating New Year’s Day with vasilopita, a cake with a hidden coin said to bring good luck for the year ahead.

According to Ms. Schieman, the global holiday project was designed to help students understand and appreciate differences across cultures while also finding common ground.

“We just wanted kids to know that other countries celebrate differently, and they have different beliefs and traditions that are important to them,” she said. “We want to expose them to as much as possible and help them grow as global citizens of the world.”

The Holidays Around the World project reflects Park Avenue’s commitment to nurturing Ethical and Global Citizenship -- a key part of the district's Portrait of a Graduate -- and encouraging students to explore the world with empathy, curiosity and respect, one passport stamp at a time.

A group of students are gathered around a table, engaged in a hands-on activity involving various containers and materials, in a classroom setting with shelves and other educational resources visible in the background.
The image shows a group of young students standing in a classroom, surrounded by various educational materials and decorations on the walls.
The image shows a window sill with various art projects and craft supplies, including paper cutouts, pots with plants, and other decorative items. The background appears to be a room with wooden floors and a window overlooking what seems to be a grassy outdoor area.
A group of children sitting at desks in a colorful and well-decorated classroom, engaged in various activities and projects.
Four young children, two girls and two boys, are standing in a classroom setting in front of a display about holidays in Germany. The children are smiling and holding various craft items, likely related to the lesson or activity they are participating in.
A classroom setting with a teacher standing in front of a group of students, who are seated on the floor and appear to be engaged in a lesson about Greece.
A young child, dressed in a gray sweater, is intently focused on a yellow container on a table, surrounded by colorful storage bins in the background.
A group of young students are engaged in various activities in a classroom setting, with some focused on writing or drawing tasks.
A classroom setting with a teacher standing in front of a group of students, who appear to be engaged in a lesson or activity displayed on a large screen or interactive whiteboard.
A group of children are engaged in a hands-on learning activity, surrounded by colorful educational materials and supplies in a classroom setting.
Two young girls, one with long brown hair and the other with curly dark hair, are sitting at a table and engaged in an arts and crafts activity, surrounded by various colorful supplies and materials.
A young girl in a light green sweater stands in a classroom setting, holding a drawing of a snowman.
The image shows a classroom setting with several students seated at desks, engaged in various activities. The classroom is decorated with colorful flowers and other decorations, creating a vibrant and engaging learning environment.
A group of young students sitting at desks in a colorful and vibrant classroom, surrounded by educational materials and displays on the walls.
A young person in a red sweater is sitting at a table, engaged in an arts and crafts activity involving a colorful toy boat.
A young child is intently focused on creating an arts and crafts project, surrounded by various art supplies and materials on the table in front of them.
A group of students are engaged in various activities at their desks in a colorful and vibrant classroom setting, with decorations and educational materials visible in the background.
A young child wearing a red hat and a purple sweater is engaged in a craft activity, surrounded by other children and various art supplies in a classroom setting.