What amazing costumes, and thanks for all the treats! We had a great day including some Halloween stories, learning the song "C'est l'Halloween", painting ornaments, playing charades with Halloween creatures (in French!), and a Halloween-themed connect the dots and word search. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of our class all dressed up, but fortunately the children did a good job tidying up our classroom (which had pretty much exploded), so we'll be able to have another party sometime. :)
This morning, I was very pleased that we knew almost every word in the morning message, so we were able to read the whole thing together, and some brave students even wanted to read it on their own!! Later, each child wrote in their journal "C'est l'Halloween. Je suis..." and I helped them fill in what they are dressed up as. Ask the kids what I was dressed up as, and what book we read as a result!
Since I studied music, I also love having the opportunity to share some music stories when I can. Today, I told the class the story of the Erlking. This is a German song ("Erlkönig") by Schubert that tells the story of a father desperately trying to get his son to the doctor as he is very ill. The boy is having visions of the Erlking - an evil spirit who comes to children who are sick and tries to lure them away, kind of like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. I told the story on top of the music so that the children heard the singer (who plays all the characters) and the accompaniment while I told the story in simple terms in French (and English). The whole time, you hear the pulsating rhythm of the horse, carrying the father and son, running. I encourage you to look up this song on youtube and listen to it with your child. Perhaps they can remember enough about the different voices in the story and tell you what happens. It's a really cool piece of music, and a bit spooky sounding - perfect for Halloween!
Today, children are bringing home their masks, which we did a few days ago. They look great, but we haven't worn them yet... didn't want them to break before you saw them. It was a bit crazy at the end of the day with all the costumes, treats and accessories we had to pack. I think we did pretty well - no lunch bags left behind! Any sweaters or boots that didn't make it into the bag will meet up with you again tomorrow.
Have fun with your activities tonight, and please be safe!