Ms. McEnaney's & Ms. Ashcroft's 1-2 Classes: March 2018

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Special Guest!

This week we had another special guest! Liam's mother came in to talk to the kids about South Africa, where some of their family lives. She showed us South Africa on a map puzzle of Africa. Zine told us that in South Africa, people love to grill their food - even pancakes! Also that the main language in South Africa is Zulu and that her name means "fourth daughter" in Zulu.

She then showed us many examples of South African craftsmanship. We learned that in South Africa, people are very committed to reusing as many materials as they can. She showed us a working radio made from aluminum soda cans and bottle caps, and a workman's helmet beautifully transformed into a hat to support a favorite soccer team! She also brought a beaded giraffe statuette and a lion mask that the kids enjoyed trying on, as well as a pair of oversized glasses - another piece of soccer fan gear. Zine also showed us a painting of Nelson Mandela, a very famous South African, who was the leader of the civil rights movement there who became president of the country.

Finally, Zine shared the water crisis of Cape Town, South Africa. The city was predicted to run out of water in early April, but huge water saving efforts (just 13 gallons a day per person) have pushed back this date, possibly for up to a year. This led to an interesting discussion of how important conservation is - if we don't find ways to save our resources and wildlife, we will surely lose them. We are wondering how Cape Town will cope with this crisis. It was not pleasant to imagine how we might live our daily lives without a source of water!

Enjoy the pictures below. Thank you Zine!

Friday, March 23, 2018

Special Guest!

This week, Kia's mother came in to talk to the 1-2s about Mali, the country in Africa where she lived until she was 14 years old. She came dressed in a beautiful fabric called Bazin. Her dress was made for her specially when she was in Mali and had lovely embroidery on the collar. Salimata took off her "Moussoro" (head scarf) and we all got to feel some of the "fini" (fabric). She shared with us that she is from the Barnanan, one of the major ethnic groups in Mali and that she speaks Bamanan, the major language spoken throughout most of West Africa. Kia can understand Bamanan and even speak it! When she took a trip to Mali with her mom, she was speaking fluently in three weeks!

Salimata also brought in some beautiful artifacts from Mali. The kids enjoyed passing around the jewelry boxes made of "Golo" (leather) and the beaded bracelets stitched to leather. Liam got to try out her beautiful carved Kouroun (stool) which Sali likes to take with her to the beach! Other interesting pieces included a Tchi Wara. Tchi means work (in this case, farming) and Wara means lion. And some baya (waistbeads) that women and girls wear from the time they are born.

Her visit ended with an incredible story about a young girl who came face to face with a lion! Though she was afraid, she kept eye contact with the large cat and slowly backed away and walked home. The lion followed at a distance until she was safely home, as though it were protecting her from other dangers of the wild. The girl in the story was Sali's great grandmother. Her descendants have come to be known as "Diarra Mousso Dein" - children of the lion women.

It was an amazing visit and the students all enjoyed hear about the rich culture of Salimata's homeland. She left a special treasure from Mali with our classes - some colorful cloth with "Sein" (feet) painted in a fun design. The kids have enjoyed using it to decorate the tent!

Enjoy the pictures below. Thank you so much Salimata!