Kindergarteners Participate in Gingerbread Pen Pal Exchange

        The kindergarten classes are really getting in the spirit of Christmas. On Friday, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Hume’s classes made ornaments and participated in a gingerbread exchange with a class in Minnesota! This gave our classes an opportunity to learn about what kindergarten was like in the northern part of the country and to share a little bit of our southern culture.  The students from Minnesota wrote our classes letters and sent us gingerbread girls or boys telling a little about themselves. Their gingerbread men were decorated with certain colors and symbols, letting us know a little bit about each of the students.  Our students learned that their peers are having recess in the snow and that they have snowstorms instead of hurricanes!
​            In return, our kindergarteners decorated gingerbread boys and girls and wrote notes to go with them.  Our students began by cutting out their gingerbread then following careful directions on how to decorate them.  The gingerbread girls received bows while the gingerbread boys received bowties.  Eye color was determined by the child’s favorite dessert: ice cream, cookies, or cupcakes. The gingerbread also received noses depending on whether or not the child had seen snow (Good thing it has snowed in Baton Rouge in the past five years!). The gingerbread’s mouth color was determined by whether or not the child had ever eaten a gingerbread cookie.  Students were then able to use their favorite color to make squiggles and LSU colors for the buttons.
    Our students concluded the activity by writing a short letter introducing themselves and telling about one of their favorite things. The grade also included a longer letter describing our weather in Louisiana, updates on our favorite football team, and a little bit about St. James Episcopal Day School. Our kindergarteners are looking forward to writing more letters with our new Northern pen pals and maybe even a video call in the future!

- Shelby Miller and Hannah Hume, Kindergarten teachers