WEEK EIGHT & NINE

Overview:

Lots to repot on from the last two weeks, including a heartfelt goodbye to my fantastic first graders and a trip to the other side of the world.  Last week I had my last three weeks in first grade.  It was a great last week and I got to observe some amazing teachers in other grades of the school.  On my last day we had our readers theater play The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.  The students preformed really well, and I was very pleased with how many parents were able to make it to the show.


Over the weekend I headed to the airport ready for the adventures to come in the next five months. After three planes, two buses, 1 ferry and what felt like a hundred hours I made it to Norway.  My host family had a lovely meal waiting for me and they opened my into their beautiful home with open arms.  Over the next few days I was able to catch up on some rest and dip my toes into my new school.

Activity Highlights: 

Fairy Tales- To finish up our fairy tale unit we read some lovely Cinderella stories.  We read Scholastic Reading’s version of the classic Cinderella, Cinder Ellen A wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell, BIGFOOT CINDERRRRELLA by Tony Johnston, The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Clima, and the beautiful Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin. 
 

Roll and Write- This was a fun independent activity that the Norwegian 3rd graders did.  The would role a die to choose from a list of a subject for the sentence. Then they would role again to choose a verb and a third time to get a location.  Then they would write down the silly sentence they had made. 

 

Friday Assembly-  Every Friday morning the school has a short assembly.  Each week a different class hosts the assembly and this week it was first grade.  They performed several adorable dances and songs.

 

 

Notes About Norway

School-  The students take their shoes off when they are inside and only put them on when they go out to recess.  They even keep them off for gym! Another unusual thing they do here is call their teachers by their first names. This is a custom that only came about in the last 20 or so years.  At the school I am working at the teachers all have lunch together in the teachers lounge.  They all chip in and take turns preparing the meals for each other.  This is not something that is common for all schools in Norway, just something my school does to help build positive relationships among the teachers.   

Meals- Norwegians typically eat four meals a day.  Breakfast in the morning usually consists of cereal or yogurt and muesli (granola) or bread with cheese and sliced meats.  For lunch, it is common to have open faced sandwiches with various toppings such as, butter, mayonnaise, sliced meats and Norwegian cheeses, hard boiled eggs, pickled herring, liver paste, bell peppers, cucumbers, tiny shrimp, and jam. These toppings are mixed in numerous ways and eaten on bread or thick crackers.  There is also usually a fruit component to the lunch time meal.  Dinner in Norway is typically eaten around four o’clock and then there is a fourth smaller supper meal eaten later around 7 or 8.  Sundays are often considered ‘family days’ and people will visit with their extended families and have dinner even earlier, sometimes at noon!