Inspiration

What a wonderful week of arts and culture! Not only was it Authorfest week, but we had a special visit from a group of Mexican visiting artists. On Thursday, the library became a workshop and gallery for Ventura Fabian, his partner, Norberto, and their translator, Nina. For over an hour, we learned about the ancient Oaxacaan art of wood carving. Our visitors shared the process, the tradition, and the ways that they get inspiration for their work. In addition, we learned about their home village in Oaxaca, Mexico, their families, traditions, and way of life. It was an amazing experience!

On Friday, we had the opportunity to listen to author and illustrator, Erik Kraft, share about his crafts. He told us about his life-long interest in writing, how he gets inspired, and the process of his writing. It was reaffirming to hear that he goes through much the same process that we do, including the generation of ideas, brainstorming, editing, and publishing.

Students are continuing to research their Mexican topics. Next week we will begin to plan our research projects, which will demonstrate what we have learned.

Thank you for the thoughtful planning you are doing with your children around our Haiti service learning project. I want to share with you all that Friends Academy is being recognized this weekend by the UMASS Haitian-American Student Association for our ongoing support of Ecole Soleil. I shared this news with the students and they were surprised and excited. I am so proud of their compassion, empathy, and integrity.

Coming Up . . .

Next week will be a short one as Thanksgiving Break begins on Wednesday, November 24th. We'll look forward to being back together in school on Monday, November 29th.

We will be taking a Field Trip to a traditional Mexican restaurant, El Rancho Grande, in Providence on Tuesday, November 30th. We can have one parent chaperone for this trip. Please let me know if you are interested as soon as possible.

Our Mexican Fiesta will take place on Wednesday, December 8th from 11-12:30. Children will demonstrate their learning and then we will enjoy a buffet-style Mexican meal together. Please save the date!

Enjoy the photos, and have a joyful weekend.

Warmly,

Lee