Save the Date!

Grade One
News
Who Is An American?
This month our class will be
exploring the wealth of cultural
diversity in America!
Our country was founded by
immigrants and in our lessons we
will be exploring the path many
have taken to come to America.
This will include learning about
the various home countries
and the many reasons people
choose to leave and make a new
home in America. Well talk
about the difficulties they faced
and obstacles they have
overcome. Well even do some
problem solving about how we
could make this transition easier
for everyone. Please check out
the upcoming events and other
activities wed like to share you!
October is Diversity Awareness
Month
Guest Speaker
Listen to a
contemporary
immigrant describe
her journey.
Ellis Island Day
October 30
Join us at 2:00 in
the gym for an
exciting afternoon.
F A L L 2 0 1 4

October 15
GRADE ONE

2

Passport To Ellis Island
What was it like to leave your home country,
travel across the ocean, and arrive in New York
in the early 1900s?

The United States has always been
known as the great melting pot and what
better way to appreciate the cultural diversity
of our country than to explore the rich history
of the early immigrants. In class we will be
reading about and discussing the stories of
those who came to America seeking a better
future for themselves and the future
generations of their families. Please help your
child by spending some time discussing your
own familys history. They will be bringing
home a questionnaire in the next few days to
assist them in gathering information about
their ancestors and how they came to
America.
Our culminating project will be a re-
enactment of the Ellis Island experience.
Students will write their own passports
incorporating the information learned from
your family. They will dress in period attire
and move through the processing, inspections,
and currency exchanges.

Some of the books we will be
reading:
Going Home and Dreaming of
America by Eva Bunting
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia
Polacco.

Ask your child about their virtual
field trip to Ellis Island!