Across all subject areas, students at Wantagh Elementary School are expanding their knowledge and talents with holiday flair. The seasonal activities are engaging kindergarten through fifth grade learners, and making everyone a little jollier.

Kindergartners have been studying holidays around the world. Each student made a suitcase project with information about fall and winter celebrations including Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas and St. Lucia’s Day. It connects to the kindergarten social studies curriculum, which focuses on cultures of the world. 

Second graders learned facts about reindeer, then wrote paragraphs with their new knowledge for a reindeer craft. The young writers learned how to take information and put it into their own words, while also practicing language skills like grammar, spelling, punctation and sentence structure.

In third grade, students wrote original metaphors and similes to describe winter. The completed mitten metaphor and snowflake simile projects gave their classroom a festive look. 

A snowman division color-by-number project helped fourth graders practice their math skills. Students had to solve different equations on the snowman’s body, nose, hat and scarf, then color in each piece based on the answer. 

In art, fourth graders took part in a coloring contest hosted by the French Workshop in Wantagh by designing holiday-themed coffee sleeves. Fourth graders in band have been practicing their instrumental skills by playing “Jingle Bells” in their small-group lessons. 

A giant paper snow globe has been a favorite photo spot for students and staff as they approach the holiday break.