A Season of Friendsgiving for Cherry Avenue Fifth Grades

“Cherry Avenue Fifth Grade started off this season’s holidays in a very special Friendsgiving way,” explained fifth-grade teachers Melissa Dawes, Liz Denton, Wendy Faulkner, and Kate Enea who planned the event across the departmentalized day schedule. As the students moved from class to class, they enjoyed the Friendsgiving theme in different content areas.

“The four Fifth-grade sections began their day in the cafeteria where they were seated at two, long, decorated tables. The students enjoyed a Friendsgiving feast of apple and pumpkin pies with whipped cream thanks to the generous donations of Fifth-grade parents. At their tables, the children created a Thankful/Kindness Chain where each student wrote ‘Why kindness matters’ or ‘What they are thankful for this year.’“   When the students completed chain it was strung outside the Fifth-grade classrooms.

After the feast, the students moved from class to class to their departmentalized classes and enjoyed the Friendsgiving theme in different content areas

“In science, the children read Balloons Over Broadway which tells the story of Tony Sarg, the original creator of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The students  learned how the balloons are currently made in modern times and took a sneak peek at this year’s new parade balloons. Students designed a new Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon using various size balloons, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, paper towel rolls, pom poms, and tape. Students were only required to use multiple balloons, have their balloon creation appear to float above (as Tony Sarg originally did before he began using helium) and the balloon creations needed to be recognizable. 

“In math, students played a Turkey Trot Game where they needed to help Tom the Turkey make his getaway using multi-digit multiplication and division to avoid becoming Farmer Bob’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“In writing, the children participated in Kind Words for Friends. Students chose a classmate’s name at random and collected character traits for that student to create a Word Art to give to their chosen classmate. This supported Sayville STRIDES and gave students the ability to give positive praise and compliments to their peers. 

“In social studies, students focused on the history of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They researched the parade, floats, and balloons and learned  how the parade had developed and changed over the decades by viewing historical footage and interviews with head designers. 

“At the end of the day, students returned to the cafeteria where the day began. They paraded their ‘Parade Balloons’  through the halls and were given the opportunity to admire the work of their classmates. The children then presented their “Kind Words for Friends” Word Art to their classmate. Lastly, students were presented with a Friendsgiving cookbook. The book was created after compiling favorite family recipes from all eighty-six Fifth-grade homes.”

“Cherry Avenue Fifth Grade started off this season’s holidays in a very special Friendsgiving way,” explained fifth-grade teachers Melissa Dawes, Liz Denton, Wendy Faulkner, and Kate Enea who planned the event across the departmentalized day schedule. As the students moved from class to class, they enjoyed the Friendsgiving theme in different content areas.

“The four Fifth-grade sections began their day in the cafeteria where they were seated at two, long, decorated tables. The students enjoyed a Friendsgiving feast of apple and pumpkin pies with whipped cream thanks to the generous donations of Fifth-grade parents. At their tables, the children created a Thankful/Kindness Chain where each student wrote ‘Why kindness matters’ or ‘What they are thankful for this year.’“   When the students completed chain it was strung outside the Fifth-grade classrooms.

After the feast, the students moved from class to class to their departmentalized classes and enjoyed the Friendsgiving theme in different content areas

“In science, the children read Balloons Over Broadway which tells the story of Tony Sarg, the original creator of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The students  learned how the balloons are currently made in modern times and took a sneak peek at this year’s new parade balloons. Students designed a new Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon using various size balloons, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, paper towel rolls, pom poms, and tape. Students were only required to use multiple balloons, have their balloon creation appear to float above (as Tony Sarg originally did before he began using helium) and the balloon creations needed to be recognizable. 

“In math, students played a Turkey Trot Game where they needed to help Tom the Turkey make his getaway using multi-digit multiplication and division to avoid becoming Farmer Bob’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“In writing, the children participated in Kind Words for Friends. Students chose a classmate’s name at random and collected character traits for that student to create a Word Art to give to their chosen classmate. This supported Sayville STRIDES and gave students the ability to give positive praise and compliments to their peers. 

“In social studies, students focused on the history of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They researched the parade, floats, and balloons and learned  how the parade had developed and changed over the decades by viewing historical footage and interviews with head designers. 

“At the end of the day, students returned to the cafeteria where the day began. They paraded their ‘Parade Balloons’  through the halls and were given the opportunity to admire the work of their classmates. The children then presented their “Kind Words for Friends” Word Art to their classmate. Lastly, students were presented with a Friendsgiving cookbook. The book was created after compiling favorite family recipes from all eighty-six Fifth-grade homes.”