Christmas in the Classroom

So since we have two weeks off from school starting this Friday,  I am doing a Christmas theme this week.
We are learning "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"  half because it is classic and half because it repeats the same line three times in a row- speeds up the learning process.  So, first I sing the song and they listen and look completely BEWILDERED and kind of scared  Then, I have a cd with the song on it that one of the teachers made me and we listen to it on that.  After, we learn each line and sometimes we have two different "teams" to see that everyone is getting the words.  If it is so-so I say, "Can we sing better!?" and everyone says "YES!".  Better means (a little) louder and more correctly pronounced.  I had to make that distinctly clear when I first said "better" and everyone starting yelling the words incomprehensibly.  Sometimes, I sing it first and I put my hand like a microphone and then I turn the microphone to them when it is their turn.  They love when I do it.  Sometimes I put the microphone to someone and they sing louder.  It is brilliant.  This version of the song that I am using has a nifty little second part instead of that bizarre "now bring us some figgy pudding".  Instead we say, "Let's all do a little clapping (3 times) "and spread Christmas cheer".  Good stuff.

Then, we are making Christmas cards.  I printed big color pictures of a stocking, snowman, wreath and santa and they pick one and write it on the outside.  Then they draw it.  In the inside, they write To: and pick Mom, Dad, or Santa.  Then, Merry Christmas!  And then, From: with their name.

A couple of the cutest things I got asked / told (in French) today included: "Can we write it to Mom, Dad, Santa AND Grandma?" and "How do you write baby sister in English?".

During the card making we listen to some good solid Christmas music, with my favorite being the "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" song from the movie, Home Alone, that begins with "Ba doobie do buh buh buh ba duh".  Anyone?

THEN, at the end of class, I'm showing two pictures.  One of my house on Jocelyn Court all lit up with candles in the windows, a wreath on the door, and a tree in the window, which garnered a "Ahhh! la classe!"- which I appreciated.  And then the grand finale is this picture of me on Santa's lap taken two years ago.  I told my class of 7 year olds that it was "le vrai père noël" and they all were in awe.

Someone said that it wasn't the real one because the real one doesn't need glasses.
& one kid actually said that Santa didn't exist.

I stared him down and didn't let him kill the moment.