Happy Tabaski...or Eid-al-Adha

Yesterday was Tabaski. An important holiday for Fode and the rest of Islam. We celebrated last night with a yummy meal of lamb(appropriate because it celebrates the sacrifice of Abraham). Simones, Futbonh and Comcoly came over to help us celebrate. I got Fode a couple of Blue-Ray movies(as pictured). I used our stuffed lambs as decoration for his gift.

Here is an explanation of the holiday with the help of Wikipedia:

Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God i ntervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan.

Word Wall Update

My word wall is growing. The white words and those that the class learned in reading. The blue ones are math words and the orange words are science words. The gold stars on the white words and placed by students when they read the word in one of their books, or when they hear or use the word in a sentence, or if they use the word in their writing. This really seems to encourage the students to use the words and remember what they mean.

My new Word Wall...for my classroom

My 2010 4th Grade Classroom

Here are some pictures of my classroom:

Going, Going, Gone!

Here is a lovely picture of a sunset that I watched at Otter Crest last week. It is important not only for it's beauty, but for the signal that the day is done and Fode can now break his fast. Fode is fasting for Ramadan. This means he does not consume anything during daylight(food or drink). I am impressed and amazed at his self-control and devotion. This is the month of Ramadan according to the Islamic Calendar. Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims. Here is an explanation for one of the main purposes of Ramada according to www.islamicity.com:

The month of Ramadhan is divinely made for self-reflection and self-examination. Along with the soul-taming experience of self-restraint and delay of gratification found in fasting, we are given the opportunity to probe our own minds and hearts in a deeper way. This soul searching can include looking at "my" relationship with Allah, my relationship with my own self, and my relationship with other people, particularly my family members.

The moon is also so much more important to me during Ramadan. It is the time table showing me the progress of the month (since it does not follow our dates). I have watched it get bigger and bigger and now I am watching and waiting for it to get smaller and smaller. When it disappears then the month is over and the fasting is over. Then it is time to celebrate and exchange gifts. Clothes are the traditional gift on the Eid-Ul-Fitr (the ending night of Ramadan) for Fode's family. We have been shopping for shoes for our nieces and nephew in France. The good thing is that there are not crazy shopping crowds for Ramadan unlike Christmas time shopping. So think of Fode as the sunsets and the moon rises for the next couple of weeks.