Do you remember how magical the Christmas season was when you were a kid? This is the time of year that I miss teaching. My first graders loved listening to “The Polar Express” written by Chris Van Allsburg. My students and I would come to school wearing pajamas and we’d enjoy Polar Express Day spent making tree ornaments, drinking hot cocoa with peppermint, caroling around the school and I’d give each of them a magic bell to take home. Before they could enter the classroom they were given a golden ticket and at the end of the day we’d enjoy watching the movie together. When I was moved upstairs to the middle school, the kindergartners complained that June; “Oh no! No more Polar Express!” . Fortunately the new first grade teacher continued the tradition I had started. 
Stories have always been shared with families and I discovered a great website that has dozens of Christmas stories to share with children. You can visit the site at TLC Family
If you’re a new teacher and interested in having a Polar Express day for your little ones, here are some resources:
Polar Express Kit (by Houghton Mifflin; PDF Download)
Count down to Christmas (Family Games for Polar Express)
Happy Holidays!
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