Page 37 - November 2019 proof 7 Castle Pines Connection

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My Family Name By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy Timber Trail Elementary
The holiday season is such a joyous time of year spent with family, friends and loved ones. The Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) kindergarten class lesson on the family unit came just in time for the holidays.
The My Family Name unit allows students to share with their teachers and classmates about their families and the origin of their birth name. Students’ parents participated and lled out a paper explaining how they picked their child’s name. Some of the names are one-of-a kind, while others were family given names.
Some of the children had a special story behind their name. Callahan Chandler McDonald’s name is a mix of an original name as well as incorporating family history. Callahan’s parents, Brad and Mackenzie McDonald, both liked the name Callahan. Chandler is Callahan’s popsey’s middle name, as well as his uncle Ryan’s middle name. It only seemed t, that this bouncing baby boy, be named Callahan Chandler McDonald.
This unit is one of TTE’s kindergarten teacher, Jessica Petau’s, favorites. It is fun for both teachers and students to see how the students have grown. They learn how they received their names, and have the experience of sharing the information with their school and families. The kids love
to see pictures of one another and try to recognize each other as babies.
TTE creates a baby wall with the student baby pictures and the origins of their names for all the TTE sta , students and families to enjoy. Hung prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, the wall shows the future class of 2032.
Callahan Chandler McDonald, a strong name that will carry a lifetime of family history.
Baby photos of the future class of 2032 line the halls of Timber Trail Elementary, sharing a not only a little piece of family history, but the true meaning of their given birth names.