My Family Name
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of 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 filled 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 fit, that this bouncing baby boy, be named Callahan Chandler McDonald.
Callahan Chandler McDonald, a strong name that will carry a lifetime of family history.
This unit is one of TTE kindergarten teacher Jessica Petau’s favorites. It was fun for both teachers and students to see how the students have grown. They learned how they received their names and shared the information with their school and families. The kids loved seeing pictures of one another and trying to recognize each other as babies.
TTE created a baby wall with the student baby pictures and the origins of their names for all the TTE staff, students and families to enjoy. Hung prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, the wall showed the future Class of 2032.
