Sunday, August 7, 2011

Welcoming Families From Around the World

                                                    Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary

We are welcoming a family from the country of Hungary.  Located in central Europe, Hungary has a rich culture which offers its residents and visitors beautiful sites and scenery to view.

The ways I would prepare for my family’s arrival to our class would be to:
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S         Search the library and internet for the history and culture of Hungarian families.
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      Find the most appropriate way to welcome them into the classroom (hang a flag, prepare foods,etc)
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             If possible, find out the child’s name and if it is difficult to pronounce, practice in order to make the child   feel at home in my classroom.
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      Research toys or classroom materials that may differ from ours and try to have them in the classroom.
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             Remain as culturally sensitive and open as possible to learn from the child and their family.

 In preparation for the family’s arrival, I hope to begin and maintain a warm and open relationship with the  family.  I hope to make them as comfortable as possible. But what I most hope for is to educate and nurture the child and family with excellence and care.

6 comments:

  1. I once spent the summer at a distant relative down south. They made me feel warm and welcome I still remember how wonderful they were to me. What we do for children will last a life time, so we most help reserve good memories.

    Great Post!

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  2. Thank you Sauda,

    It is always nice to have a place to visit as a child and adult where you feel comfortable.

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  3. Kali,
    I like the idea of practicing the child's name so it is pronounced correctly. I don't see children everyday (I'm the school nurse)so sometimes I forget the proper pronunciation. I phonetically write the name on the child's health card. That helps me to say it properly.

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  4. Kali,

    I like your idea of hanging their flag up. It does not seem like much, but it shows that you respect their country. While living in South Korea, I have noticed a few places that have an American flag up. When I see one, I stop and smile because it makes me happy to know that other people respect our country enough to proudly display it. Great post Kali!

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  5. Hi Kali,
    I too like the idea of practicing the child's name; this small thing is so important because a name is a large part of someone's identity! We actually had a Hungarian family in our program last year, and when we first saw the boy's name, Marci, my colleagues and I pronounced it "Marsee." However, when he arrived, we learned that it was actually pronounced "Martzee!" It was great to learn more about the family, their culture and their language; I'm excited that his younger brother will now be joining our classroom this year.
    Also, what a great idea to hang different flags in the classroom!

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  6. Kali, I think your ideas for making your hungary family welcome is great.

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