My Special Name

We have just started week two of the school year. Teachers and families know, I'm sure, that the first week is filled with all about me activities, learning procedures, and filling up the empty walls in the classroom with student work, etc.  It's the usual order of events for a first week of school.

I did something new this year.  Of course it wasn't my own idea, as most ideas in teaching aren't original, but borrowed and stolen from other fabulous teachers around the world.

The outcome was really great, so I wanted to share it with you.

We read the book, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. It's a great book about having a unique name.  I sent home an activity for my students to complete at home with the help of their parents.  They had to answer two questions:  "How was your name chosen?" and "Why is this name perfect for you?"  Here are a few of their responses:

Kolpanha

How was your name chosen?

     My dad named me.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     Because it has a good meaning.  Kol is the year of the pig and Panha means clever.  So my name means clever pig.

Nai

How was your name chosen?

     

     By my mom and my dad.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     It means a big lotus flower that smells good.  When we look at that flower it is colorful and grows by itself.

Nithi

How was your name chosen?

     Because my mom dreamed about her father bringing treasure to her.  My name means treasure.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     Because it is a nice name and my parents like it.  Not many people have this name.

Sereyrath

How was your name chosen?

     This name means kind and modest and is just like my characteristic.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     Because this name is nice and long and one more thing is because I got this lovely name from my lovely Grama.

Chan Liza

How was your name chosen?

     chosen by david and my daddy.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     beacues my name is easy for me to rember and it's easy for me to warit it.

Sethika

How was your name chosen?

     My name was immediately chosen by my father when I was Born.  he told me that my name was chosen from Khmer dictionary.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     I like my name.  Sethika means "the right to be a top leader".  Sethi means "Right"  Ka means "the top leader"

Jame

How was your name chosen?

     My name chosen by my mom because jame is one of jesus disciple.

Why is this the perfect name for you?

     I think this name is perfect for me because i like to eat Jam with toast.

I feel like I know something really special (or funny in the case of jam on toast) about my kids that I never would have discovered otherwise.  This activity is definitely a keeper for next year.