Tessa International School has a great relationship with Prime Taekwondo in the Monroe Center. Besides hosting our indoor Yoga and PSPE classes, as well as indoor play on rainy days, on Tuesdays we have an After-School program for Taekwondo for children who are 4 years old and up with Prime. There, each child is taught with care and patience. The instructors scaffold for each child’s individual level. The program offers children a way to let each child know that he or she is special and he or she can achieve his or her maximum potential. Taekwondo students are more respectful at home and more diligent about doing homework and chores around the house. 

Prime Taekwondo proposes different programs such as adult, teen and toddler classes, designed to encourage the development of the child, work on the discipline of the teenagers, relieve stress and tension for adults. Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics.

They also offer amazing birthday parties and family classes. Your child and up to 15 friends can enjoy a fun party involving Taekwondo training, fun games, physical activities and even board breaking. We encourage you to have a look at their website!

At Tessa we celebrated the Galette des Rois on Tuesday, January 7th. Each class shared a cake and the lucky winners became kings and Queens of the day!

Why is it celebrated?                          

               French families conclude the festive season with a rich pastry fit for kings. The Galette des Rois is a cake traditionally shared at Epiphany, on 6 January. The tradition of eating this cake dates back to the 14th century. It commemorates the moment when baby Jesus was presented to the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar in Bethlehem. They arrived from and represent the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, to give their gifts.

What is the tradition?

               The Galette des Rois isn’t just a cake, it is a ceremonial experience. First, the youngest child (and therefore the most innocent) goes under the table were they direct who should get which slice. If there are no children at the table, the cake is cut by the youngest person in the room.  Whoever has the charm, or féve, in their slice, is crowned and chooses his or her king of queen. They both wear a paper crown usually provided with the cake. Careful when bitting into the cake, don’t break a tooth or swallow the féve! The féve is a porcelain or plastic figurine that represented the nativity and characters from the crib. Nowadays, there are a wide range of figurines, such as one of the three kings, Disney characters, animals, fruits, cars or even shoes. Féves are collectors items and their collectors are known as favophiles. In the 14th century they would use a white or black bean to hide in the cake.

               Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Well, not to that extent! In some regions, the new crowned king or queen is given a choice between two tasks. They should either offer a beverage to everyone around the table, either sparkling wine or champagne, or volunteer to host the next Galette des Rois at their home. That way the festivities of Galette des Rois can be celebrated through all of January.

Is there only one type of Galette?

               Eh, bien, non! The galette des rois taste has been modified in many ways by pastry chefs. For example, La Maison Dalloyau in Paris adds candied orange and Grand Marnier, top patissiers, Pierre Hermé, adds a creamy ganache while Maison Hédiard marries Bourbon Vanilla with the almond cream. Others have used apricots, nuts, spices, figs, honey, raspberry, even rose petals. Thus don’t hesitate to add you own unique touch of your favorite flavors!

               Different regions in France have their own traditional kings cake. The northern half of France and Belgium the cake is the one we all know and love with the golden crust and frangipane, an almond filled paste. In the southern half of France, the cake is called a Gâteau des Rois and is a crown-shaped cake or brioche filled with fruit. Both equally delicious! In Switzerland, or Romandy, both types can be found though the latter is more common.

Some historical and contemporary changes:

• “In the past, the pastry would be cut into as many portions as there were guests, plus one. The last one, called the “part du pauvre” or poor man’s share, was for the first poor person who stopped by the house.”

• “They even played “find the king” at the table of Louis XIV. The ladies of the court who found the fève became queens of France for a day and could ask the king to grant them a wish called “grâces et gentillesse”. But the Sun King, Louis XIV, was to abolish this custom.”
• “Interestingly during the French Revolution the name was changed to “Gâteau de l’egalité” because a king was not quite well regarded during this time.”
• “Every year, during the traditional reception at the Elysée Palace, an enormous galette (measuring 1.2 m across for 150 people) is made for the President of the French Republic. But the artisan baker and pastry chef responsible for making it is instructed not to put a fève in the cake because “it would not be appropriate to find a king in the presidential palace of the Republic”.”

Hold off on your January dieting and loosen your belts because here are the ingredients of a traditional Galette des Rois:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Sheets store-bought puff pastry
• ¼ cup (60 ml) almond paste
• 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp (20g) powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp (5ml) almond extract
• ¼ tsp (1.25ml) salt
• 2 tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash
• piece of bittersweet chocolate or “féve”

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F (200C).
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the almond paste, butter and powdered sugar until well combined. Then add eggs 1 at a time, beating in between each addition. Then add almond extract and salt and beat again. Lastly add flour and beat until combined. Set aside.
3. Roll out puff pastry sheet onto a floured surface, making sure you have a flat rectangular with no seams remaining if your pastry came scored in any way.
4. Cut out 2 10” inch circles with a dinner plate. Place one on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and set the other aside resting on a cutting board.
5. Spread the almond cream on the circle on the cookie sheet leaving a 2” border. Brush border with egg wash, place “feve” or piece of chocolate anywhere in the cream.
6. Place 2nd circle on top and press together to seal circles together.
7. Create a decorative scallop along the edge of the circles by placing your two fingers at the top edge of the circle and pulling a butter knife towards you to pull the pastry towards you and create an indentation in the pastry. Continue all the way around the circle until a scalloped edge is formed.
8. Brush the center part only of the circle with more egg wash.
9. To firm up pastry before baking, place tray in fridge for 20 mins or the freezer for 10 mins.
10. Bake at 400F (200C) for 25-30 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature.
11. Slice into wedges. The guest that receives the slice of the cake with the “féve” or chocolate is King for the day!

NOTES

Be sure your puff pastry is extremely cold before you lace it in the oven. In fact, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This will prevent the pastry from melting too quickly and the filling seeping out. It will also help it puff up as it bakes.

Make sure your pastry mounds are well sealed with the egg wash, otherwise the filling will seep out.

You can make this cake ahead of time and either serve at room temperature or reheat for 10 minutes at 300F (150C)

Here is the recipe in French!

•      2 pâtes feuilletées
•      140 g de poudre d’amande
•      100 g de sucre fin
•      2 oeufs
•      75 g de beurre mou
•      1 jaune d’oeuf
•      1 fève

• Etape 1 Placer une pâte feuilletée dans un moule à tarte, piquer la pâte avec une fourchette.
• Etape 2 Dans un saladier, mélanger la poudre d’amandes, le sucre, les 2 oeufs et le beurre mou.
• Etape 3 Placer la pâte obtenue dans le moule à tarte et y cacher la fève.
• Etape 4 Recouvrir avec la 2ème pâte feuilletée, en collant bien les bords.
• Etape 5 Faire des dessins sur le couvercle et badigeonner avec le jaune d’oeuf.
• Etape 6 Enfourner pendant 20 à 30 min à 200°C (thermostat 6-7); vérifier régulièrement la cuisson !

The Hour of Code is a global movement with students participating in 180 different
countries.  The Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education
Week. The 2019 Computer Science Education Week will be, but you can host an Hour of
Code all year-round. The purpose of the ‘hour of code’ is to get students to learn about
computer science for one hour.
This week Tessa students participated in the “Hour of Code” it was a great time where all our
students in each classroom were introduced to this new beginning concept of coding
through games, a new “window of learning” in which they can explore (movement, direction,
and location) with fun interactive (and hands-on) age appropriate activities.
What is coding? Coding (or programming) is the basic language of the digital age. It involves
the process of creating step-by-step the instructions a computer understands and needs in
order for its programs to work. Coding gives children the ability to understand how to “tinker”
and shape their digital world.

Early coding or precoding, offers children experiences that integrate communication,
thinking, problem solving and opportunities for interaction and collaborative learning are 21st
century skills that are valuable for children’s future and success in our digital world. Also, they
are aligned with our school’s mission.

– Communication: through the precoding activities children are involved in directional
language, such as up and down, backward and forward, left and right.
– Thinking: Coding helps children develop new ways of thinking and takes the fear of
making mistakes or failing. 
– Problem Solving: Students can consider multiple paths to get to a solution and
choose the most efficient strategy. It teaches persistency in finding a way to solve
your problems. In these activities, planning ahead is the key to success.
– Collaborative learning: children understand the value of working with others and the
importance to contribute with their thoughts and bring support to others and learn
together.

Children became confident with early coding and each classroom used it in different ways to
complement other learning opportunities in the preschool classroom.
– Coding games through the stories: Teacher used children’s favorite story and read-
aloud in the class as the base for coding games. This helps children develop
vocabulary and a greater comprehension of texts.
– Robot Mouse: The mouse comes with different attachments that move it in different
directions.  Children can attach the different segments together to create a unique
path for the mouse to move and find the cheese.
– Unplugged coding activities: Teachers introduced coding without using a computer.
They created a fun printable game that used the same concept of directional cards,
one per space on the grid, to move the pirate to his treasure; the fish to the lake; the
boy to his house and the octopus to his friend the dolphin.
– Apps: Children were exposed with a limit of time to “Code Kart” and “Coding Safari”
apps.

“Hour of Coding” was a great experience for teachers and students and not only helps
improve their mathematics but also gives them valuable skills in life.

In this link you can find a variety of fun activities to do at home.
https://teachyourkidscode.com/free-coding-activities-for-hour-of-code-week/

At Tessa International School, we love celebrating holidays! Thanksgiving is one of our favorites. Every class is doing this differently, but basically the idea is to give thanks to those who have helped us throughout the year.  This can be clearly seen in Ms. Pooja’s and Ms. Patricia’s class:

What does Thanksgiving Day celebrate?

When it comes to Thanksgiving, there are legends and there are realities. Though the truth of the original meeting is far from what we idealize, today, Thanksgiving is all about putting aside our differences and giving thanks. Though not a religious holiday, some families choose to commemorate thanking God for the harvest. It is often a day to celebrate the family.

When is Thanksgiving celebrated?

In the United States Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada it occurs on the second Monday of October.

What do people do to celebrate?

The day is a national federal holiday in the United States. Most people have the day off as well as the Friday following, making a long weekend for travel and holiday.

The way most people celebrate this day is by getting together with their families and having a large meal. Many people travel all over the country for large family gatherings on this day.

Many cities have large parades on Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps the largest and most famous parade is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. 

Another popular way to spend the day is watching NFL football. There are generally a number of football games on even though it is Thursday. The Detroit Lions are a traditional team that plays a game nearly every Thanksgiving.

Traditional Food

The traditional food for the Thanksgiving meal includes a turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.

Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

• Each year a live turkey is presented to the President of the United States who then “pardons” the turkey and it gets to live out its life on a farm.
• Around 46 million turkeys were eaten in the US on Thanksgiving in 2010. That’s around one fifth of all the turkeys eaten for the entire year.
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird instead of the bald eagle.
• Around 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
• The Pilgrims sailed to America from Great Britain on a ship called the Mayflower.
• The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It is the biggest shopping day of the year.

Learning and Teaching at Tessa is a celebration.

At Tessa, we celebrate each of our transdisciplinary themes.  It is a celebration to the Learning and Teaching of approaches to learning, inquiry, concepts, language and the learner. 

The transdisciplinary model inherently promotes student agency. It encourages the integration of many ways of knowing, and perspectives from all members of the learning community, to make sense of a world that has become “too big to know.”

Our transdisciplinary themes or units last for 8 to 9 weeks. Last Friday, November 1, we had our first End of Unit Celebration on “Who We Are” unit. Parents are invited to come and see the final projects of their child. The celebration is in respective classrooms and could be presented in a performance or documentation of what the student learned throughout the exploration of the central idea, lines of inquiries and key concepts. 

In each unit, teachers at Tessa incorporate the importance of approaches to learning skills. These are a set of skills that we use when we are involved in learning. They come grouped into five sets: Thinking, Social, Self-Management, Research and Communication skills. They naturally have growth mindset occurring within them, since they cover many different behaviors, self-control as well as thinking and communication strategies. 

In other words, the Learning and Teaching celebration invites the learning community and the learner to present a summative assessment of the essential skills, concepts of inquiry to show the progression of sub-skills. Some examples of sub-skills such as critical, creative thinking, listening, speaking, emotional intelligence and mindfulness. In each transdisciplinary theme, the learner gets to improve in all these skills in the wholeness of Learning and Teaching.