Oh Canada!

At first, there was not a lot of snow on the ground,
so we made this little snowman.


Hi Kids!


 I am visiting a city called Toronto.

It is the biggest city in Canada, so

it is very busy with many people,

 tall buildings, and a lot of traffic.

There are other cities in Canada, too,

like Vancouver and Montreal.  

Millions of people live there.

Canada also has more open space t

han in the USA.

Canada is bigger - it has more land,

but it doesn't have as many people

 as our country does.

Later it snowed a lot, and we made this giant one.
I am having fun. The big buildings behind me let you
know that I am in a city.

 

Look at a map or a globe. You can see Canada is near the top. That means it is in the north.

The further north you go, the colder the weather gets. It is much colder here than at our home in Rock Hill. Here is another picture that shows the cold weather. I was taking a hike in the park with my friend, Dr. Dooling. Look how deep the snow is!

 

 

Canada has a lot of animals. Many animals that live in South Carolina can also be found in Canada. For example, you can see squirrels and raccoons in cities.
Some of the other animals that live in the wild in Canada are the beaver and the moose. In the far north of Canada you can find polar bears and reindeer.

I haven't seen animals outside yet, but I went to a museum, and saw this moose. I could get close to it because it is not alive any more. The museum guide told us that there are lots of them out in the woods.



Did you see a lot of mounted animals on your field trip
to the Museum of York county?

Here in Canada, there are two official languages. One is English. The other is French. All children learn these languages in school. You can see signs printed in both languages. I saw this sign where people were buying tickets to go on a boat ride.

Another thing that is different here is the money. Their dollars are coins, not paper. The gold colored one on the left is one dollar. It is called a "loonie" because the bird on the front is a loon. The coin on the left with a ring around it is a 2 dollar coin. They do have paper money for $5, $10, and larger bills. Their paper money is a lot more colorful than  ours.

Kids in Canada enjoy playing a lot of the same things that you do, like video games, soccer, and making art. Some popular winter activities are ice hockey, figure skating, and skiing.



These boys and girls are having a ski lesson.   See the teacher in the red jacket?
All the kids have to wear blue vests so that she can find everyone in her class!  
Sometimes they would fall down but the snow was soft so they were okay.

I have loved my visit to Canada. I will be coming home on Friday. I can't wait to see you all again!

Your Friend,

Flat Stanley

 

Atlanta, Georgia!

Hi Kids,

This is the first car trip that I have taken this year. I came here to Georgia for Thanksgiving break
On Wednesday, after we arrived, we went to for a walk in Piedmont Park, and I saw some animals in the water.

 

 

The ducks and turtles live together in a pond. They seem to get along well. How many turtles can you count in the picture? How many ducks? Which is more? How many more?

 

 

 Here is something else we saw in the park - a beautiful fountain. The blue sculpture in it is made of glass.

 

 

I know that Rock Hill has a Fountain Park too. I hope that you'll all get a chance to go there - especially in the winter when they make an ice skating rink!

 

 

Thursday was Thanksgiving, so we stayed at home. In the morning I watched the Macy's Parade. I liked all of it, but my favorite part was seeing the high school marching band from Fort Mill. That is the town right next to us!

 

After that we had a big dinner. As soon as the turkey came out of the oven, I hopped right up on the counter to take a look.

 

Mm-mm, it smelled so good!

Atlanta is a large city - bigger than Charlotte, so there are lots of big city things to do that are very different from Rock Hill. On Friday we went downtown. We rode there on the subway. In Atlanta it is called MARTA. It goes a lot faster than a car, because it doesn't have to stop for red lights, and there are never any traffic jams.

 

 

 I didn't meet any famous people while I was here, but I did see a famous place. This is the house where Dr. Martin Luther King was born and grew up. It is on Auburn Avenue. You might have seen it in a book about Dr. King. We went in and had a tour. They show the rooms and talk about his life there as a little boy, and the work he did later when he grew up.

  

 

On Saturday went to the Georgia Aquarium. It has so many kinds of fish, eels, turtles, dolphins, and even whales! It has pretty much anything that lives in water. Before we went in, I posed for a photo with this dolphin statue.

 

 

Inside, we watched the fish swimming. This is the biggest tank. It is three stories tall! The big fish is called a whale shark. The name is confusing - it IS a shark, but it is NOT a whale. In fact, it is the largest kind of fish in the world.

 



The next picture is kind of tricky. It looks like a lot of underwater plants and rocks. Actually, it is a lot of underwater plants and animals! There are some types of seaweed (plants), but the things that look like gray rocks and the light green rock in front are really animals called coral. Taken together, these plants and coral form an underwater habitat called a coral reef. 

 

Can you find the seahorses? 

This is Sunday.  Mr. and Mrs. North are driving back to Rock Hill, but I am staying behind. Every other time, I have come back to school between my trips, but not this time. That is because Dr. Kevin is bringing me on another trip next week. On December 3rd we will go to Canada! I can't wait! I'll be sure to send you pictures.

Your friend,
Flat Stanley

 

 

 

More from Connecticut

Hi First Graders,

 Today we went down to the water. Connecticut has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean, like South Carolina does. There are 14 lighthouses here.  They do an important job - keeping ships safe in the night or in the fog. I had a chance to visit one. It was fun to go inside.



I learned that the sperm whale is the state animal. I didn't see one of those, but I found this picture on the internet to share with you. Do you know that South Carolina has a state bird, and a state dog?  Ask your teacher about those.

 

We went to the marina, and walked on the docks. Lots of people have motorboats and yachts  moored here.

 

 

After spending time on the waterfront, we drove inland again, and took a walk by the Housatonic River. Some of the bridges were built long ago. They are called covered bridges, and are built to look like long houses or barns, with open ends for cars to enter, but with walls and roofs to keep out the snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I loved going through this covered bridge to get to the other side of the river.

We stopped to see one more sight before we went home. This is the oldest house in the state. It is made of stones. It was built in 1638 - almost 400 years ago.  The house has lasted a very long time!

That is all for now. Tomorrow Mrs. Clarke will take me to the Post Office to mail me back home to Rock Hill.

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing some things about Connecticut - one of our 50 states.

 



Your friend,
Flat Stanley

In Connecticut - Wish You Were Here!

Hi First Graders,

This is the first time this year that I took a trip in an envelope. The mail carrier brought me to Mrs. Clarke's house. It took 2 days to get here.

Connecticut is one of the 6 states in the north-east corner of the country known as New England. The people who live here are sometimes called Connecticut Yankees. Maybe that's why the state song is Yankee Doodle Dandy. You can hear it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_BMzqwSdW8


Connecticut's nickname is The Nutmeg State. It is a spice that grows here on trees. It looks like a nut when it is ready to pick. It is ground up into powder and used in baking. The yummy smell of apple pie and pumpkin pie comes partly from nutmeg. Your teacher can let you smell some.



 



It is fall, but colder than in Rock Hill. I went downtown on a shopping trip. The shopkeepers here have made scarecrows to decorate for fall. This one was my favorite. It is made to look like a famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh.

 

After shopping in town, we went to a farm to buy a pumpkin. Thanksgiving is coming, and Mrs. Clarke is planning to bake some pumpkin pies. I helped her pick out just the right one - nice and round, and big but not too big.

 

 

After shopping, our next stop was the park. I had a snack, then I played in the leaves.

 

The trees in Connecticut in the fall are red, yellow and orange. They are beautiful! Do you know what I like to do? I like to jump in them. Do you like to do that, too?

 

My first outing in Connecticut was lots of fun. I will write again after I have had some more adventures.

 

Your friend,

Flat Stanley

 

 

 

 

More Adventures in South Korea

Hi First Graders,

I had another quiet week in my hotel room, while Dr. Kevin worked a lot. On Saturday I got to go out. Let me show you some things.

In the morning, we went to visit some good friends. Everyone dressed up in traditional clothes for a picture. (but not me. I think they didn't have any for someone who is flat!) The traditional clothes are from old times. Now people wear modern clothes just like ours, but dressing up for pictures is something they do for fun or special occasions.

I got to stand in front because I am the shortest!
 

After our picture time, we said good-bye, and went for a hike on a nearby mountain in Bukhansan Park.

The trail was hard to climb.  I rode in Dr. Kevin's backpack. It was easy to follow the trail and not get lost, because the stones were like steps, and along the way were many gates like this one.

The mountain was so steep that a building that we passed was built into the side of the mountain. The front had windows and a door, but the back did not. It was right against the mountain.

Even if you can't read Korean,
I think you can figure out what this sign says!

 

We were careful, and no rocks fell on us. Another thing that we saw along the trail was a HUGE bell.

It is used to call people to pray. The log swings on chains. If you pull it back, and let it go, it hits the bell to ring it. I didn't hear it, because it wasn't the right time for prayers, but I think it would be VERY loud!

 

The last picture we took on the hike is this one.

There are many statues outside in the park. They are there to welcome hikers. I thought that was very friendly.

After our long hike, we were tired, and went back to the hotel to rest before dinner. Then we went out at night to see a Tae Kwon Do show. Tae Kwan Do is a bit like karate. It is a way of fighting with hands and feet to protect yourself. Tae Kwan Do started in Korea long ago. Now people practice it all around the world.

The show was on a stage. There was music, and many people performed together, doing kicks and chops. It was almost like watching a dance, except sometimes they broke boards with their feet and hands!

 

That was the end of an exciting day for me. Our trip is at an end. On Tuesday we will leave South Korea, and fly back home. I will see you soon at school.

 

Your friend,

 

Flat Stanley

 

 

Anyong Haseyo from South Korea

Hi First Graders,

I just said hello to you in the Korean language. It sounds like (ahn-yo   ha-say-yoh).  It was a long trip to get here. We were in the airplane for almost 15 hours. I rode in the suitcase with socks and shirts and pants. It was dark, but very comfortable and cozy.

We have been here in for a week, but Dr. Kevin had to work a lot, so I stayed in the hotel room. On Saturday, we went out and about to see the city. Our first stop was to get gas for the rental car. I was surprised that the gas hoses come down from the ceiling. There were no pumps like we have at our gas stations. You reach up and pull it down to fill the tank.

 

 

What can you see that is like you classroom?
And what is different?

Our next stop was a history museum that showed how people lived long ago. They had many rooms full of old things to look at. I thought you might like to see this old-fashioned schoolroom.




                                          

                                     

Can you recognize something on the wall?
And what is that on the chalkboard?

Today classrooms don't look like this at all. Now they have computers and smartboards and many more things like you have in your room.

    

 

After a morning at the museum, we went to a restaurant for lunch. Look at our food. Where are the fork and spoon?

 

You can see the menu.
It names the food with Korean characters
and English words. That made it easier to order food!

A yummy salad.
Can you name some of the veggies?

 

That's right! people here eat with chopsticks instead!  The first dish is Kim Chee. It is spicy, but very good. Kim Chee is served with almost every meal. People like it a lot!

 

Look at the second dish. The tan cubes are fried tofu. The tan slices with holes are lotus root. The holes were not cut. It grows that way. Isn't it pretty?

 

In the afternoon, we walked around the city. This is one of the most famous and fancy buildings. It is the Emperor's palace. A long time ago, Korea had an emperor (that is like a king) who lived here.

There is no more emperor, so now the palace is a place for everyone to come and visit.

 

I took a selfie in front of the palace!
Does this look a little bit like a building I saw in Japan?

 

Next we drove down to the river to walk. The Han River flows through the city, and families were out having fun at the river park. People bring tents and set them up for shade. Kids were walking and playing in water. It looked like fun to me!

You can see the city skyscrapers across the river.

 

That's it for my fun Saturday being a tourist in Seoul, South Korea. I will write again before I come back home next week.

 

Your Friend,

Flat Stanley

Ohayo from Japan

I just said, "Hi" to you in Japanese. The word sounds like the English word, "Ohio" which is the name of a state in our country.

I learned a lot during my vacation in Japan this summer. I stayed in Tokyo, which is the biggest city in Japan. Much bigger than New York City even! It is very busy. The people were very nice, and always so polite. They bow from the waist when they meet. Girls and ladies bow with their hands clasped in front of them. Boys and men bow with their hands straight down at their sides. Would you like to try that?

We took a ride on a subway train. The signs were easy to understand, even though we could not read Japanese. The pictures explain things very well. Can you guess what this sign means?

Or this one?

If you lived in Japan, you would go to school for more days - 210 instead of 180. It was July when I was there. You were on summer break, but these girls and boys were not. I saw them in the subway station one morning. They were on their way to school. There are no school buses. Kids walk to school, ride bikes, come in cars with their moms, or take the subway.



Elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools all have uniforms. The uniforms always have hats. Their backpacks are bigger than ours, and made of leather.

 

Because I stayed in a city, I saw lot of birds and squirrels. These small animals can live alongside people in crowded conditions. They can find enough food, and places to live. People here like to feed the birds. This man was scattering pieces of bread, and soon a whole flock of pigeons came to eat.

 

 

 

  Another animal to see in the city is fish. These are called koi. They look like goldfish, only bigger. These fish are not for eating. They are for decoration. Many families have a pond in their yard full of these pretty fish.

 

 

Whenever you travel, some places look very different from what we can see at home. This building is a pagoda. It is a religious building (like our churches) where people go to  worship and pray. They are tall towers with many layers of roofs.

 

Other things look very familiar. I bet you know what this place is!

 

 

That's right - the fire station. Except for the writing on the side, this looks just like our fire trucks.

 

 

Traveling is great! One thing that I learn on every trip is that there are interesting things to see and do everywhere. Right now I am with you in the classroom, but before too long, I will take off again on another adventure.

 

Your friend,

Flat Stanley

 

 

Hi Friends!

Hi Kids!!!

Welcome to the first grade! 

My name is Flat Stanley.  Did your teacher read you the book about me?  I am flat so people can send me in envelopes and suitcases all over the world.  I love to travel and I want to tell you all about the new places I go and the people that I meet this year! We can learn about the cultures and customs that are different from our own.

     This summer I visited Japan with Dr. Kristie and Dr. Kevin. It is an island country all the way around the world. Because it is on the other side of the Earth, the sun shines on it when it is dark at home. When Rock Hill is having daytime, it is nighttime in Japan.

     The people speak Japanese. The words sound different, and look different, too. One of the first things I noticed was the Japanese writing. There were signs everywhere. The writing goes up and down, not across the page like English words do. They don't use letters to stand for sounds the way we do, but use characters instead. Each character stands for a whole word.

This sign was outside the shop where I got an ice cream cone.

You can see the Japanese and English words on the Post Office sign, too.

We took a walk in a bamboo forest. Bamboo is really a kind of grass, but it can grow as tall as trees. It was shady and cool in the forest, and we hiked on a trail. Did you know that pandas love bamboo? It is the only food that they eat. There are no pandas in Japan, though. Pandas live only in China, which is a nearby country.

 

 

If you walk in the woods in South Carolina, what kind of trees and plants can you see?

 

 

All of the people that we met were very friendly. These two girls held my hands so we could have a picture taken together. They are wearing clothes called kimonos. The wide belts are called obis. Most of the time the people here wear clothes just like ours - jeans, tee-shirts, hoodies, dresses, and that is called Western dress. For special events, they wear traditional clothes like this.

 

 

Do you like to dress up for special occasions? What do you wear when you do?

 

 

Another day we went to a concert. These ladies played beautiful music on traditional Japanese instruments. I had never seen these before, but one of them reminded me of an instrument that Mr. Cole plays in music class. Can you guess why?

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the foods that we ate were a lot like what we eat at home - fish, rice, oranges, melon, cookies. In the first picture, you saw me with an ice cream cone. Other foods are very different. Here are some things that I saw at the food market.

 





These are a vegetable called daikon. They are shaped like carrots, but are a kind of radish. They taste spicy.



These are cactus pads. The sharp spines are removed, and they are eaten as a vegetable.

People all over the world eat good foods to keep them healthy and strong. You might not have ever eaten these, but we do eats and vegetables.What veggies do you like to eat?

That's all for now. I will write again later, and show you some more things about my visit.

Your friend,

Flat Stanley