First Grade Friends 3

Dear First Graders,

Thank you all so much for your letters!  I'm glad you like hearing about Scotland.  I love living here so far, but we've had a lot of snow and it makes things tricky!  Do you get a lot of snow in the winter in Lowell?
I wanted to answer a few of your questions about Scotland.  I will do this every time you write to me.

Do you live in an apartment?

I do live in an apartment.  In Scotland, apartments are called "flats."  I live in a flat with four other girls.  Everyone who lives in my building is a student, too.  Sometimes we go places together and have special meals together, like Thanksgiving dinner.  Do other people live with you, or do you just live with your family?

What school do you go to?

I go to the University of Edinburgh.  The school was founded in 1582-that's almost 430 years ago!  But girls have only been allowed to come to University here since 1889-about 120 years ago.  Before that, only boys were allowed.

this is my school's symbol, or crest.  There is a thistle at the top (Scotland's national flower), a book in the middle, and a castle at the bottom.  What is the Bailey symbol?

What are the museums like in Edinburgh?


There are many types of museums here!  I love going to museums, and try to visit as many as I can.  Edinburgh is a very old city, so some museums are really old buildings that are made to look the way they would have when they were used.  When I go to places like that, I can learn about what life was like in the past.  There is even a castle!  It's on the highest hill in the city.  Lowell has many old building like this, like the Lowell Mills.  Have you ever been to visit the mills?

Edinburgh Castle

The Lowell Mills

Another type of museum is a gallery-a place that has a lot of things to look at on the walls or in cases.  One type of gallery is an art gallery, where you can look at paintings.  Edinburgh is home to the National Galleries of Scotland, where anyone can go look at artwork!
Another wonderful museum I've been to here is the Museum of Childhood.  The Museum of Childhood is all about what it was like to be a kid at different times.  They have all sorts of toys!  What kinds of toys might you have played with if you lived in the 1800s, or the 1950s?

a dollhouse at the Museum of Childood-it had real working lights and running water!

Trains at the Museum of Childhood

Have you ever been to a museum? What was something you saw there?


I like chicken sandwiches.  What do you like to eat?


I love to eat all kinds of food-including chicken sandwiches (I had one for lunch!).  Scotland has a famous food called Haggis, which is served with "Neeps and Tatties" or swede (a vegetable) and mashed potatoes.  Haggis is made out of sheep meat (called "mutton") mixed with oats and spices and cooked for a long time.  It sounds gross, but it actually tastes really good!  Scottish people eat Haggis on "Burns Night," a holiday celebrating Robert Burns, who is the National Poet. He wrote a poem called "An Ode to a Haggis" which people read before they eat on Burns Night.  Do have a special meal you eat for a holiday?  Have you ever written a poem or story about food?

Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties

I hope you have a great winter break!  I can't wait to hear from you again soon.