WDS fourth graders learned to weave wampum on a loom. First they chose a Native American pattern. Then they used purple and white beads to represent the purple northern quahaug and the white whelk shells that the Native Americans turned into beads when making the wampum.

The wampum, misunderstood by Europeans as just a form of money, actually represents truth, honesty and sincerity, important personal qualities emphasized throughout the year.