June 1, 2012
Can it possibly be true that the year is almost over? End of the year conferences are complete and Shavuot was fun. It’s incredible how much each student has matured and grown. Everyone truly loves our classroom and friends, and has embraced the lessons and culture within the class. We've learned about the Jewish holidays, fostered a love for Shabbat, and we wrapped up the year discussing the holiday of Shavuot which commemorates the Jewish people receiving the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai. We discussed a few of the age appropriate commandments for example, honor your mother and father, keep Shabbat holy, etc. We created a big mural of Mount Sinai, and the students loved creating this together as a group project.
We've mastered our morning meeting songs and are still practicing a few of the new ones including Alef Beis. We'll review songs and concepts in the last week and give our students a big boost of Jewish pride through their special "Mitzvah surprise" to carry them through the summer, until school starts again!
We are bringing out some of the favorite works from the school year, including some by special request. The practical life area will focus on developing fine motor skills and remembering two and three step processes. We will be playfully working with color, playing color games, and using finger paints by blending two primary colors to see a third color appear. New on the shelves is a favorite interlocking puzzle, pasta bead stringing, and duck polishing.
Don’t forget Tuesday, June 5, is Water Day. The children will run through a sprinkler, play in a small water pool, and create a car wash for the playground cars and bikes.
Have a great and safe summer! See you next year!
May 1, 2012
We have been having tons of fun learning to take turns by using our talking stick as the students share a story of their Passover experience. Everyone has been learning about body control as they wait to share their funny and cute memories!
Now we are getting ready for the upcoming Yom Tov (holiday), Shavuot! This is a fun holiday commemorating when the Jewish people received the Torah. The celebration is filled with great Torah lessons, loads of dairy foods and treats and beautiful flowers.
This month we will continue to learn more about the different kinds of cows and where milk comes from and how it is processed before we drink it and how to make many kinds of dairy treats such as ice cream.
We will have many books from the library about spring to help us relate to our talking topics of spring blooms, gardening and other nature bounties. We will be matching spring flowers and feeling, pouring, and packing dirt in the feeling tray. Also, at morning meeting we are practicing to sing the Alef Bet to familiarize the students with the letters. These last few weeks of school will go by fast so don’t forget these dates:
May 20……..Conference Day
May 25…….. Shavuot school is closed
May 28………Memorial Day school is closed
June 5 ….……Graduation and End of Year Get-together
June 7………..Last Day of School
April 2, 2012
The toddler class has been buzzing with spring energy as we are preparing our class for Passover. We cleaned and transformed our room into a learning environment which focuses on the many aspects of getting ready for Passover. We cleaned the chametz out the dramatic play kitchen and replaced it with a carrot peeling work, which the children are showing lots of enthusiasm cleaning and sharing their carrots. We are using carrots as a springboard to talk about the spring growing season. Where carrots come from and how they are grown in the ground. Also, we've been talking about wheat and how to make matzah that we eat on Passover; the kids have a specially made matzah oven in the dramatic play area to practice making matzah and sharing it with friends.
We are learning about the Exodus from Egypt and a few of the 10 plagues. We've been focusing on frogs, their life cycle and imitating them with jumping exercises and frog sounds at meeting and transition times. Many of our works have been changed to include other water animals. A matching shark and whale work is very popular.
To prepare for the Seder we are exploring different artistic mediums to create our Haggadah, the book we use to go through the steps of the Seder. It will be coming home next week. Our Passover unit will conclude with a model Seder just before we leave for break.
After a fun and restful break the children will come back to fun and exciting new works focusing on the farm, farm animals, farm noises and farm puzzles. This will give us the opportunity to sort animals by habitat, learn the names of some unusual animals and match a verity of animals. We will also prepare for the upcoming festivals, Lag BaOmer and Shavuot.
Here are some songs that we've been learning in class that you can use to make your Seder extra fun! To learn more about Passover go to: (www.jewishdiscovery.com/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm?)
"One morning when Pharaoh awoke in his bed,
There were frogs in his bed and frogs on his head,
Frogs on his nose and frogs on his toes,
Frogs here, frogs there,
Frogs were jumping everywhere"
"Oh listen, Oh listen, Oh listen king pharaoh.
Oh listen, oh listen, please let my people go.
They work so hard all day,
They want to go away,
King Pharaoh, king pharaoh, what do you say.
No, no, no, I will not let them go.
No, no, no, I will not let them go."
"The Matzah Making Song" (and finger play) (sung to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat)
Roll, roll, roll your dough (one hand palm up, other hand above it, palm down making circular motions).
Make it nice and round (make a circle with fingers).
Make it flat (one hand palm up, slap other hand down on it),
Poke lots of holes (one hand palm up, with your fingers on the other hand pretend to poke holes in palm up hand),
And bake it till it's brown (both hand palm up, touching on sides, move forward, as if putting a tray in the oven).
March 7, 2012
Let’s start off with last February’s news where we learned so much about ourselves, and being proud Jewish girls and boys. We used our self-portrait to practice naming the different body parts in Hebrew and sang songs about them and the different Mitzvot we can do with each body part. Everyone loved practicing the Hebrew words.
With the upcoming holiday quickly approaching, our classroom is getting into the holiday spirit Purim style! We have already heard the about two famous Jewish heroes Queen Esther and Mordechai. We will celebrate their bravery and their trust in Hashem by learning and fulfilling the four different Mitzvots associated with the celebration of Purim. Dress up, creating character puppets, and acting out the story during circle time are a few ways we will become familiar with the Purim story. We will give extra Tzedakah, and prepare bags for giving two different foods to a friend. We will also bake Hamentashen to enjoy with our families. Everyone will enjoy a big festive “pretend” feast where everyone gets to contribute a dish! The children will see signs of Purim in other works like counting crowns and matching Kings and Queens. The children will be excited to match the different colored Hamentashen, practice tracing, and creating their very own Gragger to use at the Purim celebration at school where everyone will become very noisy when they hear the name Haman at the Megillah reading. Purim is a lot of fun, encourage your child to start thinking of how they would like to dress up as for this festive holiday!
In the month of March, we will be talking about Community. A fun activity will be a floor puzzle that pictures helpers in a Community like a doctor, dentist, nurse, and teacher. We will have a center where the children can pretend to be a veterinarian. We will be promoting the toddler community with lesson that promotes cooperation. We have two books that help explain community “Buddy and Friends” and “The More We Get Together”. It looks like March is full of fun things to do.
February 3, 2012
Dear Parents,
January seemed to have zipped by while we had lots of fun and excitement. Please check out the self-portraits, which were a combined effort between the Morahs and the students, now hanging on the classroom walls. We are using them to learn new Hebrew words and songs that teach us about the parts of the body, plus Mitzvot we can do using the five senses. It has been fun watching the students get excited about them.
Now that February is upon us, we will be celebrating Tu B’Shvat, the new year for trees, on February 8. We will be decorating tree-inspired crafts, planting our very own parsley plants, and tasting the fruits from Israel. Through the start of this new growth cycle, we will be doing projects that teach about caring for the environment: through learning about nature cycles, creating a bird feeding craft to watch the winter birds, and exploring the change in the season. The concept of caring will continue as we get closer to Purim, and we prepare for our Tzedakah project. A continuing favorite play space in our classroom is our Shabbat table, which the children love to explore many times a day. We will also continue to learn about different Mitzvot and positive Middos (traits) we can have in school and at home.
February is also the month for our transportation theme. We will be learning about the different vehicles that travel in the air, on the water, and on the ground. We will be matching and counting green, red, and purple cars and exploring a large interlocking puzzle with lots of pictures of cars. I know the girls will enjoy this just as much as the boys.
At a recent staff meeting, we decided to use the newsletter to remind parents who have a child staying for lunch to make sure your child has a healthy lunch. I know fruits and vegetables can be a hard sell to toddlers but apples and carrots are the most popular. Please: no meat lunches are allowed. Dairy or Pareve only. And please no candy. Remember there are some great suggestions in the Parent Handbook. Thank you for making lunch time a fun experience for your child.
January 9, 2012
The crisp air outside is bringing a lot of warmth into our classroom. Before the break, we learned all about Chanukah! We counted the candles, learned about helping through the Shamash (the candle that helps light all the other candles), and how to spin around and around like a Dreidel. We introduced the alef bet letters, nun, gimmel, hey, and shin, which are found on the sides of the Dreidel, and we learned an interactive game about how to make a potato latke. Throughout the room, there were many new exciting Chanukah-infused works engaging the children; a favorite was the mini Dreidel pouring work. We hope the working Menorah brightened your home this Chanukah!
We are looking forward to welcoming the Grandparents to our class this week! Since all the trees outside are bare now, we are focusing on blooming our Mitzvah tree inside. We also set up a few Mitzvah stations in our class which will not only promote Jewish education, but also improve fine motor skills through the act of giving Tzedakah and pouring water during the ritual hand-washing. A Shabbat station has become a beautiful feature of our class, until the next Yom Tov (holiday) comes around.
January has brought the topic of snow to the classroom. We are talking about the seasons — including winter — and what animals do during these cold months, plus matching mittens, counting snowmen, and building a three-dimensional snowman out of large nesting cylinder boxes. We are also learning verses of Frosty the Snowman and dancing around Frosty. Students really enjoy making a snowman as tall as them!
We are also introducing storytelling and using props on a felt board which help the storytelling process. And, in the practical life area, we are learning how to polish a wooden duck — this new work instills many of the more fundamental learning skills, like: work cycle, focus, concentration, coordination, etc.
In the popular art area we are painting snowflakes and coloring mittens.
Date to Remember:
Grandparents Day …………………………Monday, January 9 or 10
December 2, 2011
We want to thank you for the great response at conferences time. It was enjoyable and helpful to talk about each student with their unique personalities and special stories. Also, thanks for all the winter gloves and hat that came in. We are ready for winter.
Can you believe that December is here? We have been changing some works in our class and the children are filled with excitement and curiosity as they begin to investigate the new Chanukah works. There will be lots of opportunity to listen to the story of Chanukah and making crafts that are inspired by the story. A special activity in the classroom that many are enjoying is the colorful wooden Menorah that sits at a table waiting for someone to set in the candles. The Shammos, helper candle, is one candle that will not be forgotten because of its special color and its raised position on the Menorah.
Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel is not only a song we will be singing but we will be counting, pouring, and sorting dreidels. And for the most fun, we are going to practice spinning them and even pretending to be a dreidel. Learning to spin a dreidel is a great activity to develop the fine motor muscles. In the dramatic play area, there are new pots and pans to do some special holiday cooking and serving delicious latkes.
Our library will have books about Chanukah and new to the library will be Richard Scarry’s “Please and Thank You”, a courtesy we are always reinforcing. For students who love animals, there are books about what animals do during the winter and how they survive in extreme conditions.
It is a busy month, but please keep in touch with us, especial if you have any concerns.
Dates to Remember:
Tuesday, December 6 / Parent Education Night for the toddler parents
Tuesday, December 20 / Giant Menorah Public Lighting
Friday, December 23 thru January 3 / Winter Break
Tuesday, January 10 / Grandparent’s Day
Happy Chanukah!
November 1, 2011
November is here and the colder weather reminds us that winter is just around the corner, but activities for November are hot and fun. Toddlers love animals so we will be matching and sorting lots of animal works. We will be learning the difference between zoo animals and farm animals and of course all the different sounds the animals make. We have a couple of National Geographic for Kids books about animals from all over the world which make learning about animals an exciting adventure. They are a favorite for many. The children are showing a growing interest in caring for their environment so cleaning tables continues be offered, giving them the needed movement and focused time. Toddlers can help at home with simple practical life tasks. You will be surprised.
We have a great activity planned for Parent Day. Each child is going to create their own Tzedakah (charity) box to take home and hopefully become part of their daily routine. In the classroom, we will continue to talk about how to help others by our acts of giving.
As we get closer to Thanksgiving, we will be reading and talking about the first Thanksgiving and the many things we are thankful for. The art section will include making turkeys, Native American headdresses, and Pilgrim’s hats.
Please remember to with the cold weather approaching the children need a warmer set of extra clothes
September 28, 2011
Dear Parents,
In the month of October we will be introducing some of the other upcoming holidays: Yom Kippurs, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. We will learn a crafting project about the textures found atop our Sukkah, and stuff our very our little Torah for Circle Time.
As always we encourage parents to acknowledge good behavior and mitzvot performed at home by letting your child know how proud you are of their deeds and please remember to write them down on a mitzvah leaf (new orange and red leaves coming home) so we can display them in class. The mitzvah tree has become an exciting part of the children’s daily routine and we are starting to hear some of the children let us know of another’s mitzvah performed in class. It is truly a beautiful sight and a great example of a mitzvah we can do, Ahavat Yisroel, loving your fellow Jew!
Also in October, will we be washing small pumpkins and learning the parts of the body by songs and a matching work. We will be talking about making good food choices for good nutrition. We have a moveable food pyramid that is a fun way to introduce food classification. We will be distinguishing fruits from vegetables and eating some at snack. For art, making vegetable prints is always fun.
Just a reminder that Wednesday, October 26th the Comprehensive Concepts Speech Screening will be at school from 9AM to 12PM
The weather has quickly taken a turn for the cooler. Please make sure that your child has a weather-appropriate change of clothes at school to change into, if needed. Also be sure to bring a jacket for your child on chilly days. While it may not seem necessary for the short trip from car to school, it is important to have for our time out on the playground. With the exception of rainy days, we go outside EVERY DAY!
Wishing you a very happy new year!
August 29, 2011
We are so happy to report that the first week of school ended with many positive experiences for the children, and so many happy faces. We will continue to support your child’s transition to the classroom in a nurturing and loving manner, to support each child’s unique self.
We are so proud of all our students and the beautiful Mitzvah notes that we have received. A Mitzvah, Divine deed, is a growing theme in our classroom, and a focal point of our Mitzvah tree. We encourage each parent to acknowledge their child’s good deeds at home as we also acknowledge their good deeds in the classroom. As part of our daily circle time, we will be reading the notes aloud and pasting them on our tree. Can’t wait to watch it blossom! We also sing songs and dance. Copies of the songs are coming home soon so watch those backpacks.
On Friday we have a Shabbat party. The highlight of our Shabbat party will be the weekly Abba and Ema (Father and Mother). We will sing and dance to interactive Shabbat songs, make a pretend chicken soup, and best of all make delicious fresh challah. When it is your child’s turn to be the Shabbat Abba or Ema, you will be given a reminder and we ask you to please bring a treat for the class. More information on this will follow soon.
The High Holidays are just around the corner. Soon you will discover all the sweetness of Rosh Hashanah(Jewish New Year) as the children learn ways they can celebrate this holiday through arts and crafts, songs, and Rosh Hashanah themes such as apples, bees, and honey.
The children will also be learning about classroom processes. We will focus on how to have snack and come together in Community at circle time. The children will be introduced to the primary colors with the focus on yellow, matching apples, table setting, and inset puzzles. We have already noticed some students’ interest in thealphabet, so hopefully in September we can assess who is ready for letter sounds.
Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions and concerns.
