Fall

Dear Parents,
Here are some Highlights of our week.

 Parsha Toldos
Morah Kayla tells us about two brothers Eisav and Yaakov, who are the twin sons of Yitzchok and Rivka.  We learned twins are babies born on the same day.  The brother are very different from each other.  The older brother, Eisav has reddish skin and hair all over his body and Yaakov is lighter and has smoother skin.  Eisav is very active, he loves to run around and meet people, and act a bit wild.  Yaakov is more gentle he loves to go to school and learn.  Yitzchok and Rivka both taught them to love Hashem and to do his mitzvos.  For Yaakov this was easy, he enjoyed to do mitzvahs but for Eisav it was more challenging because he liked to rush through mitzvahs when mitzvahs took time to do.  The brothers both knew about the special bracha from Hashem that would be passed on along to their children. Eisav being the older one would be chosen to get the bracha and Yaakov was worried that Eisav wouldn't know what to do if he got the bracha.  One day Eisav came home so hungry and tired and saw that Yaakov was making lentil soup.  He asked his brother if you could have some and Yaakov of course was willing to share.   He decided this was the perfect time to ask Eisav for the special bracha.  Eisav was so distracted by the soup he agreed to give the bracha to his brother.  Many years pass and Yitzchok gets so old and is unable to see anymore.  Yitzchok didn't know Eisav already gave the bracha to Yaakov, and he told him it was time to take the bracha.   Eisav thought about the mitzvah was always so careful about, kibud av and rushed right away to prepare a tasty meal for his father.  Yaakov went to his father pretending to be Eisav.  He dressed in a big furry coat and had a delicious meal.  Yitzchok could feel Eisav and smelled the food he brought, but knew right away once Yaakov started talking it wasn't Eisav.  In the end Yitzchok ended up giving the special bracha to Yaakov.   

Sensory
This week in our sensory we had lentils for our friends to explore along with vegetables and cookware inviting them to prepare their own lentil soup just like in the Parsha .  Some things we explored what are ingredients?   What Bracha would we make over soup? Over vegetables? On Thursday our friends enjoyed homemade lentil soup prepared and cooked by the purple classroom for all the classes and it was a hit! We all agreed it was very yummy.

Table Top
This week our friends enjoyed juicing oranges to make their own juice.  First a Morah modeled  how to squeeze and twist until there was nothing left but pulp and peel.  Then carefully pouring the juice into cup to drink.  After the children were invited to try themselves. Our friends look on eagerly waiting for their turn to juice.  Only providing one tray of an activity encourages the children to take turns and build patience.   The purpose and aim of practical life activities such as this is to help children gain control in the coordination of their movemnet, and help children gain independence as well as adapt to their society.  Practical life activities also aid in growth and development of children's concentration and an orderly way of thinking.

 Group Projects

At the beginning of the week our friends did a Fall themed Still life painting using pumpkins as their subjects to paint.  Each child had their own materials, a paint palette with paint, a brush and a canvas.  Morah Felicia invited her friends to paint what you see.  What did they see laying on the tables?  "pumpkins!"  What shape does a pumpkin remind you of?  It looks like a circle or a ball.  a ball is also called a sphere.

Our friends were focused using continuous circular strokes creating their own perception of what they saw.  

This week we started to work on creating a Thankful mobile for Thanksgiving that will be displayed at our Thanksgiving Lunch next Wednesday.  Our first step of this process was using watercolors to paint  little lanterns that will hang from our mobile.  Next week we'll continue to add pieces to our creation.  During circle time we have been discussing thankfulness and exchange things we're thankful for that we will also add to our mobile. 

Thanks for a great week. Shabbat Shalom.  Morah Felicia and Morah Kayla

Thanksgiving is coming!

Dear Parents,  

Here are some highlights of our week in the blue room.

Group Project.

With Fall in the air and Thanksgiving around the corner, this week we used our senses to discover and investigate a pumpkin.  Our friends took turns touching the outside of the pumpkin. They noticed the texture was mostly soft with a few bumpy rough patches around the pumpkin.  Then we cut the pumpkin open and felt the inside. They texture was completely different!  Some words our friends used to describe the inside were, "So squishy" and "Slimy." 

Some friends were more cautious as they explored, unsure if they liked the texture of the inside of the pumpkin, while others dove right in, getting their fingers tangled up in the strings and seeds.  We scooped out the inside of the pumpkin and placed it in a ziplock bag which we used later to squish.  We also saved extra seeds to plant later in our garden!

Sensory 

Our sensory table was filled with spices this week.  Cinnamon, Paprika, and Oregano aromas were present as the children used measuring spoons and cups to pour spices from spoon to cup.  We saw that the Paprika and Cinnamon spices left a residue on our hands.  Some friends said the Cinnamon smelled spicy. 

Outdoor 

This week we got to use our water pump!  Our friends took turns pumping the handle to push water out of the ground, it was so cold!  We are excited to discover new ways to use this new tool in the upcoming weeks before it gets too cold.

Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Felicia and Morah Kayla.

Welcoming Guests

Dear Parents
                                                                    Table Top
This week our friends focus on  pouring water for guests and themselves.  This is a great practical life skill to have.  Our friends built concentration and working on a tray defines work space.  Children notice mistakes, (like spilled water) quickly and are willing to correct on their own, this is known as control of error.

                                                                     Art
One of our group projects this week we used to eye droppers with liquid watercolor paints, and markers to dye coffee filters for a fall project that we will continue to work on. We watched our friends experiment with colors.  Some friends used the watercolor first to the dye the filter then used marker on top and others colored with marker first then used watercolor on top and watched the color of the marker blend or bleed together.  During this project Yochai looks up from his work and says, "This is amazing!"  Tzipi was struggling to use the eye dropper.  She would  try and squeeze and when it wasn't working she would move on to color with a marker.  She did this several times,until she tried the eye dropper again and she did it!  Her face lit up when she realized she figured it out. She looked at me and we exchanged smiles and I reassured her she could do it on her own if she kept trying.

 This week Morah Kayla told us about the Parsha of Vayeira. We learned that Avraham and Sara helped other people who were traveling through the hot desert.  The tent they lived in had 4 doors and their doors would always be open so they could see all travelers coming from all directions.  Once their guests were fed and had water to drink Avraham would tell them about the ways of Hashem.  One week Avraham was not feeling well, suddenly Hashem appeared to Avraham to help him feel better.  Although Avraham was grateful Hashem came he wanted real guests to come so he could serve and teach them. Soon after this Avraham saw three travelers in the distance.  Not wanting to miss the opportunity he ran out to welcome them in.   Once Avraham and Sara got them settled the travelers told them they were special messengers sent from Hashem.  They were there to heal Avraham and to tell them they were going to have a baby!  Sara laughed, being so old she didn't expect to have any babies.  One year later Avraham and Sara welcomed their baby boy, who they named Yitzchok, meaning laughter because he brought such joy to the couple.  After eight days Yitzchok was the first baby boy to have a bris milah, a mitzvah for Jewish boys ever since.

                                                 

 This week we also welcomed two new friends to the blue room, Yochai and Hana.  We are so excited to have you in our classroom!

Thanks for a great busy week. 
Shabbat Shalom, Morah Felicia and Morah Kayla