Dear Parents,

Here are some highlights of our week:

As we continue to discuss our topic of Gratitude, our class and school always puts a focus on caring for all and showing thanks by caring for one another. This is something that is implemented all year round and a skill that will become a part of your child.

Our friends work on creating gratitude jars that will go home before our short Thanksgiving break next week. The concept of our gratitude jars is we fill them with things we are thankful for, mitzvahs we have done over the week, then on Shabbos, as family, you open them and share as an activity. Blue Room friends loved getting sticky, icky and messy!

Our friends created small worlds this week with playdoh, animals, and pieces of wood. We worked on pre-math skills such as sorting all the animals and counting how many there were. Abigail sang us the song, 'BINGO' as we worked. 

Our friends used colors and their hands to explore shaving cream painting. We experimented with our fingers and eye droppers to draw circles and different lines, squiggly, zigzag, and straight. We also used descriptive words to describe the feeling, expanding our vocabulary. We used words like squishy, soft, smooth, and fluffy.

Parsha Toldos

This week we touched on the Parsha 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 brothers 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 doing 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 he 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 passed 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 he 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 were what are ingredients? What Bracha would we make over soup? Over vegetables? 

It was a pleasure talking to you all about your beautiful children. Thank you for signing up for conferences. Next week will be a short one. Wishing you a warm peaceful Shabbos, 

 Morah Felicia

Dear Parents,

 What another great week for the books!  Here are some highlights of the week:

This week we started discussing gratitude and what we are thankful/grateful for during our group meetings. Using visuals, our class went over some things to be thankful for. We are thankful for the sun because it provides us with light so we can see. We are thankful for rain because rain helps plants and trees grow. Morah Felicia asked her Blue Room friends what they were thankful for. 

Morah Felicia- "What are you thankful for?"

Lia-"For my eyes, flowers, trees and things."

Abigail-" I am thankful for my walking."

Luka-"Eyes."

Each day we will add to our discussion. 

Sensory/Fine Motor

Our friends enjoyed making their own play-doh from scratch.  

First, they each took a turn adding the ingredients and mixing them all together. After we watched everything transform into one big mushy blob, we got to play with it!

Our friends used tools to prep and cook up some yummy "foods."

Abigail-"Look what I did!"

Lia-"Look what I made, a Pizza!"

Literacy

Each day after we Daven we go over the Alef Beis. Our friends are learning the first letter of their name in Hebrew. Luka finds and points to a Lammed. 

This week, our friends also made their very own jewelry, like the jewelry Eliezer offered Rivka after accepting to marry Issac. Blue friends also enjoyed running and exploring their outdoor environment. It was another great week of learning and exploring. Please check out our Facebook page for pictures of our week. 

Wishing  you all peaceful Shabbos, 

                                                                                        

Morah Felicia

Dear Parents, 

Here are some highlights of our week:

  In this week's Parsha, 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, our friends focused on pouring water and serving "food" for guests and themselves. This is a great practical life skill to have. Our friends built their concentration and worked on trays to define their work space. The friends noticed mistakes (like spilled water) quickly and were willing to correct them on their own - this is known as control of error.

Social Emotional/Relationships

On Thursday, we celebrated Yehonathan's Birthday! Our friends first made a cake, then we all sang Happy Birthday, gave extra Tzedakah, and enjoyed yummy chocolate birthday cake.

 

Math

Some friends worked number sequencing and recognition. David is putting his numbers in order 0-9 then tracing them with his fingers. 

Sensory

Our friends used fine motor skills to pour and mix and made "alphabet soup" with the colored pasta, letters, and tools in the sensory table. They also build self-regulation as they practice taking turns and sharing the materials. 

Our friends are learning their classroom routine. They know they have jobs to do when they first get to class. Lia takes pride and ownership as she puts her personal belongings in their designated place.

Next week we will start a unit on Gratitude. Thank you all for another great week.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbos,  

Morah Felicia