Dear Parents, 

Here are some highlights of our week:

Outdoor Environment

Our friends enjoyed some premium mud play in our mud kitchen with the help of this week's rain.  Cakes, pies, and chicken soup were made for Shabbos meals. 

Sensory Exploration

This week we discussed different arctic animals and how they live in very cold weather.  We read some books, and friends matched animals such as walruses, beluga whales, orcas, and macaroni penguins.  We used our animals for ice play.  

Art

Our friends were invited to use water colors and paint dotters to paint their own snowflakes made out of doilies.

 

Fine Motor

Our friends used magnetic shapes to create snowflakes.  

 

 

We hope you all enjoy winter break with your families!  We will see you all in January.  Wishing you a restful Shabbos. 

Morah Felicia and Morah Shaina 

Dear Families, 

The Blue Room  had a messy, fun, sensory filled week exploring some concepts of winter.  Here are some highlights of our week:

Art

This week we made our own fluffy snow paint using glue and shaving cream. Our friends were invited to create their own snowmen after a discussion we had about the parts of a snowman.  When the paint was dry we felt a fluffy soft texture just like snow!

  

 

Fine Motor/Science 

Our friends were invited to look at some pictures of snowflakes and use materials such as q-tips, cotton balls, and moon sand to create their own version of a snowflake.  This activity sparked great discussion about snow and if any of our friends have ever seen or played in the snow.

Have you ever seen snow?

Can you make a snowflake?

Luka:  Yeah, I saw a motor bike in the snow.  Look what I made!  I made snow.

Ariel:  No, i making a Shemash.

Daria:  Yeah snow. (She then pointed to the stars on her sweartshirt then pointed to the pictures of the snowflakes.)  Daria thought the snowflakes resembled the stars.

Avigail:  Look what I made it's funny. Who's hiding over there in the snow.?

Bella:  Yeah I have played in the rain Halloween is over. 

We cornstarch and conditioner to make soft silky playdoh. Our friends were asked to describe what they felt as they were mixing the two ingredients together.  some words used were, "wet" "cold" "soft" and "creamy"

Sensory Table 

Our friends had the opportunity to explore and play with ice in our sensory table.  When the children first saw the ice. They yelled, "Bubbles!"  As they continued their explorations they discovered is it was something completely different!  The turned everyone's hands so cold and some friends would walk to the sink and run water under their hands to warm them back up.

Our friends were invited to trace and make shapes with shaving cream.  Then we added eye droppers and watercolor.  We watched the shaving cream "melt" as the water was added to it just like snow does when water is added to it.  Avi said the shaving cream felt soft and cold.

Thanks for another great, messy, fun week!  We're looking forward to more exploration and discovery next week.  

Wishing you a restful Shabbos.

 Morah Felicia and Morah Shaina

Dear Families,
   

This week, in the classroom, we started introducing the holiday of Chanukah.   Jewish holidays give us the opportunity to remember something special Hashem did for us.  Some questions we kept in mind while planning this unit were, "What is Chanukah?" and  "How do you we celebrate Chanukah?"  Some of the activities we did this week were read books, created menorahs out of clay, and played dreidel like the Macabees.  Here are some highlights of the week:

Discovery Table

As the children entered early in the week we had  a table top dedicated to all things Chanukah.  There were pictures of Menorahs, Chanukah books, a pretend frying pan, some latkes, gelt, dreidels and a Menorah with candles.  The children were invited to explore everything on the table.   Our friends loved taking the candles and putting them into the Menorah, taking turns spinning the dreidels. Later in the week the sensory table had all the same things inside hidden in sand and our friends had even more fun sifting for the Chanukah treasures, matching colors with the candles and the dreidels.

 

 

Our friends also explored olive oil. We discussed the miracle that happened so long ago when the Jewish people were trying to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. They lit a Menorah with oil that was only supposed to last one night and it ended up lasting eight nights!  How do you light your Menorahs at home?

 

 

Music and Movement

 

At the beginning of the week we had a special guest come and do a Chanukah music and movement class.  Our friends spun like dreidels and lit up like candles to spread their Chanukah light. 

 

 

Social Emotional Opportunities

 

This week we celebrated 2 birthdays!  Happy Birthday to Bella and Yosef!

 

 

Fine Motor

This week the children were invited to use clay and candles to make their own Menorahs.  Some friends chose to make "cookies' and "cake" instead. 

 

Blocks

We used tape to create a giant Menorah on the ground in the block center.  Our friends were invited to use blocks and trace the Menorah.  They chose to extende this activity by walking and trying to balance on the blocks.  We focused on discussing parts of the Menorah and even pretended to light the candles!

We had such a fun week!  

We wish you a Happy Chanukah and a peaceful Shabbos!

Morah Felicia and Morah Shaina