Dear Parents,
Hanukkah is soon upon us, and while the children are well aware that they get gifts, they are becoming aware of the fascinating story behind how the holiday came to be and the symbolism affiliated with it that dates back thousands of years. In the classroom we have brought in many activities to help inspire inner reflection and being mindful. As we talked about the "Miracle of light," we had the children gather around the room, shut off all the lights, and express how it felt to be in the darkness. We lit candles, had them observe the flame, color and its movement, and the gentle hissing sound of the flame, and what it does to the darkness. This opened up a wide amount of questions and answers and focusing on their critical thinking skills. They became more introspective, reflective, and attentive while doing this activity. Children learn best when knowledge and experiences are integrated in the learning process by introducing kinesthetic activities, the five senses, and inner reflection. By inspiring a sense of wonderment and curiosity they engaged in some special activities. While talking about light, the children engaged in an experiment seeing rainbow reflections using a CD. They found an area in the room with their flashlights, CD, and a piece of paper. We taped the paper on the wall and they aimed the flashlight at the CD so it made the rainbow reflect on the paper. We asked the children many questions. "What colors do you see?" "What different patterns can you make by moving the flashlight around?" "How do you think the colors are getting on the paper?" There were many observations and comments being made as together the children engaged in this experiment. During small group time the children engaged with their favorite building manipulative, Legos!! Legos are most loved by children and inspire such creativity. They are stackable, interlocking, colorful, and can be assembled and re-assembled in a number of infinite possibilities. An amazing new material has been developed, Lego tape, and there are endless possibilities with this new item. The children took different sizes and colors of tape and peeled and created a Hanukkiah on a piece of canvas. Next, they started to build and create with Legos and make their Hanukkiah come to life. This activity provided lateral thinking and taught the children to think about three dimensions. It helped develop problem-solving, organization, and planning by construction. Most of all, they had fun!! We will be using the Lego tape in the classroom for other activities as well. It's been a busy week and it was nice to end it with a lovely Shabbat and taking the children to the Farmers Market. We thank the Ghodsian family for joining us and making the day more memorable. Wise School has kicked off the "Light Up Literacy" campaign which will be culminating on Wednesday, Dec.13th. We have talked to the children about the importance of reading and giving back to others. This is an important Tzedakah project we are doing and you can help too, by discussing it with your children. Here is some information regarding it. https://youtu.be/kZs-FvBgj5I Shabbat Shalom, Lindsay and Vera REMINDERS: Dec. 4th- Havdalah Ceremony- 9:30am Dec. 8th- Shabbat Family- Cameron Cohen - Tot Shabbat in the evening Dec. 12th- Hanukkah Party 9:30am-10:30am Dec. 15th- Early dismissal – NOON-Winter Break
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TK
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