What a fun filled week we had. What better way is there to start the week off than with Pajama Day? Comfy, cozy and a sweet beginning. It was also a new beginning in our classroom, as we welcomed Aitana back from Australia. She is a familiar face to all of us and it didn’t take long for her to fit comfortably into our family of friends. Of course, because it was Pajama Day, we all gathered around the table and ate cookies and drank chocolate milk while listening to a Chanukah story.
Although we did read 2 Chanukah books before the Thanksgiving Break, we hadn’t really started to delve into the meaning of the holiday. Chanukah is considered a minor holiday on the Jewish Calendar, it is not mentioned in the Torah. However, I am sure your children don’t think of it as minor. When we asked what was special about Chanukah for each of them, yes you guessed it, presents. Ren told the children that family and celebrating together with your family is what she finds special about Chanukah. Fern asked for the lights in the classroom to be turned off, and with the children, we lit the Chanukiyah. Watching the candles light up the dark room is Fern’s favorite part of Chanukah. We took that as a segue into the story of Chanukah and the symbolism of the Chanukiyah. The children learned the difference between a Menorah and a Chanukiyah. The classroom got a new game called Dreidel Pop-It. It is similar to the game Trouble. The children are now learning to recognize the 4 letters on a dreidel. We also learned to play dreidel using silver colored plastic coins. We will continue to play dreidel throughout the holiday. The class did a small experiment with Olive Oil. We put a wick in a very small amount of Olive Oil to see how long it can burn for. We hoped for the miracle of 8 days, but we weren’t so lucky. We did get about 45 minutes. Room 7 came in to observe the experiment also. We didn’t only talk about Chanukah this week. Ren introduced the card game, UNO, to the class. They appeared to enjoy playing and there were no sore losers or boasting winners. It was nice to see the children learning and showing good sportsmanship. It can be a difficult lesson for Pre-K children. The children worked very hard on their Chanukiyot. Each one is unique to your child. They built with Legos high, low, long or individual towers. The placement of the Lego figures were also thought out by your children. We helped with the gluing of the Lego pieces and sealing the Chanukyot, but they children did the rest. We know it is something you will keep for years to come. Although they are sealed with a waterproof sealant and the candle bolts are on glass ceramic tiles, please note that they may be flammable. Use them with caution or as a decorative piece. We cannot leave out Literary Character Day. The children came in so excited to share their books and show their costumes off. It is great fun when everyone gets into character and participates. Thursday, Rooms 9 & 1 came to visit, and we talked about the story of Chanukah. We had fun and watched a short video on You Tube. Six 13 Sings, the story of Chanukah set to the music of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. We have attached the link: https://youtu.be/9P30ckBf1wk We didn’t have a Shabbat Family this week, but that never stops us from creating our own spiritual family. Shabbat is always the time of the week we take the time to reflect and regather ourselves. We use the time to just relax and play. We try not to introduce new things on Fridays for us to take the time for ourselves as a family. Shabbat Shalom, we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday morning for our Chanukah Party. As you light the first Chanukah candle Sunday evening, we hope the light brings you warmth to your hearts and homes. Ren and Fern Reminders December 2nd First Night of Chanukah Room 2 Chanukah Party December 4th 9:30 December 14th Beit Issie Farmers Market December 21st Half Day of School, 12:00 Dismissal No Lunch Winter Break December 24th -January 6th Back to School January 7th Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day- No School January 21st
0 Comments
|
TK
|