We started off our week with Havdalah in the Hoffman building led by teacher Sigalit. She also introduced the holiday of Tu B’Shevat to the children by talking about and showing the different types of fruits we eat for this holiday. Then we went back to our classroom to taste the delicious fruits both fresh and dried. The children discovered that there are differences and similarities between the two and that they liked the dried fruits more than the fresh ones. Afterwards we walked to the temple to have a Tu B’Shevat celebration with the EC where we sang songs and planted a Myrtle tree behind the temple. We hope to use the branches for Sukkot next year.
This week we spent a lot of time planting and working in our garden. These fundamentals of scooping up the dirt, placing the seeds in the pots and pouring the water all take fine motor control and strength. As kids garden, they develop important motor skills that will help them improve their academic skills such as writing, cutting and typing. Gardening is also a great way to teach kids about responsibility. Kids learn that they have to take care of their seeds each day in order for them to become healthy plants. In the gardening process with the children, it has become abundantly clear how important it is to have patience. Kids are used to immediate gratification; however, gardening is often a slow process. Kids have to learn to be patient when waiting for their flowers and vegetables to grow. The waiting actually makes the moment the flower or vegetable sprouts even more exciting! On Wednesday and Thursday the children got to plant grass seed, beans, parsley, horseradish root and other herbs. Each day it is their responsibility to water their seed and check for any new growth. Hopefully we will have some parsley and horseradish in time for Passover. We also planted an “Underwater Garden” to keep with our ocean theme. Soon we will be adding a few fish to make it complete. *REMINDERS* - Feb 1st Shabbat: Alexander - Feb 4th Library: Cathy and Masha - Feb 8th - Father's/Grandfather's Shabbat
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