Celebrating Rosh Hashana with your families started the week and your children returned to school Wednesday a little tired, but full of holiday spirit and energy. The Bee Lady was finally here, and we could feel the excitement in the air. The children entered the classroom that morning with centers set up, ready to be explored, however, that wasn’t the children’s focus. They waited through circle time and center time, just wanting to hear those simple words, “Lets line up at the door, it is time to walk over to see the Bee Lady.” The children sat and listened to every detail, and they looked at the racks the Bee Lady pulled from her hive box. They got to smell the smoke from her smoke can that keeps the bees calm and relaxed, and they saw a very active hive sealed in a glass enclosure. Each child held a piece of the honeycomb, smelled it and felt the stickiness of it. The children were filled with wonder and bright eyes as they asked questions. At the end, the children were treated to apples and honey, and it was the honey that the Bee Lady brought from her hives at home. One new fact, even new to the teachers, was that not all bees make honey. On our walk back to the classroom, we were looking at the flowers in the Shalom Garden when we saw little butterflies. One child told us that butterflies come out of, “racoons.” This week we began to introduce the concept of, “Words that Hurt.” We read the book, “Words Are Not for Hurting,” by Elizabeth Verdick. The children were asked to think of words that may hurt their friends or family. Here are some of the words that the children said are hurtful: Shut up Stupid boy Stupid You are bad The children were each given a large Red Heart, and then individually we asked them how their heart would feel if hurtful words were said to them. Some of the children crunched up their hearts, some of them ripped the heart in half, and 2 of the children said that they would take their hearts and walk away so they would not be hurt. When we asked the children to try and put the heart together with tape and make the heart flat again, they saw how you cannot mend a heart, and just saying, “I am sorry,” doesn’t always help. Empathy is something you learn over time and “Sorry” isn’t always how children feel. We took the conversation in a different direction and tried to think of nice things we can say to people: You can ask if someone needs help to find their way, when you ask where you need to go Ask if they need help clean up Tell the person who said the bad words that it makes you sad when they say things like that to a friend Ask how would you like if someone made your heart sad? Yom Kippur is a time for us to reflect on things such as words that hurt, and this is only the beginning of our conversation with the children. Conversations like this don’t end at Break Fast, that is only the beginning and we always have beginnings. Sometimes beginnings don’t have an end date. Keeping up with our apple appetites. We made apple sauce comparing green apple sauce and red apple sauce. We tasted and compared the 2 types of sauce. Were they sour, sweet, or any other taste. Ask you children all about the apple sauce. We were treated to a special Shofar blowing when Melanie Fisher came to our class with a Shofar Gadol. Melanie and Teacher Fern each had a chance to blow the Shofar and the children were able to hear the difference in the sounds. The children have now started to play hid and seek on the yard. It is a treat to watch they discuss the rules, learning to take turns and cooperate with each other. They are so funny trying to hid without giggling and giving away their hiding spot. The week would not be complete without Challah Baking. It always smells so yummy in our room on Fridays and the children love to show off their talents. Some like flat pancake Challah while others are busy learning how to braid. Whatever way they choose is the best way. While playing outside before our room Shabbat Celebration some of the children found a Praying Mantis on one of the plants. There was a debate on what type of bug it was, some said a Grasshopper, some said with was a Leaf Bug and others said it was a Praying Mantis. A lot to think about. Gmar Hatima Tova Shabbat Shalom, Fern and Ren Gracious Words are a Honeycomb, Sweet to the Soul and Healing to the Bones. Reminders: ½ day of school Tuesday 9/18. Pick up is at Noon, no lunch in school that day School is Closed Wednesday 9/19 for Yom Kippur 10:00 Start 9/20, Early Morning will be available starting at 7:30 for those that need Sunday 9/23 Family Sukkot @ Wise 4:30-6:30, RSVP REQUIRED School is Closed Monday 9/24 for Sukkot School is Closed Monday 10/1 for Simchat Torah
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TK
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