Newsletter Room 8
November 12-16, 2018 What does it mean to give thanks? Who are you thankful for? These are two of a few questions we asked the children during circle time this week. With Thanksgiving approaching, we are focusing on the two pieces of the word Thanksgiving, “thanks” and “giving.” The first time we asked the children what they are thankful for we heard a variety of answers. For instance, Grayson told the class he was thankful for his sister because she is so smiley. Blake said, “I am thankful for my dad, and I can ride bikes with him to spend time with him.” We want the children to recognize the importance of both being appreciative for what we have and to understand the importance in helping others. We asked the children to think about two questions at home to reinforce this important concept. First, “What are you thankful for?” We realize that we are grateful for many things in our lives, but not all people might have these same things. The second question that the children took home was, “How can you help others to show your appreciation or what can you give?” This second piece of the conversation is equivalent to the Jewish laws of mitzvot. Ask your child what a ‘mitzvah’ is and see if they can give you an example of a “good deed.” Both expressing and feeling gratitude are important values in everyday life. We want to instill the value of appreciation at an early age because learning to appreciate our own lives or being able to “step in someone else’s shoes” helps the children relate to others and decrease negative feelings of comparison. While this is just a beginning conversation in a significant life value, we will continue to weave this concept into many more topics throughout the year. The children demonstrated a grasp on gratitude and giving when they presented answers to these questions during a large group discussion. We saw a variety of ideas reflecting that the children were thankful for such as Sasha’s toothbrush, Jordan’s drawing of his bed, and Luca’s picture of his family. Sasha explained that he was very thankful for his toothbrush because it helps him not get cavities, which would hurt a lot. In the idea of giving, Julian brought a bandaid and explained how he could give it to someone if they fall down. During this conversation and after she had already shared the sova she brought, Amanda was eager to share an interesting thought that popped into her head. With the fires going on this week, Amanda stated, “I have another thing to share that I am very thankful for because of something that just happened. There were fires and my friends didn’t have anywhere to stay and my family gave them a place to stay and a home to come to.” She continued with, “I am so thankful that my family could be so helpful to our friends when they needed the help.” We were blown away that the entire class is beginning to develop a strong understanding of this essential value. Room 8 enjoyed working with a new medium of art this week. We introduced Plasticine clay, an easily pliable clay that comes in a variety of colors. The children loved working with this material! First, they used the modeling clay to form their name on a paper plate. Next time you visit the classroom please take a look at the hard work they put into this project. The children used concentration, fine motor skills and patience to place tiny pieces of the plasticine clay onto the lines of each letter. They are instructed to rip off a small piece, push it down on name written in pencil and smush it up or down to smudge it over the letter. The key is to use an appropriate pressure and strength to pull off small pieces and place them on the penciled line. This activity is incredible for strengthening fine motor skills. It also enhances patience because the children have no choice but to take their time to complete this project. If they rush, there will be large pieces of clay out of place making their name unrecognizable. After completing the name plate, the children drew pictures and used plasticine clay to add color and texture. We are very proud of each child and can’t wait for you all to see their amazing creations on the back wall of the classroom! We look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving as an entire grade level next week and sharing our carrot cake creation. Have a wonderful weekend, and Shabbat Shalom! Mari & Aaliyah Reminders:
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March 2020
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