Getting Ready For a New Year in a New Classroom

In Kitah Gimmel we are surrounded by the Newness of it all.  We are in a new building, new classroom, new Morah's and even for some of us it is a new school.  As a teacher, each year,  a lot of effort goes into creating an environment that will be warm, welcoming and lend itself to natural inquisitiveness and exploration.  This is an ongoing process, adding new materials to the shelves, art to the walls, books to the library, and manipulatives to the baskets, keeps the sense of anticipation and intrigue ongoing for the children in our classroom.

We have had a short week in school with the children, and so far our classroom proves to be calm and nurturing.  When Bryna noticed that Kemp was sweating she wiped his hair out of his face. Both Odaya and Pearlman offered to help one of the tots in Kitah bet with his triking.
Our shelves are filled with materials and manipulatives which lend themselves to the discovery of all the different aspects of celebrating Rosh Hashana.  Please come in and see the trays, some examples are; 
*Still life apple and pomegranate colored pencil drawing
*Trays for counting apples
*Animals with and without horns
*Water play with funnels, squeezers and fish.

Water seems to be an enjoyment of all the children, each of them come to the water table to get busy, some of what we have observed:
 suctioning the water, gathering the fish, stuffing the cones with rocks and watching the water pour through anyway.  They are noticing that the rocks do not block the water, why is that?

At the water table; Mina said she was finding fish. Amitai said we are cleaning the rocks in the water like a bath and feeding the fish water. Perlman said he was fishing, while josie mentioned how her fish were wet. then Amitai mentioned again how he was gonna eat his fish for dinner.
There was a fascinating reflection on the floor from the water and sun through the window; Bryna said how cool it was, While Layla walked into it.

We have a manipulative that resembles pipes.  Some of the children were busy with these pipes and sure enough they were building a water system, plumbing for their house.
Amitai asked Perly what it is he is building,  where he responded while pointing"a water finger where water goes up and through."  Pipes as a water finger- that is interesting :).

The actual Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, is upon us, and our class has had a puppet show about the details pertaining to us children.  Where does a shofar come from?
What does the sound remind us of?
Why do we dip an apple in honey?
Why do we eat or look at a head of a fish? (For us adults, that is a good one, to be a leader)
How should we behave in a synagogue?
Please ask your child to tell you about the puppet show and the songs we have been singing and our honey and apple tasting and graphing.
With Blessings for a happy and healthy new year! Morah Estee and Morah Boonya