KG Spelling as we Play!

There are many ways to learn to spell,  and at IJP it is not through rote memorizing. 

 Today in kitah gimmel the yeladim showed us just that with the sea water tray-  in it are plastic ABC letters. All the children's names are clearly on the wall,  Bryna looked at her name and set up the letters on the side to spell and form her own name. Perly likes to spell out his name in many situations so sure enough he spelled his name out on the border of the tray, and was proud of his work. Kemp thought about his family while he was playing with this tray and placed all the initials of his siblings on the edge.

Libi spelled out her name as well and took pride in being able to do this. 

Colors in KA

Kitah Alef was focused on colors this week.  Matching up the same same colors, recognizing colors and also saying their names.

Morah asked , "where is the red", Liba who just turned 2, responded "over here".

Ruth says "blue"

Pearl is smiling,  she matched the correct color

We will continue practicing our colors through many activities, after winter break.

KG Collaborative Block Play

Block play is such an essential part of early childhood education.  The open ended possibilities allow for true collaboration, negotiation and creative expression.
Amitai loves the blocks and will often choose them during free center time.  This time he created a structure that intrigued most of the class to come join in.  They quickly fell into place as different character in the elaborate game. 

 As they played here are some tidbits of the conversation;

Amitai- "We can put this here so it can go across".

Bryna- "Let's put this block here".

Amitai-"Everybody let's do some more and you can help me".

Ziva-"We can help him".

Laylah-" His puppy is lost and wants the other puppy".

Amitai to Josie-"Look how huge the bridge is" 

"Maybe I could be the daddy and you could be the doggy".

(part of the structure got knocked down)

Josie-"Amitai do you want to build it again?"

Amitai-"Yes, i am".

Ziva-"I want to help"

Josie-"Maybe we need a rainbow".

Amitai-"Yes, now let me put it in'.

Cassidy-" Saw and saw it, anyone need some wood?"

Kemp-" We already have wood."

Ziva-"I want to order, wood."

 

Botany In Kitah Bet

What did Hashem create on Day 3?

Trees, flowers, plants, grass, leaves, branches & seeds

We are talking about how each flower and tree starts off as a tiny seed planted in soil, then when Hashem sends rain it starts to grow and grow.

We have been exploring seeds, beans and soil. a The sizes, shapes, colors, smell and textures are all very interesting.
We are preparing to do some planting of our own next week. 

KG team work and Play

By open centers time Amitai and Mia chose the blocks center and together built a very interesting display.

Amitai-"Look Morah I am making a zoo"!

Mia- "I am making a house with animals".

We can see how when they worked on their structure they started off by making the foundation. Building  step by step together with each others ideas. They demonstrate that everything is a process and nothing happens all at once.  After some time, working and playing they added more toys until their "animal zoo" was complete. 

It warms my heart to catch moments like these of the children working together. 

KG Opposites Group Game

In Kitah gimmel we have been learning about opposites and the concept of same and different. We took this opportunity to play Morah Sara Carter's fun and educational game. We had two different colored hula hoops in the middle of the rug,  and we chose two kids that had something in common per group and the Yeladim had  to guess what was same and what was different. First Morah Estee made the groups for the first few rounds then the children had turns to choose other groups of kids to stand in the hoops and explain why they were same or different. The children guessed the answers together and enjoyed this activity.

Boys /Girls 

                                                            Short hair / Long hair

                                                              Strioed clothing / No stripes

                                                     
                                                           Boots / Shoes

                                                            Blonde Hair / Brown Hair

                                                           Straight hair /Curly hair

                                                      Brown Eyes/ Blue Eyes

                   

                           

Kita Alef Shapes

B'H

Exploring shapes, today Kita Alef had a triangle hunt in the classroom. There were different color triangles spread around the mat. When they picked it up they were encouraged to say the color and shape.

Pearl found the first triangle

Ruth says "blue triangle"

Leiba got it!

Shaya has the triangles on his eyes.

Hannah collecting a few at a time!

Children at this age learn through interactive play it gives them the opportunity to use their entire body to experience what it is we are teaching them.

Potato and Carrot Math

On Friday morning the KDH children were ready to cut up and roast the potatoes for Shabbat party that we had dug up from our garden earlier in the week. Then, what a fantastic surprise! Dovi brought in a HUGE carrot that his father found in the Farmers' Market. We quickly got two typically sized carrots (thank you Morah Leah) and added that to our vegetables. We put out a balance scale, tape measure, and magnifying glass and were ready to compare and contrast the different sized potatoes and carrots.

Look at what the children did. They measured the length and circumference of the carrots and the potatoes.They counted the potatoes. We had 13! Our best potato harvest yet. Then they lined up the potatoes from largest to smallest. Comparing the size and weight of some of the potatoes was not obvious. The children put them on the balance scale and looked to see which side of the scale dipped. 

Dovi and Jonah noticed that the carrot had lines going around it. They looked at it carefully under the magnifying glass. "Why does it have lines," they asked. We will explore that further and keep you posted.

Finally, we roasted the potatoes and enjoyed both the carrots and potatoes at Shabbat party.

Morah Ruth

Lessons from Mandela

Yesterday, as the last day of Chanukah came to an end I received a text message from a close friend, currently in Cape Town with her family; it said "B'de" and had a picture of her In-laws with Nelson Mandela.  B'de- Baruch Dayan Haemet- is the customary expression said upon hearing about someones passing, and means blessed is the True Judge.  It is with this tradition that we acknowledge that death is beyond our understanding.

 Mandela's death is a time of loss and sadness for all the communities of South Africa, and for all of Humanity.  Surrounded by South Africans in Atlanta, our very own Leah Sollish, being one expat, you can feel the deep sense of loss for those that feel deeply connected to this revered leader and his Long Walk to Freedom.  I am pondering the fortuitousness of the time he passed; as Chanukah was coming to a close, perhaps this is not by chance.  To reflect on someone like Nelson Mandela and all he accomplished for his brothers and sisters as an anti-apartheid revolutionary, reminds me of the core message we have been imparting to the children at Intown Jewish Preschool about the Maccabees during Chanukah.  To be brave, and tenacious while standing up to the "bully" Antiochus, who tried to strip away basic human rights and freedoms for the Jewish people.  This is not an easy mandate, and it did not come without great turmoil and inner struggle for the small band of warriors, the Maccabees.  Someone like Mandela, who stood strong with the utmost dignity in the face of oppression, can be a modern example to stand strong when confronted with injustices large or small.  What we are attempting to imbue, in our impressionable, precious, young children at this school, is the recognition that they too have this ability to reach inside themselves and be like a Maccabee, be like a "Mandela".

 As the Torah teaches, “Ki Karov Eilecha Hadavar Meod-It is within your close reach-", to draw out of ourselves this power.  At the preschool age it might mean standing up for one’s own turn, or to not stand silent when they see a friend being treated unfairly by another.  It is with this knowledge, that I have the courage, and with the practice of small acts of character that will, please G-d, turn our children into upstanding citizens of the world, Mentschen or dare we hope heroes in their time.  

Judaism teaches that the best way to pay tribute to those who have passed on is to do good deeds in their honor.  The greatest tribute we can pay is to take the relevant messages in accordance with the values he practiced and taught – values of human dignity, forgiveness, kindness, courage, tenacity, strength, honesty and integrity.
With wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, Dena

Extended Day -Ivrit Class

Each Tuesday in The Extended Day Program Morah Estee teaches the Ivrit class using Montessori  methods. This includes using games, songs, and fun activities to teach the children. Please see the varying trays and activities that the children are engaging with.  

                                        

Laylah uses the dreidels to make the letters.

Max, transfers the cubes (with Hebrew letters on them) from one bowl to the other. He also told the Morah what letters were on the blocks.

Mina, played a Chanukah game and matched the first letter of each word.

Jonah and Dovi  uses colored Popsicle sticks and wooden blocks to form letters that they have learned in their Ivrit class.

Mia uses the worksheet as a guide to make her letter with the cubes.

Dovi, uses the letter cards to review the letters that he has already learned.

Jonah LOVES to trace his Ivrit letters each week, he enjoys sharing his work with his Morah 

Alex, made an Aleph using small colored cubes.