Back at School IJP

Back to School at IJP 5774-2014

It is wonderful to be back in session, to see the bright excited faces; some cautiously excited and others getting right into back to their routine at IJP. Some highlights of this week. 

Kitah Alef is beginning to move from solitary play in all corners, and nooks in the room, to a more cohesive everyone together;  dumping, placing, climbing, touching and pretend playing.

 In Kitah Bet, we are getting used to the routine and where things go and playing together. During morning work time, one of the children was helping another put some sticks into small holes in a container, and said, "Lemme show you, it's tricky".  We have so much to learn and teach each other and our environment supports this in a wonderful way. Cleaning up after ourselves is not a break in the day but a learning experience in it of itself, to that end we keep paper towels handy, have very definitive places for things and have child sized brooms.  One child was helping to sweep and exclaimed, " I always like helping".  This is a spirit we intend to foster and cultivate.

Our Children in Kitah Gimmel are quickly showing an empathetic and nurturing side.  We have on child who has a mommy that is expecting a baby and some with babies already at home.  The dramatic play's overriding theme right now has been preparing meals and taking care of the babies.  The natural manner with which the children display care for their babies, is heart warming.  They are modeling off of beautiful behaviors that they are exposed to, presumably at home. 

Friendships are deepening in Kitah Daled/Hey, all of our Yeladim (children) know each other from before this season, and the excitement to be together after some time apart is palpable.  This week we talked about the Commandment of the Torah, that is relevant to this weeks Parsha (Torah Portion) called "Hashavat A-veida" meaning, returning a lost item.  Immediately the children were able to perform this on the yard.  A lone hair clip which had been sitting there for  a few days, all of a sudden had a purpose! To be returned to its rightful owner.  And a few of our discerning children noticed it and made sure to find its rightful owner and are now the proud owners of a mitzvah (good deed) done.