Tuesday Morning, I love Tuesday!

     We decided to make our own Play-Doh this morning during Arrival Time.  We've done this before, but it's been awhile.  We added some glitter paint to make it brighter and more festive--it will be our special Chanukah dough.
     We had some of our own ideas about the preparation:
  Evan:  Don't waste! (We were careful with the ingredients.)
  Annika:  There are two bubbles!
  Lily:  No, there are 40 bubbles!
  Sammy:  Let's add oil, no sugar.
     Then the conversation at the table changed:
  Sammy:  What day is it today?
  Morah Susan:  Tuesday.
  Evan:  I love Tuesday!
     Caleb came over with his homemade binoculars.  Evan had also made some binoculars from toilet paper rolls earlier in the morning.  Both children had looked out over Monroe Drive from the windows in the Painters' Porch.  
  Caleb:  Can I bring this home?
  Morah Susan:  Yes!  The binoculars are yours to keep.
     Back to the Play-Doh making:
  Becker:  The water is making it wetter.  We need more dry ingredients!
     We finished the dough, but what was going on behind us, in the Puppet Theater?  Yannai and Yinon were reenacting last week's tornado watch.  They were squatting, ducking down low, and calling out . . .
  Yannai, Yinon:  A storm!  A storm!

     A lot goes on the morning.  Below are some more photos from our morning, Tuesday morning.  Tuesday?  I love Tuesday!
   

Happy Chanukah!

Morah Susan and Morah India and the yeledim of Kitah Gimmel

A Special Visitor in Kitah Bet - 3 Day

Kitah Bet - 3 day had an art filled morning with a very special visitor, Claire Peck, Shane Kalish's grandma, AKA "Mimi".

Mimi, a retired art teacher, came to visit our class and do an art project with us. First she introduced the project by reading us the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom:

Then we moved to the tables and Mimi showed us the paint sticks we would use. The paints sticks were a new material for us. Mimi explained that she chose them because they dry very quickly. 

Mimi showed us how to use the paints to make a line, a squiggle or a shape.

All the children chose a colored piece of paper and we talked about letters and which letter their name starts with. The Morahs used painters tape to make everyone's first initial on their paper. This was good practice of letter recognition. Then we decorated the paper with lines, squiggles and shapes using the paint sticks. We tried to fill up as much of the paper as possible, especially the space outlining the letter. 

Then we got to choose 4 baubles for the corners, our options were pom poms, buttons or gems. We glued them onto the corners. 

Mimi and the Morahs peeled off the painters tape slowly and suddenly, we could see the first letter of our names'. It seemed magical!

Thank you Meme for visiting our class and doing art with us. Please come again! 

We love having special guests.

Would you like to be a special guest in KB-3?

Morah Leah Sollish

KDH Cooperative Painting

A class project: Foam painting a fall scene:

Working together, we painted an amazing fall scene.

Morahs Ruth, Sara and Gail

Kitah Alef Paints the Rain

At the beginning of this week we were greeted by a torrent of long-awaited fall showers. With our easel right next to the window, we were inspired to imitate the rain drops in our art. Using blue watercolor paint, the children experimented with the consistency of it, spreading it, dipping it, and letting it drip down their papers.

It's Everywhere--Formal and Informal Learning . . .

  

(Pictured:  before the fall break, we took a photo of our "dolls", resting comfortably under a "blankee."  We're Kitah Gimmel!)

     Sometimes we have formal sit-down discussions.  After the fall break, we spoke about all our recent happenings:  where did we go, what did we do, who did we see.
     Here are some of our comments:
Caleb:  I went to Fernbank Museum.
Maddy:  I went to Washington to see Charlotte.
Ezra:  I went to Pittsburgh
Annabelle:  I went to my grandparents and a museum.
Sammy:  I went to Fernbank Forest.
Yinon:  I played with my three sisters.
Evan:  I went to Bubba's house.
Annika:  I played with my sisters.
Becker:  I went to Charles' house up the road, and to Briley's house down the road.
Lily:  I went to my aunt's house and I played.
Yannai:  I did a picnic!

     And where was Anslee?  Anslee was visiting relatives in South Africa!  She sent us an email with a few photos attached.  She also sent us a postcard by "snail mail."  We're still eagerly awaiting that postcard!  (Below, a pic of Anslee and Reed at a mailbox in South Africa. We miss Anslee, and we're looking forward to seeing her very soon!)

     We have casual discussions, as well.  During lunch, we noticed the sign on our inside wall.  It says, "WELCOME."  What does that mean?  We're learning that "Welcome" means, "Come on in."  That's what we say when we have a visitor at the door, and that's what we say when one of our friends wants to join us in an activity in the room or on the playground.  When the Morah spoke about Avraham and Sarah welcoming guests, we called out, "Come on in!"  That's the message!  Then, we noticed the actual letters in the word "WELCOME."

     The children shouted out, "C is for Caleb!"  "L is for Lily!"  "M is for my mommy!"  Later in the week, we worked with our alphabet stamps.  We can do it . . .many of us can find the initial letter of our name.

     So much is going on.  Guided discussions, spontaneous talk, noticing the alphabet and connecting a Parsha lesson with our day-to-day reality.  It's all part of life in Kitah Gimmel.

Morah Susan and Morah India