Red, Red, Red in Pre-KA

The upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashana affords numerous opportunities for explorations within its related themes. Because apples dipped in honey are a central idea for this chag, we made our first themed sensory bin red, red, red! Focusing on one color emphasizes the other properties of the materials and also shows us the many different shades of this one hue that exist in our daily lives. Inside our bin we put balls, construction paper, bean bags, sensory bottles and other items gathered from the classroom.

 As individual as each child is, so too their explorations. Some children chose to put items in and out of the red tray. Others used balls, rolling them, tapping them, and throwing them.

We incorporated the sense of smell by including containers of cinnamon sticks. The children could smell the cinnamon through holes in the top or shake them in the bottle for a satisfying sound and feeling. 

Later in the week we added another component - a hide-and-seek box! Toddlers love to place things in and out of containers and are growing cognitive bridges while doing so. They are strengthening their memory, learning properties of materials and solidifying object permanence.

KDH's Rosh Hashana Party

KDH spent most of the first two weeks of school preparing for Rosh Hashana. With a web that grew bigger every day the children contributed to how we celebrate our new year. 

The children told us about apples, round challot, kiddush, shofar, head of a fish, tashlich, teshuva and tefilla, listening to the shofar.....The singing of "Dip the Apple in the Honey," became louder and more spirited daily. Using our senses, we examined, touched and tasted as much as we could to experience Rosh Hashana. Art, literacy, math and science were also included with our drawing and painting cards and honey jars, examining apples, graphing our preferences, reading and introducing the letters R, A, G, and Y. Cooking and baking our tzimmes, round challot, and honey cake - the children proved to be real cooks and chefs.

Most exciting was the shofar factory where everyone got to make his/her own shofar.

Rabbi Sollish, the Mad Scientist visited and taught us how Hashem renews the world and we built and raced balloon cars. We got to call out the sounds of the shofar and he blew them, loudly!

After packing up their bags with honey cake, round challot, shofar, honey jar and Rosh Hashana card, the children were ready for making our Rosh Hashana party.We know that the children are capable, but it is always exciting to see them be full participants in setting the table, lighting the candles, reciting the kiddush, reminding us of the order of the food and asking for the all the good things that the symbolic foods represent. 

On Friday morning, the children came in and noticed that the tables were in one long line with white paper on top. "What was in the center of the table and why were there also markers on the tables also? The children moved around the table and drew the apples, pomegranates, honey, dates, and round challot. In a little while, we had a beautiful yom tov table cloth. Next, came the plates, napkins and cups, put out by the children. "What else did we need for a Rosh Hashana table? The class told us: candles, grape juice, a fish head (and fish crackers) and most importantly honey! What about the carrots, beets and dates! With Rafi as our Aba and Maddy as our Ima we were ready to begin! Maddy lit the candles and we all recited the special Shehecheyanu blessing - thank you for our being sustained and reaching this special day.

SHANA TOVA U'METUKAH

FROM KITAH DALED HEY!

Morah Ruth

Morah Yael

Morah Shoshi

Morah Gail

Rosh Hashana Prep has begun in KB-5

Can you guess what we learned about this week in KB? 

Stamping apples with green, yellow, and red.

Sorting and counting apples

Sorting the red green and yellow 'apple' pom-poms into the colored dishes

Sorting the red green and yellow 'apple' pom-poms into the colored dishes

Discovering and identifying the different parts of the apple

Getting to taste the different apples! Sour green and sweet red

'Making Apple Pie' Sensory bin

Painting with an apple stamp

Counting and smelling apple scented soaps

Learning about the many different forms of apples- apple juice, apple sauce, and apple chips

And of course getting to taste! 

KDH celebrates Rosh Hashana in school and at home.

KDH children did lots to prepare for Rosh Hashana. It culminated in the classroom with a Rosh Hashana party. We ate round challah and apple dipped in honey and other symbolic foods, which included pomegranates, dates, beets, carrots/tzimmes, and fish heads and fish (crackers). 

When we came back to school after the holiday we asked the children,

"KDH, what did you do over Rosh Hashana?"

Reyn – I dipped the apple in the honey. When Rosh Hashana was over, I had my honey cake because I didn’t have it on Rosh Hashana.

Freeda – I did Tashlich with my Tatty and dipped apples in honey. I gave my Tatty his shofar and helped my mommy bake.

Ilan – I went to Boston to visit my cousins and I went to shul on Rosh Hashana. There were kid’s services I went to.

Dovid – I ate my honey cake on Rosh Hashana and I lit the candle with my mom.

Elijah – I heard the shofar at home, two of my cousins tried to blow it.

Amitai – I went to Granny’s friend’s house and my Granny’s house two times. I dipped the apple in the honey and said the Bracha.

Chana – I helped set the table. I saw the teeth of the fish head, they were tiny.

Tirza – I heard the shofar at my synagogue.

Micah – I went to New York to my cousins.

Jayme – I played outside and climbed the trees with my dad.

Lily – I went to Grannymom’s and Poppy’s house and we planted flowers and had a special party just for G-d. I dipped the apples in the honey and I blew the shofar and said all the blessings.

Mina – I had a little party with my Bubby and got an extra treat. My mom let me have some of Leeba’s honey cake she made at school. We also bought special cookies for Rosh Hashana and I had about five. They had blue sprinkles on them. My Daddy and Bubby ate the head of the fish and I heard Rabbi Schusterman blow all the sounds of the shofar.

Jules – I ate sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies that my mom made.

Lewis – I stayed at home with my dad, mom, sister and dog. I tried my challah.

Rikki – I slept at my Uncle Dovid’s house. He has three girls and one boy. I played with Sima and Luba, Luba Levin. Uncle Dovid went to see if the museum was open on Rosh Hashana but it wasn’t. Motty only ate apple dipped in honey and I only ate pomegranate.


Morah Ruth        Morah Sara