Remembering Rosh Hashannah . . .And What's Next?

      After every significant event, we like to sit down and have a chat.  What did we do?  Where did we go?  Who did we meet?  What did we eat?

      And after a major Jewish holiday--even more so!  We have so much information to share.

     The week before Rosh Hashannah, we set up a Rosh HaShannah table (above, Anslee adjusts the candles while Evan looks on.)  We heard the Shofar and we ate round challah.  On the Friday before the holiday, we cut-up a pomegranate to experience all the seeds and to give it a taste. We know that so many foods are "symbols" (our new word!) We want a good, sweet year full of mitzvot.

     So when we came back to school after Yom Tov, we spoke about our experiences.  What did we say?

Here are some of our thoughts:
Lily:  I heard my sister's Shofar.  I know the sounds!
Ezra:  I ate round challah.  My mommy made honey cake.
Yannai:  I dipped the apple in the honey.
Caleb:  I ate lots and lots and lots of plain challah!
       Lily:  pretend?
       Caleb:  No, real!
Anslee:  I like the challah.
Yinon:  Challah!
Evan:  I go to my Bubbie's house with my cousins, and when they were about to go, I leaved!
Sammy:  I heard the Shofar two times, and I had a blue bracelet and I was in the class with my sister.
Annabelle:  I go to my grandparents, and I gave tzedaka.  I gave poor people food and money.
Becker:  I heard a real Shofar!
Maddy:  I love that!  I liked the apples and challah.  I didn't like the honey.
Annika:  I heard the Shofar with my Mommy!

     And what's next?  We are learning about Yom Kippur and the Story of Jonah.  That story tells us that HaShem is everywhere!  

      We know that it is a big mitzvah to give Tzedaka, especially this time of year.  We prepare our own Tzedaka boxes.  (Above:  Annika and Sammy, painting.  Below:  Lily joins in.)

      We paint our cans with tempera paints.  Then, we decorate the tops.

     Above:  Becker decides he would prefer a different medium to decorate his can.  He chooses dot paint and chalk.

We are ready to take our Tzedaka cans home! 

G'mar Chatima Tova--May you be inscribed for a healthy and happy New Year!  

Fondly, Morah Susan and Morah India

     .

A Life of Luxury

     A while ago, our laminating machine at IJP was down, so I stopped at the local office supply store to get a few photos laminated.

     The clerk looked at the Kitah Gimmel photos and declared, "These children are living a life of luxury!"

     What could that mean?  I was puzzled.  When I returned home, I looked again at the photos I had given the clerk, and then I turned on my computer.  I looked at more of our photos. 

     What did I see?  I saw a group of three-year-old children busy at work, busy with playing.  In one photo, the children were involved in a cooperative art project.  (above)

      In another, children were actively involved in a Rosh Hashannah-themed guessing game at Circle Time. 

      Or working at the tables on some artwork related to Rosh Hashannah.  (Above, decorating our "birthday cakes" with our wishes for the world.)

      We have photos of our baking activities, too.  Everyone had an opportunity to add ingredients to our honey cake, and stir, stir, stir the batter.

         Fall is officially here.  So one photo showed the leaves that we collected from our playground and added to our Sensory Table in the Painters' Porch.

      And other photos (above, and below) showed the children choosing different activities in different areas of the room.

      And some photos, below, showed the Kitah Gimmelniks roaming the playground.  The children are climbing on the boat, riding bikes, digging in the sand, and simply having a good time.

     So our photos show the children fully engaged inside and outside the classroom.  They're working in small groups, large groups or individually. Could this be the life of luxury?  Certainly it's a good life, an enriched life, a full life.  "Luxury" may not be the most precise word to describe life in Kitah Gimmel, yet it does hint at the richness of childhood play.  If you were three-years-old, wouldn't you want to be here?  I would.  Maybe it is a life of luxury.

Morah Susan

Happy Birthday, World, with Love from Kitah Gimmel

 
     The Kitah Gimmel children know that Rosh Hashannah celebrates the Birthday of the World.  We decided to share our birthday wishes for the world by reflecting about our choices.  We then sat down and created illustrations that depicted our thoughts.  What gift would you give the world?  This is what we decided:

Ari E:  Everyone in the world gets a dog!
Henia:  Everyone could go to a parade!
Rami:  Everyone gets birthday gifts.
Leiba:  Everyone gets a baby!
Ruth:  The world gets pretty pictures.
Noa:  The whole world gets a crown.
Levi:  The whole world gets cake.
Pearl:  The whole world could have my family!
Shaya:  Everyone gets clothes.
Hannah:  The world gets toys!
Mortimer:  Everybody could have  a drum set!
Shlomit:  Everyone gets Mickey Mouse toys!
Sam:  Everyone could have Superman and Batman toys.
Reed:  The world can have a Superman and Spider-Man party.
 Ari S:  The whole world could have a birthday party!
 Yoni:  The whole world gets cake.

 (We know that's doubles on cake.  Obviously, cake is a good thing!)

     The children clearly articulated the specific items that they hold so valuable.  It was delightful to hear how enthusiastically they expressed their desire to share.  What a sweet way to begin our year!

Happy 5776, World!

Morah Susan and Morah Sterny

Kitah Gimmel

Kitah Gimmel Prepares for Rosh HaShannah

Preparing for Rosh HaShannah and More . . .

Enjoy our quick photo gallery of some of our recent class activities:

• ·         Stamping with apples to create our Shana Tova cards

• ·         Floor games during Morning Meeting.  (We identify and match Rosh HaShannah-related designs and we replicate a hexagon beehive shape.  We're thinking about delicious honey!)

• ·         Listening to the Shofar,

• ·         Playing with Hops on the playground, and so much more . . .

(Above:  Preparing our Shana Tova cards, Below:  Listening to the Shofar--it's loud!)

Above:  Our Circle Time floor games reinforce various Rosh HaShannah concepts--and they're great fun!

And we still have plenty of time to run, climb and explore our wonderful playground.  

 Shana Tov a U'Metuka!

Love, Kitah Gimmel, Morah Susan and Morah Sterny