Peer to Peer Parsha in KDH

In IJP teachers and children explore and learn side by side. Teachers can be students and students can be teachers. Families are partners in the IJP experience. 

Every week, a KDH student presents Parsha to the class. This is truly a paradigm of parents, children and teachers working together, an essential ingredient in a Reggio inspired school.

Pearl was brave enough to be the first presenter, the week of Parshat Lech Lecha. Pearl, with her mother observing, told the children the story. Avraham travels through a desert, traveling to Israel, then down to Egypt and back. Hashem tells Avraham that he will have many children, as many as the stars in the Heavens. We are all children of Avraham, our forefather.  Even though Pearl only had to cover one topic, she tried to teach us as much as possible!!! Desert and Galaxy tray activities and art, making walking sticks with branches and yarn kept us busy for a few days. Some of these are hanging up in our classroom now. Pearl connected Parsha to her summer travels to the deserts in the Western United States and told us about the abundance of sand in the desert. 

       

Imagine our excitement the next week when Evan came in on Tuesday with a tent, a handout and snacks! What did that have to do with Parshat Vayera? Avraham lives in a tent with doors on the North, South, East and West, so that people can come in from every direction. He sits outside his tent waiting for travelers who need a place to eat and rest. Evan told us all about Avraham and the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim/inviting guests. Evan gave everyone the handout with a question for us to think about, and the opportunity to draw Avraham's tent. Evan served us all cake and drinks, just like Avraham served his guests. Finally, all the children took turns sitting in the tent.Thanks, Evan and Mom and Dad for helping Evan prepare.

Last week was Maddy's turn to teach Parsha. Maddy taught that Avraham asked Eliezer to find a wife for his son,Yitzchak. Rivka, was chosen because she was very kind. She gave water to Eliezer and all of his camels. Do you know how much camels drink? They can drink 30 gallons of water at one time. Eliezer had 10 camels, and Rivka drew water from the well for all of them! Do the math! 

Maddy gave us all the summary with a question, "What have you done that is kind? How did that make you feel? How did that make the person you did if for, feel? Maddy, very kindly, assured us all, "Do not worry if you mess up your drawing. I brought extras."

Each week, we teachers watch in awe as the children teach the Parsha with confidence and poise. Their peers listen intently and take it all in! It is so empowering for the children to be "the teachers."Thank you parents for guiding your children in this endeavor!

Morah Ruth

Morah Sara

Our Dads by KDH

Morah Sara and I had so much fun today interviewing the children about their dads in preparation for Dads and Donuts. This is what we found out:

KDH dads like to exercise. 

Some of them go to work and just hang out with friends. More of them work on computers. One mom's work is much harder than Dad's. 

They range in age from 9 to 60 years old. 

Lots of them tell jokes and tickle the children.

How would the children like to be like their dads when they get older? The children are looking forward to going to work, having families, fixing things, grilling, being funny, smiling a lot, being a doctor, being a businessman, being a Totty, and one more: having no hair!!!

Our Dads sound wonderful. We are all looking forward to Donuts with Dads on Monday.

Shabbat and Laughter in KDH

KDH discussed last week's Parshat Beraishit. Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the 7th. We celebrate Shabbat commemorating Hashem's work and rest. This Friday night IJP will have a shabbat meal together. We asked the class what they felt was most important and what we could contribute to this event. "Let's make challah!" they cried. "What else?"  "Challah covers!" was the immediate response.

KDH braided and knotted and made rolls for everyone!

On to Challah covers..... Stenciling, stamping, choosing colors, painting.......

Each child planned and designed their own challah cover. And now for the humor... I handed Adaya the kiddush cup stamp and showed her where the top of the cup was. Adaya placed the stamp on its side on the bottom of the cloth. I asked Adaya, "Did you want it like this?" "Yes," she smiled at me. "Why?,"
Adaya smiled again and answered, "Well that's what it is like at our house!"

This morning when Adaya came in, I asked her if she wanted her Abba to take it home. I handed the Challah cover to him and said, "Look at this and notice the fantastic sense of humor that Adaya has." He looked at it and noticed the kiddush cup on its side. Immediately, Mr. Malka responded, "Well, that's what it's like at our house!  Lots of spills....."

......and lots of good cheer.         Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Ruth

Working Together

Kitah Gimmel went to the upper playground and noticed a set of very large plastic pieces scattered around the playground, different shapes, sizes and colors.  Many of the children were drawn to it.  These children walked over to them, touched them, moved them, climbed them and even turned them.  “It’s a big puzzle!” was overheard.  Using their cognitive skills, the children then examined each piece closely for its shapes and details, where and what could ‘fit’.  With motor skills, they experimented moving them around, adjusting and readjusting them to fit together.  With their social skills, they were communicating to their friends what they needed, listening to what their friends were saying, and encouraging each other as well. 

“We did it!”  

Teamwork is defined as “the combined action of a group of people, especially when effective and efficient.”  I’d say that is exactly what our children showed here! 

                                                                                                                     -Morah Risa

Gathering the pieces. 

Trying it out, while we add on more.

Getting it built.

Taking turns.

Cheering ourselves for building this! 

Everyone gets a turn. 

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. 

It's a Mitzvah in KG

During Circle time we discussed the upcoming special day of Lag Baomer, the 33rd day during the counting of the Omer.  We heard about Rabbi Akiva, who teaches us that it is NEVER too late to study Torah or any new subject, and anyone who puts their mind to something can get it done.  This was illustrated with the story of the water creating a hole in the rock. Drip drop drip drop, each day...

 Lag Baomer is the day when Rabbi Akiva's students stopped being unkind to each other, they were busy learning Torah the whole day that they forgot to pay attention to each other and take care of their friends. They were all super smart and academic, but forgot about the people around them.  This is a big lesson for us to learn from. 

We read the book    it's a...It's a...It's a Mitzvah

                                       Written by Liz Suneby Diane Heiman

Then The children were asked which Mitzvah they love to do:

Libi: Give Tzedakah.

Josie: Giving to my friends.

Amitai: Make sure to share.

Mia: Play with Anika.

Mina: To feed my baby Liba.

Kemp: Give things to someone.

Ziva: Help my sister to get drink.

Cassidy: Hug my mom.

Eli: Help Beker when he is in danger.

Perly: Share my toys with everyone and share my food with Bryna at home.

Adaya: Love people.

Laylah: Kiss my Mommy.

Bryna: Help my mommy with laundry  

 

Special Moments In KG

When sand was spilled from Eli's tray Mina offered to help him hold the dustpan while he was sweeping.

When Eli saw Mina was getting tired of holding it he offered to switch with her.

 Kemp offered Amitai help with cleaning up the beans 

Drama in KDH

Teachers are "learners" too. This credo shapes how we teachers think of ourselves at IJP. One way we do this is by having our own quasi book club. This year we've read Reflecting in Communities of Practice and The Kindness of Children. We discuss these books at our monthly staff meetings and grow from these discussions.
Vivian Gussin Paley, author of The Kindness of Children, taught preschool for 37 years. She used storytelling and story acting to help her children grow socially and emotionally. The Kindness of Children is based on her experience of expanding on this practice as a visitor to classrooms around the world, after she had "retired." Paley's experience taught her that having children play, then dictate their stories and finally "stage" them helped them become empathetic and see beyond their own personal situations. It strengthened their abstract thinking. It also aided the teachers in creating a positive and supportive environment in the classroom.
Morah Sara Carter, our mentor, has lead our discussions about this. She is coming into our classroom to assist us with this approach. Last Thursday, Morah Sara came and in observed the children during free choice center time. Since we put up the pictures of the palaces and castles to get into the Purim mode many of the children have been building intricate castles and palaces in the block and manipulative area and that is what she saw on that side of the classroom.
Across the room there was a large sensory bin on one of our tables. The bin was filled with sand and many small objects. Beside the bin were three wand magnets. The children knew they could find the objects in the sand and classify them as magnetic or non-magnetic.
On Thursday, Mia, Luba and Eden were playing together at the sensory bin. When Morah Sara approached them. They told her that they were building a castle in the sand. After further discussion, they dictated to Morah Sara, the following story:
Once upon a time there was a castle and a prince and a queen. Then the castle got knocked down. Then it got fixed back again. The mean guy knocked it down. The king made a new castle.
When center time was over, we called the class together for circle time on the rug. Morah Sara read the story and asked them if they would like to act it out. She explained that we needed actors and an audience. There were no props in this story, therefore two children were the castle. The children expanded on the story and had two guards in front of the castle. Morah Sara explained also that we would be very gentle in knocking down the castle since we did not want to hurt anyone. The children acted out the story and then told Morah Sara, "We need two other children to be the new castle, since it is a new one and not the same as the old one." When the skit was finished, Morah Sara asked the children, "How did it feel to be knocked down?" "It did not feel good," was the immediate reply. The children were very enthusiastic about this activity and we hope to act this out again and create more scenarios.......

Morah Ruth

Our Tree KG

Our class now has our own  tree.  We imagined this tree together and then created it out of our thoughts.  Our tree and it's environs invites us (the children) to sit beneath it to talk, giggle, lough  and mostly to make our friendships stronger! 

Building Relationships in KA

An important part of life, is building healthy relationships. In Kitah Alef the children are learning to build healthy relationships with their friends and also with their Morahs. When school first began the children most preffered to parallel play.  Now the children interact and play together nicely during the course of the day. We encourage healthy relationship building by creating activities that two or more children can be involved with in the classroom. At this age the children are still learning how to control the movement of their bodies, as well as learning about the nature of gentle touch. Therefore, the Morahs are always there to re-direct them if needed. It is such a delight to see the children forming relationships with their freinds. It warms my heart, when the children greet each other with a smile. They become excited when they see their friends walking through the classroom door.