Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah

The Green Room had a great week recapping the Chanukah story and making Chanukah gifts and goodies!  On Monday we began working on our gifts to give out at Dreidels and Dads.  We asked each friend different questions about their Dad and their answers were priceless!  Nechama said, "My Tatty is good at balancing his phone on his head" so Nosson pointed out: "I'm really good at balancing a slipper on my head!"  We also made our Chanukah menorahs that we can light at home during the holiday!  On Tuesday we decorated our plaques for Dad with pom poms and stones.  We also read more Chanukah stories.

Please ask your children the following questions about Chanukah:
1. Who did the Jews defeat in battle? (The evil king/King Antiochus)
2. When the Jews were rebuilding the Beis Hamikdash they found enough oil to last for how many days? (1)
3. How long did the oil actually last? (8 day)
4.  What game do we play on Chanukah? (Dreidel)
5.  What do the letters on the dreidel stand for? (a great miracle happened there)
6. What special foods do we eat on Chanukah? (Latkes and Sufganiot/Donuts)
7.  Why do we eat these foods on Chanukah? (Because they are fried in oil-just like the oil from the miracle)

On Wednesday we had so much fun with our moms and dads at Dreidels and Dads.  We ate latkes, decorated plates, played human dreidel, and gave our Dads our gifts.  We hope you had a great time too!  We made delicious sufganiot as well.  Everyone really loved mixing the ingredients, squishing the dough, and then making shapes.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday break and Happy Chanukah!
Morah D and Morah Shoshana

Green Room working on menorahs

Friends working on gifts for their dads

Getting reading to make sufganiot

Nechama working on her menorah

Vella and Nechama rolling out the dough

Nosson working on his menorah

Shimmy measuring ingredients

Shimmy squishing his dough

Shimmy working on his menorah

Shira working on her menorah

Vella making her menorah

Making Good Choices

This week in the Green Room we did Chanukah crafts and learned the songs "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and "Sivivon Sov Sov Sov".  We melted crayons two different ways, first with a blow dryer and second by using a candle to melt them.   We poured the wax into Chanukah molds and made awesome Chanukah shaped crayons!  Everyone exclaimed, "they are melting!"  Ben said "they are popping like popcorn" and Shira said, "no...like chips!"  The friends also enjoyed making art with Chanukah shaped stickers and stamps.

This week the parsha is Vayishlach.  We learned so many real-life lessons in this parsha that the friends were able to relate to.  For example, when we spoke about Rochel Imeinu passing away Nechama and Nosson both pointed out that their Zaides passed away too and are in Shamayim with Hashem.  Nosson even told us that "when Hashem comes my Zaide will come too".  We briefly reminded him that yes, when Moshiach comes, our loved ones who passed away will come back too, Baruch Hashem!  Morah Shoshana showed them pictures of Kever Rochel and told them about her experience davening there.  We also spoke in depth about the concept of not copying someone when they make bad choices.  Yaakov and Esav loved each other so much and were still friends but Yaakov knew that sometimes Esav makes bad choices and this is why he suggested that they don't travel together.  Morah Shoshana asked the class "if chas v'shalom Nechama makes a "not good" choice and begins throwing her lunch all over the classroom should we do the same?"  Everyone giggled so much but they said no, we shouldn't do it too!  Morah Shoshana then asked, "but do we still love her and we are still her friend?"  They said, "yes!"  They understood then that even though Yaakov and Esav were brothers and loved each other, that sometimes Yaakov had to know when to make better choices and not follow his brother.

Parsha Questions:

1. What three things did Yaakov do to prepare for meeting Esav? (daven, prepare to fight, prepare a gift)

2. When Yaakov and Esav reunited did they fight or were they happy to see each other? (they hugged!)

3.  When a friend makes a "not good" choice should we copy them or move ourselves away? (Like Yaakov did, we should know when to move ourselves out of the situation)

4.  Did Yaakov and Esav travel together or apart? (apart)

5.  Where did Rochel get buried? (side of the road)

6.  Why was Rochel buried on the side of the road? (so people can daven to Hashem at her kever)

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah D and Morah Shoshana

Chanukah Caves and Parsha Play

Teamwork
This week in the Green Room we began learning about Chanukah.  Morah D and Morah Shoshana built a cave in the classroom and as our friends entered in the morning they ran immediately over to start exploring.  The cave fell down a few times and this prompted everyone to problem solve.  Nosson said "let's put two blocks by the door" and Shira suggested, "two tapes" on the boxes.  The teamwork they displayed was in line with the parsha and we discussed how the rocks around Yaakov's head joined together to protect him.  Our theme throughout the week became teamwork and everyone pointed out different examples as they arose.

In the cave, the friends played dreidel and explored candles and Chanukah shapes.  Morah D told the story of Chanukah inside the cave which helped the story come to life!

Nosson, Shira, and Nechama exploring Chanukah materials in the cave.

Morah D reading the Chanukah story inside the cave.

Shira and Nosson using teamwork to rebuild our cave after it fell.

Art

The art projects this week included creating the letters Aleph and Beis and A and B out of glue and glitter.  This project promoted literacy, creativity, and fine motor skills.  We also painted plates and used dreidels and Chanukah-shaped sponges to create beautiful designs.

Shira: "when you mix this and this and this it makes brown!"

Parsha

1. What's the name of the parsha? (Vayeitze)

2. How many years was Yaakov in yeshiva? (Fourteen)

3. What did Yaakov daven in Har HaMoriah? (Mincha)

4. What did Yaakov dream about? (ladder and angels)

5. What did Hashem put under Yaakov's head while he was sleeping to protect him? (Israel)

*We colored maps of Israel and folded them up and put them under our heads during nap time!  We also practiced the names of the 12 Shvatim

6. Who did Yaakov get married to? (Leah)

*Nechama pointed out that it was supposed to be Rochel!  But we know that Lavan covered Leah's face to trick Yaakov into marrying her.

*To bring the parsha into practical play we went outside and put our feet in the sandbox.  We talked about how it was impossible to count all of the grains of sand.  Hashem promised Yaakov that his children would be impossible to count just like all of the grains of sand on the shore!

During dramatic play, the friends acted out the parsha.  Shira and Vella covered their faces with cloth and Shira said, "I'm a malka".  Nechama noticed that Vella's face was covered and she asked Shira, "is she getting married?"  Shira replied, "yes she is getting married".  It is so awesome to see them take the information they learn during parsha discussion and apply it to their play!  This is the exact type of learning we encourage here at CJP!

On Friday we cooked a wedding feast and acted out Yaakov and Leah's wedding.  Stay tuned to Facebook for pictures of our classroom simcha. 

Shabbos Talk

After nap time on Wednesday, Morah D read the book "I Love Shabbos" and then our friends went around talking about what they love best during Shabbos.  Nosson loves Shabbos because he gets to eat.  Shira loves Shabbos because she eats challah.  Nechama loves to drink grape juice.  When Ben was asked why he loves Shabbos he said, "because I need to" and Shimmy answered, "because Papa does Shabbos".  

Morah D drew a picture of balloons next and asked everyone what it was.  All our friends agreed it was balloons and Ben said, "balloony".  Nosson was very clever and said "it's a Chanukah menora!"  He noticed that the balloons were all in a row just like a menorah.  This facilitated a conversation of Chanukah and the different materials and shapes we see!

Next week is Parent-Teacher Conferences on December 15.  Please don't forget to sign up early so you can get the time slot that works best for you.  Masha sent out an e-mail that makes it very easy to sign-up electronically.

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Deanna and Morah Shoshana

Literacy & Lentil Soup

Literacy

This week we learned the letters Aleph and Beis along with A and B.  We made baskets and discussed the letter B.  During snack time on Friday, Morah D pointed out that Nechama had Bissli in her lunch and that starts with the letter Beis.  Then, Morah Shoshana asked the class "who else has food in their lunch that starts with a Beis?"  Shira said, "I have a brownie!"  Then Vella held up her banana chips and said "Beis for banana!"  Then Morah D asked everyone what they call the thing they drink their water from and Nechama said "bottle....beis for bottle!"  After about five minutes of quietly eating our snack Ben shouted out "b-b-bagel!!!!!!"   Everyone laughed and said, "yes and Beis for Ben!"  Then Ben said, "no...I'm not a food".  Everyone giggled.

Basket making

Bunny Observations

Making predictions and observations develops literacy skills and rational thinking.  Vella observed that "the bunny is eating his hay".  Shira held the bedding and said "it's soft."  Nosson and Shira had a conversation about his teeth.  Shira said that the bunny has two teeth and she has 100 teeth.  Nosson said that the bunny only has front teeth and that he has front and back teeth.  Everyone agreed that the bunny was soft.  Tamar said "he's black".  Shimmy laughed and said, "he pooped!"

Dramatic & Outdoor Play

Dramatic play is so important for developing multiple skills such as creativity, imagination, sharing, spacial awareness, and emotional regulation.  Outside on Wednesday, Nosson and Shira were playing Tatty and Ima and the sisters were Vella and Nechama.  Shira asked Nosson to go with her to California.  He said, "no I can't, I have to go to New York".  He then pointed out that the grassy area outside was New York.  How creative!

Ben and Shimmy riding bikes

Shimmy figured out that two triangles make a square.  He went up to Morah Shoshana and said, "look I made a square".  Awesome math skills Shimmy!

The Green Room in dance class.

Parsha

This week the parsha is Toldos.  We made lentil soup in honor of the parsha and everyone enjoyed cutting, seasoning, stirring, and finally devouring the delicious soup.  We even shared soup with the other morahs.  During our soup cooking we had a discussion about the parsha.  Please ask the following questions to your child at the shabbos table this week:

1. What did Yaakov cook? (lentil soup)

2. Who did Yaakov make the soup for? (Yitzchok or "his Tatty")

3. Who gobbled up the soup instead? (Esav)

4.  Yaakov and Esav are twins.  Who else do we know that are twins? (Ben and Shimmy)

5.  What did Rivka put on Yaakovs arm? (fur)

6.  What did Yaakov get from his aba/Yitzchok? (a bracha)

7. Does your aba give you a bracha on Shabbat?

8.  When Yaakov and Esav were born, what was Yaakov holding onto? (Esav's heel/foot)

Shira making lentil soup out of playdoh.

We would like to give a very special shout-out to Ben and Vella.  With zero prompt from their teachers, these two friends worked together to create a new organizational system in our arts & crafts area.  They matched the crayons to the colored paper and thanks to them, this is the new system we will be using for the rest of the year.  Way to go Ben and Vella, we are very proud and grateful for their idea.

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah D and Morah Shoshana