Shalom Parents,

The Green Room has been very busy! Thanksgiving and now Chanukah preparations. 

Thank you for including the gratitude note on the back of the Mitzvah the entire month of November. The family lunch was wonderful! Cakes in cups, gratitude, a Kindergarten performance, food, fun and creations from the children, we are thankful for you and the support you and your extended families are to the CJP students. The Green Room children enjoyed preparing the Cranberry Kugel that was served. 

The children explored pumpkins and squash, learned the parts, sang the song and most of them even tried eating different varieties of squash, with many asking for a second helping!

The songs can be found on the Green Room bulletin board.  We have focused on the square and numbers through nine. They know the parts of a book and this week our sight word focus is on: I, see and a. We also sang Squashes Around to the tune of Neil Diamond's, Sweet Caroline.

Tune: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

PARTS OF A PUMPKIN

Stem, Rind, Pulp and Seeds...Fibrous Strands

Stem, Rind, Pulp and Seeds...Fibrous Strands  

Leaves and Tendrils and Ridges too

Stem, Rind, Pulp and Seeds...Fibrous Strands  

The children are refining their movements, both gross and fine motor indoors and outside, learning new vocabulary and songs, and are working on self control at circle and table time for snacks or table works. Of course we continue with Conscious Discipline and the children understand when they need some thinking time or their own space. As morahs, we model controlling our emotions and reactions supporting our little humans to develop a tool box of how to survive and thrive. 

Chanunkah will keep them BUSY! Many of our centers are Chanukah based activities and the children have loved hearing the story. Thanks for turning up for the Lowe's event.

Morah Devora is teaching the Hebrew names for body parts and the letter names of their Hebrew names. 

Along with practicing Hebrew, Morah Cindy has introduced some Spanish vocabulary and songs. 

Listed below are a few of our English/Spanish songs introduced that the children sing.

Fila, fila          line up, line up 

fila por favor   line up please

Red is rojo

Green is verde

Purple morado

Brown cafe

Yellow amarillo

Blue azul

Pink in rosado

Orange anaranjado

White is blanco

Black is negro

Colors colores

Colors colores 

and Gray is gris! (Jazz hands!) 

Enjoy a wonderful week! We love your child.

Morah Cindy and Morah Devora

Shalom Parents,

This week we are continuing with the parsha of Avraham and focusing on gratitude. We appreciate you talking with your child and writing what they are thankful for on the back of their Mitzvah notes the entire month of November.  

We are working on the projects for the Thanksgiving Luncheon. We added a job chart and a few high frequency words: a, I and see to get the children acquainted  with them. They searched and matched letters for the phrase, I see a cat.  At the end of a book we spell and say, "t-h-e e-n-d", the end. At davening Morah Devora dressed as Avraham and told more of the story. Practical life skills works were introduced: sorting beans, spooning and pouring salt and the 100 marble board that gives a visual to the age Abraham was when he had his son and refines fine motor skills. The children created and decorated Play-Doh turkeys, changed clothes on the visiting angels and followed the contour of a square using stones. This develops the muscles and strength needed for later writing with the 3 finger grip. Easel painting was very popular and we are enjoying the squash the children are bringing in. We now have Zucchini, Summer Squash, Acorn, mini pumpkins and a Heritage Pumpkin.  Another pumpkin and any squash not mentioned yet would be a welcome addition!. 

We cut into our original pumpkin to explore its contents. When asked what does it feel like Ava said "It feels really good!" Sarah said, "It feels like pumpkin seeds. I really wish Alice were here to see this!" Levi elected not to feel it and said, "It would feel like slime!" Mason said,"It feels like seeds that are slippery!"

We are learning the parts of a pumpkin to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Stem, rind, pulp and seeds, fibrous strands. Leaves and tendrils and ridges too. Stem, rind, pulp and seeds, fibrous strands. 

See the song listed below.                          

We appreciate you bringing your children at 9 am and entering the classroom a single time to reduce interruptions  and allow the children to greet Morah Cindy at the door with a handshake, hug, high five or a cheer, put their own things away, wash their hands,  greet Morah Devora inside the classroom, and begin a work.
At the end of the day, please knock on the door and Morah Cindy or Morah will call your child to tell their friends goodbye at circle and meet you. We thank you for sending a single lovey to be used during quiet time and leaving their toys at home. 

Squash Song (Tune: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond)

1. Squashes around

     Of different shapes and colors

     It's fun to learn and 

     Know them all!

2. Pumpkins abound

    In patches and in the stores

    There are a lot more

    on the vine!

3. Vines, through the vines

    Growing strong

    Reaching out

    For you and me!

4. Sweet (insert the name of a squash)

    La la la

    Hashem created for you and me!

    Sweet (insert the name of a squash)

    La la la

    This is good for you and me!

     Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Enjoy the weekend and the season!

Shabbat Shalom,

Morahs Cindy and Devora

Shalom Parents,

This week we heard the story of Abraham and Sarah and learned Hashem keeps His promises.The tents were a big hit. As Sarah gave birth to a baby, a baby doll and bed arrived in the Green Room. Jemma and Brianna brought in a new doll with a pacifier and a fold up bed. As you can imagine, it's been the highlight of the week! Thank you so much!

Alice's Bubby purchased new utensils for Play Doh. Ava, Vella and Jac donated utensils also and a soft rug for our peaceful place. The children helped to make PUMPKIN Clay! They are great at mixing and measuring. They have been enhancing their fine motor skills using tongs and gaining muscle memory and strength working the clay. Fine motor skills are an important part in Kindergarten readiness. Mason, Hammond, Ari and Saya brought in squash. We are looking for more varieties and I will post the song we are learning next week.

We are so grateful for the cooler days. It's a beautiful thing to see their self calming skills and communication with one another, of course they are always full of energy so we love running around outside each day! Erin has volunteered to make Folding Clothes and napkins for our kitchen, a new skill the children will work on during this season. Thank you all! 

We celebrated Ava's 4th birthday this week and everyone chipped in to mix the chocolate cake and extend their wishes for her. 

Reminders:

We have limited space in the cubbies. Each cubbie is shared by multiple students. Please consider that while selecting coats, blankets, lunch boxes, etc and please only send a single lovey to be used during quiet time, Toys should stay at home to prevent them from getting lost or broken. 

The Green Room asks that each child bring in a different variety of squash to share. (We already have Delicata, Pumpkins, Zuchinni, and summer squash.)  We will be doing different activities with the variety of squash we acquire.  Thank you!

DAILY for the month of November, please include something your child is grateful for on the back of their Mitzvah notes. Please converse with your child on the way to school or on the way home asking what they are thankful for. 

Morahs Cindy and Devora

Shalom Parents,

We have enjoyed a great week in the Green Room. We worked on Transportation and enjoyed a visit from our special guest, Rebecca Cater. The children identified modes of transportation and where they are used: on the land, on or in the water, or in the air. She led them in movement and we did fun activities to test our following directions skills. 

Morah Devora created Hebrew tag board alpha beis roads and the children used them to drive their cars. Painting on paper using cars was also a highlight. Children tested their theories on rather items would sink or float with vehicles, boats and planes as well as random objects within our classroom. They each want a turn to point to the alef beis and the first Hebrew letter in their name.

We sang: (Tune Twinkle Twinkle/ ABC Song)

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light

Shining on the corner, bright

Red means stop

Green means go

Yellow means go very S L O W.

Movement was also observed during milk painting. Each child poured milk. Food coloring was added. The children dipped a Q-Tip into dish detergent and later into the coloring observing the movement again and again. Finally they used brushes and created a sampling of using milk paint. Transportation Bingo  was hand by all working on refinement of their fine motor skills and we also experienced a day outdoors painting involving gross motor skills and a game.  For a fun activity for this weekend, give your child a newspaper or paper bag to extend their cutting skills at home supporting the preliminary skills to future writing. Carry the scissors "rabbit ears up" and the blades held tightly in the hand is how we stay safe while walking or passing them to someone else. 

We sing: (To the tune of The Farmer in the Dell.)

Our thumbs are on the top,

Our thumbs are on the top, 

When we cut with scissors our thumbs are on the top

Our thumbs are on the top, 

Practice continues as the children greet one another on the way out to the playground and to the classroom on their way in. They are so very endearing. 

Greeter: Welcome to the playground....please....(play safe)

Response: Thank you for reminding me _____.

Thank you all for supporting and loving your children and allowing us to do the same.

They are very excited and share, "Look! I opened it myself with cheese sticks, bags, and containers. This is the age and stage of independence.

Happy week! Shabbat Shalom,

Morahs Cindy and Devora