Dear Parents,

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having parent/teacher conferences with all of you. I know they were brief but I’d like to remind you that I am always available to talk with you if you have any questions or concerns. Please contact the school to set up a time to meet via zoom or phone if/when necessary. 

This past week we spent quite a bit of time identifying our feelings and talking about ways to express them that are not hurtful to others or ourselves. We continue to talk about Kavod, how to show respect and be kind to one another as well as the materials in our classroom environment. As I’m sure you all know, 3-4 year olds can have very big emotions that can quickly sway from one end of the spectrum to the other in just moments. Although this may seem that they are irrational or extreme, please know that this is completely developmentally appropriate for this age group. This is why I am focusing a lot of time on trying to work through those emotions and find ways to help them self regulate and communicate. 

I would like to share with you some of the language that I use at school, in hopes that you can use it in your home life if that works for your family. Or, if nothing less, if you hear them say it you’ll know where it’s coming from.

“Put on your listening ears.” 

(I say this to get their attention and encourage them to be good listeners)

“ Don’t yuck my yumm.”

(Often when at the lunch or snack table, children well tell another child that their food is gross or they don’t like it. This can be upsetting for the child on the receiving end.)

“Use your talking voice not your yelling voice.”

(Quite often when someone’s upset they yell or scream at their friends, so I use this term to get them to bring down their volume so that they can communicate in a voice that other people are receptive to hearing.)

“Use your words, not your hands.”

(I say this to prevent children from hitting one another and to choose words to express themselves as an alternative.)

“Look at your friends face, how do you think they feel?”

(When I say this to a child, I want them to be able to recognize the feelings that another child is having and it helps them to be more empathetic in the situation.) 

Soon we will be welcoming some additional children to our class which comes with much excitement and new challenges. Because of this, you will probably hear some repetition in the next few weeks as we will need to continue to create a warm, safe environment for your children to play and express themselves. 

Shabat Shalom,

Morah Maya