Green Room 11/13

Shabbat Shalom Green Room Families!

Finally we’ve come as close as possible, with the exception of the holiday, to having a full week together and it’s been quite nice to have the consistency. We’ve really spent this past week just getting to know one another a little bit better, understanding one another’s temperaments and really observing areas of interest. I've been focusing a lot on helping the children know how to identify their feelings and using kind words and self-regulation. Throughout the remainder of the school year, there will be a strong focus on the concept of Kavod.

For those that may not be familiar with it, “Kavod” is the Hebrew word for honor and respect. It is a word of great strength and importance in the Hebrew language and these are the traits we want to instill in our children's lives and interweave throughout all aspects of the school and home life.

At this point it’s a very broad concept for them and I will spend time further developing their thoughts surrounding it and helping them express it through their actions. We also discussed the concept of “filling your bucket." There are several different children’s books with different titles about this concept. We are currently reading the book “Sara the Bucket Filler”, by Rivka Fishman. The idea is that when your bucket is full, you are happy with kind thoughts, feelings and words. And when your bucket is empty, you have sad or angry feelings. The bucket is representational of one’s heart. This analogy is used so that the children can have a more tangible, feasible reference point. I wanted you to all be aware of some of the language I am using in class with them so if you hear it at home you know what it means.

Moving forward next week, we plan to continue to focus on Kavod and filling the buckets of those around us. In preparation for Thanksgiving, we will begin to focus on gratitude. We will not focus on the traditional secular holiday but  more on the fundamental concepts of appreciation and being thankful. 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Morah Maya