Purim is FINALLY here!!!

Hello Green Room Families!

After weeks of getting ready, we finally got to officially celebrate Purim!  One of our favorite games that we played was a flip over card game.  On each card was a thing that we either DO or DO NOT use or do on Purim.  For example, there was a picture of a Shaloch Monos Basket.  I would ask "Do we give Shaloch Monos Baskets on Purim?" The friends responded "We sure do!"  Then we'd all sing together "Hooray for Purim!  Hooray for Purim!  We give Shaloch Monos Baskets on Purim!"  There was also a picture of a child crying.  I asked "Do we cry on Purim?" The friends responded "No, Purim is a happy holiday!"  Whenever we would see a card of something that was not for Purim, Morgan added a "Womp, womp."  It was a great touch.

We made flags for Purim!  This was a literacy, math, and art activity.  The Green Room friends have all learned that letters spell words, and words mean things.  They identify their own name every morning while signing in.  I have also labeled things in our classroom, and the kids have begun asking what the letters spell.  For this activity, I encouraged the students to identify the letters P-U-R-I-M and the numbers 5-7-7-8 on their flag.  (5778 is the current year on the Jewish calendar).  Then, they were free to decorate it with any materials that they desired.  Luke asked if I could write his name on it in Hebrew AND English.  Morah Gitty has been working on teaching the friends their Hebrew names.  It's wonderful that our Green Room friends are learning both English and Hebrew literacy skills.

Purim Spirit week was a success!  

PAJAMA DAY!

BACKWARDS DAY!

CRAZY HAIR DAY!

The Green Room friends enjoyed making masks!

On Wednesday we made Hamentashen with the Purple Room friends!

How AMAZING was the Megillah that came home?!  Thank you Morah Gitty for putting all of the pictures together! 

I hope that you had a wonderful Purim!  Shabbat Shalom!

-Morah Deena and Morah Gitty

PS Morah Deena will be back on Wednesday!

Are we "good" or "bad" characters?

Happy (almost) Purim everyone!!!

In the story of Purim there are many different types of characters.  We have Mordechai who we describe as "good."  In contrast, we have Haman who we describe as "bad."  There are others that we don't know how to describe.  King Achashverosh, for example, makes some terrible choices, such as he way he treated Queen Vashti.  In the end however we give King Achashverosh a lot of credit for how everything turns out.  So is he "good" or bad?"  And what about Queen Vashti?  We learn so little about her character before we see her being treated badly.

In the world of a preschooler, we tend to see things in extremely black and white terms.  People are either "good" or "bad."  At this age, we may not have the words to describe a character that is in between.

I've been teaching the Green Room friends that there is actually no such thing as a person who is only bad.  There are only good people, but sometimes good people make bad choices, and if a good person makes a lot of bad choices, then those choices in turn reflect their actual character.  Haman, for example, had all of the tools and opportunities to be "good."  It was his choices that made him "bad."

This has become an important lesson for us.  I want the Green Room friends to understand that they have the free will to build their own character.  Sometimes good people make bad choices.  Is that ok?  OF COURSE!  A good person who makes a bad choice is not automatically bad.  It makes them human.  When I have to redirect behavior I remind the students that they are good, but they made a sad or unsafe choice.

I hope you have been enjoying the "outtakes of the Green Room friends acting out the Purim story!  Morah Gitty is finishing putting it together.  Everyone will have their own Megillah to take home next Wednesday.

Our piece for the Purim Art Auction looks AWESOME!  The Green Room friends had a ball spray painting the squares.  The Aleph-Bais on top brings the piece together so nicely.

We played a fun new game in our Palace Loft.  Students had the opportunity to toss bean bags into a basket below.  This worked some serious hand-eye coordination!  We also worked on our math skills and one-to-one correspondence when counting how many we got into the basket.  Ava was pretending to take pictures!

Please take a moment to look over the info for Purim Spirit week.  It's going to be so much fun!

Morah Gitty and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom and a wonderful weekend!
-Morah Deena and Morah Gitty

Purim Season!

Purim season is in full swing!  The incredible Morah Gitty is putting together a picture Megillah for everyone to take home, featuring our Green Room friends acting out the story.  Morah Gitty has the "official" photos, but please take a look at these awesome "outtakes" so far.

Here we see King Achashverosh at his feast.  Morgan and Mason played the guards!

The king must select a new queen!

Mordechai overhears the guards talking!

A conversation between King Achashverosh and Queen Esther!

One of the best parts about Purim is having a gragger to shake when "Haman" is mentioned.  The Green Room fiends LOVED making them!  Here is a visual of the tray each friend got to use. 

A couple of the kids noticed that there were glass cups provided.  When they asked if it was real glass I said "Yes, because I trust you and I know you'll be careful."  I learned about allowing kids to use "real" things, such as glass cups, this at a recent workshop.  Kids live up to the expectations we have of them.  When I told them that I knew that they'd be careful and that I trusted them, in turn they were careful and trusted themselves.

We look forward to continuing the build up to one of our favorite holidays over the next 2 weeks!

Morah Gitty and I hope you enjoy your long weekend.  We'll see you back at CJP on Tuesday.  Shabbat Shalom!

-Morah Deena and Morah Gitty