Thanksgiving

When we say the Modeh Ani each morning at Tefillah circle, we talk about what are thankful to Hashem for. For Thanksgiving, we continued the discussion of gratefulness. We discussed how we'll have a special dinner to say 

thank you to Hashem. 

We made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. 

The Yeladim poured in the ingredients.

They mixed the batter and scooped it into their trays. 

The Yeladim carried their pies to the oven.

Fall Colleagues

The Yeladim created fall colleagues with leaves, pine cones and acorns.  

Acorn Manipulative

The Yeladim refined their fine motor skills as they

 played and picked up the acorns. 

Leaf Rubbings

The Yeladim made leaf impressions in silver foil today. 

A Peek into our Snack Time

Weaved into our school day are countless opportunities for the Yeladim to build independence and social skills. Here is a bit of what goes on during snack.

Zalman and Hilary are serving themselves snack from the serving bowl. 

                                     

Benjamin is peeling the tangerines for snack.

                       The Yeladim know to say "pass please." Peretz is passing the                                                  serving bowl to Hilary.                                    

 

                                   

Spaghetti Sensory Play

The sensory table is filled with cooked spaghetti, providing the Yeladim with a new feeling to explore as they play. 

Leaf Impressions

The teacher set out leaves and goup on the table. The Yeladim came over to play with the goup. They took the leaves and pressed them into the goup. When the Yeladim lifted the leaves off the goup, they noticed the imprint of the leaf in the goup. 

Later, the Yeladim explored other ways to transfer the image of leaves.

The Yeladim placed painted leaves  on a paper. The  leaves were covered with another paper and the Yeladim applied pressure with a roller. The Yeladim removed the leaves to see the impression on the page.

Making Goup

 The Yeladim made goup today. To make goup, two ingredients are needed: glue and liquid starch. Pour equal amounts of each into a pan and mix it together. As the goup is mixed it will turn stringy and eventually become more solid. Paint can be added for color. 

Early Literacy with the Nature Treasure Chest

The  Nature Treasure Chest is displayed at the entrance of the classroom. A question, posted near the Treasure Chest, directs the Yeladim to find an object in the treasure box. A visual of the item is posted as well. Presenting children with illustrations of sight words along with their print versions helps them make important connections between the object and the word.

In the picture above, Benjamin has found the leaf in the Nature Treasure Chest.

Play Dough and Pine Cones

The Yeladim poked pine cones  in the play dough creating a beautiful imprints of the pine cones in  the play dough.

Pine Cone Manipulative

Benjamin is refining his fine motor skills as he fits

woodsies into the pine cone. 

Morning Circle

At the morning circle, the Yeladim sing good morning to their friends. Every child chooses the movement for their friends to

 follow as his/her  name is being sung.

It is one of the many ways throughout the day that each child is recognized individually and shown that he/she  and  his/her are valued.

In the picture below, Zalman asked the Yeladim to wave with their feet hello.

Nature's Treasure Chest

Fall is a season when the ground is rich with nature's bounty. 

Outdoors, the Yeladim often find interesting items which they bring

back to the classroom with them. To value their findings and to use them as springboard 

for observation and discussion, the Nature Treasure Box was introduced. 

The Yeladim chose items from their trip and from 

around the classroom to showcase in the Nature Treasure Box. 

The Nature Treasure Box will displayed near the classroom entrance.

Leaf Sorting

At the park yesterday, as the Yeladim were collecting leaves, they noticed and repeatedly 

commented on the size of the large leaves. To further their understanding of size and to build 

math skills, the Yeladim sorted the leaves into piles of big and small leaves. 

Trip to Cabin John Park

The Yeladim went on a trip to Cabin John Park. The purpose of the trip was for the Yeladim 

to experience fall. Immediately, when entering the park, the Yeladim noticed and began collecting leaves. Some of the of the Yeladim's comments were "big," and "huge, huge leaves."

Hillary found rocks. 

Benjamin and Zalman noticed a tree with a hole in the trunk.

The Yeladim collected more leaves. 

The Yeladim were watching a leaf fall from the tree. 

They stopped to watch a squirrel. 

They tried touching each other's shadows. 

The Yeladim walked over the bridge and noticed a squirrel again.

After the nature walk, the Yeladim enjoyed playing on the playground.

In the park, the Yeladim were surrounded by trees. The leaves crunched under their feet as they stopped to observe them and collect them. The Yeladim had a rich fall experience. As the Yeladim were collecting the leaves, the teacher noticed that the Yeladim were noticing and commenting on the size of the large leaves. The teacher will provide more opportunities for the Yeladim to expand their concept of size.