Tu B'Shvat Higiyah in Ganon Bet

When the children of Ganon Bet look outside they see bare trees.
How could it be spring when we just had snow here in New Jersey as Choref has just begun!

 It is hard to believe that it is already Tu B'Shvat in Eretz Yisrael. The trees have already started blooming. Since Tu B'Shvat falls during our vacation, we celebrated Tu B'Shvat with a seder in our class today.  We sang songs and heard two stories. One was about  Rina and Her Birthday Surprise. The story was about a girl whose birthday is on Tu B'Shvat and found a special surprise outside her home.  We also listened to a story  about a boy named Jonathan who wanted to plant a tree on Tu B'Shvat but was unable to because the ground was frozen.  As we heard the stories and sang songs, we had the oppurtunity to taste many of the Shivat Haminim. We had many brave tasters who were willing to try some new fruit! We made brachot and said a shehechiyanu too!


Dovi and Charlie eating yummy wheat crackers.



The Shivat Haminim are sampled by the children.

 

Regina is trying a new fruit-the T'Aina- fig



Jack  is getting ready to eat the juicy  Zayit- olive.

Tu B'Shvat Higiyah!

 

Gan Bet celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shvat with a little pizzaz...

 

 

We're a little excited, can you tell?





Stick-y Business

True scientists they are, as the children in Gan Bet seek out the many properties of the materials with which they learn.

Tu B'Shvat approaches and the children look to find ways to connect with the trees.

We collected materials that come from trees at outdoor time, poking and prodding, testing, and touching. Then....

The children of Gan Bet make true sense of the world around them with the experiments and experiences which allow them to take risks. How lucky we all are to be a part of their process!

Gan Aleph's Nature Hunt

In honor of Tu Bshvat, Gan Aleph spent the day learning about trees and how important trees are in this world. The children spent some time planting lima beans which they will take home to nurture and watch grow. In the afternoon, the early childhood participated in a nature hunt using Yavneh's entire field and playground. We took clipboards and crayons, a camera and some bags to document and collect some of the amazing things we would find.

We used a checklist to help us find twigs, sticks, barks and even a nest! We couldn't believe it when we even found an owl sitting in one of the trees! When we finished our nature hunt we came back into the

early childhood hallway and enjoyed an amazing cupcake tree snack together as a family! What a better way to end an amazing celebration for the birthday of the trees.

We Love Woody

Over the course of the school year we have observed, Woody, our adopted tree, change from a blossoming green tree to a fiery, red leaved tree. Finally, the leaves fell off and Woody is bare.

Gan Gimmel has become aware of the wonderful world that Hashem has created for us with its magnificent seasonal changes.

As part of our Tu B'Shevat celebration, Gan Gimmel decorated Woody and sang songs in honor of the holiday.

Tu Bshvat Through The Senses

Pre-K at Yavneh Academy is a multi- sensory experience. Each and every day the children use all 5 senses to navigate the classroom in all areas; including art, dramatic play, manipulatives, etc. This week in honor of Tu Bshvat, Ganon Bet used their sense of touch to create beautiful trees paintings. Instead of paint brushes, the children used their arms to create the bark of the tree, their hands as the leaves and grass, and their fingers turned into fruit! To some the paint tickled, others said it felt funny, but all around everyone had a great time creating their masterpieces!

Investigating Trees

At this time of year, just before Tu B'Shvat, we typically learn about trees. In our integrated curriculum, the children have many opportunities, in both Hebrew and English, to participate in social studies, science, math, art, literacy, and music activities, all pertaining to trees.

Morah Shira took a small group of children outdoors to explore a tree up close. She taught Hebrew vocabulary for each part of the tree, and gave the children clipboards and charcoal for sketching. The children were encouraged to look carefully, and even given magnifying glasses to get a closer look.

The sketches will be brought inside and used in further investiations. Connecting children to nature, building Hebrew speaking skills, encouraging careful observations, and giving time, space and individual attention for deeper learning -- kindergarten at its best!