Let's Dance!!!

Gan Daled celebrated Chanukah along with the other Kindergarten classes at an awesome chagiga in the gym.  The children were super excited to participate in this Chanukah dance party to the sounds of the BaRock Orchestra.  Rabbi Penn even led the children in a fun dancing game! What a way to kick off our Chanukah celebrations! The children are looking forward to all of the fun and exciting activities planned for the rest of the week. Happy Chanukah! 

Chazak Chazak!

To celebrate our culmination of Sefer Bereishit, the Early Childhood classes held a Chazak Kiddush. Dressed in our shabbat best, we chatted with friends and tasted the pot luck delicacies: pareve cholent, potato kugel, Israeli salad, Rice Krispy snowballs, and a huge torah cake! Then we sat down and enjoyed riveting performances by each class, depicting something they had learned from a few chosen parshiot. The children sang, danced, and role played each parsha in Sefer Bereishit. To capture the event, a group of boys from class 4D came to take photos for us. They will work on assembling them into a slide show, which we hope to share with you soon.

The program ended with the song Chazak Chazak. There was so much excitement. We can't wait to continue learning torah!

Chanukah Oh Chanukah

Gan Bet brought some Chanukah cheer to the Rockleigh Nursing Home. The children had been practicing many new and familiar Chanukah songs with our music teacher, Morah Roberta. Morah Roberta accompanied us on this trip, and led the children in songs such as Ner Li ,I Have a Little Dreidel, Surah Bachoshech, and Chanukah, Oh Chanukah. The children danced and spun like dizzy dreidels! The seniors in the home joined in and clapped, sang and hummed the wonderful Chanukah tunes. At the conclusion of the singing, Gan Bet presented the Home with a Chanukah Sameach poster, signed in Hebrew by each of the children. We also presented them with a chanukiyah that we had made in class. Before we left, the children signed Chanukah Sameachin in sign langauage! A fun time was had by all! Chag Urim Sameach!

Purim is Coming!

Gan Aleph is ready for Purim! Ahava and Chanani help to roll up their friends' completed megillot. Sammy stays in the Purim spirit by wearing a costume as he builds in the block center. And Jordy and Vicky show us true simcha dancing!

Gan Aleph "flips" for the YU Maccabeats

Who knew that we'd be 'flippin our latkes in the air' all the way to Rosh Chodesh Shevat? Gan Aleph barely noticed that the snow was coming down outside on Friday morning. They were so excited to welcome the YU Maccabeats! We sang and danced along with the YouTube sensations. The ruach in the gym was palpable. The children decorated signs to welcome the a capella singers. The children were fascinated that they performed without any instruments and only by making sounds with their voices. Gan Aleph presented the Maccabeats with the signs that they decorated and were so excited to have a photo op with the guys. The Maccabeats were equally excited to meet the children!

Let's Do Lunch

We had very special guests in Gan Daled, Emma Shore's great grandmother, Mickey Bernstein and her friend Rose Weinblatt, both residents of Daughters of Miriam, came to our class. Emma's father, Jonathan, and her brother, Ben, came as well. After joining us during music where they enthusiastically sang, clapped and played on rhythm sticks and tambourines, they watched the children dance. The ladies shared lunch with us. Mickey and Rose admired the tablecloth designed by the children and asked to keep the floral centerpieces made by the class. As Jonathan had to return to work, as well as drive Mickey and Rose home, the two friends took the delicious cake
baked by the children with them.

It was a wonderful and moving experience to see three generations in our classroom. We are so glad that we were afforded the opportunity to observe the mitzvah of Hachnasot Orchim in such a meaningful way.

Chazak Chazak V'Nitchazek! Gan Aleph Baked a Chocolate Cake!!

Did you hear the giggles of glee and shouts of joy coming from Room 207 today? Gan Aleph celebrated the culmination of learning Sefer Beraishit. The children were so excited to proclaim "Chazak Chazak V'Nitchazek!" when we completed learning about Parashat Vayechi. As a class, we made a list in Hebrew of the names of the important people we learned about. The children were divided into small groups to decorate life size characters from each of the parshiot. They traced each other to create a form on which to make these giant puppets. We sequenced the characters into a timeline for a character study of Sefer Beraishit. The children are collaborating on writing short anecdotes that explore what they learned from each. This is a great way to highlight the mitzvot and reinforce the good middot that we learned.

We baked a giant cake in the shape of a torah that we decorated with a Beraishit theme. We celebrated at an afternoon party where we sang the songs that we learned about each parsha story and danced to the song "Chazak Chazak V'Nitchazek" by Avraham Fried. The children felt so accomplished that they have learned so much Torah. They are already asking what will happen in Sefer Shemot!

Havdalah Pajama Party

This past Motzei Shabbat, the Pre-K students and their families came to school for a fun-filled Havdalah Pajama Party. Dressed in pajamas, and carrying a favorite teddy bear, the children put together mini-books about havdalah and the 5 senses. They snacked on popcorn and chocolate milk. Rabbi Penn recited Havdalah, and the children used the besomim that they had each made in class. There was singing and dancing to music provided by Binyamin of BaRock Orchestra, and Mrs. Cohen read a delightful bedtime story called "Hannah's Shabbat Dress". What a warm and wonderful way to end Shabbat and begin a new week!

Chanukah Chagiga - Gan Gimmel

Dancing and music were all the rage today in Gan Gimmel. First we had music with Morah Roberta and sang and acted out Chanukah songs. Then, went to a Chanukah Chagigah in the gym. Live music filled the room. We sang, danced, and played follow the leader around the gym for fun and entertainment.

Rainy Day Fun

Can't go out to play? Then, let's dance!!