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!

Life Long Learners

The early childhood teachers attended an amazing conference this past Tuesday on "Hands-On Jewish Early Childhood Garden Education". Outreach educators from Kayam Farm, an organic, kosher farm in Reistertown, MD, guided us in connecting the values of gardening, the goals of early childhood education, and torah. Three stations were set up for us to reflect, explore, and experience. We learned about creating terrariums to teach Parashat Bereishit; making compost in the classroom with worms and food scraps; and putting "kavanah" into our plantings. We also learned a great song, which we plan to teach for Thanksgiving. We came back to school excited and inspired to expand our nature education. To learn more about Kayam Farm, visit their website: http://www.kayamfarm.org/. And check out the song:

Bereishit Fair

Yesterday, the EC classes initiated our first ever Bereishit Fair! This amazing learning experience was completely developed and implemented by the collaboration of our model team of teachers. Each classroom was set up to represent a different day of Creation, along with hands-on projects and activities. For Day 1, children made shadow puppets and frosted black and white cookies.

On Day 2, a water table was set up for play, and children made clouds with shaving cream.

Children planted seeds on Day 3, and made collages of trees and grass. Day 4's classroom had stars projected on the ceiling, and children created original designs of stars, moon, and sun. For Day 5, real fish were available for observation, and children played a matching game with various types of birds and fish.

On Day 6, the children dressed in animal costumes, and held races and dances.

Back in their own classrooms, children learned about Day 7, our very own Shabbat, which of course we celebrate every week in school.

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!

Part 2 - The Siyum

Gan Daled celebrated the siyum (completion) of Beresheit the first book of the Torah, with much joyful singing and dancing. A kiddush was enjoyed by all of us. The children baked a cake, which they decorated to look like a Torah. The cries of Chazak, Chazak V'Nitchazek rang loud and clear.

In celebration of the siyum, Gan Daled compiled D'vrei Torah for each Parsha and illustrated them to make a book. Gan Daled also played a special Beresheit Parsha quiz game. The children showed their knowledge when answering Torah questions. Everyone was a winner!

Part 1-Getting Ready For Our Siyum

In anticipation of our Siyum of Beresheit, the first book of the Torah, the children baked a Torah shaped cake.

They used their math skills to count and measure the necessary ingredients. In a cooperative effort they mixed the dough into the proper consistency and poured it into tins. The result; a delicious cake ready for our celebration.

It was rewarding to see the children use their social, fine and gross motor skills as well as their verbal communication to work together and produce a delicious treat in honor of the Torah.