Counting the Omer in Ganon Aleph

Some of the children in Ganon Aleph  had fun dipping their feet in paint and creating footprints which we are using to keep track of the days between Pesach and Shavuot.  They are learning that each Hebrew letter has a numerical value, and are becoming quite proficient at counting in Hebrew! 

Getting Ready for Pesach in Ganon Aleph

What a busy week we had in Ganon Aleph getting ready for Pesach!  We made matzah with Rabbi Grossbaum from Lubavitch, and we finished all of our Pesach projects.

We enjoyed many leftover snacks at our chametz party, after which we scrubbed our classroom to get it ready for Pesach.  We then did a thorough search for chametz with a feather, spoon, and candle, and then went outside to burn it.  We enjoyed our model seder in our classroom together with Ganon Bet.  After our seder, we skyped with some residents of the Jewish Home at Rockleigh.  One of the residents read a Pesach story to the children, and we all sang some Pesach songs for them.
We were so well-prepared for Pesach!  We hope you enjoyed spending it with your families.

P is for Pesach and Parents in Ganon Bet





                                     We love when parents come visit with Ganon Bet. 
Thank you for coming in and helping us work on some of the projects in conjunction with our Pesach preparation and understanding the  difference between Chametz and matzah.





Willa's mom helped the children wrap the pillowcases with rubber bands in preparation for the tie dyeing.









Grace's mom helped us tie dye our pillowcases.



Gabby's mom baked challah with us. 

We watched the yeast rise!

Thank you all for coming in!



We Work, Work, Work.... in Ganon Bet

The children are taking a hands-on approach as they work hard preparing 

some of the foods for the seder plate.  

They grated 

the maror.

First it was a big horseradish root. Then it was grated into  little
pieces. 

Apples were grated

for the charoset. 

The charoset has a red color to

 remind us of the bricks in Mitzrayim. 

The brave children were excited to try the  maror and charoset.

They couldn't wait to

taste the real  thing of ...

shmura matzah!!

 

The children built pyramids in our sandbox!

Counting the Omer in Ganon Aleph

Ganon Aleph has been counting the Omer in our classroom each day since we returned to school after our Pesach break.  Some of the  children enjoyed dipping their feet in paint to create footprints which they then cut out to use on our bulletin board for counting.  We will be counting the footprints which lead from Mitzrayim to Har Sinai, and in this way we will keep track of the number of days that pass from Pesach until Shavuot.    

All Ready for Pesach in Ganon Aleph

 

 
The children brought their leftover chametz from home, and we added it to our classroom chametz for a giant chametz picnic party!  After this, the children were given sponges and soapy water and they scrubbed the classroom to get it ready for Pesach.  We then performed "bedikat chametz" (the search for chametz) with a candle, feather, and wooden spoon, and even performed "biur chametz" (burning of the chametz) outside!

Gan Gimmel at the Model Seder!!

Gan Gimmel had an amazing time this morning at our model Seder! All the children came dressed for yom tov and everyone looking beautiful!
The entire Early Childhood department joined together along with the music maestro Morah Roberta and the super talented Morah Shani. Morah Shani led the children through the seder using interactive slides and a gigantic Haggadah. The children asked and answered many questions and sang so many songs. The children drank four cups of grape juice and many brave children even tried the Maror! Ask your children how THAT tasted. Wishing you a Chag Kasher V'Sameach! Happy Pesach!

Gan Gimmel at the Matzah Factory!

Gan Gimmel visited the matzah factory at Yavneh today! Rabbi Bentzi of Chabad came to Yavneh to teach the children all about how matzah is made. First, the children made flour from kernels of wheat. After that they used the flour to mix with water. The children learned that they only had eighteen minutes to make the matzah! They mushed and squished to knead the dough. They rolled it out, flatted it, poked holes in it and eventually baked it! What a fun and interactive experience before Pesach! Chag Kasher V'Sameach!