Chanukah Fun with Morah Roberta

This week Ganon Bet joined us for a special musical session with Morah Roberta. She used her Chanukah puppets to tell the children a story, to sing our Chanukah songs, and to teach the children special dances for Chanukah. We love meeting with Morah Roberta every Wednesday for music!

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!

Footprints on the Dry Land

Parshat Beshalach came to life today in Gan Gimmel!! After creating the props needed to reenact kriyat Yam Suf, the children took off their shoes and socks, stepped in a pan of paint, and watched as Moshe (Yoni Bernath) lifted his staff, split the Yam Suf, and led B'nei Yisrael out of Mitrayim. The children left footprints on the dry land as they journeyed out of Mitrayim. After the water closed up on Paroah (Ethan Badner), the girls played musical instruments and danced, just like Miriam and the women did.

Also, in connection to the parsha, the children made challah dough, watched it rise and brought home lechem mishne for shabbat! We did this after we learned about the Mann that Hashem sent down to Bnei Yisrael after leaving Egypt.

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!

Wake Up Bunnies!

In connection to our hibernation unit, Morah Roberta, our music teacher, sang a fun song about a bunny who was sleeping. The children loved dramatizing the song! Watch the video and see Gan Gimmel being bunnies!!

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.

Max Makes Music

At our Shabbat party this week, we enjoyed the musical selection "Mississippi Hot Dog" performed on the violin by our classmate Max Zurkovsky. He was amazing! Gan Daled enjoyed the book Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss which Tamara Zurkovsky, Max's mother, read to us.
We examined other string instruments in order to extend our knowledge of musical instruments.

Lights, Camera, Action!

From Kindergarten to Broadway....The children of Gan Aleph were transformed into stars as we dramatized the Chanukah story using the Maccabeat's hit song "Candlelight" as our soundtrack. We had Maccabees, Yevanim, Latke flippers, Singers, Dreidel players and more! The children worked hard and displayed wonderful teamwork preparing props such as shields, crowns, latkes, pans etc. for our new music video! We used our Flip video to record the actors and are looking forward to seeing the final product.

"The Sound of Music" in Gan Daled

The halls were alive with the sound of music. Singing and joy filled our room as we met with Morah Roberta for the first time. Gan Daled learned some new songs about Beresheit. We enjoyed playing the maracas. Our class had lots of fun and is looking forward to our next session.

Music in Ganon Aleph

We enjoyed our first music session with Morah Roberta this morning. We sang some familiar songs, and she taught us some new songs about Bereishit and the creation of the world. We can't wait to meet with her again next Wednesday!