Dear Kindergarten Parents of the Purple Room,

Parsha + Art + Literacy + Math + Sensory

Because stones are featured in this week’s Parsha, they were utilized in many learning areas this week. The Kindergarten children used the Pointillism technique to paint stones in Art. They used stones to write Alef Beis letters in combination with the Nekudos (vowels) Komatz and Patach. In Math, the Kindergarten Math Whizzes practiced counting in 2’s till 12. In the Parsha Yaakov set 12 stones around his head before going to sleep. The Kindergarten knows how many sons Yaakov eventually had. Yes, 12! They are so proud that two of the Kindergarten children carry the names of two of Yaakov’s children – Shimon and Binyomin!

Morah Perline has a rock collection that came all the way from Lake Ontario to Arizona which she shared this week with the class. The Kindergarten explored the rocks noting the colors, textures and shapes of the rocks. One felt smoother than the next.

Vella: This is red and white and black.

Shimmy: (putting the stones on his cheeks) ‘These feel so smooooooth!”

Nosson: (weighing two smaller stones in one hand and one large stone in the other) These two feel the same as this one.

The ladder in Yaakov’s dream was a stepping stone (forgive the pun) to fun math one to one correspondence games such as Climb the Ladder and a game/craft activity, the Ladder Hunt, which integrated Alef Beis Literacy as well. The children created a ladder with the overhead projector and then modeled the creations with blocks in the Block Center. They had Malachim (Angels) going up and down their ladders!

Parsha Songs:

Three Times a Day

(TTTO: Three Blind Mice)

Three times a day 2x

To Hashem we pray 2x

(Avraham) Shacharis is the morning tune

(Yitzchok) Mincha in the afternoon

(Yaakov) Ma’ariv by the light of the moon

Three times a day.

Parsha Song: (link to tune: https://www.chabad.org/608035)

As Yaakov traveled the sun went down,
He fell asleep on the ground.
In his dream was a ladder so high,
With malochim (angels) climbing to the sky.

Yaakov heard Hashem’s voice,
“For My bracha, you are the choice.”
Yaakov traveled to Charan
He asked the shepherds, "Where is Lavan?"

Rochel said, "Lavan is my father
I’ll take you to him, it is no bother.”
Yaakov stayed for twenty years
For Lavan’s sheep, Yaakov cared.

Yaakov married Leah and Rochel
Their children became the B’nei Yisroel.
Lavan tricked Yaakov, he didn’t pay,
Hashem told Yaakov, "Go away!"

Parsha Discussions:

Rachel really wanted to marry Yaakov, but he was given to her sister. Rachel did not think she would have any chance of marrying him. What would you do if something you were hoping for was given to another?

Ben: I really want a Pinny Galley motorcycle.

Be sad. A Pinny Galley is white and red and black.

Jonah: Maybe they could share with him.

Nosson: Be sad. I would get a different toy. But I really want a scooter. Do you know why? Because one time someone was playing with my blue scooter and it broke. I really want it for Chanukah.

Shimmy: I really want a motorcycle that drives on the sidewalk.

Be sad. I would get something else.

Chanukah Countdown!

The Chanukah Countdown has begun and the children are counting down the days every day till Chanukah! Preparations have begun in class. The children attempted to paint Alef Beis and nekudos combinations with oil this week and observed how the oil seeped through to the other side of the paper. They observed how oil spreads: by the next day, the oil had spread over the entire page!

Please see the CJP Facebook page for pictures of the above and more!

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

This week was a review week for us as we went back over information we have already learned. We reviewed nouns and verbs. We play a game where the children sit when I say a noun, but act it out when I say a verb. We used a toy catalog to make our own noun and verb book.

We started learning about “L” blends and worked on the blends sl, fl, bl, cl. We learned a new game called “I have, who has” to practice reading our blends. This means that we are also learning to read who and have.  This new game was also used in our math work as we practiced understanding the tens and the ones place in numbers.

We were a little slow on getting our books sent home this week. The book will come home in a bag with a small note to you. My note will let you know any new sight words for your child and the sounds they are working on in the book. We do a lot of reading together, but this will let your child practice at their ability and proceed at rate of progression suited to them. Your child should read the book until they feel comfortable with it and are ready for a new book.

Good Shabbos!

Morah Kristina