B”H

Dear Kindergarten Parents of the Purple Room,

The Pesach Story

The children were so excited to share their many Pesach experiences when they returned this week to CJP. Of the many recollections, the children painted one and hung their artwork with the accompanying explanatory dialogue in the hallway to share with all. Please have a look and enjoy.

The children were so proud that they were able to say the Mah Nishtana at the table and partake of the Seder with their Haggada that they worked so hard to produce.

Immediately upon their return from Pesach the children were ready to count the days till Shavuos. They know how many days they are counting. (49) And they know that the counting is called    - ספירת העומר -Sefiras HaOmer, the counting of the Omer.

Kriyah

The Shavuos vocabulary involved learning a Hebrew singular word   שבוע (shavuo), which means ‘week’ and its plural     שבועות (Shavuos) which means ‘weeks’. The Kriyah this week focused on Shavuos and Sefira vocabulary:    תורה  Torah,    ספירה  (sefira),  ספיר  (sapir) – sapphire,   עשרת הדברות (Aseres Hadibros) – Ten Commandments,   לוחות  (Luchos) – Tablets (that Moshe brought down on Mt. Sinai),   הר סני (Har Sinai) – Mt Sinai.

Art

The children created their own Sefira Counters, carefully painting a Torah in watercolor, counting and writing numbers till 49, threading the beads and wires and gluing it all together. They utilize the Counter every day as they count the Omer and the days towards Shavuos, the day of the Giving of the Torah. They are working hard on their middos (character building) in preparation for Shavuos.

Being the humblest of mountains, Har Sinai was chosen by Hashem as the most suitable place for the Torah to be given to the Jewish People. The children learned about different mountains such as Mt Everest, Mt Matterhorn and Mt Sinai. They created their own mountains which was followed by a discussion about what these mountains represent: humbleness, boastfulness/bragging. They realized that Mt Sinai was so humble and grateful to Hashem for being just the way Hashem created it.

A mountain idea is kind of like an attitude. Hashem is teaching us that we sometimes need to have an attitude of a mountain. Just like a mountain we need to be strong and brave to do the right thing. We need to feel proud of who we are and our talents and use them. And sometimes when the people around us are doing something not so good, we need to be above that and do what is right. A mountain attitude reminds us to be strong even to stand up to do the right thing.

SONG

Little Har Sinai

“I am a Mountain so very high,

I can reach way up to the sky,

The Torah should be given on me,

‘cuz I am as great as can be, you see!”

 

“Oh no!

I am much taller then you,

And there are so many things I can do

The Torah should be given on me,

‘cuz I am as tall as can be you see!”

“I am a mountain so very wide,

I can reach from side to side.

The Torah should be given on me,

‘cuz I am as wide as can be, you see!”

 

But little Har Sinai, just stood there and sighed.

“I know I’m not tall, I know I am not wide.

The Torah can’t be given on me

‘cuz I’m a plain mountain,” he said simply!

 

But from all the mountains, Hashem chose Sinai,

Because he did not hold himself high.

He had such simple and humble ways

and from this we learn that humbleness pays.

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline