B”H

 

Dear Parents,

Upon return to school from celebrating Shovuos, the children shared their experiences.

What was your favorite part of Shovuos?

Bracha: My favorite part of Shovuos was when I got to put flowers on the bima and stand on the bima.

Rivka’le: I had lots of things. I got a pretend ice cream. Another thing is I looked under Bubba’s tallis and he saw me. I went under Tatty’s tallis. I got real ice cream but I couldn’t eat the cone.

Davis: When I got to see the Ten Commandments.

Leanna: I got an ice cream bar. With chocolate on top that was melted. And ice cream inside.

Angie: My Mommy likes to wear her dress, it’s black.

Geffen: We had ice cream in Mexico.

Gilad: We had dinner outside.

Jemma: I had fun with Leanna and I had ice cream bars. I also had waffles with whip cream. I ate it and I loved it.

It is hard to believe that we have only one more week together in the Purple Room. The children have accomplished so much in so many areas, academic and social emotional. The Purple Room children are finishing up their Waseca Literacy and Montessori Math objectives as the year comes to a close. Utilizing Conscious Discipline has been so helpful in many ways and the children have become very proficient at deep breathing to calm themselves (be a S.T.A.R: Smile, Take a deep breath, And Relax). They have grown so much in understanding themselves and know that they are each precious. They know to make choices, about what to eat first, to choose kind words to talk to a friend, what to choose to play with etc.

The Purple Room children are feeling a bit sad that the end of the year is coming upon them so quickly. But they are excited to share some songs at the Moving Up and Graduation Ceremony, next Thursday, May 27. You will receive a recording via Whatsapp of the graduation song to help your child practice. For the Moving Up and Graduation Ceremony, please dress your child in a purple top or white top and a navy or black bottom (skirt/pants/leggings).

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

Morah Shayna

 

Dear Parents,

 

Shovuos – The Giving of the Torah

The Purple Room Friends are so excited for Shovuos. Now that the new Jewish month of Sivan has arrived they are counting down the last days of Sefira until we receive the Torah anew on Shovuos. To celebrate Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the new month of Sivan, the Purple Room ran with bubbles in the playground (see the joy in CJP Facebook).

 

The Purple Room Wise Ones know that the Torah is full of the many mitzvos we can do (Naveed: It has 613.) The children collected their mitzvah notes from their Mitzvah buckets which they have been collecting all year. They attached each note to tape – a very long piece of tape – to create a ‘Torah scroll’. For some children the ‘Torah scroll’ reached from one end of the classroom to the other and beyond! It required focus and patience to apply the notes to the tape so that the tape wouldn’t show through. Finally, the children created mosaic covers for their Torah scrolls.

 

Song:

            Aseres Hadibros (The Ten Commandments)

(T.T.O. This Old Man)

 

אנכי ד אלקיך  (Onochi Hashem Elokecho) I am Hashem the only One,

 לא יהיה לך (Lo yi’hi’yeh l’cho) There is no other, not the stars nor the sun.

 

לא תשא (Lo ti-soh) Do not swear

זכור את יום השבת (Zachor es Yom HaShabbos) The Shabbos day is  dear.
כבד את אביך ואת אמך (Kabed es ovicho v’es imecho) Honor your parents and show them you care.

 

לא תרצח (Lo tirtzach) Don't end someone's life

לא תנאף (Lo sin’af) Don't take someone's wife

לא תגנב (Lo signov) Don’t kidnap or steal

לא תענה (Lo sa’aneh) Don't lie or tattletale

 

לא תחמוד (Lo Sachmod) is number ten, Don't be jealous of your friend

These are the Aseres Hadibros, written on the two Luchos.

 

Shovuos + Math

The Purple Room Mathematicians know that Moshe went up Har Sinai for 40 days to receive all the mitzvos from Hashem to give to the Jewish People. They calculated the Gematria (numerical value) of the Hebrew letters of the word    חלב  and realized that this word adds up to 40! The Friends know that  חלב means milk. That’s why we eat dairy products on Shovuos! Yum!

 

Which foods are made from milk?

Geffen: cheese and yogurt

Davis: ice cream

Rivka’le: string cheese

Bracha: butter

Gavin: shredded cheese and yogurt drink

 

The Purple Room made their own ice cream with milk, sugar, ice and salt. Shaking the bag was so much fun and a great way to exercise those arm muscles. In no time at all, they had ice cream and it sure tasted delicious!

 

The Purple Room Artists created their own Har Sinai. They each drew a mountain and then painted it with glittery watercolor paint, trying to stay in the line. The Friends made small cuts into the ends of paper rolls, folding them back to use for painting flower petals. Even though Har Sinai was a plain looking mountain, Hashem made flowers bloom on it so that it was beautiful when the Torah was given. They discussed the lesson we can all learn from Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai): to recognize the special qualities each of us have been given by Hashem and to feel strong inside.

 

Song:

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 tall as can be, you see!

 

Oh no! I am much wider than you

And there are so many things I can do

The Torah should be given on me

‘Cuz I am as wide as can be, you see!

 

But little Har Sinai stood strong inside

I know I’m not tall I know I’m not wide

But most of all I’m happy to be

The way that Hashem made me

 

Hashem chose Har Sinai from all of the rest

Because he did not think he was best

Let's try to remember to act that way too,

‘Cuz that is the thing Hashem wants us to do!

 

 

In addition to their Har Sinai art and (Mitzvah Note) Torahs, the Purple Room Friends will be bringing home their Sefira counters which they have been using every day to count the days till Shovuos.

 

Thank you, Rabbi Deitsch, for showing the children how a Torah is made: with parchment and a quill and how the letters are formed. The children touched the parchment and compared the difference between parchment and paper. The children had a special treat when Rabbi Deitsch took them to the Shul to actually look inside the Aron Kodesh (Ark) to see where the Torahs are kept. They each kissed the Torahs so lovingly. (see CJP Facebook) The Purple Room Scribes tried their hand at writing the Alef Beis letters the way they appear in a real Torah. They realized it takes a lot of training to become a Sofer (Torah Scribe).

 

Have a wonderful Shovuos as we celebrate receiving the Torah anew. Come to Shul on Monday, May 17 to hear the 10 Commandments!

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

Morah Shayna

 

 

 B”H

 

Dear Parents,

 

Shavuos + Math

Counting, counting. Every day the Purple Room Mathematicians count the days of Sefira (the days from Pesach to Shavuos) using the counting beads on their Sefiras Haomer counting cards. On Shavuos we go to Shul to hear the Aseres Hadibros (10 Commandments) being read from the Torah.

 

The Purple Room Friends have been exploring groups of/multiplication. The giant sefira counter in the classroom has 7 groups of 7 reflecting the 7 weeks of Sefira counting.

 

Art

The Purple Room Artists have been experimenting with different forms of art. They made Puffy Paint art, squeezing paint from the bags to create their own art. Geffen: The whip cream made it so fluffy. (The ‘whip cream’ was shaving cream! J)

On another day, the Purple Room Sculptors made their own play dough and created Har Sinai with flowers growing on it.

 

Shavuos and Mother’s Day

In preparation for Shavuos and Mother’s Day, the Purple Room children have been exploring the Aseres Hadibros, concentrating on the 5^th commandment: Honoring their Fathers and Mothers.

 

How do you honor your father and mother?

Geffen: In the morning I cook them breakfast. I make fruit and coffee.

Angie: Me and my Mommy put some coffee so he can drink and bring him some fruit so he can get going so he can work.

Jemma: I give them drinks in the morning.

Rivka’le: When we wake it’s really late ‘cuz I always wake really late. I won’t wake them up when I go in their bed.

Davis: I don’t wake my parents. If I have a bad dream, I just change it.

Leanna: When it’s time to get up I am going to take a bath right away.

Gavin: In the morning I listen to my Mom and wake up and brush my teeth and get dressed and put my socks and shoes and go in the car.

Alisa: When I wake up in the morning I only wake up my brother. I’m not going to wake up my Mom and Dad.

Naveed: When it’s the morning and it’s dark when my parents wake I’ll open the light for them.

Bracha: If I wake up early I won’t wake them up.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline & Morah Shayna