Shana Tova Purple Room Families!

We hope you had a wonderful Rosh Hashana and a meaningful Yom Kippur. The Purple Room has been very busy with holiday learning! 

Yom Kippur Learning

On Yom Kippur we read the Book of Jonah. For the past week, we have been reading and retelling the story of Jonah, with which the children have been fascinated. We have read picture book versions, done felt story retellings, and done active retellings to act out the story. As the children listen to and retell the stories from the Torah, they learn to have a joyful relationship with the Torah, and also develop their early literacy skills.

Big Fish!

The children were very interested in what the big fish might look like. After reading and retelling the story of Jonah several times, we read Ocean Animals from Head to Tail, and discussed what features the big fish might have had-- arms like an octopus? A big fin like a sailfish? Flippers like a dolphin? We looked at photos of ocean animals and drew our own. Then the children used loose parts to create their own big fish.

Rylan: “I used buttons to make it have big eyes.”

Jonny: “This is its belly that is so big! This is where Jonah got swallowed!”

Shepherd: “My fish’s tail is so big it goes off the table. I used this big rock to make it balance so it does not fall down.”

Natan: “My fish has a little tail and big spikes.”

Ella: “My fish has the biggest tail. It can swim very very very fast.”

Yehonathan: “My fish is so big with two big eyes! It has lots of spikes like the blow fish in the book.”

Carmel: “I used so many things because the fish is so big! It swallowed Jonah!”

Daniel: “When this spike turns then the stick turns and then Jonah goes in the belly.”

Harvey: “My fish has a head, fins, and a tail. This red tangram is the fish’s tail. I used these metal parts to make an outline of my fish’s shape.”

Science Learning

The Purple Room talked about what Jonah’s boat might have looked like, and what it means to sink or float. They helped fill the sensory table with water, and then built their own boats with classroom materials. Learning how to attach items with rubber bands was a useful new fine motor skill! The children tested their boats, then went back to add to or alter their design. Some boats didn’t float, or tipped over. We talked about how scientists have an idea, test it, and then try again. This type of activity that allows children to fail and then try again is so important. Children need to know that mistakes are a part of learning, not a reason to quit!

Math and Literacy Learning

We changed up the math tree game this week. There are two new ways to play. One way is to use cards to match quantities to their numerals, and another way is to match addition equations to their sum.

We practice letter formation and letter sounds each day, and enjoy many stories together! We have class read alouds twice a day, and the morahs also read aloud to whoever might ask throughout the day.

Outdoor Learning

Children from several classrooms spent most of the outdoor time one day creating a birthday party. They set up the furniture, made a kitchen, baked cake and other treats, and then discussed how to share and celebrate together. This type of imaginative play teaches creativity, cooperation, and flexibility of thinking.

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Shoshi & Morah Shayna

Rosh Hashana, Math, and Literacy Exploration

 

Shana Tova Purple Room families! The children are so excited for Rosh Hashana! Read on to see how we are preparing for the holiday!

We discussed the greeting “shana tova” and what it means. The children created shana tova cards for their grandparents, which we mailed this week. This literacy activity also let the Morahs note each child's’ letter recognition, letter formation, and interest in writing.

We made Honey Play Dough for our classroom, to have a sweet new year of learning. The children measured and mixed the ingredients, and observed how it smelled and felt:

Carmel: It feels like honey. It smells like honey too.

Jonny: It feels puffy! 

Natan: It feels like a sticky, spinny thing. It smells like play dough to me.

Daniel: It feels like peanut butter, but it smells like honey.

Yehonathan: I think it feels like honey and smells like honey.

Ella: It feels like chocolate. I think it smells like a chocolate cake.

Shepherd: It feels like a sticky marshmallow.

Harvey: It feels like hot, warm, sticky stuff. It smells like challah.

Rylan: It feels soft. It smells like play dough.

We read the book, Mitzva Hands and talked about how we can use our hands to do mitzvot. We discussed what miztvot we can use our hands to do in the new year. Here are some of the students’ ideas:

“Dip apples in honey”

“Give hugs and high fives”

“Eat with our spoons”

“Give tzedakah”

“Wash our hands”

“Give stuff to people that they need. And share”

“Help spread out the morning meeting rug”

“Make decorations for our classroom”

For our Rosh Hashana project, the children made collage place mats for the apples and honey on the Rosh Hashana table. Because the students had shown an interest in combining painting with collage, we examined the collages of the artist, Romare Bearden, who used this technique.

First, the children painted their placemats. There was a lot of interest in color mixing, which led to a read aloud of the classic book Mouse Paint.

 

Next, the Morahs provided many cut out images of Rosh Hashanah items. The children collaged these items onto their placemats. These images also sparked conversation about what each item might be for-- a kiddush cup, a round challah, a pomegranate, a bee…

We added the brachot for the apples and honey, and the finished artworks are being sent home today.

 

 

Math Exploration

 

The Morahs set out several activities to promote matching numerals to quantities. In one activity, the children used fine motor skills to clip a clothespin to the number of items on a card. In another more active game, the children rolled a die and then toss a bean bag at the corresponding number on the wall. Observing the children’s play gives the Morahs useful information about each child’s math understanding. Who subitizes the number of dots on the dice, and who is still learning to count with one to one correspondence? Who rolls two fives and says, “I have two fives! I have to hit the 5 two times!” and who rolls two fives and tries to hit the 10? This type of game gives students of many different abilities the chance to play together and learn.

Literacy Learning

We read aloud three times a day. During Read Aloud the children build reading readiness skills by following a plot, discussing characters and their feelings, and connect ideas from the text to their own lives.

 

The Purple Room has been fascinated by, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, which we read aloud frequently this week. The children took the book out for a lunchtime read aloud on Thursday, and before the Morahs could start reading they were retelling and discussing the story amongst themselves. The Morahs also put materials in the Dramatic Play area for acting out the story. The children discussed who would be the troll and who would be a goat crossing the wooden bridge over the fabric river. Did you know being able to retell a story is an important part of learning to read?

 

 

Gross Motor Exploration

We go outside for at least an hour each day, and also play movement games in the classroom. Morah Shaina leads a game of tag. These types of games help students learn to cooperate with rule play, negotiate with each other, and also get plenty of energy out!

 

We wish you a wonderful Shabbos and a very sweet New Year!

Morah Shoshi & Morah Shaina 

Class Community and Rosh Hashanah

 

It has been wonderful seeing the Purple Room settle into our class routines and begin to become a classroom community. New friendships are forming, and new interests are emerging! 

 

We celebrated our first class birthday! 

Happy 5th birthday, Carmel! 

    

Rosh Hashanah Learning

Morah Shaina lead a song during davening. We have been singing many songs about the upcoming holiday! Yehonathan shared that he likes to sing with his voice if other friends want to bang on the drums. Carmel said that he liked the twinkle twinkle of the bells. We also examined a real shofar, to find out what it feels like and looks like up close, in addition to what it sounds like. 

 

We worked on Rosh Hashanah artwork, some of which will become New Years cards to be sent next week. Jonny created apple stamps, and Harvey and Shepherd examined apples to see exactly what details to include in an observational drawing. 

 

Matisse Paper Cut Artwork

This week we began our first multi-step art project. Multi-step projects help children learn to plan and alter their ideas, and they emphasize the process of creating the work over rushing to a final product. For this project, we first examined images of Matisse's paper-cut artworks, and learned about his process. On the first day, students practiced scissor skills by cutting shapes from colored paper.

On the second day, we learned that Matisse often pinned his paper pieces together to experiment with different compositions. The children practiced fine motor skills by pinning their paper pieces to cork board. Trying out ideas in this way teaches about composition, as well as open-ended thinking.

On the third day, the children created their collages by painting their paper cut pieces with glue and making their final composition. Daniel noticed the glue was cool and slimy. This work will be displayed outside our classroom in the coming week!

 

Our Classroom Community

In our sensory exploration area, children learn about measurement and capacity while scooping and pouring. They also learn how to cooperate. Natan and Rylan help Shepherd fill the biggest measuring cup to the top.

Taking care of our classroom space is important. Children learn responsibility, and to feel like they belong. Natan and Shepherd work together to sweep up rice and beans that spilled from the sensory table.

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We encourage the children to take initiative to fix problems or find new solutions. Jonny noticed that our class schedule had no picture of "home" after dismissal, so he created a picture of home and taped it to the bottom of the schedule. Then Ella created pictures of aftercare to add to the schedule. She counted the students in aftercare and added one picture for each child. 

Show and Tell is a great way for students to learn about one another, to learn how to share about themselves, and to learn how to speak in front of a group. Children are welcome to bring a special item to share on their Show and Tell day as follows:

 Monday: Yehonathan and Jonny

Tuesday: Rylan and Daniel

Wednesday: Harvey and Natan

Thursday: Shepherd and Ella

Friday: Carmel

 

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Shoshi and Morah Shaina

Our First Week as a Purple Room Community!

What an exciting week in the Purple Room! 

 

It is so wonderful to meet each student, and to start to build our classroom community. This week has been full of exploration, joy, and learning.

Circle Time is when we come together as a class. We learn so many important skills during Circle Time! Taking turns, listening and responding to others, following a discussion and sharing ideas. We also sing! Singing is a wonderful way to build a sense of community, while learning math, literacy, and Jewish ideas in a joyful atmosphere.

 

 

We played math games to practice subitizing. Subitizing is the ability to recognize the quantity of a small group of objects without counting, and is a foundational skill for number sense. 

 

 The children found a bug outside and were fascinated. We looked it up, discovered it is called a box elder bug, and a discussion ensued about the parts of a bug, why bugs are important to the environment, and symmetry. 

 

Harvey carefully observes an image of a box elder bug as he draws each part.

 

 

Ella and Rylan got to know each other better as they made mud popsicles during outdoor play!

 

Block play is so important! Children learn spatial perception, math concepts,cause and effect, and cooperation in the block area.  

 

Carmel, Yehonathan, and Natan discuss how they can make the wings of their airplane the same length on each side. 

 

Jonny and Ella discuss how to expand the house they’ve built for a tiger.

 

 

 

Rosh Hashanah Learning

We began to learn about Rosh Hashanah this week through stories, songs, and play. We learned about what it means to have a “new year.” We tasted apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah! 

 

We learned about why we eat round challahs on Rosh Hashanah, and the children learned to create spirals from play dough. Play dough is one of the best ways to develop fine motor skills. When children play with play dough, they are strengthening the muscles they will need to use for writing.

 

 

We explored the shape, color, and texture of apples, and then the children created their own apples using loose parts. Loose parts play develops fine motor skills, open-ended thinking, and problem solving. Daniel chose to create a very colorful apple. Yehonathan used loose parts to cover the outline of the apple. Shepherd filled his apple in with all red parts and added blue diamons on top.

 

 

 

It has been a beautiful week in the Purple Room, and we are so privileged to get to know each one of your children. We look forward to so much learning and growing this year!

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Shoshi & Morah Shaina