B”H

Dear Kindergarten Parents of the Purple Room,

Kindergarten geared up for Chanukah this week in a serious way. They created their own menorah, first selecting a tile base of their choice, decorating with stickers and then creating the ‘branches’ for the eight candles with a higher ‘branch’ for the Shamash with tiles. They know the Shamash candle must be lit first and it lights the other candles. They practiced putting in the candles into their menorah from right to left and ‘lighting’ the candles from left to right.

The read many Hebrew words and learned their meanings this week in preparation for Chanukah, some of the them being neis (miracle), ner (candle) and godol (big). Kindergarten practiced numbering the candles in Ivrit (Hebrew) with this song:

Menorah Song – Ner Rishon:

(link to song: https://www.chabad.org/454341)

Ner (candle) Rishon 
Ner Sheni 
Ner Shelishi 
Ner Revii 
Ner Chamishi 
Ner Shishi 
Ner Shevii 
Ner Shemini

We put them in starting from the right 
we add one more on every night 
But don't forget when you start to light 
To do it from the left to right

The Shamash is highest it's the ner
That lights every wick from here to there 
No other candle can compare 
to the Shamash the highest ner.

They topped off their Menorah creations with creating original Chanukah wrapping paper which will go home on Friday in time for the first Chanukah lighting, this Sunday evening.

Kindergarten found ways to integrate art with reading. They combined Kriyah (Hebrew Literacy) with Chanukah by spinning the CD dreidel over their kesiva (Hebrew writing) of two letter words with a twirl of the CD dreidel, reinforcing kriyah of two letter words.

Parsha

A lesson the Kindergarten learned this week from the Parsha is to try to approach the person they may be upset with directly, to try to verbalize what they are feeling. In the Parsha, they learned how the brothers were upset when Yosef went to his father, Yaakov, to let him know about things he saw his brothers doing that appeared wrong. Instead, it might have been better to approach the brothers directly. If that hadn’t worked the second option could have been to then go to their father, Yaakov, to discuss with him.

Parsha Song:

Link: https://www.chabad.org/608041

Yosef and his brothers took care of Yaakov’s sheep
Yosef had two dreams while he was asleep
The brothers saw Yosef, in the coat Yaakov made
They remembered his dreams and they were afraid
That Hashem’s bracha would go only to him
The brothers knew there must be Twelve Sh’vatim

So they took Yosef and threw him in a pit
There were many snakes, but no water in it
They saw a wagon coming and Yehudah said
"Do not kill him, let’s sell him instead."
So down to Mitzrayim, Yosef did go
He was sold to Potiphar, a captain of Paraoh.

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

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

I did our first assessments of the year this week. We will repeat these assessments again in February and May. We do most of our work together as a group, so these assessments provide me the opportunity to see where I need to focus and what skills we have mastered individually. I will be discussing these assessments are parent teacher conferences with you all!

We are so excited for Chanukah! We used menorah making as a way to practice skills new and old. We were able to practice visual perception as we worked to make candles that would fit in the space given. We learned to use a ruler and measure to make candles that were a given length.

With the weather so delightful we will move some of our lessons outside. This week we did our first outside nature scavenger hunt. This gave the children an opportunity to practice the letter sounds and spelling words.

I hope your family has a Happy Chanukah!

Good Shabbos!

Morah Kristina

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

Dear Kindergarten Parents of the Purple Room,

Alef Beis Literacy

Kindergarten continued to work on a long term project – the Alef Beis Story Book. They have completed Stage 1: rubbings of the Alef Beis letters and illustrating them with the stories, Stage 2: gluing the letters to colored pages in a pattern, and Stage 3: writing one-two word hints on each page to remind them of the story. Stage 4: writing the title page. They hope to complete their books next week.

Kindergarten played many Alef Beis + Nekudos games this week: Which One Says?, Go Fish for Same Sounding Alef Beis, Roll the Die for Sefer Hamelamed, Alef Beis Dials and Alef Beis Rings to name a but a few. (See CJP Fb page)

Parsha + Math + Literacy = yummy

The Kindergarten Chefs were absolute STARS this week. They peeled, sliced, measured and cooked a delicious Red Lentil Soup in honor of the Parsha and served it to all of CJP on Rosh Chodesh Kislev. (See CJP Fb page.) They were such star chefs that they just HAD to get star glasses in honor of Rosh Chodesh!

Parsha Songs:

Song: (link to tune: https://www.chabad.org/605940)

Rivkah Imeinu had twin sons, Esav was red
He was a hunter, Yaakov learned Torah instead.
Yaakov was cooking beans, Esav was hunting.
"I am hungry! Give me soup!” Esav came in grunting.

"Please sell me your b’chorah, I’ll give you soup so red."
Yaakov told this to Esav, "I’ll take it!" Esav said.

Rivkah put fur on Yaakov as a disguise
Yitzchok touched his son because he had weak eyes.

"It sounds like Yaakov but feels like Esav’s hands"
Yaakov received the bracha of the stars and sand.
When Esav came home, his anger burned.
Yaakov had no choice, to Lavan’s house he turned.

Honor your Father and Mother

(TTTO: The Bear Went Over the Mountain)

Honor your Father and Mother

Honor your Father and Mother

Honor your Father and Mother

Why?

‘Cuz the Torah tells us so.

The Torah tells us so, the Torah tells us so,

Honor your Father and Mother

Honor your Father and Mother

Honor your Father and Mother

The Torah tells us so

Honor your Father and Mother

(TTTO: The Bear Went Over the Mountain)

Honor your Father and Mother

Listen to what they say.

When they tell you something,

Do it right away.

You don’t say, “Just a minute,

I’ll do it in a while.”

Because we love this mitzvah,

We’ll do it with a smile.

Parsha Discussions:

Yaakov liked to learn Torah and Eisav liked to hunt. What do you think about learning Torah and hunting?

Shimmy: They are different. Learning Torah is good because when it’s Shabbos you have to daven.

Vella: Every single day you have to daven.

Shimmy: What if you want a animal to eat? If you need food from it you could hunt. You have to be very quiet.

Vella: It has to be kosher.

Ben: The deer are in the forest.

Shimmy: You can find them in the farm.

Jonah: They are in the snow.

Vella: It’s not fun to kill animals at all. Learning Torah is better than hunting.

Jonah: We don’t use our ‘yadayim’ (hands) like Eisav did.

We learned about Yitzchok this week and how he became blind. How can you help a blind person?

Jonah: Just give them what they need. You could ask them.

Nosson: Help them find their way where they’re going. Ask them ‘where do you want to go’.

Jonah: They don’t know what cereal they need. You could ask them again.

Shimmy: What if they need another thing? You could ask them again. You could get it from the shelf that’s way too high.

Nosson: Or you could ask your Tatty to put you on his shoulders and then you could reach it.

Ben: If they need help getting the paint and they don’t know where the paint is we could get it for them. We could also ask what we can do and we can put it in a cart and we could drive them home. We could make a picture for them. They don’t know whichever color it is.

Jonah: You could ask what color they need and you could pick the color for them.

Even though Eisav did not make good choices, one Mitzvah he kept was Kibud Av Va’Em – Honoring your father and mother. What are ways you could honor your father and mother?

Nosson: If they ask you to go to bed, you have to go to bed.

Jonah: What if you’re not tired?

Nosson: You have to still.

Shimmy: You just listen.

Shimmy: You could say hello to them.

Nosson: If your parents came from a long trip you could give them some food.

Ben: When they’re sick you can give them something like a gift. Like a paintbrush and paint. And a pink paper.

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

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

This week our overall theme was transportation. We used this theme to review shapes and work on our fine motor skills. Students traced the shapes to make a helicopter, boat, bus and truck and place them in a large picture. Each student also created a picture book using pictures of different types of transportation.

We added new sight words to our list. This week we worked on do, many and how. Our journal writing this week asked, “How many do you see?” We used different picture to look at and count objects. If you want to work on sight words at home the current list is she, he, we, see, like, and, the, do, many and how. Practicing these words with flash cards isn't the only way to practice. Ask your child to read the word when you see them in your daily life. You can write them in fun ways, like with shaving cream, and have the student read the word.  Our other big accomplishment was learning about nouns and verbs. We practiced by categorizing them and even acting out the verbs.

Starting next week your child will be bringing home a book to read at the start of the week. Please practice reading this book during the week and return on Friday.

We practiced place value again this week. We did a great job writing numbers in the tens and ones column and even writing in expanded notation. Our number writing is improving every day! We had fun with play doh made with Morah Perline to practice the correct shape of numbers.

Good Shabbos!

Morah Kristina