B”H

Dear Parents,

 The Purple Room Friends created the most original graggers. They collected stones to put in the gragger. Then they used permanent markers to decorate the holder. They used the amazing scissors to cut interesting shapes which were glued to the gragger. Afterwards they beaded the pipe cleaners to enhance it further. It was truly a remarkable gragger and is sure to be effective in drowning out Haman’s name when mentioned in the reading of the Megilla. Surely there are none like it. ☺

Each Purple Room Friend completed their own personalized Megilla using unusual forms of painting: foam stamping, Alef Beis stamping, straw blowing painting and fork painting. They observed the constant paint but the different effects using different tools.

The children had so much fun with Crazy Hair Day, Funny Sock Day and dressing like royalty. All week they talked about what they would dress up in for the Purim Fun Day. That was seriously the major topic of all discussions.

Who Am I?

The Purple Room Friends explored masks and what lies behind the masks. They discussed how a person can have many different facets. Everyone has strengths in different areas. It isn’t always easy to recognize every aspect in another person but we can try. The children played Who Am I? matching up the names of their friends to their eyes. It wasn’t so easy to recognize when they didn’t see the entire face.

The Purple Room Friends painted and stickered Mishloach Manos boxes. After the children filled them, a gorol (lottery) was made and they shared the Mishloach Manos they made with their friend.

The children enjoyed playing with their puppets. Here’s a song which was used with Purim Puppets:

Purim Story  Song  (Tune: London Bridge)

 

In a castle lived a king, 

Lived a king, lived a king

In a castle lived a king, 

King Achash-ve-rosh.

 

He had a very lovely queen, 

Lovely queen, lovely queen

He had a very lovely queen, 

Queen Esther

 

She had an Uncle Mordechai, 

Moredechai, Mordechai

She had an Uncle Mordechai, 

The leader of the Jews

 

Haman wanted to hurt the Jews, 

Hurt the Jews, hurt the Jews

Haman wanted to hurt the Jews, 

The Jews of Shushan

 

Mordechai and Esther saved the day, 

Saved the day, saved the day

Mordechai and Esther saved the day 

For the Jews of Shushan

 

The people wanted a holiday,

Holiday, holiday

The people wanted a holiday,

They called it Purim.

Happy PuRiM and Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 

B”H

 

Dear Parents,

 

Sensory + Purim

PuRiM excitement is in the air in the Purple Room. The Purple Room Builders researched many different palaces and then, combining planning, eye hand coordination and imagination, the Purple Room Builders constructed palaces of their own with boards, hammers and nails.

 

The Purple Room children got into the Purim spirit wearing funny things on different days. One day they wore funny hats, on another funny glasses. Many children insisted on wearing the Purim garb the entire day.

 

Social Emotional + Purim

Learning about Purim led the children to explore moods. They created different expressions with their personal play do packets.

 

This week’s Conscious Discipline focus was on deep breathing. The Purple Room children practiced deep breathing for when they may feel sad, angry or worried. They practiced the deep breathing song ‘When you’re feeling really angry’.

 

The Purple Room explored the story of Purim to try to understand the lessons that can be learned. They know they would definitely try to copy the ways of Queen Esther and Mordechai. They would not want to copy the ways of Achashverosh, Vashti or Haman who consistently made not good choices.

 

I was brave like Esther when I:

Bracha: …when I came and I was brave to make new friends. Because I was afraid they won’t like me.

Jemma: … when I was going to the park and I saw older kids and my dad helped me and held my hand.

Naveed: … when I was riding my bike outside and the wheel bumped in the bigger rock and I fell. I didn’t even cry.

 

The Purple Room contrasted the two queens of Achashverosh: Esther and Vashti. Vashti was vain and not nice at all. All she cared about was how she looked. She didn’t care to be kind at all to anyone. In contrast, Esther was beautiful inside and out. She was kind and cared about people too.

 

Comment overheard:

Bracha: If you’re beautiful it means you’re part of fashion.

 

Math + Purim

The Purple Room learned about the Mitzvos of Purim and the relationship between the letter  מ   Mem and the names of the Mitzvos of Purim. The word    מצוות  (Mitzvos) begins with a Mem. Then they counted the Gematria (numerical value) of all the Alef Beis letters to figure out what the Mem equaled to and they discovered that it is equal to 40. When they added the digits of 40, 4 + 0, they saw it equaled to 4. And that’s exactly how many Mitzvos there are for Purim!

Megila

Mishloach Manos (aka Shalach Manos)

Matanos La’evyonim (tzedakah for the poor)

Mishteh-Feast

… and all the Mitzvos begin with a Mem!

 

Thank you to Rabbi Deitsch for sharing his REAL Megila with the Purple Room. The Megila was inspected on the light table and the children searched for Hashem’s name in it everywhere but couldn’t find it. That’s because Hashem’s name is written in ‘code’ in the Megila: When the Megila states “the King’’ it is referring to Hashem! Seeing the real Megila inspired the Purple Room children to create their own Megila featuring the Purim people we can learn from. They noticed that from some we can learn what to copy and from others we learn what not to copy. This also led to a discussion about using our own mind to decide what to do. If a friend tells us to do something, we have to decide whether to do it or not. But the decision is our responsibility.

 

The Purple Room Puppeteers created their own puppets and have been enjoying re-enacting the story of Purim for each other.

 

Song:

King Achashveirosh made a big feast,

he told his wife Vashti to come.

She had tzara’as rash, from her head to her feet,

she said, “I can’t join in your fun.”

The king was so angry he said to his guards, “Take her, I don’t want her!  She’s mean.”

           

From all of the maidens that Shushan had,

Esther became his new queen.

Haman told everyone, “Bow down to me.”

But Mordechai said, “That I’ll never do.

I bow only to Hashem – Hashem Elokim,

I’m proud, so proud, to be a Jew!”

 

Song:

If You Hear the Name of....

(TTTO: If You’re Happy and You Know It) 

If you hear the name of Esther clap your hands.  2X

If you hear the name of Esther, if you hear the name of Esther, if you 

hear the name of Esther clap your hands

If you hear the name of Vashti shake your head…

If you hear the name of Haman stomp your feet...

If you hear the name Ahasuerus turn around...

If you hear the name of Mordecai shout hooray...

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 Dear Parents,

 

The Purple Room children created some rules for the class this week. This week’s Parsha – Parshas Mishpatim – discusses rules Hashem for us to live by. The children discussed why rules are necessary: because it keeps us safe!

 

What are some rules that can keep the Purple Room people safe:

 

Alisa: Do not push.

Ronan: Do not run inside.

Jemma: Do not light fires. Learn Torah.

Naveed: Do not kick or punch. Listen to Ima and Abba and Morah.

Bracha: Be kind and let friends play with you. Daven (pray) correctly.

Geffen: Eat healthy foods first.

Angie: Do not hit.

 

PuRiM

The children are very excited for the month of Adar to arrive (end of this week!). They know it means Purim will soon be here. A very big Thank you to Ronan’s mother who presented all the classes with hand painted peg Purim characters. The children are SO excited to play with them and re-enact the Purim story. The Purple Room Kids searched for gems in the shaving cream. What a fun sensory activity! Creating a crown for Queen Esther with gems in shaving cream was quite a challenge.

 

Ahavas Yisrael

This week a large emphasis was placed on finding ways to play calmly and peacefully. On some days the Purple Room did yoga and on others relaxing and breathing deeply to calming music.

 

During Free Play the children have been collaborating and creating boats and buildings together. Geffen: “We are building in a team.” Way to go! (see FB)

 

Meanwhile ,in the Home Corner, Morah Perline was asked to be the ‘babysitter Shnoozie’ by ‘Jack’ (aka Bracha) and ‘Goldie’ (aka Jemma). They needed Shnoozie to watch over their cats Christie (aka Angie) and ‘Melody’ (aka Alisa) and their babies (dolls). Jack and Goldie said they were going away for a few days but, not to worry, Jack wrote down a phone number in case Shnoozie had any trouble. Things got very busy when the big sister Leah came in with the doggie ‘Power Ranger’ (aka Geffen) and Leah the big sister helped feed the cats and the doggie so that was okay. It got to a point where the babies were crying and Shnoozie couldn’t manage and really needed help. Luckily, along came the guests, Ronan and ‘Megga Man’ (aka Naveed) who took care to put the babies in the cradle and rock them. Megga Man was in charge of rocking them and Ronan in charge of feeding them. When all was said and done, the babysitter asked Goldie if she could be paid but Goldie (aka Jemma) said they don’t pay babysitters!

 

Literacy

Some of the Kindergarten Purple Room people have been reading full sentences in the Waseca Red books. The sentences include one syllable words with the short a, e and i sounds and sight words. Mazal Tov to Jemma and Bracha!

 

The Purple Room will return to school on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 B”H

 

Dear Parents,

 

Parsha + Math

Counting in 10’s was the big Math concept this week in the Purple Room. Being that this week’s Parsha teaches about the 10 commandments it was very appropriate to focus on groups of 10.

The Purple Room Mathematicians are becoming very proficient in showing the number for groups of tens as well as the actual Montessori beads in groups of tens. They say “This SAYS _____ (20, 30 etc.) (while displaying the digits) and this IS _____ (same number) (while displaying that amount of beads). This way the Purple Room Mathematicians have a concrete understanding of what the number means.

 

The Torah was given on Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai), the humblest of all mountains. He didn’t show off or boast. He was just the best mountain he could be without making any other mountains feel bad about it. That’s why Hashem chose Har Sinai to give the Torah on.

 

It took the Jewish People 49 days to work on themselves to be ready to receive the Torah. The Purple Room children were given a choice of Har Sinai sheets to have math fun with: invisible numbers or stamping.

The children created ‘invisible numbers by writing the numbers 1 – 50 with white crayon on white paper and then discovering the number become visible when they water painted on top of it.

The stamping page already had the numbers printed on it and the children stamped the numbers with flowers or matching numbers.

 

Discussion:

 

What is your favorite mitzvah?

 

Jemma: Sharing my toys.

Geffen: To daven to Hashem and give tzedakah.

Leah: Love my mom.

Angie: Share my toys to my baby if I have a shaker.

Alisa: Toys and hockey.

Bracha: Learn new stuff.

 

If you were getting dressed up for receiving the Torah, what would you wear?

 

Bracha: My new dress that I just got yesterday in a leopard pattern. It’s in grey.

Alisa: A ballerina dress. It is white.

Jemma: A wedding dress. It has a pink bottom and a blue top. It has a ribbon that’s a bow.

Geffen: New clothes with a giraffe on it and a tiger. And tzitzis and kippah.

Leah: A dress. It is pink at the bottom and a rainbow all over and blue things on the shirt and pink right here (collar).

Angie:  A princess dress. It has rainbow right in the side of my dress.

 

Show and Tell

Please remember to text/Whatsapp a picture of your child’s Show and Tell the night before his/her day. It is a wonderful opportunity for the child to develop confidence in public speaking as they stand in front of their friends and relate the qualities that appeal to them of their Show and Tell item.

 

Monday: Naveed and Geffen

Tuesday: Ronan and Leah

Wednesday: Jemma and Bracha

Thursday: Angie and Alise

 

Mitzvah Notes

Mitzvah Notes are an opportunity to link home and school through a positive lens. The child feels the positive stroke of his/her parent as the note is read aloud to friends. The Mitzvah Notes are read aloud every day and the children are filling up their Mitzvah buckets with the notes. If you are running out of notes you can write on any paper or request more notes from the Morah.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

WELCOME NEW FRIEND, ALISA!

The Purple Room has been very warm and welcoming to a new friend who joined the class this week: Alisa Artish! The day before she arrived the Purple Room Friends thought of ideas how to help her feel comfortable in her new class with her new friends:

 

Ronan: We can teach her how to write.

Angie: We can play with and her and the animals and blocks.

Leah: We can show her the Morah and what’s her name and the Morah can say “Boker Tov” (Good Morning). We can show her how to slide down when we go outside. We can show her how to wash her hands. We can show her the Purple Room Keeping Safe sign.

Jemma: We can show her where everything is. We can show her the Safe Place.

Bracha: We can tell her what we do at birthdays. We can show her where the bathroom is. We can show her where the jobs are.

Naveed: We can show her how to daven. We can get a chair for Alisa so she can have snack.

Geffen: We can show her how to sign in and do her Morning Tasks. We can give her homework so she can learn. We can show her all the centers.

 

Tu B’Shvat

In honor of Tu B’Shvat, the Rosh Hashana for trees, the Purple Room focused on trees, parts of trees, plants and how they grow.  They planted grass and monitored its growth every day. They experimented with two trays of grass seeds. They covered one and not the other and noticed the covered one grew faster than the one that wasn’t. They decided to cover both trays to help the slow growing tray catch up.

 

The Purple Room Horticulturists also painted their own pots and planted gladiolas. They are keeping them in class for a while to observe their growth as they tend to them.

 

Song:

If I were a tree, what I’d be 3x

If I were a tree.

 

I would have a trunk (stretch out arms)

I would have branches (jump)

I would have leaves (whoosh with hands)

I would have apples (reach high and eat an apple… nom, nom, nom)

 

Math

The Purple Room Mathematicians explored tens this week. Utilizing the Montessori math beads the children built the tens board and figured out how many tens in each number.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 Dear Parents,

 

 

Parsha Math

This week’s Parsha is Bo when Hashem finally takes the Jewish People out of Mitzrayim (Egypt). The Purple Room Mathematicians figured out the Gematria (numerical value) of the letters of the name of the Parsha: בא  ב     = 2 and    א  = 1. When they added them together they got 3! Which is the number of makos (plagues) we learn about in this Parsha.

 

If you were living in Mitzrayim, what would you ask your Mitzri neighbors for?

Bracha: Lights to decorate a house.

Jemma: A bed.

Ronan: Toys.

Angie: Playroom.

Geffen: Fast cars with remote control.

Naveed: A real magic wand I could make real magic.

 

If the Jewish people weren't forced to be slaves anymore, why did Hashem have to take them out of Mitzrayim?

Geffen: For davening to Hashem and listen to Hashem.

Bracha: Because the Jewish People didn’t like it there.

Jemma: So Pharoah doesn’t do the same thing he did again.

Naveed: Because Pharoah said yes.

 

 

Tree Math

The Purple Room Mathameticians figured out how Tu B’Shvat lands on the 15^th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. They got the answer by figuring out the Gematria of the word Tu     and finding the sum of the letters.       = 9 and     = 6. When added together they found 15!

 

The Purple Room is preparing for Tu B’Shvat, the ‘Rosh Hashana’ for the trees. Hashem will decide on that day what is in store for all the trees. Will they have fruit this year? Will they have lots of leaves? Will they give shade?

 

The Purple Room know the parts of the trees. Ask your child.

 

How can we make a tree grow?

 

Jemma: Take some soil and put it in the bucket and then we take some branches, attach it together and then we take some real leaves and put it together and glue it onto the real branches. It’s like a fake tree. For a real tree I guess we just plant something.

 

Bracha: We can put some soil in one of the buckets and then we can take some tree seeds and we could put it in the soil and then we can water it for a few days and it could turn into a tree.

 

Naveed: I want to make grass. We going to need soil and grass seeds.

 

Angie: We can have some water to grow the tree with so we can make it bigger so it could look so strong because it’s so beautiful. I just like to have a shade of it.

 

Leah: We could use dirt and water and grass to make grass.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday Bracha! May your parents and family continue to have much nachas from you!

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 

Dear Parents,

 

Literacy

The Purple Room has been working on rhyming words. This is a great game to play at home. Your child can even make up some words. Such as ‘Who’s coming to supper, bupper, lupper…”! Or “Let’s all go home, rome, lome…” The Purple Room has been playing rhyming bingo and talking in rhyme to help the ear become more accustomed to the sounds of the words. They are learning that rhyming words have the same ending sounds such as cat, hat, bat…

They know that ‘rhyming words sound the same at the end’. They may not be spelled the same but they sound the same. The Purple Room Friends created an -at and -ed rhyming word list:

-at - cat, hat, rat, mat, sat, bat

-ed – bed, dead, said

 

A big Mazal Tov to two more Purple Room Friends who are now working with their Red Books! (Waseca Montessori Literacy Program) Mazal Tov to Geffen! Mazal Tov to Naveed! To be able to begin working with the Red Book means the child can identify every letter sound of the alphabet and can form words beginning with cat, man, etc. utilizing the moveable alphabet to do so.

 

Parsha

The Purple Room learned this week about a mean Pharoah who made not good choices. He was very mean to the Jewish People and made them work like slaves. The Jewish People cried out to Hashem to help them and take them away from this cruel country Mitzrayim. Hashem heard their cries and saved them by sending Moshe to take them out. Moshe went to Pharoah to tell him to let the Jewish People go but Pharoah said no. Then Hashem brought makos (plagues) upon the Mitzriyim, not the Jews. In this Parsha the Purple Room Friends learned about seven of the makos: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Wild Animals, Sick farm animals, Boils, and Hail.

 

Song:

 (TTTO: 4 Green and Speckled Frogs)

 

4 green and speckled frogs

Sitting on a Mitzri’s head

Eating from his delicious food,

Yum! Yum!

 

One jumped into the pot,

Where it was really hot,

Then there were 4 speckled frogs.

 

4 green and speckled frogs…

3…

2…

1…

 

THANK YOU!!

A HUGE thank you to Ronan Hensdell’s dad who built two wooden frames with circular holders wedged in for creating giant pixel pictures, patterns and matching games. Morah Perline has a kind friend who collected and saved bottle cases for many years and gave them to Morah to use for the  children. Ronan’s dad kindly cut them down and created two giant boards. The Purple Room Artists painted the frames and it looks stunning! (See CJP Facebook page) They will be available for all the classes to have fun with.

 

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Geffen! May you continue to bring nachas to your parents and family!

 

Please Note:

No school on Monday, January 18 Teacher In-Service Day.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline