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Shomrai Nursery Weekly Glimpse Sep 15 2017

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Shomrai Nursery Weekly Glimpse Sep 15 2017 Parshas Nitzavim / Shomrai Nursery September 15, 2017 Vayeilech 25 Elul 5777 Candlelighting: 6:58 PM Havdalah: 7:55 PM Weekly Glimpse Back to School Night High quality schools are built upon strong relationships. We invite our parents to school because they are co-constructors of the school community and we share important information regarding their children's education, what a typical day looks like, and an opportunity to interact and get to know their child's teachers. Thank you for joining us on Tuesday night! "Similar to the assortment of threads in an intricately woven tapestry, the lives of young children also include numerous and varied threads or environments such as family, school, peers, and community. The ground on which we walk, schools we attend, and retail establishments in the community we frequent are all common denominators. The relationships we have with each other within these physical locations are the connecting denominators. It is the interconnectedness of these threads that create the tapestries of young children's lives.” Sandra Duncan, Jody Martin and Rebecca Kreth in their book, Rethinking the Classroom Landscape. Daily thoughts, expressions, interests, communications, explorations, collaborations, adventures, research and discoveries, as experienced by students at Shomrai Nursery 2017 YISE SHOMRAI NURSERY Kitat Prachim Explores Apples & Shofar In the spirit of Rosh Hashana, the children are learning about apples. We read the Discovery book series that illustrated and taught us how apples originate from small seeds. These seeds sprout into trees that carry different variations. The children observed and tasted three apple types: olden Delicious, Macintosh, and Red Delicious. We graphed the taste test results by having each child place a sticker on the graph next to the apple that they liked the best. After analyzing the results of their graph, the children took a closer look at the three different apples. Using crayons and colored pencils they drew the round shape of the apple. After touching, smelling, and tasting the apples, the morah documented the results. Here are some of the children’s insights: Sophie: Tastes yummy Yitzi: Tastes yummy Gavi: Feels soupy Joey: Feels cold Rachel: Tastes good Yehuda: Tastes good Mirele: Feels freezing cold Chani: Tastes yummy Naftali: Tastes yummy Yaakov: Feels squishy Similar to learning about how a seed becomes an apple, the children explored the shofar and the process of how it is constructed from a ram's horn with Rabbi Levi and his Shofar Factory. Shabbat Shalom, Morah Siena, Morah Tara, and Morah Sigla Kitat Gefen’s Many Shofar Experiences This week our children have had all kinds of shofar experiences in Kitat Gefen. On Monday they guessed what mystery item was hiding inside a pillowcase. "Shoes," guessed Gabi. "Daddy," guessed Shoshana. "It's hard," observed Meir as he felt what was inside. The children were excited to discover that the mystery item was a shofar. Each child got to hold and try to blow the shofar (which we cleaned between children), then the Morah blew a Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah. "Please can we more," asked Meir when it was time to put the shofar away. Our shofar came out again the next morning. The children used their fine motor skills to shape Play- dough like a shofar and attempted observational drawings of our shofar too. On Wednesday we had a wonderful visit from Rabbi Levi's Shofar Factory, which deepened our understanding of what a shofar is and where it comes from. The children even got to help Rabbi Levi make a real kosher shofar. Morah Aviva and Morah Chaya Sara Erev Chagim Child-care Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succos When: Wed, Sep 20 (2 spots left!), Fri, Sep 29 & Wed, Oct 4 Time: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Cost: $60 per child / per day. (20% discount for siblings) We have limited space so please RSVP by emailing the dates you need care and send in a check to secure your child’s slot! *All children’s health records must be current in order to attend. *Siblings up through Grade 2 are welcome! *Enrollment will be on a first come, first serve basis. Messages from the PTA Teacher Appreciation Gifts Thank you to everyone who has sent in money to contribute to Calling All Recyclables! the annual Rosh Hashana, Chanukah, and End-of-Year teacher gifts. If you have not yet done so, please send $20 per child to •Baby food jars with lids (washed out) the school office. Checks can be made out to Shomrai Nursery PTA. •Toilet paper rolls Volunteers Needed! •Paper towel rolls Will you be shopping this weekend? •Bottle caps The following items need to be purchased for the Rosh Hashanah teacher gifts. •Corks • Shechiyanu fruit •Fruit/Veggie containers (washed out) • Blank Cards (preferably with a Rosh Hashana theme design or fall colors) •Yogurt contains and plastic lids • Label stickers (preferably clear or white) •Plastic containers with lids • Thin ribbon (preferably gold or silver) (RiceSelect, Talenti Gelato…) If you are able to purchase any of these items, please text Avigail Manheim (301-442-8328). •VOSS brand water bottles with lids You will be reimbursed with PTA funds. Calendar Reminders Thank you to our Shabbat Party Sponsors! Sept 20 - Erev Rosh Hashanah - No School Sept 21 & 22 - Rosh Hashanah - No school Avigail Shoshani and Family Sept 29 - Erev Yom Kippur - No School Seth Cohen and Family October - Friday Late Stay until 4PM Oct 3 - Last day of school before Sukkot Meir & Kivi Karlin and Family Oct 4-15 - Sukkot Break - No School Shoshana Friedman and Family Oct 16 - Class resumes Shai Barda and Family *2017-2018 Calendar is available online* Pictures from this Week Kitat Tamar’s Shofar Factory Experience When they entered the social hall on Wednesday, the children were greeted by Rabbi Levi and several large, horned animals. “It’s the Shofar Factory!” they announced joyfully. Rabbi Levi was present and he had a table with an assortment of horns and animals antlers. “We are going to learn what makes a good and a kosher shofar that we can use for Rosh Hashana,” Rabbi Levi said as he started the presentation. The children were amazed at the many different types of horns that Rabbi Levi demonstrated. The children were able to try to blow some of the horns on the table. The first horn was a long red horn from South Africa named a vuvuzela. Esti S. volunteered first and she blew into the vuvuzela and produced a loud sound. “This is a real bugle from the army,” Rabbi Levi explained as he picked up a copper horn. Josh volunteered to blow the bugle. That was a lot more difficult than the vuvuzela. Rabbi Levi asked the children if these types of horns are used on Rosh Hashana. “Why can’t we use these horns on Rosh Hashana?” Rabbi Levi asked the children. “It has to be from an animal,” Esti S declared knowingly. “A kosher animal,” Rabbi Levi added. Rabbi Levi introduced the children to Tzvi Hirsh his friend the deer. (One of the animal heads displayed on the screen) “He has horns,” Rabbi Levi said. There was a deer horn that the children observed. Rabbi Levi tried to blow form the deer horn but was unsuccessful. “There needs to be a hole,” the children exclaimed. “That is correct! There needs to be a hole for the air to go through,” Rabbi Levi explained. Rabbi Levi continued to show the children various animal horns and finally he explained that the ram’s horn is the proper horn to use to blow the shofar. Rabbi Levi had four reasons why the ram’s horn is the proper horn to use to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana. 1. The ram is a kosher animal. 2. The ram’s horn has a hole all the way through it. 3. The ram’s horn has a nice curve. 4. The ram’s horn reminds us of Avraham and Yitzchak who were tzadikim and on Rosh Hashana we want to be just as righteous as Avraham and Yitzchak. We can't wait to hear the sound of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. Shabbat Shalom & Refuah Shelaima to Morah Lisa! Kitat Rimon’s First Full & Fun Week! In this first full (and fun!) week in Kitat Rimon we began to familiarize ourselves with our job chart. Each child was assigned a particular job for which they took ownership. For example, at clean-up time, Miriam, the Art Center Captain, cleaned up the crayons and paper, while Rina, the Dramatic Play Captain, ran to tidy up the dress-up clothes. Shammai was our Line Leader, and Emunah served as an excellent Caboose! We also had our first Zumba class with Morah Amanda! In dramatic play, Dovid and Noah ran an ice cream stand with delicious, creative ice cream pine cones and flashlights, while Kivi was the store owner. Emunah was building a house of magna tiles. "Does anyone live in the house?" asked the morah. "A lot of people" answered Emunah. When Shammai saw the big house, he suggested: “You need a big roof.” Tehilla and Rina enjoyed doing puzzles. “I have lots of puzzles at home,” shared Tehilla. “I thought of something! I have an engine at the front AND the back, so the train can go forwards and backwards!” exclaimed David while playing with the trains. While exploring Rosh Hashanah items and books, Effie saw a shofar on the table and a picture of a shofar in the book, and said, "Look! Shofar and shofar!" noticing the matching items. We also completed our beautiful Rimon Tree as the welcome sign for our classroom door.
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