October 2018

On Sundays we will  explore the holidays and learn about mitzvot and why they are important to us.  We will also learn the Aleph Bet and some common Hebrew words through our new Hebrew Through Movement program.  ~ Robyn Norrbom

October 28, 2018

Dear Gan Parents,

I understand Jonathan Golner very much enjoyed his day in the Gan class last Sunday!  He spent most of the day talking about Tzedakah after reading  How Dalia Put a Big Yellow Comforter Inside a Tiny Blue Box:  And Other Wonders of Tzedakah.

Tzedakah is a really important Hebrew word that means taking care of people who need help.  Sometimes we give presents, or even money to people that need our help, like Dalia and her friends gave a butterfly bush to Mrs. Ross.  That’s called tzedakah.  Sometimes, people collect money and coins in little banks called tzedakah boxes, or pushkes, and all the money in these little tzedakah boxes goes to someone who needs it.

Today , I gave all the children small pouches with their Hebrew names on them.  The children can use these to bring coins to school on Sundays for our class Tzedakah.  We had a lengthy discussion about what we could do with the coins we collect.  There was a lot of talk about endangered species.  It is no surprise that children have such a soft spot for animals.

Today, we spent most of our day talking about the Shema and Modeh Ani prayers as we illustrated our first two pages of our very own Siddur. The idea of the project is to connect the words we are saying to what they mean to us.

We reviewed the letters of the Aleph Bet we have learned already and the children took home a review sheet of the Aleph and Bet.

Best,

Robyn

End of Month Wrap-Up:

In October, the Gan class learned about the seven days of Creation and Noah’s Ark.  We talked about Tzedakah and the ways we can help others.  We started our very own Siddurs with two prayers that we say together every morning: the Modeh Ani and the Shema.  We have been working through the Aleph Bet and now know the Aleph, Bet, Gimmel and Dalet.

November 2018

In November, we will continue talking about the importance of the Shema and why it is part of our mezuzah.  We will talk about Tikkun Olam and how we can show thanks for the world we live in by taking care of it.  We will talk about what is Jewish about Thanksgiving.  We will continue learning more letters of the Aleph Bet and add some Hebrew words to our vocabulary. 

Best, Robyn

January 2019

In January we will focus on Tu B’Shevat, the Birthday of the Trees.  We will talk about the two Jewish values, Conserving Resources and Treatment of Animals and how they relate to this special day we devote to trees and the environment as a whole.  We will continue to add words to our vocabulary in Hebrew Through Movement.  Also, we will learn several more Hebrew letters.

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