News from Miss Gloria's Class

Friday, December 17, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK:  W

On Monday, we read The Hat by Jan Brett.  When Lisa’s woolen sock flies off of the clothesline, Hedgie finds it, and as he tries to put it on, he gets the hat stuck in his prickles.  The other animals laugh at Hedgie’s new hat until they, too, try on some of the clothing that was hanging on the line.  Hedgie gets the last laugh when he realizes that animals should never wear clothing.  For our letter W art project, each of the children painted a walrus wearing a funny hat.  We learned these letter W words: winter, Wednesday, whistle, weather, wind, waist, white, walk, window, and water.  We also learned a winter poem:

        

         Hats and mittens keep us warm,

         We are ready for the storm,

         Zip your coats up to your chin,

         Do not let the cold weather in.

On Tuesday, we read The Mitten by Jan Brett.  In this book, Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow.  The animals, in the woods, find the mitten and crawl inside.  The mitten stretches bigger and bigger as more animals climb in.  When a bear gives an enormous sneeze, the animals and the mitten scatter in all directions.  Nicki finds his mitten, but he cannot understand why it is now so much bigger than his other mitten.  For our letter W art project, the boys and girls decorated the W for the winter.  We talked about the things that we like to do in the winter such as, making a snowman, drinking hot chocolate, throwing snowballs, walking in the snow, going sledding, and making snow angels. 

On Wednesday, the story group of children read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.  This book tells about the adventures of a young boy on a very snowy day.  The children, in the yoga group, put a picture of the Weather Bear on their journal page.  In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to tell the group where they would like to go on their winter vacation.  The boys and girls participated in warm-up yoga poses and practiced the meditation pose of “sa, ta, na, ma”.  For their imaginary yoga trip, the children traveled by airplane and went to the top of a mountain.  There, they posed as elephants, dogs, lions, tigers, ducks, and alligators.  On their return trip, they traveled by train.  At the end of the class, each child wished their friends, “Namaste”, I honor the light in you.

On Thursday, we read Snowballs by Lois Ehlert.  In this book, a family of snow people is created after a snowstorm.  Unusual objects, like bottle caps, seeds, and popcorn are an added dimension to the creative snow family.  For our art project, the children will make snowflakes.  They will use tissue paper and glitter for the snowflake’s shimmer and shine.  On Friday, we will read All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle.  In this book, a snowman begins with one small snowflake and it is complete with billions more.  For our art project, the children will make a snowman similar to the one in the book, beginning with three snowballs, a smiling face, and clothing to keep the snowman warm.

On Friday, we read All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle.  In this book, a snowman begins with one small snowflake and it is complete with billions more.  For our art project, the children will make a snowman similar to the one in the book, beginning with three snowballs, a smiling face, and clothing to keep the snowman warm.

Thank you to Gemma, Talia, Jakob, Luke, Jordan, Oren, Rachel, and Nicky for being our super “kids of the day” for the past two weeks.  Also, thank you to all of the parents who attended the Parent Teacher Conferences.

The new Parent of the Day schedule has been given out.  Please note your scheduled days.  If you cannot be the Parent of the Day on your scheduled day, please switch with another parent.

When the Philadelphia Schools are closed because of inclement weather, the Playschool will also be closed.  This information can be found on the TV, radio, or on the School District of Philadelphia’s website.

In looking forward to January, we will be going on our second trip to the Art Museum on Tuesday, January 25.  More information will be forthcoming.

Our Spring Shabbat Dinner has been changed to Friday, May 6, 2011.  Please mark your calendars.

Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.  See you on January 3, 2011!

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 12/3/10

Friday, December 3, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK: H


On Monday, we read Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah by Sylvia A. Rouss. This Sammy Spider adventure tells how Sammy learns about Hanukkah. He learns how to spin a dreidel and how to light the Hanukkah menorah. Mrs. Spider surprises Sammy by spinning him eight very special gifts. For our art project, the boys and girls sponge-painted dreidels for our classroom bulletin board. The boys and girls had fun trying to spin dreidels. They found it to be quite challenging, but we will keep on trying.

On Tuesday, we read Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah by Linda Glaser. In this Hanukkah story, a young girl makes potato latkes with her neighbor, Mrs. Greenberg. This cooking project becomes more work than Mrs. Greenberg could ever imagine. By the time the latkes are ready to be eaten, Mrs. Greenberg’s kitchen has turned into a mess. She doesn’t mind, though, because it is better to eat with friends. For our letter H art project, the boys and girls painted the letter H and added on a dreidel, latkes, and a menorah. We learned a few Hanukkah songs, too. For the letter of the week, the boys and girls learned these letter H words, Hanukkah, head, hair, horse, hippopotamus, hammer, hide, hot dog, hamburger, hug, hat, hands, hot, and house.

On Wednesday, the children in the journal group colored Hanukkah dreidels and the story group read On the First Night of Chanukah by Cecily Kaiser. In this book, on each night of Hanukkah, we learn about the traditions of this holiday. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to say their names and tell their favorite colors as they practiced yoga breathing. We played “Yoga Light” and posed as snakes, giraffes, and frogs. During the game, three children took turns being the Yoga Light. The boys and girls learned a new yoga pose called the hawk. It was a little tricky trying to balance as a hawk, but it is a pose that the children can work on. They also posed as trees and it was easier for them to hold onto the wall as they tried to stand on one foot. For Hanukkah, the boys and girls posed as Hanukkah candles, and as Miss Kim pretended to light the candles, the children said the Hanukkah blessing. At the end of the class, we did our cricket rubs to warm up our bodies and we said “Namaste” to our friends. During lunchtime, we lit the Hanukkah candles and said the Hanukkah blessings.

On Thursday, we read The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Linda Glaser. In this book, Mrs. Greenberg does not mind helping her neighbors make latkes. She gives them potatoes, eggs, chairs for their guests, and then, she opens up her home, to make one big Hanukkah celebration for everyone. For our Hanukkah project, the boys and girls made candle headbands. We learned some new Hanukkah songs and the children tried spinning the dreidels again. We also lit the Hanukkah candles for the second night of Hanukkah.

On Friday, we read This is the Dreidel by Abby Levine. This book tells how Hanukkah is celebrated in the home. On Hanukkah, the menorah is lit each night, latkes are eaten, dreidel games are played, families get together to celebrate the holiday, and gifts are often exchanged. For our art project, the children made Happy Hanukkah cards for their families.

Thank you to Dalia, Max, Sofia, Theo, and Liam for being our super “kids of the day” this week.

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, December 8 and Thursday, December 9. Teachers will be available to watch the children during conference time. There will be no Playschool classes on both of these days. Sign-up sheets are now available.

There will be no Afterschool Arts on Tuesday, December 14. All children will be dismissed at 12:30 PM. Friday, December 17 is the last day before the winter break. The Playschool will open on Monday, January 3, 2011.

We hope to see you at the Hanukkah Happening, on Sunday, for music, games, arts and crafts, delicious latkes, and fun for the whole family!

Have a great weekend and Happy Hanukkah!

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

News from Miss Gloria's Class: November 19, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK: D

On Monday, we read Art by Patrick McDonnell. Art loves to make art. He draws zigzags and squiggles, dots and splotches, and curly cues and doodles. Art likes to display his art on the refrigerator, too. His mother loves Art and the art that he creates. Our art project was to paint a ceramic piece that the children will present to their families as a holiday gift. This project is one that all of the children will have the opportunity to paint. We learned some letter D words, such as dog, duck, dinosaur, door, down, day, daddy, doughnut, and our friends, Dalia and Dante. We also learned some new Thanksgiving songs, too, such as “A Turkey is a Funny Bird”, “Turkey Dinner”, and “The Pumpkin Ran Away”.

On Tuesday, we read Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson. This rhyming book tells how the animals, from one hungry elephant to ten little chicks, come to eat dinner at the Panda Palace. When the Palace was full, a tiny mouse came by and asked if there was room for him. He was told “no matter how many, no matter how few, there will always be room at the Palace for you”. For our letter D art project, the boys and girls painted the letter D with orange glitter paint and placed Thanksgiving pictures on to decorate.

On Wednesday, the story group read Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. In this book, the children learned that on Thanksgiving Day, we give thanks for all of the things that make us feel happy. The journal group used markers to color a picture of a turkey. In yoga, Miss Kim began the class with yoga breathing. She asked the children to name their favorite color as they practiced yoga breaths. We played “Yoga Light” and the boys and girls posed as giraffes, frogs, and snakes. Our imaginary yoga trip was to go to the jungle where the children posed as jungle animals. Both of the yoga groups had a “double-thumbs up” yoga class.

On Thursday, we read Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff. In this book, Danny spends the day with a dinosaur. He rides on the dinosaur’s back, plays hide and seek with him, and he visits a ballpark and the zoo with the dinosaur. For our letter D art project, the boys and girls colored a dinosaur with crayons, and then, painted over the crayons with watercolors to add texture. We asked the children to tell us what they are thankful for. Some of their responses were their toys, their food, their brothers and sisters and moms and dads, and their friends.

On Friday, we read sometimes it’s TURKEY, sometimes it’s FEATHERS by Lorna Balian. When Mrs. Gumm finds a turkey egg, she decides to hatch it, care for the turkey, and have the turkey come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. For our art project, the boys and girls made a cornucopia, a horn-shaped basket filled with fruits and vegetables.

Thank you to Miles, Brody, Nicky, Samantha, and Talia for being our super “kids of the day” this week.

The Art Exhibit will be on display until November 29. Please let us know if you would like to purchase your child’s art. The Art Exhibit is a fundraiser for the Playschool.

On Wednesday, we will close at 12:30 PM. There will be no Afterschool Arts Club on that day. The Playschool will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.

The applications for the September 2011—May 2012 school year are available now. All synagogue members and current Playschool families will receive their applications before the Hanukkah Happening and Playschool Open House on Sunday, December 5. Please return your child’s application as soon as possible. We enroll children on a first come-first serve basis and the spots fill up quickly. Enrollment is limited!

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, December 8 and Thursday, December 9. Teachers will be available to watch the children during conference time. There will be no Playschool classes on both of these days. Sign-up sheets will be available after the Thanksgiving holiday.

There will be no Afterschool Arts on Tuesday, December 14. All children will be dismissed at 12:30 PM. Friday, December 17 is the last day before the winter break. The Playschool will open on Monday, January 3, 2011.

Have a great weekend and happy Thanksgiving.

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

Fall Photos from Ms. Terri's Class

Hi Moms, Dads and Special Grown-ups,
Here are some fantastic Fall photos from the Kitten and Puppy Classes!

News From Miss Gloria's Class: November 12, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK: B

On Monday, we read Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert. This book of beautifully colored butterflies and flowers tells how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. We also read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. A favorite book of children, we read how a caterpillar became a big, fat caterpillar. The caterpillar built a cocoon around himself, and after two weeks, he pushed his way out of the cocoon to become a beautiful butterfly. We learned these letter B words: boy, blue, black, brown, bear, butterfly, bat, ball, ballerina, book, and our friends, Brendan, Bodin, and Brody. For our letter B art project, the boys and girls painted butterflies using fluorescent and glitter paints. The children painted one half of the butterfly and folded the paper together so that the other half of the butterfly would have the same colors and patterns. We played a movement game where the children acted out many letter B movements, such as blowing bubbles, buzzing like a bee, and bouncing a ball.

On Tuesday, we read The Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle. In this book, a secret message is written in a code of shapes. The children followed the clue shapes to find the birthday present surprise. After reading the book, we asked the children to tell us how old they will be on their next birthday. For our letter B art project, the boys and girls made a bumble bee. These bees are hanging on our Letter of the Week Bulletin Board. They look a bit different from the usual letter of the week projects that we have previously made. For this project, the boys and girls glued a B onto the body of the bumble bee. We learned more letter B words, such as boy, beaver, basketball, baseball, bunny, banana, balloon, bird, and bumble bee.

On Wednesday, one group of children read Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells. In this book, Grandma receives two homemade birthday cakes, a raspberry-fluff frosted cake from Ruby and an earthworm cake with caterpillar icing from Max. The journal group colored a picture of a butterfly for their next entry. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name a food that warms their bodies when it is cold outside. The boys and girls played “Yoga Simon Says” and they took an imaginary trip to the jungle. They posed as a train that took them to the jungle. In the jungle, they posed as snakes, frogs, giraffes, and elephants. On their return trip, they moved their legs in circle motions as they posed as bicycles.

On Thursday, we read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. A family is going on a bear hunt on a beautiful day. They are not scared to be searching for a bear. They go through the long, wavy grass, a deep, cold river, thick, oozy mud, a big, dark forest, a swirling, whirling snowstorm, and in a narrow, gloomy cave to catch that bear. For our art project, the boys and girls made a sponge-painted bear using black, brown, and orange paint. Using sponges to apply the paint added texture to their project.

On Friday, we read Bim and Bom A Shabbat Tale by Daniel J. Swartz. Bim is a housebuilder and her friend, Bom, is a baker. They work hard all week long, and on Shabbat, they celebrate together. For a letter B art project, the children made bat masks. We began teaching the children Thanksgiving songs, too.

Thank you to Oren, Jack, Jacob, Cobrin, and Kaya for being our super “kids of the day” this week.

The Art Exhibit will be on display for a few more weeks. Please let us know if you would like to purchase your child’s art. The Art Exhibit is a fundraiser for the Playschool.

As a reminder, we take the children outdoors to ride bikes and play when the weather is 40 degrees and above. Please dress your child in weather-appropriate clothing. All coats, hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves must be labeled so that we know which children these items belong to.

In November, we will close at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, November 24. There will be no Afterschool Arts Club on that day. The Playschool will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.

The applications for the September 2011—May 2012 school year will be available soon. All synagogue members and current Playschool families will receive their applications before the Hanukkah Happening and Playschool Open House on Sunday, December 5. Please return your child’s application as soon as possible. We enroll children on a first come-first serve basis and the spots fill up quickly.

Have a great weekend! Next week, we will learn about Thanksgiving and the letter D and paint ceramics.

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

News From Miss Gloria's Class: November 5, 2010

Friday, November 5, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK: N


On Monday, we read The Napping House by Audrey Wood. In this book, everyone is sleeping. The snoring granny, the dreaming child, the dozing dog, the snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse are all asleep. When a flea bites the mouse, a chain reaction begins and, within a short time, everyone awakens. We learned these letter N words: nose, numbers, November, newspaper, night, nap, no, name, neck, nine, necklace, noise, our friend, Nicky, and our teacher, Mr. Noah. For our art project, the boys and girls used glitter paint to paint on newspapers. We played a name game where each child said their name when a ball was rolled to them.

On Tuesday, we read One Dark Night by Lisa Wheeler. Mouse and Mole are in fear of the dark night until they find Bear who shows them kindness by sharing his dinner with them. For our letter N art project, the boys and girls decorated the N as the nighttime sky filled with the moon and stars. Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 were floating in the sky, too. We played another game where each child said their favorite number when a ball was rolled to them.

On Wednesday, one group of children read Dog’s Noisy Day by Emma Dodd. In this story, Dog meets the other animals living on a farm and he learns how noisy all of the animals can be. The other children, in the journal group, covered the letter N with newspaper squares. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to make the sounds of their favorite animals. Our warm-up yoga pose was to raise our arms to thank the warm, golden sun. The boys and girls learned how to play the dog and snake yoga game where some children posed as downward dogs and some children were the snakes that crawled under the dogs. Our imaginary yoga trip was to go to the aquarium. The children posed as fish, octopuses, and sharks. Both of the yoga groups had a “double thumbs-up” yoga class.

On Thursday, we read Roar! A Noisy Counting Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards. A lion cub’s roar frightens the other colorful animals away until he finds nine other lion cubs to join him in a noisy roar. For our letter N art project, the children used the newspaper that they painted on Monday to colorfully decorate the number nine. For today’s game, the boys and girls said something nice to each other when a ball was rolled to them.

On Friday, we read Nanta’s Lion by Suse MacDonald. Nanta is in search of a lion who is scaring the cattle in her African village. This search-and-find book has a surprise ending as Nanta shows her disappointment in being unable to find the lion. For our art project, the boys and girls made a mother bird sitting in her nest.

Thank you to Maya, Lucie, Maddie, and Jordan for being our super “kids of the day” this week.

The Art Exhibit will be on display for a few more weeks. Please let us know if you would like to purchase your child’s art. The Art Exhibit is a fundraiser for the Playschool.

As a reminder, we take the children outdoors to ride bikes and play when the weather is 40 degrees and above. Please dress your child in weather-appropriate clothing. All coats, hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves must be labeled so that we know which children these items belong to.

In Afterschool Arts Clubs this week, the boys and girls made peanut butter or soybutter-covered bananas in Cooking Club, they painted seashell fossils made with Model Magic in Science Club, in Art Club, they made monster masks like the monster in the book, Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley, in Movement Club, they played parachute games, Wonder Ball, and they rode scooters, and on Friday, the children sang Shabbat songs with their friends in the Pre-K PM class. Afterschool Arts is a great way for children to extend their day in the Playschool. Please have your child give it a try!

In November, we will close at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, November 24. There will be no Afterschool Arts Club on that day. The Playschool will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.

In looking forward, please mark your calendars for the Hanukkah Happening and Playschool Open House on Sunday, December 5 from 11 AM to 1 PM. More information will be forthcoming soon.

Have a great weekend! Next week, we will learn letter B and paint ceramics.

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 10/29/10

We are so excited for you to see our exhibition of beautiful paintings!!!


Friday, October 29, 2010
LETTER OF THE WEEK: G
On Monday, we read The Village Garage by G. Brian Karas. Throughout the year and in all types of weather, the workers at the Village Garage are very busy. With the help of their trucks, they clean the streets in the spring, patch up potholes in the summer, pick up the leaves in the fall, and spray the roads with sand and salt in the winter. We learned these letter G words, green, gold, gray, gorilla, guitar, grandmom, grandpop, garage, girl, glitter, and our friends, Gemma and Giacomo. For our art project, the boys and girls made fall trees for our Shabbat Dinner centerpieces. We hope to see all of our Playschool families in attendance for the Art Exhibit and Shabbat Dinner on Friday night.

On Tuesday, we read The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas and Grandpas! by Sally Lloyd-Jones. In this book, children learn that there are all sorts of special things to do to make their grandparents feel loved. Children can dance with their grandparents, sing with their grandparents, draw pictures for them, and even hold their hands when their grandparents cross the street. It is also important for children to take a nap with their grandparents when their grandmas and grandpas get tired. Most importantly, children need to give grandparents lots of hugs and kisses because that is what grandmas and grandpas like best. For our letter G art project, the boys and girls painted the G with gold paint and glitter and added on pictures of a grandmother and a grandfather.

On Wednesday, the story group read the book called Look Out, Suzy Goose by Petr Horacek. In this beautifully illustrated book, Suzy Goose is trying to find a quiet place to stay because all of the other geese are too noisy. She goes into the woods to look for that quiet place, but instead, finds that the animals in the woods are even noisier than the other honking geese. In yoga, Miss Kim began the class with yoga breathing. Each child said their name and what they are going to be for Halloween. We played “Yoga Light” and posed as tall giraffes, hopping frogs, and slithering snakes. For our imaginary yoga trip, the boys and girls used their legs as candles to help them through the darkness as they posed as scary animals in the night.

On Thursday, we read Dinosaur on Shabbat by Diane Levin Rauchwerger. This fantasy book tells how a dinosaur comes to share Shabbat with a child. This book is very much like the song that the children sing at Shabbat, “There’s a Dinosaur Knocking at my Door”. For our art project, the boys and girls made a picture of Shabbat at night. Their art work will be displayed in our classroom as we prepare for the Shabbat Dinner.

Thank you to Luke, Gemma, Rachel, Carly, and Nicky for being our super “kids of the day” this week. Thank you to all of the grandparents and special friends who spent the morning at the Playschool. It was a pleasure to meet everyone and we hope that you enjoyed our programming. Also, thank you to all of the families who will attend the Shabbat Dinner and Art Exhibit this evening. Please let us know, next week, if you will be purchasing your child’s painting. Their preschool art makes a great childhood keepsake.

Please sign up for Afterschool Arts. The children are having a fantastic time and it is a great way for your child to spend the afternoon. This week, on Monday, the children baked cookies, on Tuesday, in Science Club, the boys and girls collected leaves and made leaf rubbings, on Wednesday, they made an art project of Elmo going to the Shabbat Dinner, on Thursday, the boys and girls rode scooters and played running games, and on Friday, the children celebrated Shabbat with songs, movement, and blessings.

In November, we will close at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, November 24. There will be no Afterschool Arts Club on that day. The Playschool will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.

In looking forward, please mark your calendars for the Hanukkah Happening and Playschool Open House on Sunday, December 5 from 11 AM to 1 PM. More information will be forthcoming soon.

Have a great weekend! Next week, we will learn letter N.

Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah
Friday is Grandparent’s and Special Friend’s Day. All guests will have the opportunity to spend time with the children during playtime. Following playtime, the boys and girls will participate in circle time and calendar activities. All of the children in the Playschool and their guests will celebrate Shabbat together with songs, movement, and blessings. We will read What Grandmas Can’t Do by Douglas Wood and My Grandpa is Great by Betty Root. For our art project, the children will do paper weaving with green paper and felt.

News From Miss Gloria's Class

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Friday, October 8, 2010 LETTER OF THE WEEK: P

On Monday, we read The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. This book follows the growth of an apple tree throughout the seasons. In the fall, the apples on the tree are used to make a delicious apple pie. For our art project, the boys and girls painted murals that will be used for our fall bulletin board. Four murals, brown, orange, red, and a handprint mural, were created. Each was used to make a fall scene for our classroom. We reviewed these letter T words: tree, turtle, tiger, two, three, ten, tummy, tongue, teeth, toothbrush, toothpaste, and toast. As we sing each child’s name in, “The More We Get Together” during morning circle, the children can wave or make a movement to illustrate a letter T word.

On Tuesday, we read Pie in the Sky by Lois Ehlert. This colorfully illustrated book tells about the growth of a cherry tree. To make a cherry pie, ripe cherries are washed and the cherry juice, flour, sugar, and cinnamon are added together. Then the piecrust dough is mixed and the filling is poured in. After the piecrust and cherries are placed in the oven to bake, a delicious cherry pie is ready to be eaten. Our letter P art project was to decorate the letter P with purple paint, a pumpkin, a pie, and a picnic basket. We learned these letter P words: pumpkin, pie, pizza, puzzle, pony, pig, puppy, pink, purple, pickle, and pretzel.

On Wednesday, the journal group drew pictures of fall leaves for their page. The children in the story group read Nuts to You by Lois Ehlert. This book is about a squirrel that sneaks inside a window of an apartment building and how a nutty solution gets the squirrel to come out. In yoga class, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite place to go on vacation as they practiced yoga breathing. They played “Red Light, Yoga Light” and slithered like snakes, crawled like dogs, and jumped like frogs. For the imaginary yoga trip, the boys and girls traveled by boat to the mountains.

On Thursday, we read Old Bear’s Surprise Painting by Jane Hissey. In this book, Old Bear and his friends paint patterns of wiggly lines, dots, and stripes to create one exciting painting. For our art project, the children began to paint on canvases for their Art Exhibit display. All of the paintings will be hung in the Spruce Street lobby for the Shabbat Dinner. On that evening, all guests will have the opportunity to view and purchase the art as it will be presented as a fund-raiser for the Playschool.

On Friday, we read Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. This picture story follows Harold as he draws himself in some fun-filled adventures. Every Friday, all of the boys and girls celebrate Shabbat together. Miss Terri and Mr. Noah lead the children in Shabbat songs, dance, movement, and the blessings for the candles, wine (grape juice), and challah. On Friday, the boys and girls continued to work on their canvas paintings.

Thank you to Cobrin, Max, Sofia, Samantha, and Jack for being our super “kids of the day” this week.
As a reminder, the Playschool will be closed on Monday, October 11 for Columbus Day.

On Tuesday, October 19, we will be going to The Philadelphia Museum of Art. All children are invited to attend the trip, even if it is not your child’s regular day to come to school. Parents are welcome to accompany us, too. The cost is $12.00 per person. Please let us know by Friday, October 15 if your child will be attending.

Friday, October 29 is Grandparent’s and Special Friend’s Day and we will be celebrating Shabbat at our Playschool Shabbat Dinner and Art Exhibit on that same evening. Please return the “Save the Date/Request for Info” note as soon as possible so that we can mail invitations to Grandparents and Special Friends for this event.

Please check out our Playschool blog at http://shsplayschoolnews.blogspot.com to find out all of the exciting things that the children are doing in preschool.

Don’t forget to have your child stay for Afterschool Arts Clubs. On Monday, the children made pizzas, on Tuesday, the children made an aquarium scene with a spongy fish, on Wednesday, they made unique cats after reading Have you seen my cat? by Eric Carle, on Thursday, they had fun doing aerobics, and on Friday, the boys and girls sang Shabbat and fall songs. Afterschool Arts is a great way for the children to have additional time to play with their friends as well as experiencing a creative themed project.

Next week, we will learn letter R. Have a great weekend! See you on Tuesday.
Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, Mr. Noah

A Note From Our Playschool Committee

Hi Playschool Parents,

I haven't met many of you because I wasn't at the Parent Meeting -- we just had a baby on August 17. My other son, Jeremy, is in Miss Terri's M/W/F class. Lisa, Susan, and I are very excited about the upcoming year. I am technically on leave as the chair/co-chair of the committee for a bit, but I'm not totally out of commission!

We had a great idea for an ongoing fundraiser that should prove rather useful -- fabulous, waterproof name labels that stick onto all sorts of things (coats, shoes, cups, etc.) from a company called Name Bubbles. Every time we make a purchase through our special link: http://www.namebubbles.com/fundraising/SocietyHill.html, the Playschool gets 15% back. I bought some for Jeremy for camp and am very happy with the product. So, please buy some labels and feel free to tell your non-playschool friends, too.

Remember to use our special link, though, or the sale won't be traced back to us. Thanks!!

Look forward to meeting you!

Laurel Landau

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 10/01/10

LETTER OF THE WEEK: T

During the week of September 20, we read Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot by Sylvia A. Rouss, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert, and Leo and Blossom’s Sukkah written by Jane Breskin Zalben. On Monday, the boys and girls made a decorative paper chain to hang in the synagogue sukkah. For our letter of the week project, the children decorated the letter F for fall. On Wednesday, one group of children made their first entry in their journals. They used crayons to color an apple and a honey pot for Rosh Hashanah. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite food as they practiced yoga breathing. They learned how to play “Red Light, Yoga Light” as they posed as snakes, frogs, and giraffes.
They learned how to play “Red Light, Yoga Light” as they posed as snakes, frogs and giraffes.

On Monday, September 27, we read We Are All Alike...We Are All Different by the Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergartners. This book is filled with photographs and drawings of children and their families. In the book, we learn how children are like each other and how children can also be different from each other. The book tells about the differences in families, in the foods that people eat, where people live, and what children like to play. Our art project was for each child to create their own self portrait. Their art work will be displayed in the Social Hall and all of the children will complete this project. We learned a song for fall called, “I’m A Nut.”

On Tuesday, we read Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha. In this book, Mr. Gilly’s job is to make sure that the town is free of trash. For our letter T art project, the boys and girls painted the letter T with turquoise paint using blue and green paint mixed together. On the letter, they placed a tree, a turtle, and a spinning top. We learned these letter T words, two, three, ten, Tuesday, Thursday, toes, teeth, and our friend’s names, Talia and Theo.

On Wednesday, one group of children made their first entry in their journals. For the start of a sweet New Year, they colored an apple and a honey pot. The other group of children read Clifford’s First Autumn by Norman Bridwell. In this book, Clifford enjoys the fall as he jumps into a pile of leaves, picks pumpkins, and plays football. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to say their names and to tell the group the names of their favorite animals. We played “Yoga Simon Says” and took an imaginary trip to the garden. In the garden, the boys and girls posed as butterfies, frogs, and growing plants. We also learned a relaxation pose where we repeat the sounds, “Sa, Ta, Na, Ma” as we touch our thumbs to our other fingers.

On Friday, we read Sammy Spider’s First Simchat Torah by Sylvia A. Rouss. Sammy Spider books are a great way to learn about Jewish holidays and celebrations. In this book, we learn that Simchat Torah is a holiday for the Torah, a scroll that tells the story of the Jewish people. Each week, on Shabbat, the Torah is read in the synagogue. On Simchat Torah, the Torah is finished being read, and then, the readings begin all over again. To celebrate this holiday, we eat candied apples and march around the synagogue waving flags.
Thank you to Jacob, Giacomo, Maya, Lucie, Dante, Brody, and Kaya for being our super “kids of the day” for the past two weeks.
In October, we will be closed on Monday, October 11 for Columbus Day. On Tuesday, October 19, we will be going to The Philadelphia Museum of Art. More information about the trip will be sent home next week. All children are invited to attend the trip, even if it is not your child’s regular day to come to school. Parents are welcome to accompany us, too. Friday, October 29 is Grandparent’s and Special Friend’s Day and we will be celebrating Shabbat at our Playschool Shabbat Dinner and Art Exhibit on that same evening. More information will be forthcoming.
Please check out our Playschool blog at http://shsplayschoolnews.blogspot.com to find out all of the exciting things that the children are doing in preschool.
Don’t forget to have your child stay for Afterschool Arts Clubs. Monday is Cooking Club, Tuesday is Science Club, Wednesday is Art Club, Thursday is Movement Club, and Friday is Music Club. Afterschool Arts is a great way for the children to have additional time to play with their friends as well as experiencing a creative themed project.
Next week, we will learn letter P. Have a great weekend!
Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Miss Mindy, and Mr. Noah

A Warm Welcome to the Kitten and Puppy Class!!!

The First Full Week of School Rocked!!!



Hi Moms, Dads and Special Grown-ups,
We have finally settled in to a full schedule here at Playschool.Our Fall holiday schedule has been tricky, but the children have adjusted to the program beautifully. Almost all of our tears have dried and we have been doing some exciting art projects, singing lots of songs, exercising in our yoga/jumping circle and enjoying yummy snacks brought by our kids of the day.

So far we made the letter "A". We made this back when we were still having short days. The boys and girls learned a silly song about dipping apples in honey for Rosh Hashanah. The children decorated the letter "A" with the words to the song, along with an apple, an ant, asparagus and a healthy dose of sticky red apple paint. We also started off the year getting used to coming to our table for art projects. Some of our earlier activities included playing with playdough, free painting and coloring.



We celebrated Sukkot last week. During circle time the children learned that it was important to put on their listening ears for story time. While Ms. Terri is reading, it is time to be like "the old lady in good night moon who was whispering hush!" We read Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me by Eric Carle. A video of the story can be found here. We talked about how there was going to be a full moon for Sukkot. The moon was like a night light that would help the farmers work late into the night picking crops before the chilly winter time comes. During movement time we reached for the moon and did yoga stretches where we said hello to the sun and the moon. After circle time, the children made magnificent "Moon Masks." We painted them and glued the moon's face on. Ms. Terri and Ms. Michelle cut out the eye holes. Now when ever there is a full moon, we can go outside and look at it with our moon masks!



This Week we started talking about letter "B." On Monday and Tuesday we read a sing along with Raffi book called Baby Beluga. Ms. Terri and Ms. Michelle got out the record player and played the song on the turntable. Here's a clip. I am sure it will bring back some memories for our Moms and Dads! The children painted "Big Blue Baby Beluga B's." The boys and girls had fun trying to say that tongue twister. We also sang the "WILLOUGHBY WALLABY WOO" song. Each time we explore a new letter, we are going to change our names to begin with that letter. I got to be Ms. Berry this week!

On Wednesday, we read Sammy Spider's First Shabbat, by Sylvia Rouss. We are getting ready to celebrate our first Shabbat together. Friday will be the first time the Puppy class will travel to Miss Gloria's room to enjoy a Shabbat celebration with all of our Playschool students. During circle time we learned oodles of new Shabbat songs. It will be so exciting to gather together each Friday and sing, dance and share Challah and special blessings. The boys and girls made a collage of a "Shabbat Dinner Table." The children learned the order of Shabbat from Sammy Spider. First you light the candles, then you bless the wine, and then you bless the Challah!
Hmmm, I think we may have learned a little about "Cubism" too!!! (see above!)

On Friday, we read Dinosaur On Shabbat by Diane Levin Rauchwerger, and made some bracelets for letter "B." The Puppy class did a wonderful job sharing our first Shabbat in Miss Gloria's class. No mistake...the Puppy class anthem is the "Dinosaur Song." This coming week, we will celebrate our first Shabbat in the Kitten class. We can't wait to see what their favorite song will be!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Shabbat Shalom!

Ms. Terri and Ms. Michelle

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 9/17/10

Welcome to the 3 - 4 year old class.

Letter of the week: S

The boys and girls had a fantastic first day of preschool.
They were very excited to see their friends, make new friends, play with our toys, read books,paint at the easels, color, put puzzles together, and interact with the teachers. On the first day,they got a feel for some of the things that they will be doing each day, like putting their pictures on the picture boards, singing two morning welcome songs, counting the kids, and looking at the calendar and dressing the Weather Bear. The children learned the S words, September, school,and sunny from the calendar. We read Starting School by Franzeska Ewart and Leonie Shearing. This book tells about first week experiences in a new school. For our arts and crafts project, the children made placemats that they will use on Fridays when they are eating their Shabbat snack. They also enjoyed bike-riding outdoors on such beautiful day. After lunch, we thanked our "kids of the day" and "parent of the day" and we sang "Shalom Chavarim", which means "Goodbye My Friends". What a fantastic way to start the school year!

Wednesday is our yoga day with Miss Kim.
Before the class, we read Little Yoga by Rebecca Whitford and Martina Selway to introduce yoga movements to the children. Miss Kim begins each class with yoga breathing. As the children take yoga breaths, they lift a yoga ball into the air. Miss Kim asked each child to say their name and their age after they tried yoga breathing. The children played "Yoga Simon Says" and they took an imaginary trip to the beach using yoga movements. At the end of the class, the children lie on their backs to practice shavasana, a relaxation posture.

On Thursday, we read Show and Tell Day by Anne Rockwell. This book explains how children bring in something special from home to share with the class. In our own class, the "kid of the day" has the opportunity to bring in a show and tell object. Please ask your child to select a toy or book to bring in to show the class. At circle time, he/she will be able to show and tell the other children what they have brought in. For our art project, the children sponge painted their journal covers with fall leaves. In the journals, the children will illustrate drawings that will depict the seasons, holidays, letters of the week, and topics that we learn about in class. The boys and girls will make entries in their journals every other Wednesday before yoga.

On Friday, we read Sammy Spider's First Shabbat by Sylvia A.
Rouss. This book explains how Shabbat is celebrated in the home. For our project, the boys and girls made spiders that looked like Sammy. Each Friday, all of the children in the Playschool celebrate Shabbat together along with Cantor Rebecca Carl. We sing Shabbat songs, dance, and say the Shabbat blessings over the candles, wine (grape juice), and challah.

Thank you to Phoebe, Max L., Laura, Nina, Ava, and Cole for being our super "kids of the day" this week. If you have not sent in all of your forms, please send them in by Monday. There are open spots available in our class and in any of the Afterschool Arts Clubs. Please spread the word about our programs to your friends who may be in search of a wonderful preschool for their child. This week, the children really enjoyed spending extra time in our classroom for play
and for our programming in Afterschool Arts. The children baked peach pastries, they experimented with things that float and sink, they made Shabbat placemats, they played musical chairs and played musical instruments, and they sang some of their favorite songs and learned new ones, too.

More information will be forthcoming very soon about our new Playschool blog.

Have a great weekend!
Miss Gloria, Miss Chloe, Miss Julia, Mr. Noah and Miss Mindy

Miss Terri's Kitten and Puppy Classes Rehearse for Graduation Day!

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 05/14/10

Friday, May 14, 2010 Letter of the Week: U

On Monday, we read two books by Faith Ringgold. The Art Museum sent Cassie's Word Quilt and we also read Tar Beach. Cassie's Word Quilt takes the reader on a patchwork tour of her home and neighborhood. In Tar Beach, Cassie has a dream to be free to go wherever she wants to go. On Tar Beach, the rooftop of her apartment building, Cassie is lifted up by the stars and she flies away. Cassie says that anyone can fly because all they need is somewhere to go that they can't get to any other way. For our art project, the boys and girls made the nighttime sky with Cassie and her brother, Be Be, flying across the sky. We asked the children to tell us where they would fly, if they could.

Tuesday was our trip to the Art Museum. The theme of the lesson was People, Places, and Things. We visited period rooms and architectural spaces. In each of the rooms, the children looked for various objects that filled these rooms. They participated in a hands-on lesson to search for objects, such as a sofa, a door, a chandelier, a teapot, a jar, a cup, and a chair. For their art project, the boys and girls made an object, fabric, and drawing quilt collage. All of our trips to the Art Museum have been wonderful learning experiences for the children and we hope that our visits have opened up the world of art to them.

On Wednesday, one group of children read The Growing-Up Feet by Beverly Cleary. In this book, a trip to the shoe store makes Jimmy and Janet very excited when they get new red boots. The journal group put pictures of their favorite Playschool activities, like building with blocks, painting, putting puzzles together, cutting paper, and reading books, on their page. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite animal as they practiced yoga breathing. The boys and girls played "Yoga Freeze Dance" and posed as a giraffe, dinosaur, and snake. They also posed as the animals in the book, Barnyard Boogie.

On Thursday, we read Mole's Hill by Lois Ehlert. Mole is asked to move because her mound of dirt blocks the path to the pond. Mole plants seeds on the hill and beautiful flowers grow there. Instead of moving the hill, Mole digs a tunnel through it in order to save her hill. For our letter of the week art project, the boys and girls made a mole living underground. We began teaching the children the songs that they will sing for you at their graduation.

On Friday, we read The Magic Hat by Mem Fox. In this book, a wizard's hat moves like this, and it moves like that. As it moves through the air, the hat lands on the heads of people, changes them into animals, and then, back into people again. Wherever the hat lands, magic happens. For our art project, the boys and girls painted their graduation hats.

*Thank you to Tommy, Michael, David, Katherine, Max, Julian, and Avery for being our super "kids of the day" for the past two weeks. Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Parent Teacher Conferences and thank you to all of the parents who accompanied us to the Art Museum.
*Summer camp applications are now available. Camp begins on Monday, June 7. Please let us know if your child will be attending.
*Here are some other important dates to mark on your calendars:
*Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 - The Playschool will be closed for Shavuot.

*Friday, May 21 - Last day of Afterschool Arts Clubs

*Thursday, May 27 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old Tuesday/Thursday class 11 AM

*Friday, May 28 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old MWF class at 11 AM, the Pre-K
Graduation at 11:30 AM, and the 3 - 4 year old Graduation at 12 PM.

*Have a great weekend!

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah

Ms. Terri's Class is Building an Ocean for Graduation Day!!!

Building an Ocean

Happy Mother's Day!

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 04/30/10

The Irises at our school have bloomed!

Friday, April 30, 2010 Letter of the Week: I

On Monday, we read Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni. Inch by inch, an inchworm uses its body to measure the living things that it encounters in the field. For our art project, the boys and girls made a scene from the book that illustrates an inchworm lost in a field of tall grass. Today was Picture Day for our class and all of the children will receive a class picture at our graduation on Friday, May 28. We learned these letter I words: ice cream, igloo, insect, inside, iguana, inchworm, instruments, I, and idea. During circle time, when we sang, "The More We Get Together", each child named their favorite flavor of ice cream.

On Tuesday, we read I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. This book tells the story of how Alex tries to convince his mother to buy him an iguana. Alex and his mother communicate their wishes by writing notes to each other, and in the end, Alex's mother gives in and surprises Alex with his very own iguana. For our letter I art project, the boys and girls decorated the letter I with an iguana walking across the letter I. During circle time, when we sang, each child named their favorite musical instrument.

On Wednesday, the story group read Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse by Lindsay Barrett George. In this book, one mouse lives inside a house and the other mouse lives outside of the house. They follow similar paths, inside and outside, to meet each other in the middle. Once they meet, a new friendship begins. The journal group made ice cream cone pictures to put on their page. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite game as they practiced yoga breathing. The boys and girls played "Freeze Yoga" as they slithered like a snake, jumped like a frog, walked like a dog, and moved like a windmill.

On Thursday, we read The Mother's Day Sandwich by Jillian Wynot. This story is about two children who want to make a special breakfast for their mother on Mother's Day. Their meal does not work out as planned, but their mother has found a way of making a very special sandwich that is filled with lots of love. For our art project, we made special gifts for our mothers on her special day.

On Friday, we read Sammy Spider's First Trip to Israel by Sylvia A. Rouss. Sammy Spider unexpectly joins the Shapiro family on their trip to Israel. Sammy hears the sounds of the busy city streets, he tastes the food at a kibbutz, he touches the hard and rugged Western Wall, he smells the salty water of the Dead Sea, and he sees the golden city of Jerusalem. The children made name tags for the museum trip and they worked on their Mother's Day gifts.


*Thank you to Sam, Alex, Maya, and Jordana for being our super "kids of the day" this week.
*Summer camp applications are now available. Camp begins on Monday, June 7. Please let us know if your child will be attending.
*Here are some other important dates to mark on your calendars:
Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6 - Parent Teacher Conferences. No classes for the children.
Teachers will be here to watch the children during your conference time.
Tuesday, May 11 - Art Museum trip. Please let us know by Friday, May 7 if your child will be
attending.
Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 - The Playschool will be closed for Shavuot.
Friday, May 21 - Last day of Afterschool Arts Clubs
Thursday, May 27 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old Tuesday/Thursday class 11 AM
Friday, May 28 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old MWF class at 11 AM, the Pre-K
Graduation at 11:30 AM, and the 3 - 4 year old Graduation at 12 PM.
More information will be coming soon!
*Have a great weekend!

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 04/23/10

Friday, April 23, 2010 Letter of the Week: E

On Monday, we read Elmer by David McKee. Elmer, the elephant, stands out amongst the other elephants with his brightly colored patchwork body. He only wants to be gray like his elephant friends. Elmer tries to change his color by rolling in berry juice. When that doesn't work, his friends decide to decorate themselves in honor of Elmer. We learned these letter E words: elephant, egg, eight, eleven, envelope, exit, excellent, elbow, easel, easy, exercise, ears, eyes, eat, and earth. For our art project, the boys and girls made elephants decorated in patchwork.

On Tuesday, we read The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. This book is about a little blue engine that pulls a train full of toys and food over a mountain. As the little blue engine pulls and tugs the train, it keeps repeating, "I think I can-- I think I can". For our art project, the boys and girls decorated their letter E with an eagle and eggs on an emerald-colored background. On

Wednesday, we read Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks. In this book, a mother tiger tells little tiger to close his eyes and go to sleep so that he will have wonderful dreams of magical places. The journal group put a picture of an umbrella and flowers on their page for "April showers, Bring May flowers". In yoga, it was "kid's choice". As the children practiced yoga breathing, it was their choice as to what they wanted to tell Miss Kim. We played "Red Light, Yoga Light" and posed as a circle, square, and a straight line.

On Thursday, we read I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. This book is filled with beautiful photographs of the wonderful things that we have on earth, like the green grass, gray mountains, blue oceans, and brown deserts. We also read Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug by Ellie Bethel. For Earth Day, the boys and girls made the earth by using an eye dropper to drip blue paint, for the ocean, and green paint, for the land, onto a coffee filter. As the paint touched the coffee filter, the blue and green paint blended to form the colors of the earth. We talked about the ways that children can keep the earth clean, too.

On Friday, we read The Littlest Candlesticks by Sylvia Rouss. Abby loves Shabbat so much that she wants to have her own candlesticks. In school, her teacher gives the children their own glass candlesticks. Abby surprises her family with the candlesticks, on which she has painted the sun, daisies, a rainbow, and a heart for the love that she feels for Shabbat. For our art project, the boys and girls made birds to decorate our classroom for spring.

*Thank you to Leila, Simrin, Lily, Jake M., and Sydney for being our super "kids of the day" this week.
*Summer camp applications are now available. Camp begins on Monday, June 7. Please let us know if your child will be attending.

*Here are some other important dates to mark on your calendars:
Picture Day - Monday, April 26 - MWF 2 year old class and the 3 - 4 year old class. All children
should attend. On Tuesday, April 27 - T TH 2 year old class and the Pre-K
Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6 - Parent Teacher Conferences. No classes for the children.
Tuesday, May 11 - Art Museum trip
Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 - The Playschool will be closed for Shavuot.
Friday, May 21 - Last day of Afterschool Arts Clubs
Thursday, May 27 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old Tuesday/Thursday class 11 AM
Friday, May 28 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old MWF class at 11 AM, the Pre-K
Graduation at 11:30 AM, and the 3 - 4 year old Graduation at 12 PM.
More information will be coming soon!
*Have a great weekend! Monday is Picture Day!

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 04/16/10

Friday, April 16, 2010 Letter of the Week: A

On Monday, we read The Alphabet Tale by Jan Garten. In this book, the children were given rhyming clues to name animals from A to Z. We learned these letter A words: apple, apricot, astronaut, animal, alphabet, April, ape, age, airplane, ant, art, alligator, acorn, and Avery, Alex, and Andre. Today we made our letter of the week art project. The boys and girls put azalea flowers with foil petals on their letter A.

On Tuesday, we read Wash, scrub, brush by Mick Manning. In this book, the children learned about the importance of being clean. Boys and girls are clean when they brush their teeth, take a bath or shower, comb and wash their hair, and wash their hands to keep the germs away. A dental hygienist came to visit today to discuss eating healthy foods and caring for your teeth. The boys and girls played a game where they were given food choices and they had to decide if the food was good for keeping their teeth healthy.

On Wednesday, the journal group put umbrellas and flowers on their page for "April showers, Bring May flowers". The story group read Animals should definitely not wear clothing by Judi Barrett. Wearing clothing does not work for animals. Animals have the best fitting and warmest clothing growing all over them. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite shape. They played "Freeze Yoga" by making yoga movements to music and, when the music stopped, the children stopped, too. They also played a game where the children made their bodies look like a geometric shape. The boys and girls stretched their bodies across the length of the classroom floor, one child after another, reaching from the cubbies to the toy shelves, to make a straight line.

On Thursday, we read Angelina and Alice by Katharine Holabird. Angelina and Alice make a great team as they work together in a gymnastics show. For our art project, the boys and girls made flower centerpieces for the upcoming Shabbat Dinner next week. We hope to see all of our families there!

On Friday, we read Art by Patrick McDonnell. Art loves to make art. He draws zigzags and squiggles, dots and splotches, and curly cues and doodles. His mother loves the art that Art creates. For our project, we painted to make art.

*Thank you to Jake S., Jonah A., Lucas, Jonah L., Simona, and Jack for being our super "kids of the day" this week.

*Summer camp applications are now available. Camp begins on Monday, June 7. Please let us know if your child will be attending.

*Here are some other important dates to mark on your calendars:

Friday, April 23 - Spring Shabbat Dinner 5:45 PM - 7:15 PM
Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6 - Parent Teacher Conferences. No classes for the children.
Tuesday, May 11 - Art Museum trip
Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 - The Playschool will be closed for Shavuot.
Thursday, May 27 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old Tuesday/Thursday class 11 AM
Friday, May 28 - Playschool Graduation for the 2 year old MWF class at 11 AM, the Pre-K
Graduation at 11:30 AM, and the 3 - 4 year old Graduation at 12 PM.
More information will be coming soon!

*Have a great weekend! We hope to see all families at the Shabbat Dinner on Friday, April 23.

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah

Ms. Terri: NCECA Exhibitions 2010

Hello All,
Happy Spring! I wish you all a restful Passover break.
I am hoping to see you at this year's NCECA festivities.
Perhaps you may be able to catch one of the two shows in which I will be participating.
Here's a Link to NCECA.
There is great work this year.
Hope you get to see it!
Warm regards,
Ms.Terri

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 03/19/10

Friday, March 19, 2010 Letter of the Week: Y

On Monday, we read Little Star by Antonin Louchard. Little Star is a starfish who wonders about all of the places where it can live. Little Star can live in the ocean, on the shore, flying towards the sun, and above the stars. This is a beautifully illustrated pop-up book that has Little Star traveling high and low to find its home. The theme of our art museum trip is Art and the Sea (A High Seas Adventure!). For our group art project, the boys and girls made three ocean murals using paint, glitter, and foil. We also read Fish, by Missy Kavanaugh and Sarah Gurman. This book shows a collection of brightly colored ocean fish.

On Tuesday, at the museum, we looked at paintings of the sea. The boys and girls saw beautiful seascapes by Claude Monet and Fish Magic by Paul Klee. The children also enjoyed two hands-on activities. Our tour guide asked the boys and girls shake a blue glittered fabric like the waves in the ocean. They also created a stormy ocean scene and a calm ocean scene using pieces of felt placed on a felt board. We read Water by Frank Asch. In this book, we learn that water is all around us.

On Wednesday, the journal group made a frog for Passover to put on their page. Frogs were one of the ten plagues brought upon the Egyptians. The story group read Happy Passover, Rosie by Jane Breskin Zalben. In this book, Rosie celebrates Passover with her family. Happy Passover, Rosie tells about the afikomen, the seder plate, and the Four Questions that ask, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to practice yoga breathing and to tell the other children what they like to do in the spring. The boys and girls played "Yoga Freeze Tag" and they took an imaginary trip to the forest where they posed as lions, snakes, dogs, frogs, and giraffes.

On Thursday, we read Matzoh Mouse by Lauren L. Wohl. This book tells how a young girl could not resist eating chocolate-covered matzoh before the holiday of Passover. For our art project, the boys and girls made afikomen covers. The afikomen is the piece of matzah that is hidden by the leader of the seder, the Passover meal. After the seder, the children search for the afikomen, and the child who finds it, wins a prize. Next week, the children will be taking home their afikomen covers with a special treat inside.

On Friday, we read Passover! by Roni Schotter. This rhyming book tells how Passover is celebrated in the home beginning with cleaning the house, cooking the Passover meal, reading from the Haggadah, hiding the afikomen, and then, finding the afikomen. For our art project, some children painted their afikomen covers and the other children made frogs.

*Thank you to Katherine, Tommy, Michael, and Jordana for being our super "kids of the day" this week and for Alex, Maya, Max, and Avery for being our super "kids of the day" next week.
*Thank you to all of the parents who accompanied us on the trip to the Art Museum. The last trip will be on Tuesday, May 11.
*Our Passover holiday break will begin on Friday, March 26. We will return back to the Playschool on Wednesday, April 7.
*Summer camp applications are now available. Camp begins on Monday, June 7. Please let us know if your child will be attending.
*Next week, we will continue to learn about Passover by reading more books and learning more songs, we will learn letter Z, and we will make flowers for our spring bulletin board.
*Here are some other important dates to mark on your calendars:
Friday, April 23 - Spring Shabbat Dinner
Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 - The Playschool will be closed for Shavuot
Thursday, May 27 and Friday, May 28 - Playschool Graduations
*Have a great weekend! Happy Spring! Happy Passover! See you on Monday!

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Mindy, Mr. Noah and Miss Sophie

Class News From Pre-K Week of March 15th

Hello Everyone!

These next two weeks our unit will be Passover! We have read many great books about the holiday, and made some beautiful projects! We made an matzoh cover, baby moses, wrote in our journals and even made a crazy matzoh man!

We have covered so many letters in our Handwriting Without Tears workbooks, and are getting close to completing the whole alphabet

We have had some practice adding and subtracting, and are getting great at writing out our numbers.

Our class performed an award winning play last week in drama, and we were so excited and honored to have all of our parents and Miss. Gloria's friends come to see us perform! A big THANKS to Miss. Vanda for working so hard with us to make our play a success!!

Thanks A Million to Andrea Layden, our Royal Reader this week!

* Spring Break will begin on Friday, March 26th. There will be no school that day. We will return back to playschool on Wednesday, April 7th

Our field trip to the Arden Theatre will be on Tuesday, April 20th!

Wishing Everyone A Warm and Wonderful Weekend

Miss. Ali

Friday, March 12, 2010 Letter of the Week: Y

On Monday, we read Sammy Spider's First Passover by Sylvia A. Rouss. Sammy Spider learns how the Shapiro family celebrates Passover by preparing for the seder. The seder is the dinner that is held on the first two nights of Passover. During a seder, the story of the Jews' freedom is told, prayers are said, and songs are sung. We also have been reading about the story of Passover in My Very Own Haggadah by Judyth Robbins Saypol and Madeline Wikler. This book is a simplified seder sevice written for preschool children. For our art project, the boys and girls made seder plates. On the seder plate is a hard-boiled egg, which represents a sign of new life, the lamb bone, to represent the lambs that were killed to mark an X over the Hebrew homes, salt water, which stands for the tears shed by slaves, parsley for the spring, bitter herbs for the bitterness of slavery, charoset which represents the mortar used to make bricks, and matzah, the bread that did not have time to rise when the Hebrews left Egypt.

On Tuesday, we read The Way to Captain Yankee's by Anne Rockwell. Miss Calico decides to visit Captain Yankee. She tries to find his home by following a map. Unfortunately, she gets lost. She looks at her map again and follows it carefully to find Captain Yankee's home on Pebble Point. We learned these letter Y words: yes, yak, yoga, yesterday, yogurt, yawn, yell, yo-yo, yellow, yarn, yard, yummy, and you. For our letter Y art project, the boys and girls made a yak, a long-haired animal used to transport goods through the mountains.

On Wednesday, the journal group made an xray using a black X and chalk on their journal page and the story group read What is Passover? by Harriet Ziefert. This lift-the-flap story tells how Passover is celebrated in the home. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite animal as they practiced yoga breathing. Today was yoga game day and the children played "Red Light, Yoga Light", "The Dog and Snake Game", and "Pass the Yoga Ball".

On Thursday, we read This is the Matzah by Abby Levine. Matzah is the flat unleavened bread that is eaten during Passover. The eating of matzah reminds the Jewish people of their ancestors' quick departure from slavery in Egypt when they could not wait for the bread to rise. For our project, the boys and girls made their name tags for the trip to the Art Museum. We had the fabulous opportunity to see the children in the Pre-K class perform an original play called, "The Snow Princess Witch from the Sky Finally has a Birthday". The children chose their own original characters and their drama teacher, Miss Vanda, developed and wrote the play using these characters. The story takes place in a small neighborhood toy store where the toys come to life. The goal of the toys is to have a birthday party for the Snow Princess Witch so that she will be happy and experience the joy of having a birthday party. All of the children did a fantastic job, and maybe, someday, we will see them on Broadway!

On Friday, we read Dinosaur on Passover by Diane Levin Rauchwerger. In this book, an enthusiastic dinosaur visits a family for Passover. For our art project, the boys and girls made locusts to add to our Passover bulletin board. Locusts were one of the ten plagues brought upon the Egyptians.

Have a great weekend,
Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah

Pre-K Play Excerpt!

News from Miss Gloria's Class: 03/05/10

Friday, March 5, 2010

Letters of the Weeks: Q and X

On Monday, February 22, we practiced singing the songs that we will sing during our Purim Parade. The boys and girls will sing about King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther, Mordechai, and Haman. Also, they will sing about hamantashen, a triangle-shaped pastry filled with fruits, poppy seeds, or chocolate. We read Goldie's Purim by Jane Breskin Zalben. For our art project, the boys and girls made king and queen crowns. On Tuesday, we learned these letter Q words: queen, quiet, quack, quick, quilt, quarter, and q-tip. We read Sylvia Jean Drama Queen by Lisa Campbell Ernst. For our letter Q art project, the boys and girls decorated the letter Q with a queen. On Wednesday, the journal group decorated their page for Purim and the story group read Thump, Quack, Moo by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. In yoga, Miss Kim asked the children to name their favorite thing that can fly. They practiced some stretching yoga poses and took an imaginary yoga trip to the forest.

This week, on Monday, the children did a fabulous job performing the songs that they have worked so hard to learn. They looked great in their costumes and they felt very proud to be performing for all of you. Thank you very much for bringing in all of the luncheon foods and for supporting our programming in the ways that you do. We read I. Q. Goes to School by Mary Ann Fraser. This book tells how I.Q., the classroom pet, waits patiently to become the "student of the week" in his class.

On Tuesday, we learned letter X and the words, xylophone and xray, and words that have an X in them such as, fox, mix, taxi, exit, excellent, exercise, six, fix, box, and our friends, Max and Alex. We read Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems. Everyone knows that dinosaurs are extinct until they meet Edwina. For our letter X art project, the boys and girls decorated the letter X with an xylophone.

On Wednesday, the journal group made an xray using a black X and chalk on their journal page and the story group read Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox. In this book, Hattie the Hen spots danger, but the goose, pig, sheep, horse, and cow are not afraid. When the animals see that a fox is nearby, the cow comes to their rescue by sounding a loud, "Moo". In yoga, Miss Kim began the class with yoga breathing and asking each child to name what they like to snuggle with. Our imaginary yoga trip was to go to the desert.

On Thursday, we read An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni. This book tells how Jessica, the frog, finds what she thinks is a large stone, but it turns out that it is really an alligator egg. For our art project, the boys and girls painted a ceramic gift for Passover. The ceramic projects make great keepsakes of your child's preschool days.

On Friday, we read Max by Rachel Isadora. In this book, Max finds a way to warm up for his Saturday morning baseball game by going to his sister's dance class. For our project, some children painted their ceramic Passover gift and the other group of children made a map, with X marks the spot, for the hidden treasure.

*Thank you to Sam, Jack, Lila, Marisol, Simona, Avery, and Leila for being our super "kids of the day" for the past two weeks.
*The delicious hamantashen that we served for Purim can be purchased at Eiselen's Pastry Shoppe in Roxborough. The store is located in the Ivy Ridge Shopping Center on Ridge Avenue and Domino Lane.
*Our third trip to the Art Museum will be on Tuesday, March 16. Please let us know by Friday, March 12 if your child will be attending.
*Our Passover holiday break will begin on Friday, March 26. We will return back to the Playschool on Wednesday, April 7.
*Summer camp applications will be sent home soon.
*Next week, we will learn about letter Y and Passover.

Have a great weekend!

Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah