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