www.hebrewacademypreschool.org | Blogs | 3's Class - Miss Lisa

Miss Lisa - 3's Class

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 1:49:00 PM

What an incredible group of children it has been my privilege to learn and grow with this year. Each child brought their own unique personality, strengths, and spark to our classroom family, making our days together special.

It has been wonderful to watch their growth and development from the beginning of the year to now. Each child has learned, accomplished, and overcome so much throughout the year. They have worked hard, shown kindness, built friendships, and gained confidence in their abilities. It has been rewarding to see their efforts and achievements throughout the year.

Thank you to our families for partnering with me throughout the year and working together to support your child’s individual needs. Your trust, communication, and involvement have been essential in bridging home and school during these important early childhood years. The strong connections we build together now help create a foundation for lifelong learning and success. I wish all of our families a happy, safe, and fun-filled summer! ☀️

Miss Lisa - 3's Class

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 1:16:00 PM

Our classroom is excited to observe the fascinating life cycle of ladybugs! We began with ladybug larvae and will watch as they transform into pupae and then emerge as adult ladybug beetles. Through this hands-on science experience, children are learning about life cycles, growth and change, the needs of living things and developing an appreciation for the wonders of nature.

We made predictions as to when our pinto beans will sprout:

Dustin: very long
Tzvi: minutes
Nina: a hundred
Lucien: 20 months
Sonya: just 20 minutes, my dad said 20 minutes
Mason: 14
Sophie: maybe 2 maybe?
Quincy: I it’s like 5 miles
Alex: a tiny one
Shalom: like 15 minutes
Ezra: maybe 5 minutes

We are looking forward to our Year-End Performance and the opportunity for the children to share their dance with their families. The children are excited to perform and have been enjoying practicing together. As with any preschool performance, we never know exactly what will happen on the big day—and that’s what makes it so special! Whatever unfolds, we’re sure it will be a fun, memorable, and adorable experience for everyone.

Have a great weekend

Miss Lisa - 3's Class

Fri, 29 May 2026 1:52:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

Children explored a variety of loose parts including wooden blocks, tiles, stones, and tiny animals. As they designed and built their own creations, they practiced problem-solving, planning, and spatial awareness. Many children created imaginative stories to accompany their structures, strengthening language development, creativity, and social communication skills. Open-ended materials like loose parts encourage divergent thinking and awareness of the different texture, shapes, and weight. They also allow children to express their unique ideas in meaningful ways.

Children have been exploring pinto beans in a variety of ways as we learn about plant growth. They examined dried beans in the science center, observed the changes that occurred after the beans were soaked overnight, and set up bean sprouts in baggies with wet paper towels placed in the window. Through careful observation, children are learning about the stages of plant development, making predictions, and noticing how roots emerge before the sprout begins to grow.

Have a great weekend

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Thu, 21 May 2026 12:44:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

This week the children explored a variety of textured pegs and pegboards, strengthening fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving. They also enjoyed our Honey Tree Kerplunk game, carefully placing skinny leaves into tiny openings, which helped build concentration, patience, and one-to-one correspondence skills in a fun and engaging way.

We have also continued observing the changes taking place in the cut vegetables we are sprouting in the classroom. The children are excited to check on their growth each day and notice new roots, sprouts, and other changes as we learn more about how plants grow.

Have a great long weekend!

FROM MORAH CHANIE

We are ready for Shavuous!! We counted all the way up to 49! We counted every day since we came back to school after Pesach. Shavuout is celebrating the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai ( Mt. Sinai). We read Shavuos Guess Who? by Ariella Stern, When The World Was Quiet by Phyllis Nutkis, & Dovid the Little Shepherd by Dina Rosenfeld.

We were very excited to take home our flowers to help decorate the house for Shavuous just like the flowers that miraculously appeared on Har Sinai at the giving of the Torah.

Chag Sameach! & Shabbat Shalom!

Miss Lisa - 3's Class

Fri, 15 May 2026 11:13:00 AM

FROM MISS LISA

One of our art choices this week was squeezing colored glue onto paper and creating collages with foam insects and shapes. I have noticed that some of our tactile defensive students, as well as those who are not always drawn to art activities, are spending more time at the table because they really enjoy the squeezing process.

This activity offers great hand and wrist strengthening while also encouraging creativity and sensory exploration. It has been especially meaningful to see some of our sensory-sensitive friends gently step outside of their comfort zones and invest time in their work. Their pride and confidence is palpable as they admire and discuss their work.

We placed celery stalks into containers filled with water and food coloring, then observed how quickly the leaves absorbed the colored water and changed into bright shades of green, blue, red, and yellow. Through this experiment, the students explored observation skills, prediction making, and early science concepts such as absorption and how water travels through plants.

We are learning about plant life cycles and exploring how plants grow from seeds into mature plants. The students observed how seeds first grow roots downward to absorb water, then sprout upward through the soil toward the sunlight. We also cut an onion, carrot tops, and the base of a celery bunch and placed them in water so we can observe the changes and new growth that take place over time. Through these hands-on experiences, the children are building observation skills, patience, and an understanding of how living things grow and change.

We read The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. It shows how the tree first grows leaves, then flowers that will turn into fruit. It also showed us how insects help pollinate the flowers. It is a fun way to learn about where our delicious food comes from and the life cycles in nature.

Have a great weekend

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie 3's Class

Fri, 8 May 2026 2:11:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

Miss Deja and I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the thoughtful gifts, kind notes, and sweet gestures during Teacher Appreciation Week. Your generosity and support truly mean so much to us. We feel very appreciated and are so grateful to be part of such a caring classroom community. Thank you for thinking of us!

Mother’s Day Tea
Thank you to all of the mothers and special guests who were able to attend our Mother’s Day tea. The children were incredibly excited to make and serve your bagels, give you their special gifts, and proudly show you around the classroom. It was such a sweet morning filled with smiles, excitement, and meaningful moments. We loved sharing this special time with you!

The students have been very interested in open-ended creative projects lately. Tape, scissors, crayons, markers, stickers, and tongue depressors have all been highly requested as they bring their ideas to life. They are so proud of their unique creations and I love the confidence they show while working. These experiences support fine motor development, creativity, problem-solving, self-esteem, and independence in ways that are very meaningful for their developmental stage.

Have a great weekend

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 1 May 2026 11:51:00 AM

FROM MISS LISA

Science / Sensory Exploration
We revisited the concept of sink and float using our micro dramatic bugs. The children made predictions about whether each bug would sink or float, then tested their ideas in water. This hands-on activity encouraged curiosity, observation, and early scientific thinking. As they experimented, the students strengthened skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and making predictions. The vast majority were sinkers. The next day we used all the toys in an aquarium set I would put out after. What we found especially interesting was that the micro dramatic adults floated while the children and babies sank. I was utterly stumped until it was explained to me: the babies haven’t learned to swim yet. Duh, Miss Lisa!

Dramatic Play / Sensory Exploration
Our classroom aquarium came to life with a hands-on water play setup featuring a variety of marine animals, people figures, and small containers for a “touch tank” experience. The children explored which items sink or float as they engaged in socio-dramatic play.They created their own stories and roles, strengthening imagination and social development. This activity also supported turn-taking, cooperation, and communication with peers. We practiced following classroom expectations, especially working together to keep the water safely in the tubs, helping build self-regulation and responsibility.

Special Event Reminder
Friday, May 8th is our Mother’s Day Tea, and we hope to see you there! The students are so excited to share the special gifts they’ve made and will be taking your order to prepare a bagel just the way you like it.

Some children may have a hard time saying goodbye again after the event, and that’s completely normal. Please feel free to let us know if you’d like support—we’re always happy to help make the transition as smooth and comforting as possible. We do encourage a warm, clear goodbye rather than sneaking away, as this helps your child feel secure and builds trust during separation.

Have a wonderful weekend

FROM MORAH CHANIE

We have been talking about Rabbi Akiva (who did not know who to read and decided to go to school when he was 40 years old). Rabbi Akiva became a great scholar and Rabbi. We sing a song about Rabbi Akiva every day at circle time. He was known for the saying "Love your fellow as yourself".

We also spoke about Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai, he was a student of Rabbi Akiva. Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai lived in a cave for 13 years with his son and studied Torah. We celebrate Lag B'omer this coming Wednesday in his honor. (Picnics, barbques, parades, bonfires etc.)

Have a great Shabbos! Shabbat Shalom!

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:21:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

Spring has sprung, bringing with it the delightful world of bugs! Our science center is buzzing with curiosity as students explore photos of many different kinds of insects. They’re getting hands-on with life cycle figures of bees, ladybugs, and butterflies, helping them understand how these fascinating creatures grow and change. We also have a variety of real bugs preserved in resin, along with rocks and wooden pieces, giving children plenty of opportunities to observe, touch, and discover the tiny wonders of nature.

During group time, we’ve been having fun with our colored bugs while building important thinking skills. We played “Guess What’s Missing,” which encourages observation and memory, and continued practicing pattern recognition. We started with simple patterns by type of bug, such as beetle, fly, beetle, fly, and then moved on to color patterns like green, yellow, yellow, green. The students are becoming quick thinkers and are getting very confident in predicting what comes next!

Our sensory area has been full of rich, hands-on exploration! We’re using rainbow-colored dried garbanzo beans in our trays, where students are scooping, filling, and pouring while building coordination and focus. Porcelain bowls and glass mugs add weight and new tactile experiences, encouraging thoughtful play. We’ve also hidden tiny micro dramatic play animals in the beans, turning the activity into a fun challenge that supports visual discrimination, concentration, and the all-important pincer grasp.

We also offer good old-fashioned H2O as a sensory option. Especially after coming in from the playground, water play provides a calming, grounding experience for children who may need a moment to relax and reset before transitioning back into the classroom.

Have a wonderful weekend

FROM MORAH CHANIE

On Wednesday we celebrated Israel. We decorated crowns, pretended to go to Israel and then we had a parade. We also decored cupcakes with blue frosting.

We learned about the story of Rabbi Akiva who did not go to school so he could not read. When he was older he went to school and started learning with the small children it was hard for him but he kept on trying. He later became a great Rabbi.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:03:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

I hope you all had a great Pesach break. The children were definitely excited to be back. During the week we kept activities simple so we could re-acclimate to our school routines.

Our Classroom

This week, we worked on letter recognition and matching through a fun and engaging group activity. Using our magnetic train set, each train car displayed a letter, and the children selected animal toppers with the corresponding letters to build the train in order. Since each child had several toppers to choose from, they practiced carefully distinguishing and matching the correct letters.

We followed this activity with a story, and before we knew it, we had spent nearly forty minutes learning together as a group! It’s been wonderful to see how much their attention spans have grown. At the beginning of the year, staying engaged for ten minutes during circle time felt like a big success—now they are focused, participating, and enjoying extended learning experiences together.

Math Exploration Through Puzzles

Since the students have become so confident and skilled with puzzles, I introduced our fraction puzzles this week. We explored three different shapes—a circle, triangle, and square—each divided into equal parts. The children worked to assemble the pieces to create one complete shape, using halves, thirds, and fourths.

Through this activity, they are learning about early math concepts such as part-to-whole relationships, fractions, spatial awareness, and problem-solving. They are also strengthening their critical thinking skills as they figure out how the pieces fit together to form a complete shape.

Fine Motor Fun

We worked on our proficiency with scissors and finger dexterity by stretching rubber bands on geoboards and then snipping them with scissors causing the bands to launch in the air. The students that typically struggle with cutting persisted with the task because the outcome was so fun.

Have a great weekend

FROM MORAH CHANIE

Welcome back! It was great to see how happy the children were to see each other after the Pesach break. We are counting the Omer. We count the days from the second day of Pesach until the next big holiday - Shavuout. We have a lot going on in the next few weeks. We will be learning about Israel, Lag B'Omer and then Shavuout!!

Have a great Shabbos! Shabbat Shalom!

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:20:00 PM

FROM MORAH CHANIE

We all had lots of fun preparing for Pesach. The "prop" box should contain everything (except food items) that your child would need for the Seder. Please save it for the Seder so the children will feel special. I wish you all a Happy Pesach & Shabbat Shalom!

FROM MISS LISA

Cooperative dramatic play has become very popular in our classroom lately, both indoors and outside. We are seeing the children work together as firefighters, building a fire truck with the large blocks on the outdoor stage, pretending to be construction workers, and even using spray bottles outside to create their own hair salon. Through this kind of imaginative play, the children are collaborating, negotiating roles, and building shared storylines together. Dramatic play strengthens language development, social-emotional skills, problem-solving, creativity, perspective-taking, and self-regulation. It also supports confidence, cooperation, flexible thinking, and early planning skills as children learn to work through ideas and scenarios with one another.

The students are also learning that compromise is essential to playing with a group. There is give and take and we respect each other’s feelings and choices in the play. The conflicts that naturally arise are teachable moments and great opportunities for problem solving.

Have a wonderful Pesach break

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:04:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

We have been focusing our attention on birds lately, and the interest has taken flight. Our science center is filled with bird photos and micro-dramatic bird figures, while nearby, children are using small blocks to build “nests,” strengthening their creativity and early engineering skills. Bird stickers have been a popular addition to our artwork, supporting fine motor development and self-expression.

A favorite group activity was “Tape the Feather on the Bird,” which encouraged body awareness, spatial reasoning, and cooperative play. In our sensory trays, children explored birdseed alongside tiny birds, scoopers, bowls, and lidded cups—an experience rich in sensory input that also builds hand-eye coordination, focus, and early math skills such as measuring, filling, and comparing.

Our bird gallery features photos of the egg hatching process, and the addition of chicken life cycle figures has sparked curiosity and scientific thinking. This naturally led to many conversations about eggs and the animals that hatch from them, prompting us to introduce the frog life cycle in our science center as well. Through these explorations, children are developing observation skills, making connections, and beginning to understand life cycles in a meaningful, hands-on way.

We also enjoyed reading “Who’s Egg?”, a fun and interactive book where children used clues from both the text and illustrations to guess which animal was inside each egg. This inspired a classroom favorite: “I’m thinking of an animal…” where we give clues and try to guess. Games like this strengthen language development, listening skills, memory, and critical thinking, as children learn to use descriptive language, make predictions, and draw on prior knowledge.

It has been wonderful to see the incredible cognitive and developmental growth that has taken place since the beginning of the school year.

Have a wonderful weekend

FROM MORAH CHANIE

Our class is enjoying working on our “Pesach Prop Box” and learning the Ma Nishtana. The excitement is building as we get ready to celebrate the Pesach holiday!

Shabbat Shalom!!

Miss Lisa & Morah Mimi

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:54:00 AM

FROM MISS LISA

Our exploration of sink and float continued this week. The children were excited to test new materials and make predictions. We discovered that all of the pretend food floated, while the Hot Wheels cars sank. When we tested the micro-dramatic people and animals, the results were mixed—some floated and some sank—which led to lots of curiosity and discussion about why that might happen.

To extend the investigation, we brought the activity into choice time with small trays of water. The trays included cups, droppers, sea animals, sea glass, and containers with lids. The children explored filling containers, squeezing droppers, and experimenting with putting objects that sink into objects that float to see what would happen. This open-ended exploration encouraged problem solving, prediction, observation, and early scientific thinking.

In our sensory center, the children enjoyed playing with slime. This activity supports sensory processing, strengthens fine motor skills, builds hand muscles needed for writing, and encourages creativity and language as children describe the texture and experiment with stretching, pulling, and shaping the slime.It is extremely therapeutic for many of the children, while others shiver at the mere sight of it. We are who we are, right? What’s important is providing a variety of sensory activities so children can discover which ones are most engaging and meaningful for them.

Please remember a water bottle and provide extra clothes when needed. We engage in spray bottle play almost daily and sometimes have the water on in the sandbox. Three year olds tend to marinate in their work.

Have a great weekend!

FROM MORAH MIMI

We have already started going through the story of Pesach. As we shared different details, the children’s facial expressions were fantastic! You could see how excited they were to feel the story come alive. We will continue learning about Pesach in interactive ways through songs, puppets, and tactile items.

We have been introduced to the famous Pesach songs that we can’t wait to share!
We enjoyed our model Seder, trying crunchy matzah, bitter herbs (don’t worry, they weren’t too bitter!), egg, and potato. We also talked about the symbolism of each food.

We started learning the first question of the Ma Nishtana.
Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Miss Lisa - 3's class

Fri, 6 Mar 2026 5:56:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

We had so much fun on Purim, thank you to the families that could make it. To those that couldn’t, I assure you that your child had a blast and there will more than likely be another one next year!

Science

During group time this week we explored the classic science question: What sinks and what floats? We have been doing it daily, switching up the items and will continue for as long as they remain interested.

Each day, the children chose two items to test in our water tub. Our collection included real and plastic acorns and leaves, corks, mini pinecones, feathers, Legos, marbles, rocks, and Connect Four tokens. Before placing each item in the water, the children made predictions about whether it would sink or float, then carefully observed the results. A particularly exciting discovery was that some objects floated for a while and then slowly sank!

This activity supports many areas of development. Children practice scientific thinking as they predict, test, and observe outcomes. They strengthen language skills by explaining their ideas and describing what they see, while also building curiosity, comparison skills, problem solving, and early critical thinking as they explore how the physical world works.

Puzzlers

Interest in puzzles has recently popped up all around the classroom! While many children have always enjoyed them, lately almost everyone has been gravitating toward our puzzle shelves. We have puzzles at a variety of levels, and many of the children are now working independently—or with a little support—on puzzles with as many as 24 interlocking pieces.

Working puzzles supports many areas of development. Children strengthen problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they figure out where pieces fit. They practice visual discrimination and spatial awareness by noticing shapes, colors, and patterns. Puzzles also build concentration, perseverance, and memory, while the physical act of manipulating pieces develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It has been wonderful to see the children so engaged and proud of their accomplishments. I also see wonderful cooperation and kindness as friends come to help one another.

Have a wonderful weekend

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie - 3's Class

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:47:00 AM

FROM MISS LISA

We have been learning about nocturnal animals. In our Science Center, the children explored photographs of nocturnal animals and looked closely at their unique features. We played a fun game of “Guess What’s Missing?” using our nocturnal micro dramatic animals to strengthen observation and recall skills. It is so cute when I can see a child is picturing the animal but the name is not coming. Their face lights up and they say “Oh! Oh!” I say “your brain could see it, huh?”

In art, we created beautiful night skies by rolling golf balls in gold and silver paint on black paper, then adding a sprinkle of glitter to make the stars shine. This activity supported imagination, gross motor development, and sensory exploration.

Our sensory table features black sand with miniature nocturnal animals, along with stone crescent moons and stars. The children are engaging in imaginative play, as they sift, scoop and pour our own little nighttime world.

Skills enhanced: observation, critical thinking, sensory processing, fine motor development, creativity, and expressive language.

Weather permitting, we are engaging in mud play in our sandbox. I typically have them change into their extra clothes, hang dry the wet ones, then put them back into the original clothing. Please make sure that your child has a complete change of clothes daily.

Have a wonderful weekend!

FROM MORAH CHANIE

We learned about the four special mitzvahs of Purim: hearing the megillah, giving gifts of food to at least one friend, giving tzedakah to two poor people, and finally, eating a Purim feast.

This week's Purim song:

King Achashverosh made a great feast,

He told his wife Vasti to come,

She had many pimples, one hundred at least,

She said I can’t join in your fun.

The king was so angry, he said to his guard,

“Take her, I don’t want her, she’s mean.”

And from all the ladies that Shushan now had

Esther became the new queen.

Haman told everyone, “Bow down to me.”

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

I bow only to Hashem, Hashem Elokim

and I’m proud, so proud to be a Jew.”

We hope to see you all on Purim!

Shabbat Shalom!!

Miss Lisa & Morah Chanie- 3's Class

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:38:00 PM

FROM MISS LISA

Our Science Center has been full of hands-on discovery. We recently added a scale along with a collection of rocks, crystals, acorns, and mini pine cones. The children have been busy comparing, weighing, sorting, and examining these natural treasures.

This activity supports early math development as children explore concepts like heavy and light, more and less, and balance. It also strengthens observation skills as they notice differences in size, shape, texture, and weight. Handling the materials provides rich sensory input, and experimenting with the scale encourages problem solving as children test their ideas and adjust to make it balance. I enjoy watching the discovery and how each child approaches the center.

Math

We have been engaging in a fun math activity. Each child takes a turn rolling a die and we count the dots on top. I then give them the same number of Unifix cubes to match.

The children connect their cubes either horizontally or vertically, exploring how the same number can look different depending on how it is arranged. This builds early conservation skills as they begin to understand that the quantity stays the same even when the shape changes.

Once connected, we compare our cube trains to see which is longer or shorter, and we talk about concepts like more, less, equal, and longest. This activity strengthens counting, one-to-one correspondence (enumeration), observation, comparison, and early problem-solving skills.

We talk a lot about how we can “solve the problem” in our class. How can we fix it, how could we make it work better? It is also social/emotional. How can we modify it so more friends are included or so everyone gets a turn? We are looking in the books that we read for “clues” to solve the mystery (we LOVE a good mystery!) I ask how they think a character is feeling and what we would do to make them feel better? When accidents happen or a friend knocks over a structure, we solve the problem. Paper towels to wipe spills, helping to rebuild the structure, asking a friend if they’re okay, taking turns, etc. Encouraging children to take time to see what is happening and being accountable for the resolution helps build autonomy, initiative, and self esteem.

Have a great weekend

FROM MORAH CHANIE

Meeshe (8x) Meeshe nichnas Adar

Meshe nichnas Adar marbim b’simcha (When Adar arrives joy increases)

TTTO: London Bridge

In the castle, lived a king, lived a king, lived a king,

In the castle lived a king, King Achashverosh

He had a very lovely queen, lovely queen lovely queen

He had a very lovely queen, Queen Esther,

She had an uncle Mordechai, Mordechai, Mordechai

She had an uncle Mordechai, a great Rabbi Mordechai

Haman wanted to hurt the Jews, hurt the Jews, hurt the Jews,

Haman wanted to hurt the Jews, mean, mean, Haman

Esther and Mordechai saved the day, saved the day, saved the day

Esther and Mordechai saved the day and the Jews of Shushan

The Jews wanted a holiday, holiday, holiday,

The Jews wanted a holiday, They called it PURIM