4's Class - Miss Deana & Morah Raizel

We did it, the last week of school for 2024! We are ready to tackle Chanukah.  The children had a busy but great “spirit week”. We spent the week working on our menorahs. They turned out BEAUTIFUL. The children are so excited to use them. This week we learned the letter “Mm”. Our Sign Language words are: menorah, mom, and monkey. The children learned a few Chanukah words in Sign Language: candle, Chanukah, menorah, and donut. 

Monday was our “light party”. We had lights all around our class for the kids to play with. Miss Jaelyn and I wore special light up costumes that the children were able to use and play with. Another fun activity we did was going to the olive oil pressing with Rabbi Sender. The children had a chance to pick an olive and watch how to make olive oil. Tuesday was our “Blue day”, we played with blue slime, blue playdough, blue markers and blue tape/stickers.  

Wednesday was “facepaint day”. The children painted their own faces, and they were able to paint Miss Jaelyn, and myself. We had face paint not only on our faces, but on our hands and arms as well. Another fun activity we did was latka making. The children had a chance to grate potatoes and eat latkes with applesauce. I’m happy to say everyone tried them. 

Thursday was our “Teddy bear picnic”. The children had so much fun eating their food all together on the ground (the outside playground is under construction so we had to picnic inside). The children were able to play with their stuffy throughout the day which they shared with each other so nicely. 

Friday was “Pajama dance party”. This day by far is the children’s favorite day!  We got to have a Shabbos party and make challah in our jammies.  The preschool playground is under construction so we got to play like the big kids and use the kindergarten playground. For afternoon recess the children got a chance to watch the construction workers using different tools (which was very exciting).  

I hope you all have a safe and happy Chanukah!

From Morah Raizel 

FROM MISS DEANA 

This week we learned the letter “Dd”. Our Sign Language words are: dreidel, dad, and donut. During our morning circle we played “What’s Missing” using Chanukah items. These types of games help with memory recall, patience, and paying attention.  On Monday the children not only played with dreidels, they color sorted them, and sorted them by size. 

On Tuesday, I put a bunch of Chanukah stickers into our sticker box and the children created some “masterpieces” with them.  On Wednesday, I brought out some Chanukah  stamps. The children had so much fun stamping!

Next week we will be doing some fun Chanukah activities 

• Monday light party

• Tuesday blue day

• Wednesday face painting

• Thursday stuff animal picnic

• Friday pajama,bubble dance party

Wednesday, we were finally able to swim. Now that the weather is cooling off we are fortunate to have a covered warm pool to swim in. Please keep in mind tights/skinny jeans/leggings are really hard to put in after swimming. The children are working hard on being independent and those types of items are really frustrating to put on after the pool.

If you will be traveling for the holiday, please let me know so your child’s project can go home early.

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana

FROM MORAH RAIZEL 

Chanukah is approaching and we are getting ready!  We sang songs, talked about the story, and learned how to celebrate Chanukah.  The children are very excited for Chanukah to arrive.  One of the important messages of Chanukah is learning to be brave like a Maccabee and to think for yourself.  The Maccabees teach us to stand up for ourselves and to think independently, even if it is not what everyone around us is doing.

We are looking forward to more learning and exploring next week! 

Shabbat Shalom, 

I hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. This week we learned the letter “Cc”. Our Sign Language words are: candle, Chanukah, and cat. During our morning circle, we played musical chairs using our name game cards. These type of games works on:

• Listening: Children learn to differentiate between sound and silence. 
• Social skills: Children learn to cooperate and communicate with others.
• Self-regulation: Children learn to be prepared and regulate themselves.
• Spatial awareness: Children learn to navigate space and understand their position in relation to others. 

For art this week the children painted using cars. The children had so much fun dipping the cars and creating tire marks onto the paper. We started learning about Chanukah. We added menorahs in our “Home Living” area, we added dreidels and a menorah on our Science table, and added dreidels into our sensory boxes.

On Wednesday, the children painted beautiful menorahs, and donuts to hang up on our windows. During our afternoon circle we learned “10 little latkes frying in a pan” fingerplay. Fingerplays are a great fine motor activity, language development, and rhythmic proficiency, and hand eye coordination. 

If you will be traveling for Chanukah please let me know so I can have your child’s project finished early.

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana

Dear Parents,

Chanukah is coming, and as with all Jewish holidays, we are excitingly preparing.  In order to begin our Chanukah exploration, I asked the children what they think about when I say the word, ‘Chanukah’. Their responses are below.  

Ruby: Chanukah in my bed.

Shneur: Lighting the menorah.

Zalman: Eating chocolate gelt.

Asher: I like to light the candles.

Elias: I like to eat latkes in my bed when it is Chanukah.

Pearl: I like my Mommy and Daddy.

Shiloh: I like eating latkes at my Grammy’s.

Goldie: I like unicorns and Chanukah menorahs.

Hannah: Lighting the candles.

Avigail Ninnete: Today we are doing Chanukah in my home.

Oriel: אמא הביאה לי שוקולד-My mother brought me chocolate.

Oren: I like rolling Chanukah.

Tohar: I do jelly with cake.

Ari Lev: I slept in my bed and when I got chocolate and milk and I got a big house.

Looking forward to more adventures next week!

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Raizel

[email protected]

Wow the last 2 weeks have flown by! We learned the letter “Xx” and the letter “Bb”. For art the children used balloons to paint with.  The children had so much fun and we ended up with paint everywhere (that’s what school is for right). Our little friend Sammy has been under the weather for a couple weeks so on Tuesday we were able to FaceTime him.  We sent him well wishes and can’t wait for him to come back to school.

During our morning circle we have been practicing for our performance.  The children are so excited for you to hear their songs. The children have been working on centerpieces, and our backdrop. Our class is singing 3 songs total. Please keep in mind the goal is to just get on stage and hope there’s no tears. It’s very intimidating to stand up in front of everyone and sing. The best part is eating lunch together.  Please let me know if your not able to attend.

I’m A Little Scarecrow

I’m a little scarecrow raggedy and worn

I wear a hat, and my shirt is torn

When the crows fly by I wave and shout 

Away from my garden now get out!

Autumn Leaves

Leaves are falling 

Leaves are falling

On the ground

On the ground

Days are getting shorter

Nights are getting longer

Fall is here

Fall is here

Have a good weekend,

Miss Deana

Dear Parents,

Remember last week when we were talking about Avraham’s special tent?  It had 4 doors and was always open to guests.  Did you know that Sara had a special tent too?  Sara had 3 special blessings from Hashem in her tent.  When she baked challah for Shabbos it stayed delicious for a whole week! When she lit candles, they did not burn out!  They stayed lit for 7 days until the next Shabbos!  And there was one more special thing, a special cloud of Hashem hovered above her tent. 

TTTO The Wheels on the bus

Sara’s tent had 3 special things

3 special things, 3 special things,

Sara’s tent had 3 special things,

Our mother Sara. 

The cloud of Hashem, protected her tent,

Protected her tent, protected her tent,

The cloud of Hashem protected her tent,

Our mother Sara. 

Her candles stayed all week long,

All week long, all week long

Her candles stayed all week long,

Our mother Sara. 

Her challah stayed fresh for 7 days

7 days, 7 days, 7 days,

Her challah stayed fresh for 7 days

Our mother Sara. 

The cloud of Hashem, protected her tent,

Protected her tent, protected her tent,

The cloud of Hashem protected her tent,

Our mother Sara. 

Sara passed away in this week’s parsha and Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, is entrusted with the important mission of finding a wife for Yitzchak.  Eliezer met a lovely girl named Rivka.  He noticed how kind she was!  Rivka agreed to marry Yitzchak.  When she moved into Sara’s tent, the three special blessings returned.

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Raizel 

From Miss Deana 

This week we learned the letter “Oo”.  Our Sign Language words are: owl, orange, and octopus.  For free art this week the children painted using our cups. They dipped them in various colors and it created the perfect letter O. We started practicing for our Thanksgiving performance. The children are so excited to sing for you all. During our morning circle we played “What's Missing” using felt shapes.  This type of game is great for children’s memory and concentration. It’s also a great way to practice patience, and taking turns.

On Wednesday, I brought out scissors, stickers, and tape. Cutting tape is a great way for the children to get some scissor time. Cutting and sticking activities stimulates your child's cognitive development.  Cutting is a great way to work on fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. The children also feel independent and proud of themselves.  We have been working a lot on independence. The children are trying to open their snacks/lunches. Putting in their jackets, and even trying to button their clothes.

For Science this week, I brought in a pumpkin. I cut the pumpkin's top, and the children had the chance to look inside and smell the pumpkin.  We then added some soil and left all the insides and seeds inside. Over the next few days the pumpkin will start to sprout.  A big thank you to Miss Lisa for getting us some Indian corn. We passed around the Indian corn so the children could feel it and smell it. We put it in a bin and added a bit of water and we will watch it to see what happens (we hope it will sprout). The joy of Science is that no matter what happens to the pumpkin or Indian corn we will enjoy the process!

Important Reminders:

I sent home your child’s conference time either in person, or telephone time on Thursday, if you need to change it please let me know.

From Morah Raizel 

Dear Parents,

This week the children learned about the next story in the Torah, the story of Avram, the first Jew.  Avram is known as the first Jew because he was the first one to discover Hashem. The children learned a song about Avram. We read the book A Little Boy Named Avram by Dina Rosenfeld.

In this week’s parsha, Hashem commands Avram to leave his father’s house and travel to the land He will show him.  We learned about the famine that Avram found in the land of Canaan and how he had to travel to Egypt, where his wife Sarai was taken as a wife for Paraoh because she was so beautiful.  Hashem protected Sarai and Paraoh was afflicted with an illness.  He returned Sarai to Avram with a lot of gifts.  

We also learned about the argument between Avram and his nephew Lot’s shepherds.  Because of the fight, they parted ways.  Lot was later captured during a war and Avram saved him!

We learned about Hashem’s promise to Avram, that his children will inherit the land of Canaan, and that his children will be as numerous as the stars and sand.

We learned that we are Avram’s children and because of that, Israel is our special land, promised to us by Hashem.

 This is the song that we learned this week:

 For the tune, please click here.

A Small Boy of Three

When Avram was a small boy of three,

He looked at the stars and the sea.

He thought that Hashem was in the sky,

The sun or the moon so high.

But after each one in its time did set,

He knew there was someone greater yet.

Then he understood, and was filled with love,

He knew that Hashem was above (repeat).

Best wishes for a restful Shabbos!  

FROM MORAH RAIZEL 

Dear Parents,

We had a beautiful month full of meaningful holidays.  After Simchas Torah, we discussed the gifts that Hashem gives us.  Rosh Hashanah is our chance to ask for sweetness.  Yom Kippur reminds us that we can always fix our mistakes.  Sukkos is all about unity and Simchas Torah reminds us to be joyful and appreciate the Torah's preciousness.

Last Shabbos, we read the first Torah portion, Beraishis, which describes the creation of the world.  After our holiday reflection, we learned about Hashem creating the world through speech, using the letters of the Aleph Beis.  We talked about why we celebrate Shabbos on the seventh day.  

The Parsha (Torah Portion) of the week is Noach, that is the Parsha of the week. This week we learned about Noach (Noah), who was commanded by Hashem to build an ark.  It took him 120 years to build the tayva (ark).  The people of his generation had the opportunity to change, but they didn’t.   Noach had to gather food and bring all the animals, reptiles, birds, and insects into the tayva.  Tayva living was not easy, Noach had to feed the animals all day and night.  He even encountered an impatient lion that bit his leg!  Ouch!  After the flood ended and the land dried, Hashem told Noach to leave the tayva.  He first let the gentle animals out and lastly the predators, this ensured the safety of the animals.  

Noach was so thankful to Hashem for saving himself and his family. Hashem promised Noach that He would never bring a flood that would destroy the world again.  The sign that Hashem showed Noach was a rainbow.  Whenever it rains and we see a rainbow, we say a special bracha (blessing) that Hashem is keeping His promise.

Best wishes for a restful Shabbos!

Morah Raizel

[email protected]

Dear Parents,  

From Miss Deana

What a great week!  We continued to learn the letter “Aa” as well as all about Rosh Hashana. Our Sign Language words this week are: apple, and honey.  During our morning circle I introduced the children to a new game using their name cards. It’s a letter recognition and following directions game. I wrote a letter on a board and if the same letter is in their name the follow a certain direction (jump three times, spin 4 times etc). I use this type of game as a tool when I’m observing the children for assessments.

On Tuesday we apple painted using red, yellow, and green.  The children learned quickly that if you use red and yellow it makes the color orange, and if you mix red, yellow, and green it turns into brown. Thursday we tasted red, green, and red/yellow apples. Most of the children tried all three apples, and the most liked apple was the red/yellow apple. 

We worked a lot on puzzles this week. Puzzles are a great way to work on finger strength, hand eye coordination. Puzzles also work on spatial awareness, logical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving abilities. There is so much going on then just completing a puzzle.  Puzzles are also a way to build teamwork.  If  a child is having difficulty with puzzles. I like to buddy the children up and have them complete the puzzle together.  The children get so excited completing the puzzle  together.  

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana

From Morah Raizel 

Dear Parents,

Rosh Hashanah is less than a week away and the children are getting ready!  This week we read books about Rosh Hashanah and bees and tasted apples.  We documented the apples the children liked, and the apples that were less liked (they were all pretty popular).  The books we read this week were Rosh Hashanah Guess Who by Ariella Stern and Engineer Ari’s Rosh Hashanah Train by Deborah Bodin Cohen.  We also read a book called Meet Thimblebee by Bonnie Galindo.  This book came with a stuffed Thimblebee, and taught us all about making honey!  The children were fascinated by the story.

The children are becoming increasingly familiar with the customs and mitzvahs associated with Rosh Hashanah. We are excited to celebrate it in five more sleeps!

Shabbat Shalom! 

From Miss Deana

We jumped right into learning the letter “Aa”.  Our Sign Language words are: alligator, all done, and astronaut. On Monday we painted a few apples and a shofar for our bulletin board. During our morning circle we played “What’s Missing” using colored felt shofar. This type of game helps children build working memory, language skills, and ability to think flexibly, as well as develop concentration skills, turn taking, and patience. With Rosh Hashanah fast approaching the children created shofar during free center time. The children rolled a paper and used a big sticker to hold it in place. So creative!

On Tuesday we worked on our fine motor skills by stringing beads on our beading wall.  When the children string beads they are strengthening their hand muscles to prepare them for writing. Beading also helps visual motor skills: Visual motor skills involve the combination of visual perception and motor skills; in other words, hand and eye coordination. To thread a bead onto the string, children will see the bead and the string using visual perception, and then use their hands to thread the bead onto the string in the right order. There is so much happening  developmentally going on from stringing beads.

For free art this week the children used watercolors to decorate a few Rosh Hashanah decorations for our classroom windows. Water coloring is good for early brain development because it provides a rapid changing experience that requires the children to actively engage. It also helps build their creativity and confidence to experiment and develop early writing skills. We will be using watercolors throughout the school year in various ways.

Important Reminders:

If you will be traveling for the upcoming holidays please let me know so I can have their projects ready for them

From Morah Raizel

As we get closer to Rosh Hashanah, the children’s learning increases.  This week we discussed how we celebrate Rosh Hashanah and discussed the holiday's associated customs.  The children helped “set” through clues given regarding each item.  

The children are learning a new song about Rosh Hashanah and creating projects they will bring home.  We have been reading some Rosh Hashanah books. We read the book, What’s the Buzz? by Allison Ofanasky and Time to Start a Brand New Year by Rochel Groner Vorst.  

Next week we will explore the foods associated with Rosh Hashanah, by tasting them.

Best wishes for a restful Shabbos, 

What a great hot full week we’ve had. We started learning our letters of the week.  We learned the letter “Vv”.  Our Sign language words are: viper, and vacuum. On Wednesday the children used watercolors to paint a vase with flowers.  Watercolor cakes were a bit tricky in the beginning but the children had a great time experimenting with them. We started learning all about Rosh Hashanah. I added a few Rosh Hashanah books to our library and changed our Science table with all sorts of different colored apples, bumble bees, and of course a shofar.  Rabbi Popack has been blowing the shofar everyday so the children can hear it.

We have been really working on being independent. When the children arrive in the morning they put their water in the water bucket, take out their lunches and put them in their box, then put their backpack in their cubby, and wash their hands. These are all age appropriate tasks, and the children will get the hang of it. Please keep in mind with all the water play, or on a swim day, we also work on independently getting dressed. The children put on their own clothes, socks, and shoes.  We do know their inside out, backwards, or on the wrong feet,  and we have asked the children if they want to fix the items. Whether they choose to fix them or not  we praise them for completing the tasks.

Important Reminders:

• Please sign your child in/out daily 
• Please remember to send 2 morning snacks, and 2 afternoon snacks

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana

I hope you all had a safe and happy Labor Day! This week our Sign Language words are: please and thank you. During our morning circle we played our color game. I held a color up and whoever was wearing that color had to do a certain task (3 spins, 2 jumping jacks etc). Playing these types of games are great for color recognition, following directions, patience, and turn taking.

A big thank you for all the birthday wishes this week. We had so much fun. We had cupcakes for an afternoon snack. I gave the children blowers, and we put Pom Pom balls on the table and had so much fun blowing them off.  Blowing games are a great way for the children to strengthen and coordinate muscles in and around the mouth that are used for eating, drinking, and speech.

On Wednesday, the children painted for free art. The children created masterpieces that we hung around our classroom. Thursday we had our first swim day with Miss Bailey from the 3’s class.  The children had a great time, and a few friends were brave and went completely under the water.  Our swim days will typically be on Wednesdays, so we can swim all year long.

Important Reminders:

• Please remember to sign in/out daily
• Please take a moment to write your child a mitzvah note, we read them daily during Davening time

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana

Welcome to the 4’s class! We had a great few days of school. We are getting to know each other, and our schedule. We don’t take naps in our class so I hope your evenings are not too difficult but I promise they will adjust. This year I’m lucky that most of the children were in the same class so I want to welcome 2 new families in our class: Abigail Nannette, and Sammy. The children have welcomed them into our little class family so nicely.

Please make sure your child has a complete change of clothes (underwear, pants/skirt, shirt/dress) in their cubby. Please remember to pack 2 morning snacks, and 2 afternoon snacks even if your child is signed up for hot lunch.

Until Next Week,

Miss Deana