FROM MS. KRISTINE
This week we are all about butterflies. We are learning about and witnessing the lifecycle of the butterfly.
We started with making a spinning wheel that allows the children to see that the cycle is an ongoing circle. They understand that the egg comes from the butterfly and the cycle starts all over again. Then, we practiced recognizing our vocabulary words by doing a word match for egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. The children colored a picture diagram and placed the words in the correct spot. We also built a diagram where the children displayed, with different pasta shapes, each stage and then they labeled each model with the proper word. The children did this entire activity with confidence because they were all able to recognize the vocabulary. I think that is pretty impressive.
To add to the experience, we learned some fun facts about butterflies. Our favorite one is that butterflies taste leaves with their feet. Since butterflies go through a metamorphosis, they have a different diet from their previous form. While caterpillars eat leaves, butterflies sip nectar. Therefore, a butterfly tastes leaves with their feet. This way, they make sure they lay their eggs on a good leaf for their little caterpillars as it will be their first bite of food once hatched. The children thought that made them pretty good moms.
Our study of butterflies is truly hands-on. I am sure you have heard the news.... We have butterflies!!!!!! Well, we have 10 chrysalides that will soon become butterflies. They formed their chrysalides on the 18th, so I’m predicting butterflies between the 25-28th. We are ALL waiting with anticipation.
We were very fortunate this week to visit kindergarten and spent some time with Mrs Kann. Our children did an amazing job following instruction as they got comfortable in the kindergarten classroom. This is an amazing bridge program we do so that kindergarten is not a shock to them and we all get to do it together.
Our year is winding down, but we still want to stay on top of things and make sure our children have everything they need for a successful day in school. Here are a few reminders.
- Please replace all clothes if something goes home soiled.
- Please send a clean and filled water bottle to school each day.
- Please make sure your child has snacks they will eat. If the same snacks keep coming home untouched, it may not be their taste anymore.
FROM MORAH RAIZEL
We made it to Shavuos! The children diligently filled in their sefirah charts and are all done! We had a dance party after counting the 49th day. The children learned the hows and whys of Shavuos and are excited for the holiday. We read Dovid the Little Shepherd by Dina Rosenfeld, along with A Mountain of Blintzes by Barbara Diamond Goldin. The children also participated in the Five Senses of Shavuos activity. We talked about the significance of Shavuos. It is the day that we became Hashem’s people. By giving us the Torah, we committed ourselves to Hashem, and Hashem committed Himself to us. Monday brought us our final self-portrait for TK. The children used tempera paint to fill in the details of their faces. All of their work will be sent home at the end of the school year in their portfolios. The children played ‘flower shop’ in honor of Shavuos. They also created their own paper flowers to bring home. On Thursday, we talked about what we love about the Torah. The children shared really insightful perspectives. I will share them in next week’s newsletter. Wishing you a happy Shavuos and a Shabbat Shalom!
