Coconut with Amanda's Mom

Amanda's Mom brought a coconut to school for snack.  First, we left it in the classroom for a few days.  The children would play with it.  It wondered from the sensory area, to the kitchen, and finally to our snack table.  We discussed what it was, and how it felt.  Morah Mimi tried to open it but it was too hard.  We looked forward to Amanda's Mom coming to open it for us.

First, we shook it.  It sounded like water inside.

Amanda's Mom showed us the face of the coconut.  It has eyes and a nose.  Wow!

Everyone pitched into crack holes into the eyes and nose using a screwdriver and hammer!

We all got a some coconut water to taste.  Some of us were brave and tasted the new drink.  We still have to acquire a taste for it:)  We did learn from Mrs. Gregory that it is very healthy.  We learned that many things are made from coconut.  She brought cream which is great for our skin and hair, and yummy coconut macaroons!!

It wasn't easy, but after lots of banging with the hammer, it cracked open!  We were so excited.  We all tasted a little bit.
Morah Mimi will re-introduce it to us next week.
Thank you Mrs. Rachel Gregory!!!!

Taking Care of Our Plants

Hannah fills up the watering cup...

...and waters the plants

Insect and Earthworm Exploration

Hannah is about to get onto a tree log when she notices a strange looking bug.  She does not recognize it.
Hannah:  Oh, look a funny bug.  What is it?  It's orange and has alot of legs!

All the children gather.  We do not know what type of insect it is.

But then....Amanda finds an earth worm.  It has just finished raining.

We discuss why the earthworms are out now.
Amanda: They like the rain.
Morah Mimi: Where do they live? Where is their habitat?
Sammy: In the ground, they like the dark.
Aiden: They can't see!
Morah Mimi: How do they get around?
Sammy:  They feel like blind people.
Morah Mimi is proud they remember our earthworm discussion from last year.
Chana: It's Sunny, they will die. He needs to go home.
Hannah: I will take it.
All the children take turns to lift it and Hannah succeeds.

The earthworm is brought back "Home".

Sukkot

After a discussion on the Holiday of Sukkot, Aiden remembered that he saw a Sukkah in the parking lot.  The children all ran to the window to check it out.  Sukkot is a holiday of Gratitude and Joy.  We eat in a Sukkah to show Gratitude to G-d for surrounding the Jewish People with clouds of protection while traveling in the dessert.  Using props and our dry erase boards, we depicted the dessert scene and what the Jews would need protection from.  We used this as a springboard for discussion on the weather in the dessert and animals found in dessert land.  Use this to initiate a discussion with your child.  We used our Deena and David puppets as a lesson on a gratitude.

After checking out the Chabad Sukkah, we decided that we'd like to build our own.  We went outside to collect branches for the Schach (roof).

Amanda found a large branch and began to SING: "I'm the princes warrior!"

Hannah is excited to find another large branch.  After finishing the song, they measure to see which was longer.

After, Sammy encourages her friends to balance on the stones.

Morah Stephanie helps us with our collecton.

We go into the Sukkah to experience it.  We also used it as our track for our bikes! 
Morah Mimi:  What are some things we can do in a Sukkah? 
Chana: Eat 
Amanda: Read Stories
Hannah: Play
Aiden: Build from Home Depot
Jordan: Play
Sammy: Sleep, My sister Jessie loves to sleep in the Sukkah

The children created a sukkah out of colored Popsicle sticks (they loved it:), sticks, and leaves they collected, and glue.
This lead into great discussion.
Sammy: I will put my sticks next to each other so I can make a wall.
Hannah: I want a few walls so I'll put them around.

Aiden was fascinated how he can mix the Popsicle stick with the glue to create blue glue.
Aiden: I want to make a blue wall. 

Using balloons and newspaper we tried to create an Etrog.  Some of the children really enjoyed smearing the paper mache mixture and glueing the paper over the balloons.  While some of the chidlren did not want to get their hands dirty.  We will be introducing more projects like this and encouraging the children to get involved.

Hannah adds the glue to our flour and water mixture for the paper mache.  Aiden helps us mix the mixture.  Thank you to Jordan's Mom for the Newspapers!!!

After Jordan created a few interesting models out of clay and sequins, the children were all interested in it.  We decided to created Sukkot decorations out of their creations.  The children sorted through all kinds of sequins to find the ones they liked.  This lead into conversation about size, color, weight and opinions:)

Children appreciate being treated like "people" and given options.

Jordan measures how long she should cut her string.

Jordan uses assorted materials from art area and cabinet to create Sukkot alien decorations.

Deena and David - Thank You!

Deena and David visited our room again for Sukkot.  This time they came to teach us about gratitude and showing it with our behavior and words (Thank You!).  After spending a special day out with Mom at the Zoo, getting special snacks and having lots of fun, Deena and David forgot to show gratitude and all they can think of was wanting more.  After a quick lesson they remembered and reversed their complaining into lots of thank yous to their Mom!  We have now added "Thank You" to our list of values!

Measuring and Pouring our Snack

We had yummy cheerios and milk for snack.  First, the children measured a cup of cheerios and poured it into their bowls on their own. Next, they measured a half a cup of milk and poured it on top of the cheerios.  They appreciated their independence and learned so much; measuring, pouring, space, weight (it was difficult holding the heavy milk) and more.

The snack was enjoyed by all.  We practiced our eating skills and manners by sitting close to the table, holding our spoon correctly and eating over the bowl.  Notice the coconut in middle of the table!  Check out the post on what it was doing there!?

Animal Kingdom

Throughout the week the Hannah's interest in the animals at the block area has rubbed off on the rest of us:)

Hannah and Aiden wanted to build a tent for the animals.  However the thin planks kept falling down .

Sammy joins!  Hannah and Sammy decide to use thicker blocks to hold up the planks!  It works!

Hannah builds a zoo for the animals.

The animals escape from the Zoo!

Chana and Hannah create dialogue with their animals.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

After learning about Yonah and the Big Fish.  The children created their own Puppet Show to re-tell the story.

Shofar blowing!

Dipping apples into honey...representing a sweet new year.

We discussed where we get honey, how it's made, taste....

Food tasting: Sweet, Sour, Salty and Spicy