Shomrai Nursery. Mishpatim in the Home

Transcription

1 Parshas Mishpatim Mevorchim Hachodesh Shomrai Nursery February 5, Shevat 5776 Candlelighting: 5:15pm Havdalah: 6:16pm Weekly Glimpse This week's parsha is Mishpatim, meaning laws. It contains a staggering 53 mitzvot. From kashrut to Yom Tov, korbanot to civil disputes, there is almost no section of Torah law which this parsha leaves untouched. With the parsha having such an emphasis on rules, it would be prudent to reflect on how rules are created and enforced in our homes. We know that young children are developing the ability to take another person s perspective, feelings of empathy, and they are also developing their own set of rules. We can encourage and empower our children by including them in the process of drafting our own important family rules. Children are usually happier to follow laws that they have a part in making. It is so important to state our rules in the positive; "be gentle with your sister" as opposed to "stop poking the baby". While there is a time and a place for parents to say no and don't, children are usually more receptive to positive language when it is possible. We would like our children to understand the myriad of reasons behind the limits we establish. Only with time and experience, as they mature, will our children connect their decisions and actions with the resulting consequences. Having rules or limits is an act of teaching and protecting. We want children to respect our limits, even if they do not always understand the reasons for them. Lastly, in terms of setting up new rules, it is important to remember what Rashi says in last week's parsha: ההתחלות קשות" "כל all beginnings are hard," Setting up new rules takes time and children may not always be perfect right away, but if parents are consistent and remain loving but firm, eventually there will be results. Good Shabbos! Mishpatim in the Home Daily thoughts, expressions, interests, communications, explorations, collaborations, adventures, research and discoveries, as experienced by students at Shomrai Nursery 2016

2 Kitat Tamar s Student Teachers During the past two weeks the children in Kitat Tamar shared a skill or a lesson that they taught the class. The first lesson was instructed by Reuven. He taught us a song about the twelve tribes. I am going to teach you a song called Urim Vetumim, Reuven explained. I am going to teach you how to leap, Tehilla explained when she taught her lesson. Tehilla proceeded to demonstrate leaps several times and she instructed the children to do the same. When Eli taught his lesson he brought in several trucks and some books. I am going to teach about my trucks, Eli said proudly. This is a digger, a firetruck and another one, he explained. On a different day Moshe F brought in a police car and taught and demonstrated how it works. Rachelli taught the children the proper way to set a table and the words for cup, fork, and spoon in Hebrew. I am going to show you how to set the table, Rachelli said. I am going to tell you what everything is called in Hebrew. A kose is a cup and a kapit is a spoon, Rachelli translated proudly. Ahuva read the story When the World was Quiet to the class and Leah taught the children how to solve the rubiks cube. On our final day of lessons Nummy taught the class a science lesson. This is baking soda and this is vinegar, Nummy showed the class. I am going to pour the vinegar in the baking soda. What do you think will happen? Nummy asked the children. It will mix together, the children answered. Nummy poured the vinegar into the glass of baking soda. Suddenly the mixture started to bubble and rise up in the glass. Wow! the children exclaimed, amazed at the results of the experiment. The vinegar is a solid and the baking soda is a base and when you mix them together there is a chemical reaction, Nummy explained. Next, Eliav was up. I am teaching how to fold a paper airplane, Eliav shared. First you fold the paper like this, and then you fold it like that, Eliav demonstrated. When Eliav finished the children took sheets of white paper and worked to fold them to make their own paper airplanes. Thank you to all the children who prepared and taught lessons! We look forward to seeing you at our Tu B shvat party on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, at 9:15 am! Shabbat Shalom! Morot Lisa and Devorah Sarah

3 Kitat Rimon Continues to Learn About Trees This week, Kitat Rimon continued our study of trees in preparation for next week's Tu B'Shvat party - we hope to see you there! The children were invited to build tree models out of play-doh. We took a walk behind the school to visit the trees. We discussed what had changed since our fall visit, and made observational drawings of a tree. We painted trees with watercolor the next morning - you can see the paintings and their corresponding quotes at the Tu B'Shvat party! The children also made a poem by completing the sentence, "If I were a tree, I would be..." Aidel: Making clean air Nechama Leeba: Growing tall Bracha: Helping other trees Moshe K.: Giving people food and growing flowers Elisheva: Colorful and tall and strong Rusie: Helping people breathe Meir: Having lovely leaves Sara: Helping people breathe, clean air, and grow fruit Gedaliah: Brownish and helping people Zacky: Looking like a tree We also spoke about the parsha. We used Mishpatim as an opportunity for the class to review our classroom rules and to suggest other rules which we should have in the classroom. We read books about telling the truth, in the spirit of שקר תרחק -מדבר staying away from lying. One that the children particularly enjoyed was Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin. We also learned about separating meat and milk and the children separated pictures of meat and dairy foods into their proper food groups. Shabbat Shalom! We're looking forward to seeing you at the party next week! Rabbi Mati and Morah Yvette

4 Kitat Gefen Explores Trees This week the morning twos learned about Tu b'shvat. On Wednesday the class painted a branch and made bead decorations. On Thursday, the morot showed the children something new. The children began to guess what it was. "Play-doh. Pizza," Yosef suggested. "Play-doh," agreed Michal and Josh. Esti said, "No it is clay." "Clay," said Talya also said. The morot said the it was indeed clay. The children played with the clay and put it in a flower pot. "Hot and cold. It is squishy," said Zevy, describing the feel of the clay. The branch was placed into the pot and the class decorated it with their beads and string. Zevy suggested that we name the branch "Mrs. Pickle the Tree." We look forward to seeing everyone at our Tu b'shvat party on Tuesday! Shabbat Shalom, Morot Daniella and Chaya Sara

5 Kitat Gefen s Busy Days On Wednesday, the children in Kitat Gefen looked at the tulip bulbs that they had planted in a vase filled with rocks and water. They had planted it 36 days ago. "It is growing on top," exclaimed Shalom. Indeed green shoots were growing from two of our bulbs. The morahs gently lifted the bulbs and showed the children the roots that the bulbs had established. Miriam helped to water the tulip bulbs. Shortly after watering the bulbs, she brought a duck to the table. "I want to put the duck in the water," she said. The duck did not fit into the watering jar. We decided that we needed a wider container. Esti brought a bowl to the table. Miriam poured water into the bowl and put the duck in the water. "It is swimming," she announced. Esti brought a small duck and put it in the water. "The mommy duck and baby duck are floating in the water," she said. On Wednesday, we also celebrated Esti's third birthday. Thank you for the delicious fruits that you brought to school. Mazel Tov to Esti and the entire Shaps family! On Thursday, we continued looking at different tree branches. Tzionah was looking at one of the branches. "That has green leaves," she pointed out. The children were deeply engaged in play. Avigail was feeding Tehilla and urging her to eat. "Eat from the spoon," she said. Eliyahu and Devorah were building with the magna tiles. "I am making a dreidel," said Devorah. "I am building it with Devorah," added Eliyahu. Tzionah and Esti were playing in the mirrored cube. They had many pots and pans in front of them. "I am cooking dinner before going to work," announced Tzionah. "I am making breakfast," added Esti. Morah Kita joined us today for movement. Using the buddy band, the children wiggled and jiggled like jello, rowed a boat slowly and then rowed it fast, and fell like Humpty Dumpty. They jumped inside and then outside of hoops. They ran around the hoops. Holding small egg shaped shakers, they shook them in different directions, and ran and crawled with them. The children listened to and followed many directions. We have noticed that many of the children do not have extra tops, pants, tights, or socks. Please send in appropriately sized and seasonally correct clothes. Thank you in advance. Happy Birthday to Eliana! Mazel to the Karpoff family and the grandparents as well. Shabbat Shalom! Morah Anna and Morah Leah

6 All We 'Knead' Is Challah Dough Kitat Simcha was elbow deep in Shabbos preparations this week, especially on Thursday as we prepared the dough for challah baking. Together we combined the dry ingredients in a large bin, prepped the yeast with warm water and sugar, mixed it and started kneading. After spending the day checking on our rising dough the children had a short lesson about hafrashas challah from Rabbi Mati. He explained that Hashem asked us to reserve a portion of our bread for the Kohanim. Today we don't give the challah to the Kohanim but we still separate it and ensure it is not consumed. Kitat Simcha had a special opportunity to make the bracha at the time of the hafrashah! The children shaped their challahs, baked their challahs, and are looking forward to eating the challahs at our Shabbos party in school as well as at their own Shabbos tables at home! Morah Jessica read 'This is the Challah' by Sue Hepker during story time. Special Happy Birthday wishes to Temima! Thank you to Temima's mommy for coming in to class, sharing a special fruit 'cake' with us, and for reading to us The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Have a nice Shabbos, Morah Yocheved, Morah Jessica, and Morah Chaya Sara Parsha Questions from Pre K Nummy: Why did Moshe teach the Jews the laws of the Torah? Moshe F: Why did Hashem command Bnei Yisrael not to tell a lie? Rachelli: Why did the Torah not burn? Aidel & Bracha: Is it okay to tell a tiny lie or untruth? Elisheva: Why shouldn t you tell a lie? Nechama Leeba: Do you get sick if you eat something non kosher? Sara: Why can t you eat non kosher food? Moshe M: Does Hashem ever lie? Gedaliah: What happens if someone tries to steal something that they are borrowing?

7 Kitat Shalom s Snow Activities Thank you to our Shabbat Party Sponsors! Sara Hochstadt and Family Eliana Karpoff and Family Yosef & Moshe Jacobs and Family Kitat Simcha Ahuva Labell and Family A Capital Challah

8 Extended Care Extra Before the break, the children in extended care began the process of creating their Tu B'svhat creation. First, we "planted" the tree branches in clay. Then we painted the branches. We created shkaideya (almond) blossoms with green and pink tissue paper - Shkaideya is the first tree that blooms in Israel. Then we adorned the tree with assorted materials. Following the break, we came back to snow! We read the book, A Silly Snowy Day by Michael Coleman. The children had a variety of snow related activities. We filled a bucket with snow, mixed colors in the snow and then painted with the colored snow. "I made watermelon," said Naomi when painting with water colors. Ami said, "Red and yellow make orange." The children created snowflake designs using papr using paper rolls and paint. They printed the flakes. The children enjoyed creating their own unique snow people using a variety of materials to decorate them. We will continue exploring winter in the next few weeks.