Kindergarten Blog 3/3

Dear Kindergarten Families,

It was so wonderful to welcome back the Kindergartners into their new groups, as well as welcome to our class two new students: Michael and Lenny. We have been having conversations about friendship and being part of a classroom community as students adjust to the change. So far the children have been excited by the return to school and their new groups!

And of course, Wednesday was our 100th day of school celebration! Kindergartners practiced counting to 100 by ones and tens, colored in snap words that filled up bubble letters of the number 100, and enjoyed a combined 100th day of school celebration with 1st grade.

In Writers Workshop, Kindergartners have been thinking about writing true stories that are exciting to read. We read “Jabari Jumps”, a book about a boy who is afraid to jump off of a diving board. We made a big class list of story topics that are really interesting or exciting in which something unexpected happens.

In Social Studies, we read “Molly’s Family” and finished up our family collages, thinking about details we can add that really show where our families like to spend time together.

In Math, Kindergartners are continuing with subtraction stories and forming their own subtraction stories with a partner. They also have begun looking at patterns of shapes and used pattern blocks to continue the patterns.

In Handwriting, students learned how to write the lowercase letters g, u, i, and e. Kindergartners also learned two new snap words: you and to.

In Hebrew and Judaics this week we learned about the holiday of Purim. We told the story of Purim and what happened to the Jews of Persia, focussing especially on Queen Esther’s bravery. We  learned about the four special mitzvot of Purim: hear the Megillah, distribute Mishloach Manot (gift packages of food), take part in a special holiday feast, and donate\volunteer for Matanot L’evyonim to the less fortunate. משלוח מנות, מתנות לאביונים, וסעודת פורים, קריאת מגילה

We also baked delicious hamentaschen אוזני המן together! Yum.  

Vocabulary words this week:

Purim פורים

Grogger רעשן

Hamantaschen אוזני המן

Melach King מלך

Malka Queen מלכה

Masecha Mask מסכה

Four mitzvah ארבע מצוות

mishloach manot משלוח מנות

Matanot l’evyonim מתנות לאביונים

Megilah מגילה

Leitzan Clown ליצן

Keter crown כתר 

Esther אסתר

Mordechai מרדכי

Haman המן

Vashti ושתי

Achasverosh אחשוורוש

The children have enjoyed learning new songs such as – Mi Shenichnas Adar, Leitzan Katan Nechmad, Chag Purim, Ani Purim and Zakan Aroch. Here are the lyrics to Leitzan Katan Nechmad in case you want to sing together at home:

ליצן קטן נחמד

רוקד עם כל אחד 

ליצן קטן שלי 

אולי תרקוד איתי 

אולי, אולי, אולי תרקוד איתי 

Leitzan katan nechmad

Roked im kol echad

Leitzan katan sheli

Oolai tirkod eetee

Oolai Oolai Oolai tirkod eetee

Oolai Oolai Oolai tirkod eetee

This week, we had Kabbalat Shabbat with the whole lower school, and everyone is getting very excited for Purim!

Shabbat Shalom,

K Team