Our First Full Week of Kindergarten
Dear Kindergarten Families,
We have completed the first full week of Kindergarten! It’s such a pleasure to see the smiling faces of our students in the morning, budding friendships and more confidence in finding their way around the school! We are continuing to practice our classroom routines and rules, making friends and learning each other’s names.
In Language Arts, we began learning the Alphabet by introducing letter A a, and the sound /a/ it makes, as in apple. The children practiced making letter A with wooden sticks, play dough, writing it on dry erase boards and with shaving cream. We also introduced our Handwriting without Tears books and practiced writing upper- and lowercase A in the books.
We began our Author Study of Kevin Henkes by reading his book “Chrysanthemum.” The children shared their experience with a variety of Kevin Henkes’ books and then wrote about the times when they feel happy.
We also began our differentiated spelling program “Words Their Way” in which each child received a sort of words or initial sounds and practiced matching pictures of words or letters. We found out that most of our students are really great at cutting and have a good pencil grip.
In Math, we learned about the numbers 1, 2, and 3. We counted objects in groups of one, two, and three and practiced writing the numbers. We worked with our learning buddies matching objects to numbers, finding what we have of one or two on our bodies (one nose, two eyes, one head, two hands, etc.).
In Science, we started learning about the 5 Senses: touch, taste, hearing, sight and smell. We read a book called “My Five Senses” by Aliki. Students learned about the sense of sight. We went on a scavenger hunt and they used their sense of sight to describe flowers, rocks, and leaves they found outside. The students also started their 5 Senses Book and drew a picture of one thing they observed during the lesson.
In Judaics and Hebrew
This week the children continued to learn their classmates’ names and practiced using words such as אני פה – I am here, ילד Yeled -boy, ילדה Yalda-Girl , לקום- Lakum – (to) get up, and לשבת- lashevet – (to) sit. In addition, the students started learning how to describe emotions such as שמח, עצוב, כועס (sameach-happy, atzuv -sad, koes- mad). We played social games and sang new songs such as “Boker tov” and “Shalom Shalom.” We read books such as “Hayom Hayarok” and “Hayom Hatzahov” by Shulamit Tzarfati.
In Judaics, we celebrated Rosh Hashana by blowing the Shofar, preparing greeting cards, and singing songs such as “Shana Tova,” “Shomeem Kol Shofar,” and “Dip the apple…” . We reviewed related vocabulary such as: tapuach- apple, dvash- honey, rimon- pomegranate, shofar, and Shana Tovah- good year.
We discussed the prayer “Modeh Ani” which we say in the morning to thank G-d for waking up to another beautiful day. We also discussed other things we are thankful for. We practiced the word Toda (thank you). Some students expressed gratitude by saying “Toda al Ima” (thanks for mother), “Toda al aba” (thanks for father), or “Todah al hamishpachah sheli” (thanks for my family) and then they drew pictures of what they are thankful for. We celebrated Kabbalat Shabat by singing “Hayom yom shishi” and “Shalom aleychem“ and by saying kiddush and the bracha for the delicious challah.
Important Reminders:
- Back to School Night on Monday, September 18th, 5:30pm.
We invite the Green Group parents to begin in the General Studies Room and the Yellow Group Parents to begin in the Hebrew/Judaics Room. We will switch groups at 6:00pm.
Green Butterflies Group | Yellow Butterflies Group |
Noah Bakhash | Zsuzanna Block |
Julian Boryshansky | Fortune Debbah |
Abby Bryfman | Iddo Engelberg |
Georgina Delgado | Marshall Friedman |
Harry Fine | Orly Gershenoff |
Aviv Hersch | Caleb Gruenberg |
Henry Dorison | Yahli Isner |
Isaiah Ivry | Noa Kamil |
Galia Jundef | Bryce Kotler |
Alona Minevich | Wren Kuckelman |
Noga Nachmany | Asher Lyakhovetsky |
Ella Salpeter | Sacha Radzinsky |
Natan Vidal | Milah Schieber |
Ezra Wilchins | Yardena Stone-Horowitz |
Almah Zach |
We are looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday!
- Rosh Hashanah – school closed Wed., Thurs., Friday, Sept. 20-22.
- Kindergarten Parents Sukkah Breakfast – Tues., Oct. 10, 8:30-9:30am
Have a great weekend,
Shabbat Shalom,
Regina, Irit, Rachel and Ilana
Our Morning Learning Stations
In the gym: P.E. with Anne
We love reading!
Practicing letter A
Dance Break!
After-school Art is so much fun!
We love creating with Lego!
Practicing counting in Math
Art with Iviva:
In art, we made leaf rubbings, using our hands to feel the shape of leaves under our papers, and rubbing the side of our crayons over the bumpy spots. We also used our imaginations to draw new leaves and flowers.