I am like Mordechai and Esther !

This week we started our Purim unit!

We aim for the children to take real life lessons from each Jewish holiday. Before getting into the Purim story we started off with getting to know the Jewish Hero's, Mordechai and Esther.

The dramatic play area turned into Mordechai and Esther's home. Even though they lived thousands of years ago, their Mitzvahs they did are timeless and what we do it! This is a powerful message that our friends are just like these special Jewish hero's.

There was a Tzedaka found in Mordechai and Esther's home showing how they also loved to give and share what they owned to others. We placed pictures of them doing Tzedaka as well to find. 

Adding sensory fun we hid Tzedakah coins in the play dough. We had fun trying to match the picture to the correct coin before placing it in the Tzedakah box!

Mordechai also learned Torah and loved teaching the children Alef Beis! Yossi practicing his Alef beis.

We placed many Jewish books in the home.

Esther also lit shabbos candles just like our girls! Wow the un broken chain of Jewish women. 

Mendy and Eli using shaving cream and fire colors to decorate the tape shabbos candles on the table. 

Shabbos was felt through out the week in our classroom since we placed Challah in our Mordechai and Esther's home. Yossi using his cutting skills to make delicious challah just like Esther. 

To make our big idea practical each child created a Mitzvah scene they like to do just like our role models from the Megillah.

Yossi, adding Alef Beis stickers to his Mitzvah picture.

During circle time, we showed our Mitzvah notes to Mordechai and Esther. Axel and Mordy, were so excited to place theirs  on Mordechai!

Gardening with Grandparents

 

What a fun Tu B'shvat we had a Gan Camarillo!

The strength of the tree is found within the roots- our roots are where we come from, our grandparents and elders in the community.

Some of our friends grandparents couldn't come or are too far we spent some circle times talking about how there will be some other seniors from the community as well and even morahs to help our friends out. It was an exciting day for all!

Decorations made by our friends and fun tree hats made it a fun environment for a special day. 

We were all greeted with different centers connected to Tu B'shvat.

Hearing a book about trees from our grandparent 

Bonding time and cozying up on the couch with a good book .

Making delicious fruit kabobs. It was fun to poke the fruit on the skewer to keep our germs away from the fruit while learning how to keep our hands safe.

So delicious and colorful!

"Look what I made!"

Creating patterns and filling up the whole skewer was a fun challenge.

Decorating pots together. Gems, flowers and labels each looking so unique.

Filling up our pots!

Picking out beautiful succulents. Some from our very own garden outside, thanks to Adam's parents for keeping up with it.

We ended our Tu B'shvat event under the beautiful tree!

Thank you Morah Malka for playing guitar while we sang some Tu B'shvat songs.

Shivat Haminim we are eatin!

With Tu'bshvat being around the corner, we focused on the special Shivat Haminim (The 7 fruit and grains) These fruit are symbolic to Tu'bshvat because they are the first species to grow in Eretz Yisroel. We got to explore, taste, sing, and learn all about them. The birthday party of the trees is definitely a yummy one with all the fruit:) 

Painting portraits of grapes and pomegranates!

As we tasted the pomegranate and figs we noticed how they both have many of seeds. The seeds in the pomegranate we can separate, but the seeds in the figs are all stuck together with a paste.

Chana showing us she brought grapes to school! 

We had lots of friends bring in grapes in their lunches.

Aleph beis Barley gluing!

Flour tracing letters

Creating these beautiful tree paintings for our family trees!

We have got some artists in our class ;)

We also added fruits with Mitzvos on our bulletin board tree! 

Flower power!

This week we celebrated a special date on the Chassidic calendar, the 10th of the Hebrew month of Shvat. This is the day the Chabad Rebbe became the Rebbe. This Gan is open thanks to the Rebbe's vision. 

To show a visual of our Hiskashrus (connection) with the Rebbe we made a chain with Mitzvos we drew on the paper. 

Thank you Rabbi Lang for our rally!

Carpet fun

Menachem flying his kite!

Outside becomes the classroom for Tu B'shvat

Tu B'shvat is around the corner and we have been having a lot of time outside and in learning all about Hashem's trees.

Our beautiful trees outside were the Morahs this week as we discussed the different parts.

We feel so blessed to live in a climate that the outdoors become the learning classroom as well. 

After learning all about the roots our friends already knew that this tree no matter how hard we pushed wouldn't budge. 

Heading outdoors for our Tu B'shvat craft. Painting a sky scene under the big beautiful sky.

Mixing blue with white to create the shade they want. 

When it dried Yossi created his own tree using branches.

We had fun using our bodies doing yoga poses and trying really hard to do the 'Tree pose' it took a lot of balancing.

Cooking up something yummy in a tire.

Avraham, taking care of our beautiful garden.

Davening circle time filled with sweet Mitzvahs and songs. 

Yossi Conboy practicing the Tzsis Bracha using his pant strings!

And being the Alef Beis and ABC's pointer is definitely  the highlight.

This week we celebrated a special date on the Chassidic calendar the 10th of the Hebrew month of Shvat. 

This is the day the Chabad Rebbe became the Rebbe and this Gan is open thanks to the Rebbe! The Rebbes life dream is that the day of Moshiach is finally here. Our friends drew pictures drawing a Mitzvah they want to do to bring Moshiach.

Levi, "loves his Tatty and Mommy". Mordy, "Play with friends".

Thank you Rabbi Lang for a Yud Shvat rally!