Pausing to thank Hashem before we eat!

This week we continued our unit on "Brachos" (Blessings.)

Pausing to offer thanks to Hashem before any bite we take is such a powerful tool to live a life of gratitude. 

We began the week with the Brocha of "Shehakol." We have been working on a book that will showcase each of the brachos, so the children can continue the learning at home!

"Shehakol Nihiyoh Bidvaroh"  "Blessing Hashem whose word all things came to be" is the blessing we say on drinks, and all other foods (that don't grow on a tree, or in ground, or from the 5 grains). 

We made our bodies into the shape of a Teacup, and came up with a special "Teacup Breathing" routine! Working on deep breathing throughout the day is an important skill for the children to master. 

we enjoyed foods and treats that are specific to Shehakol .

 Did you know that when oranges and fruit turn into juice, it becomes Shehakol! 

"Borei Minei Mezonos"

 "Blessing Hashem for creating all kinds of sustenance"  is the blessing we say on all kinds of foods that are created using the 5 grains. For eg. Cookies, cakes, cereals and pasta!

We mixed ingredients like flour, sugar, water, and eggs...to make a Mezonos cookie batter! 

We  had a lot of fun shaping and baking cookies together!

Brachos Garden:

Each time we learn a new blessing,  we add to our Brachos garden! We have a fruit tree, vegetables in the ground, and flowers. We added a bench for our puppet "Chava" who needed help saying the brachos on each food! 

Fine motor skill activity, stringing Mezonos Cheerio necklaces! 

playdough cupcakes!

we had fun putting the salt on the pretzels we colored in.

Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha'aretz

"Blessing Hashem for bringing bread from the earth" 

We are all very familiar with this blessing that we say every day when we eat our sandwiches, and of course on Shabbos when we eat Challah! Pizza is definitely a class favorite Hamotzi item! For davening we sat on our parachute as each child chose a triangle (pizza slice) to sit on.

copying the picture of challah by braiding the playdough

We made pretend pizza AND real pizza!

We mixed some yeast and water to see what needs to happen in order to make bread. The yeast and warm water bubbles to let us know it will rise when the flour is added. We used our breathe to make bubbles and our body to rise from the floor. When children use their whole bodies as part of the learning, it makes deeper connections in their minds to help them focus, and remember!

Stretching our Pizza dough!

 

"Oy!"

In this week's ParshaVayakal, we learned that even though building the Mishkan was so special, the Jewish people stopped to celebrate Shabbos!

We dedicated this week to learning how special Shabbos is.

Our friends worked REALLY hard on a 'Shabbos to go kit'. 

Creating napkin holders, candle holders, Challah cover and more!

Practicing writing 'Shabbos Kodesh'.

Practicing the headband game that our friends can lead at the Shabbos table!

Feeling Safe.

As Morahs we are the 'Safe Keepers' and our friends help keep it that way!

During our family meeting, we do a safe keeper retual which we all commit to a way we can help keep ourselves and our friends safe.

Not just our bodies need to be safe but our hearts and feelings.

This week we chose when a friend is bothering us, we can use our words to tell them.

Graphing how our friends can feel NOT safe vs how they CAN feel safe.

We were getting really excited that we were about to learn a new nikkuda!

We played a review game using agent pens that we can only see our writing when the light shines on it!

We learned the Nikkuda 'Cholem' that makes an 'oy' sound!

 The smiles speak for themselvs how our friends feel when learning a new sound!

Playing ball OVER Shalom. He was wearing a mem so we said "moy".

This week we learned a new morning bracha. 'Malbish Arumim'- Thank you Hashem for the clothes we wear and the ability to be Tzniyus- modest.

Team work together.

We want to wish a big Mazel Tov to our friend Chanie on her 6th birthday!

Blessings on Food, "Ha-eitz" & "Ha-adama"

We started off this week so excited to see all of our friends again! We even checked on our bearded dragon to see how big he grew during the break!

We focused on the blessings we say for food that grows in the ground: "Ha'adama" and on food that grows on trees: "Ha'eitz"

We introduced it by having the children taste and enjoy all types of fruits together. 

Children learn best when the experience involves all parts of their body, so we made our bodies into a little seed (crunched our bodies into a ball) and then slowly stretched our arms, reaching higher and higher, as we turned our bodies into a big and strong "Eitz" tree!

 

 

We attached fruit on their arms as branches and invited friends to pick them off and say a Brachah! 

We spoke about all of our favorite treats and that Hashem's treats are our sweet Mitzvos just like the sweet fruit! 

                        We enjoyed a fun plum picking activity with magnets. The children were invited to "pick the plums" off the tree, and place the correct number of plums, to the corresponding number bucket.     

                                

Apple Trees to play and count with! Pear Art!                        

        

Purim Katan: This week was "Mini Purim" because there are 2 months of Adar! Thank you Chana for adding to our joy, by bringing in some Hamentashen to share with our class.

Blessing on Vegetables: "Borei P'ri Ha'adama" 

We created our own salad. Everyone got the opportunity to cut veggies and told us all about their favorite vegetables. We learned how they grow from the ground by hiding vegetable pictures under the carpet and the children had to "dig" and find them under the "dirt". 

We played a fun game where the Morah called out "Ha'eitz" and the children would jump up high like a tree, and then we would call out "Ha'adamah" and jump down and crunch their bodies like a seed in the ground.

Ha'adama Art work: painted brown on squares as soil to grow for potatoes, we also painted over the vegetables, to make a visual of the vegetables growing under the soil.

Vegetable Math!