Mordechai & Esther inside me!

  This week we began our unit on Purim. We aim for the children to take real-life lessons from the story,, so we focused on the characters Mordechai and Esther. We want the children to learn from them and see how they can be like them. 

Our centers were concentrated on different Mitzvos and really getting the picture of what their home might have looked like. We all have a Mordechai and Esther inside us!  Here is a song we have been learning this week that goes with the theme of being like them. 

Tune of  "yanky doodle"

"Take a bite of Hamantaschen

Then give some Tzedaka,

Listen to the Megilah

And shake, shake, shake, your gragger.

Mordechai is inside me

Esther's in me too, 

I am strong and I am proud,

So proud to be a jew!"

The mitzva of lighting Shabbos candles

    Shabbos candle painting!

The Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel 

We decorated  heart cards with a picture of friends playing with each other and being kind.

 Friendship Bracelets!

We had an opportunity to practice this Mitzvah by welcoming a new friend to our class! Welcome Mila Belle Gold to our Gan Family.

 Aleph Beis tracing! 

 Mila enjoying painting on the parchment paper :)

  Tzedaka!

Mendy in Mordechai and Esther's "home" davening!

We invited all the kids into Mordechai and Esther's home and brought them to life sharing Mitzvos within their home and with each other. We went around with photos throughout the year and the children recognizing the Mitzvos they were doing

Yedidya and Shua observing their Mitzvos!

We brought our treasure box out filled with all of our Mitzvah notes from home and in school. Each friend got a turn to hold up the Mordechai when we called their name for the Mitzvah!

We played a "What's in the box mitzvah game!" While closing our eyes, we each had a turn using our sense of touch to figure out which Mitzvah they feel

Some exciting action in our backyard throughout the week!

Purim is in the air

Purim unit

This week we delved into the Purim Story. We set the stage by talking about Mordechai and Esther and how they lived in Persia. 

There was also a big beautiful palace where King Achashverosh lived. Our friends creating castle scenes. 

Writing numbers till 14 when the Holiday of Purim will come out in the calendar, the 14th of Adar.

    Creating kinetic sand castles.

some friends extended it to the block area.

After talking about Esther and Mordechai's way of living a Torah lifestyle, the children could see that it was clearly not a comfortable idea for Esther to become the new Queen. (After Vashti was no longer the Queen.)

 

So many girls got dressed up hoping it was them!

Mordechai reassured Esther if she were to be chosen, that Hashem is with her.

Esther who played Queen Esther hid shabbos candles in her dress so the King wouldn't know she was Jewish. 

After finding out she was chosen, Esther requested seven servants so she would know when Shabbos would arrive.

Kriah

Our friends practicing how to blend and write big words.

Playing a Bingo game adding the choilem to the letters.

Batya decided she wanted to be the Morah during free play and did a kria lesson.

This week, with construction happening behind our class it has been such a fun learning experience. Looking up the names of the trucks and tools they were using.

Enjoying some water on a hot summer day!

 

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!