Hello, wonderful Gimmel families!
What a beautiful start to the month of September we have had! The children have enjoyed learning all about Rosh Hashanah and preparing for holiday celebrations. Apple slicing has been an incredibly popular lesson in class for the past two weeks. The children take such joy and pride in selecting and slicing their own shiny and sweet apple for snack. Not only is this food preparation activity fun, but it also requires great coordination, concentration, small motor strength, and mental sequencing. The process also engages all of the child’s senses! Of course, we just had to invite the children to taste some apple slices dipped in sticky sweet honey, too! Yum!
Bees can also be found buzzing throughout the different areas of our classroom. In the science center, children are encouraged to learn the many important jobs of the hardworking honeybees. These tiny insects sure do work hard to create the honey we so enjoy! We are also comparing the different types of bees. The visual differences are so subtle, and the children really have to look closely to spot each bee’s unique characteristics! We are also learning catchy rhymes about bees, counting bees, and creating art inspired by honeycomb. To top it all off, this week we are eagerly anticipating a visit from a real life beekeeper! Our Gimmel students are already brimming with questions about how he safely works with bees, how much honey bees make, and more. We can’t wait!
With all of the excitement leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we’ve also seen great progress in establishing our daily routines, friendly connections, and a learning environment alive with exploration and learning! It’s beautiful to see our classroom community truly begin to take form. We’ve gotten to celebrate our first in class birthdays. We’ve welcomed the wonderful Ms. Joanie for music and drama classes. We’ve observed children making meaningful connections with materials, requesting or offering lessons, and actively participating in group lessons. We are also so very grateful for the generous support of family volunteers to help with laundry and supplying flowers. It is amazing the growth and progress that can take place in one short month.
We are wishing you all a wonderful week, and of course, the sweetest New Year!
-Morahs Kara, Uma, K, and Chaya