Kindergarten in December

Birthdays are a time for celebration…but they are also a time for self-reflection. Our kindergarten children focus throughout the year on becoming their “best self.” We take the time to talk about what our “best self” looks like to us…and what we need to do to achieve that goal. While our birthday marks a year of physical growth, it is also another year of awareness and emotional development. We realize that as an individual, “I” can affect the world in my own unique way. Acknowledging a child’s birthday in a way that says: “You are important and unique - Only you can choose the way to use your gifts and talents to shape the world we share!” sends the message that each child is valued and has purpose. This message guides the child towards their potential…their best self. On our birthday at school, we invite our family to come share the special day with us! We think about a blessing we would like to offer our friends in honor of our birthday! This friend blessed his classmates with “a happy life!”

Each week the children learn a new Hebrew letter. When we learned the letter Tet, Rabbi Yitzchok came to the kindergarten to teach us about the tallit טַלִּית
He showed us how to put on a tallit and how to wear it properly when praying.

We love to discover new things and our science center is the perfect place for the children to do some investigative work. Working with a reference book on rocks, the children use magnifying glasses to check out our own rock collection, record their observations and compare it to the pictures they found in the book! Working on our own and with our friends in this way, builds our self-confidence and critical thinking skills. Our library of science books and magazines are also a popular choice during center time!

 Creative thinking, problem solving and team work shine when we work with pattern blocks. The children enjoy suggesting an idea to a friend and then working together to create it with the pattern blocks. Here the children made an elaborate flower together!

This month the children had an opportunity to learn about the public library. We took a class trip to the Bernards Township Library where they received a tour and learned how the library was organized. Then, they got to hear two stories. The first story, Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution, prompted us to discuss what a resolution means, and write our own resolutions for the New Year when we returned to school. The second book, Snowman at Night, had us using our imaginations! Inspired from the book, the children’s journal prompt asked them what they would do if they were a snowman, and what they would wear if they were snowmen! Finally, the children made a snowman to “dress up” as they described! Looking ahead to January, we can’t wait for some snow to make our own “real” snowman!