Learning and Growing!

This week, the holidays finally came to a close giving us our first full week of school in October… and boy was it FULL!  Everyone was excited to get down to work and had a great time learning so many new things. Our little ones studied letters, colors, nature, and even fire safety!

Things in Merrick/Bellmore were quite busy this week. Everybody had a great time exploring colors! We mixed our own paint to get purple, and then collected beautiful Fall leaves and talked about the many colors they came in. We also loved reading color books like Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann, and Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (what a mouthful!).

Merrick/Bellmore kids really had an Awesome week studying the letter A. We loved making A’s in all different ways. Some of us used our bodies to form the letter, while others used finger paint, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, and even Cheerios! We listened to a silly song called Alligator Pie, read lots of A books, and even made Apple sauce. Yum!

In Super Science, our Merrick/Bellmore kids had a special treat for fall. We planted pumpkin seeds a few weeks ago and this week we had a great chance to observe them. Our pumpkin seeds were moved to our outdoor garden, and now we can check on them whenever we go to the playground. Everyone is so excited!

Exploring pumpkins in Merrick/Bellmore!

In Oceanside, we had a super fun week studying the letter D! What’s so fun about the letter D you ask? It stands for Disney!!

One of our Pre-K classes had the best Disney day. Everyone came to school either in a Disney costume or with a favorite Disney toy. Even Miss Brooke came to school in her Princess gown! After sharing our costumes and toys during circle time, we went down to the gym to act out special Disney stories.

Not only did we act out Disney stories, but we later had a chance to read many more of them. Everyone also had a chance to make Mickey and Minnie puppets, which we paraded around our building for everyone to see! Even Shabbat had a fun Disney theme this week, and our kids gobbled up Mickey Mouse cookies that they baked themselves!

Check out our awesome Disney costumes and toys!

Shabbat wasn’t just special this week because of Disney. Every Shabbat, our little students are learning about nature. In doing so, many of our Pre-K are helping maintain the beautiful plants surrounding the lobby in our building. We were so excited for the chance to help water and prune these plants to keep them looking fresh! The next time you are in the building, take a moment to see how well our plants are growing.

In Long Beach, our little ones began a great unit on Community Helpers. Since October is Fire Prevention Month, many of our teachers began an exciting unit on Firefighters! In each of our classrooms, our children began preparing for a visit we will soon be having from our local fire department.

On the littlest level, our toddlers were able to recognize the color red and identify a fire engine. In our three year-old program, our children reviewed fire safety and read stories like Fire Drill by Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender. They created their own fire trucks and even made themselves the newest members of the Long Beach Fire Department.

Learning about Fire Trucks in Long Beach!

In the Long Beach Pre-K classes, the children have been learning how to waddle like a duck. When the firemen visit, they hope to be able to demonstrate this skill and explain to them that it keeps you low and underneath the smoke in case of a fire; such an important lesson at any age. We are all so excited for the fireman’s visit very soon!

We can’t believe how much we are all learning and growing in our classrooms. Everyone is so proud of our little ones as we watch them every day!

As always, don’t forget to check out more fun photos of our week, as well as constant updates on our Facebook page, and find great ideas for your family on our Pinterest page!!

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

Wow! What a great start we’re all having to this new year of school, and to the Jewish New Year! Rosh Hashanah came nice and early this year, providing a wonderful opportunity for everyone to truly begin anew this September.

A great new start to the year in Long Beach!

All of our children found a great start to the year by working on their “All About Me” units. We talked about our families, our pets, our friends, and anything else we wanted to share so our classmates and teachers could learn about us. The walls of our classrooms are full of photos of each of us and our families. It is such a nice way to make our classrooms feel like home as we settle in to a new year.

Another wonderful part of the new school year is welcoming the start of Autumn. Fall is such a beautiful season and we are all noticing the leaves changing color and the days getting cooler. Some of our Merrick/Bellmore children collected leaves outside to make beautiful leaf projects, while our Long Beach kids went on an exciting nature walk and spotted squirrels, mums, and even a pumpkin on a nearby front porch!

Of course, one of the staples of Fall is apples, and with Rosh Hashanah happening at the same time, it is the perfect opportunity to discover this sweet, crunchy, delicious fruit! In Oceanside, our children had a wonderful snack for the holiday of apples dipped in maple syrup! It was so sweet and juicy! We used all different types of apples so we could see and taste the differences they all had.

In Merrick/Bellmore, we made homemade applesauce and then used the leftover apples to make apple prints for our projects. We also had a lot of fun "measuring ourselves in apples!" The Long Beach kids decided that learning about apples was the perfect opportunity to talk about the color red. We remembered that there are many things that are red aside from apples, including fire trucks, stop signs, and even mommy’s lipstick!

Measuring ourselves in Apples in Merrick/Bellmore!

In continuing to learn about Rosh Hashanah, both Rabbi Greenspan from Oceanside Jewish Center and some of our Merrick/Bellmore parents came in to blow the Shofar for us! It was so interesting to learn about the significance of the Shofar, and how it was meant to call people far and wide to tell them that the holiday was here; plus it made such a funny sound!

Finally, everyone had a wonderful Shabbat celebration! We all came together to say the Shabbat blessings, sing beautiful songs, and (of course) eat lots of yummy Challah!! What a wonderful first week!

Shabbat Shalom from Oceanside!

Don’t forget to check out more photos from the week on our Facebook page!

L’Shana Tovah everyone! A happy, healthy, and a sweet New Year to all, and may everyone have an easy and meaningful fast!

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

By: Miss Brooke 

-Oceanside Pre-K

As school begins, all of the early childhood teachers grow more and more excited about the coming year. In my first year as a head teacher, I was ecstatic to share a special book with my very first class. "Have you Filled A Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud tells the story of the invisible buckets each and every one of us carry throughout the day. The book teaches children the concept of "bucketfilling";  doing good deeds and treating others kindly. I feel that this story allows a child to visualize a place where their mitzvot can be seen- the bucket's "purpose is to hold your good thoughts and feelings about yourself," as well as others. 

There is another side to bucketfilling, that the book refers to as "bucketdipping." This term involves all types of bullying. The story teaches children that being mean, leaving out a friend or calling someone a name can empty their bucket - as well as your own. This is a lesson that is important and relavent at any age. My philosophy is that the earlier our children can learn such life lessons, the better. 

Our class read this very important story today, and then each child was given their very own bucket to decorate. These will be taken home by the students so that they can visualize filling their buckets every day. Each child's bucket is unique and beautiful; everyone was so excited to show them off to each other!

 

I wish for my classroom to be a warm and safe place where a child can feel at home. It fills my bucket when a child gives me a big hug or tells me that they love school. Reading this story encouraged discussion amongst my students about the difference between a bucketfiller and a bucket dipper, and which they hope to be each day. The story states, "You fill a bucket when you show love to someone, when you say or do something kind, or even when you give someone a smile...that's being a bucketfiller. All of the adults in our world could use the same philosophy and attempt to be a bucketfiller each and every day. I am looking forward to a wonderful and meaningful year with all of my young bucketfillers-together we can teach each other to keep our buckets full and our smiles on! 

Miss Brooke's Class!

 For more photos from today's bucketfilling adventure, visit our Facebook page!