Dec 15
Just because our installation of children’s ideas about Torah is now affixed to the wall, it doesn’t mean the learning stops! Here are three ways folks continued to learn from our installation this week. We Go Back to Reflect on Our Work We headed downstairs to read and think about each other’s projects. We wrote …
Dec 12
I can’t believe that it’s the week before winter break. It feels like we were just beginning the year with the Opening Picnic! And yet, when I look around Beit Nitzanim, there are so many clues that actually, we’ve been together for a while and we’ve learned so much and worked so hard to be a community …
Dec 07
Everywhere we turn, children are fully immersed – in purposeful play, in expressing the big ideas of their project, and in contributing to the community. The result? Pride. It’s palpable in every room. See you on Sunday, December 10 to explore and celebrate children’s insightful ideas! Painting a giant backdrop for our installation Creating a giant …
Nov 30
Now that it’s project season, the children in ענפים (Anafim- “branches” for 3rd-4th grade) approach me at the beginning of each session with urgent requests. “How much time do we have today?” “Can we get started before כיבוד (kibud-snack?” “If I do my עברית (ivrit– Hebrew) first, can I have project time all the way until שירה/תפילה (Shirah/Tefillah– “singing/prayer,” …
Nov 30
Something new is happening with our 5th – 7th graders: they want it all. Our theme texts for this age group were Genesis 12 – 25, more text than we’ve ever swallowed in a single theme, and still, these children are reaching out to grab more text: texts we’ve read over the last 7 years and …
Nov 28
We’re barreling head first toward the end of our theme (come join us on December 10 to explore children’s incredible ideas!). Today we took a moment to slow down and look closely at our work to notice similarities and differences between our work and other children’s work. We’re learning that “interpretation” means “my own ideas about …
Nov 27
Shorashimers are naturally curious. There’s so much joy in exploring new things! Our recent visit to see the torah was filled with wonder and excitement! Where’s the torah? “Is it under here?” “What’s that thing?” Oof how does this open? We found it! “Is this a table?” “Soft” “So heavy.” “This is like a finger …
Nov 16
There are so many moments in a day when ענפים (Anafim– “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) help each other with careful listening. For example: Carefully listening as a peer practices reading accurately, to catch mistakes and celebrate new progress Carefully listening, asking follow-up questions, and filming, as a peer presents his building of a scene from בראשית (bereishit– …
Nov 16
Read the text and talk about it. Build, draw, collage, or act out the text. Read more text, argue, read it again, show all the faces that Sarah and Hagar make to each other (what is “contempt,” anyway?), and go back to the text again to make our points. 2. Notice: what’s something about the …
Nov 16
Shteelim (‘saplings’ for kindergarten) had decided that Avraham, one of the characters from Genesis 18, is welcoming and friendly because of how Avraham treats the 3 men. It was time to see what it might be like for us to welcome guests: “Shorashim (‘roots’ for Nursery) is coming to visit us! What can we do …
