Dec 13
This past weekend, we gathered as a whole community to celebrate our תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah – Return) Theme. We thought of תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah) as returning to the path we want to be on, and displayed our projects under a path with our biggest questions about תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah). Children began by sharing their project with their grown-up, …
Dec 12
What a gift to be able to celebrate our Teshuvah (Return) theme in community yesterday! Children in nursery and kindergarten told teshuvah stories with their grown-ups, choosing at least two different kinds of teshuvah to help make the situation better. 1st-3rd grade teshuvah specialists offered recommendations for how to do teshuvah in various situations. Finally, …
Dec 08
This week is a very special week! Installation week! We are preparing to share all that we have learned during our תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah) theme with our families. For each age group, we create a display that tells the story of the theme as they experienced it. Here one of the educators is putting the finishing …
Dec 07
The children in Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st-2nd grades and “Branches” for 3rd grade) are getting ready for this Sunday’s Family Exploration and Celebration. They have asked big questions, carefully considered different situations that could require Teshuvah, thought deeply, and had extremely rich conversations with each other. Now, they are Teshuvah Specialists, and they are …
Dec 02
This week the children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) have started getting ready for חֲנֻכָּה (chanukah)! The first thing we did was read some חֲנֻכָּה (chanukah) story books, which sparked a lot of memories of eating latkes (potato pancakes), lighting חֲנֻכִּיָוֹת (Chanukiyot– Chanukah Menorot (plural form of menorah), and playing …
Nov 17
This week the children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) have started to tellstories about תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah– returning to the path you want to be on after making a mistake) from their own lives! We did a little bit of guided meditation to picture a place that we spend time and …
Nov 15
It’s project time in Anafim V’Alonim (“Branches” for 4th Grade and “Oak Trees” for 5th Grade)! We’re developing our big ideas about תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah. We are defining תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah as ‘returning to the path I want to be on’, and we have so many ideas to share with each other. A Few of Our Big Ideas about תְּשׁוּבָה …
Nov 10
This week the children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) took their storytelling to the stage! They are creating incredible stories where תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah– returning to the path you want to be on after making a mistake) takes place. Our תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah) storytelling theater includes full audience participation. The audience offers …
Nov 03
This week the שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) storytellers are at it again! They are creating incredible stories where תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah– returning to the path you want to be on after making a mistake) takes place. These stories, are often based on real life (you might notice that both of these …
Nov 03
Throughout this whole year so far, I have been blown away by the amazing conversation skills in Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st-2nd grade and “Branches” for 3rd grade). During כִּיבּוּד (kibud – snack) and in the studio, children talk and share ideas with each other about our theme, תְּשׁוּבָה (teshuva). One of the most amazing things …
