In שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) we have continued our research and careful noticing related to the תּוֹרָה (Torah) for our שָׁבוּעוֹת (Shavuot-Weeks) theme. Throughout the time we have spent researching the תּוֹרָה (Torah), the children have continue to be interested in the fancy and beautiful ways the torah is decorated. We thought …
Tag: discussion
Oct 13
Digging Deeper
We’re in the second week of our new theme, Avraham v’Lot (Abraham and Lot) and children of all ages are excitedly digging deeper into our text from Genesis 13. (Click here for 1st-5th grade version. Click here for nursery and kindergarten version). Children in Shteelim (“Saplings” for kindergarten) worked together to share ideas about why …
Nov 24
Sharing ideas
In Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd and 3rd grade), our final projects are really coming along. Throughout this whole theme, we have been practicing sharing our ideas, connecting with our peers’ ideas, and respectfully disagreeing when we have a different idea. The children have done incredible work on this skill to the point where their conversations …
Oct 28
Building new skills!
As we dive deeper into our theme, תֵּבָה (Teyva – “Ark”), the children in Nitzanim (“Buds” for 1st grade) have also been diving deeper into their feelings and opinions about the text. One skill that Nitzanim has been working hard on is listening to each other’s thoughts and then saying if we connect or agree with …
Dec 13
Chanukah Play is Underway
Chanukah play is underway in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten)! Our preparations for Chanukah , the children get to hear some favorite chanukah folktales and play chanukah in our house area, playing סְבִיבוֹן (sevivon- dreidel), making latkes to eat, lighting the נֵרוֹת (neyrot -candles) in our חֲנֻכִּיָה (chanukiya- a menorah that …
Jan 10
Growing Skills for Partner Work
I continue to be struck by the way that Nitzanim children have been delighted all year to work with a partner. We’ve worked so hard as a community to intentionally build our skills for kind partnership, and I’ve been amazed to see how seriously children take up this challenge. Check out everything we’ve been practicing: …
Oct 30
Trying something new
At the end of last week, Nitzanim children tried something new with great confidence! In small groups, children took turns holding their chalk pastel artwork and explaining their ideas to each other. With a little bit of help from a grown-up, some children were even able to respond to each other’s interpretations with sentence stems …
May 09
A walk down memory lane
This week in Beit Nitzanim, we’re taking a walk down memory lane to begin reflecting on all of the learning and growing we’ve done in our community. We started by looking at photographs to help us remember our favorite ways to play, the projects we’re so proud of, and all of the עברית (Ivrit–Hebrew) learning …
Nov 28
Noticing Similarities and Differences
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 …
Oct 17
So Many Possibilities
There are so many mysteries and puzzles inside new Torah texts. Even a close reading of just a few words opens up so many possibilities for what the Torah might mean and what the story might be about. On the first day of hearing a new text, Nitzanim children paid particular attention to Genesis 18:3, which says, “He …