In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we have been working with a paradigm of leadership that connects to skills that the children are already starting to develop. That a leader is someone who works to make the would bette, using listening, partnership, courage and persistence. One exploration that the children have …
Tag Archive: listening
Jan 31
Who Does It Take to Make the World as It Should Be?
For the last couple of sessions children in Anafim v’Alonim (“Branches” and “Oak trees” for 4th and 5th grades) have been exploring what their impact, their communities’ impact, and societies’ impact is in creating the world as it should be. Wow, the ideas were so powerful. A long list was created after children participated in …
Oct 16
Movie Stills From Ya’akov v’Esav
In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for kindergarten), we have started listening to and playing our Torah theme text, Ya’akov v’Esav (Genesis 25:20-28), which you can find here. For many young children, the first time they hear a text like this, they might only be able to really hear a few words. In our case, the children …
Sep 13
Listening for Yom Kippur
Listen: the children are telling us what we need to know. This week at our end-of-session singing time, we asked children to tell their grown-ups what they love to do as a family and want to do more frequently. We asked children to tell their grown-ups what they wish their grown-ups would do less of. We …
May 04
We Love to Learn in So Many Ways
Hey. Just because we can think critically and have long, respectful conversations to hash out our point of view (and absolutely adore doing it), doesn’t mean it’s the only way we like to learn. Please nurture the whole of us. We love to learn in so many, many ways. We like to learn outside. We like to ask our own …
May 04
Chavruta
You can hear the sound of children’s voices from out in the hallway. Inside of the ענפים (Anafim- “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) classroom, ten eight- to ten-year-olds are sitting at tables, each across from a partner. And as each pair reads and discusses a Jewish text together, an ancient tradition called חברותא (chavruta- ‘friend,’ or learning partnership) comes to life. …
