It was a short week in Beit Nitzanim, but we filled it it up with joyous Hebrew play… … and designing a masterpiece. See you next week!
Tag: Nitzanim 5779
May 20
A new project
It’s hard to believe that we only have a few weeks left before we say goodbye for the summer. Nitzanim children are beginning to reflect on all of the learning, playing, and growing we’ve done as a community this year. Today we started working on a final project that makes visible the immense kindness and …
May 16
Drops of Joy: A Nitzanim Tale
It’s almost the end of the school year and Nitzanim knows how to enter and get started in the studio…. They know we sit in a big circle for some instructions. They know to put a smock on so their clothes don’t become evidence of their creations. They know to find a spot to sit …
May 09
Searching for examples
This week, Nitzanim children are diving into the Book of Ruth to search for examples of נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ(nosei v’ol im chaveiro–helping a friend carry a burden). After hearing the text read aloud, children created comics, buildings, and collages. This second pass at the text is an opportunity to extend their thinking, use their …
May 01
Sharing stories
We’re on the second day of our new theme, נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ(Nosei v’ol im chaveiro–Help a friend carry a burden), and today children told stories of times they helped a friend with something difficult. We’re beginning to generate examples of different kinds of burdens like the burden of chores or tasks, hurt feelings, injuries, …
Apr 23
Helping Ourselves and Each Other During Zeman Ivrit (Hebrew Time)
It’s spring quarter (can you believe it?), and by now Nitzanim children know A LOT of strategies for helping themselves and each other during זמן עברית (zeman Ivrit–Hebrew time). “Sit in a quiet, calm place.” “Talk in a regular voice.” “Practice many times.” “Give a friend an Aleph-Bet chart.” “Say to a friend, ‘I don’t …
Apr 15
Tough stuff
Over the last two weeks Nitzanim (“Buds” for 1st grade) children have been wrestling with some really tough stuff. They had to keep straight the Mishnah, which says to tell the story at the seder from the “hard stuff” to the “awesome stuff” (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4). Then they had to keep track of two different …
Apr 09
Nitzanim’s Got It in the Bag
With Pesach (Passover) just around the corner, Nitzanim has started designing their very own matzah bags! This week’s work involved creating and tracing a picture of what we thought was the ‘hard stuff’ and the ‘awesome stuff’ of Exodus 1-15, a story some Jewish people might choose to read during seder. Nitzanim worked diligently to …
Apr 04
Spontaneous Singing
Morah Sara: Would anyone like an iPad to use to listen to Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions)? Children: We don’t need an iPad. We already know the whole thing. And wow, they really did amaze me when they broke into song right then and there and sang every word (with a little help from me …
Mar 17