Mixing it up with Josh!

Josh had to reschedule his visit to the Children's Center this week, and today was our lucky day! Before school started, the Haifa and Unicorn teachers got to talking, and decided we would share our time with Josh. The Haifa class eagerly knocked on the adjoining door of our classrooms and invited the Unicorns into our classroom. We got to spend a good half hour practicing our songs for the Shalom Party, and seeing some Josh favorites!

-Alison and Sauci

Music with Julia

Josh couldn't make it today but that did not stop the Unicorn and Sunshine classrooms from getting together for some music! Julia led us through some wonderful songs both before and after Havdalah. We love having friends visit our classroom!

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Kumquats Around the World

Tu B'Shevat is a wonderful holiday for tasting new and interesting fruits. We'll be sampling many in the weeks ahead. Maria kindly brought in some kumquats for us to try last week. Maria's timing was wonderful as kumquats are a fruit traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year (which we were discussing that day), symbolizing prosperity for the new year. We have also been learning that it is traditional to taste fruit that grows on trees during Tu B'Shevat and kumquats are a tree fruit! We looked on the map to see three places we're pretty sure people might have been eating kumquats that day - Israel, China, and Needham!

The skin of a kumquat is sweet, while the inside is quite sour!

Thank you, Maria!

Our First Shabbat of the Year!

For our first Shabbat of the school year, the Haifa class was lucky enough to spend it with our friends from next door, the Unicorns!! We got to sing songs accompanied with Julia on the guitar, and bless the candles, wine, and challah.


It was a great warm up for when we celebrate Shabbat in the sanctuary, and we were able to spend some time with a class we don't normally see!

Shabbat Shalom!

-Alison and Sauci

Wonderous Wedesday

Our Wednesday in the Unicorn class was definitely a fun one!  We are certainly working on getting our routine down in the classroom and the Unicorn friends are doing a great job walking down the halls and stairwells together with all 13 of us!  Our morning free play consisted of magnetic builders, wooden blocks, play dough, puzzles, art and our Science Center!  Our Science center has been a big hit with it's little flashlights.  Today, our science center turned into The Unicorns D.M.D. when Harper, Max, Abby, Madison, Jared and Julia took turns pretending to be the resident doctor checking teeth and recommending tooth paste.  Abby and Harper opened up a manicure station with the magnetic builders.  It was a great first Wednesday of the school year, and look forward to our first Thursday tomorrow!

Unicorn Faces

Say Hello to the Unicorn Class of 2011-2012

Friends Having Fun!

The All Star children invited the Unicorn and Sunshine group down to their room to play. Oliver, Daniel, Nathaniel, Josh, and Avery were great hosts! Avery walked them through a game of bingo, Oliver introduced them to the felt board, Nathaniel directed them over to the sensory table (the moon sand), Daniel and Josh helped them figure-out how to use the Puppet Theater. Everyone who was not in the show, pulled up a seat so they could enjoy the show. Popcorn was served while the stage crew did their "thing". Daniel and Tina were the narrators. The children handled the stick puppets with ease! After we cleaned up we played a fun game of musical chairs! A good time was had by all!

Cooperative Games!

Here are a few games to try at home! Your children have played them in Lunch Bunch...Ask them to teach you how to play!

Balloon Keep Up- Children work together to keep one or more balloons up in the air so they do not fall to the floor. Try playing this game in large space or outside.

Cooperative musical chairs- The goal of this game is to find ways to share (not compete for) the chairs,when the music ends.

Islands- Create a group of "islands," made up of hoops, rings, or carpet squares. Children move around and between the islands while music plays. When the music stops, everyone must find an island. Encourage children to share the islands. For variety ask children to visit a different island each time, or have everyone wearing a certain color go to the same island.

HAVE FUN!

"We're the teachers"

We came in from out door play, Drew, Jake, and Rylan looked at the schedule board (behind them) decided to manipulate the "time" visuals, and announced "they" were going to be the "teachers" They began singing "shalom chaverim." Soon friends, Dylan and Lily K., joined in to lead us in song. When we acknowledge children's choices and actions, we provide them with much opportunity to grow in confidence and comfort to explore and take risks in safe environment like school.