Acts of Chesed continue....

  
So we asked, "Is there something WE could do to help?" The child had such a long list of ideas. We could give money, blankets, pillows, food, or buy them a house. Stay tuned...


Honoring the ideas of our children, the Kohavim boys and girls continued with making things to keep others warm. This was a long process. First we needed to pin the fabric together. After a brief safety reminder, some children took the lead in teaching others how to pin and keep their fingers safe. Then came cutting the strips to then tie together. The scissors on this fabric was a bit of a challenge so the teachers helped out. We modeled how to tie the strips together. Some children eagerly became experts in modelling how to do this as well. Teachers helped out with the tying the blanket strip together so that the design team could take over. Again.. stay tuned...The children are thinking about donating it to Rosie's place. We will be calling to see if they would accept this donation.

Taking care of others...

You may recall that after reading the story of Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat we asked your children what WE could do to take care of those who were cold and had no money. One of the things they decided they could do was make pillows. First we had a design team, who carefully drew their designs or draft on a piece of paper. When they were satisfied with their creation, they proceeded to transfer their art work to the felt material. The designers were then ready to sew their pillows. This took focus and following certain steps. There were safety guidelines to remember, the pressure one put on the peddle with one's foot determined the speed in which the machine sewed the material together. It took some practice to get just the right speed. The material design was turned inside out, then they had to turn the materials inside out. This took a bit of time and patience. Then came the filling of the pillow with 'fluff'. It was a great deal of work, but with team work we finished. They were so proud of their accomplishments. NOW the NEXT step is to decide who will be the beneficiaries of these creations. Stay tuned...

Watercolor Painting

At the art table, children have been using watercolor paints.  When we paint with watercolors, the children follow steps, similar to following steps in a recipe to prepare food. Watercolor paints can sometimes be a challenging medium. The children need to figure out how much water to use, how to mix colors without muddling the palette, and how to manipulate the paintbrush to create the effect they are hoping for. Following the steps, breaks down the process of watercolor painting and enables the children to explore the materials while feeling successful. See the photo slideshow below of some of the children painting and check back to find out how the Kohavim children become skilled with this art medium. 

Welcome ladies and gentleman…boys and girls it’s time for a PUPPET SHOW!

Today the Tel Aviv class decided to put on their very own puppet show. Eliza and I were making a pet shop out of magnet tiles and we didn’t have any animals to put in it. So…we decided to draw some! After we drew some horses and puppies we decided to put them on sticks which made us think that they could be puppets! We re-arranged the tent to look like a theater and soon the excitement had caught on throughout the whole class. Some were making puppets, others were setting up chairs and the rest were practicing and deciding what music should be played during our star performance. It was great to watch they idea take off and spread with so much enthusiasm. Putting on a show is not an easy task- there are LOTS of decisions that had to be made and lots of voices to be heard. The Tel Aviv kids did a great job of using the problem skill of “negotiation” which was hard, but it was neat to see how much growth they have had using this skill throughout the year.  After some puppet creation and some practicing, the lights were out, the music was on and a beautiful show was preformed! Great Job Tel Aviv Friends!

Taking care of one another

Nathaniel has recently learned to tie his shoes. He has been providing a helping hand practicing his new skill as he notices any classmates whose shoes are untied and offering his assistance. Thank you Nathaniel.

Pedal to the Metal ??

First we needed to select the material, then they had to decide what they wanted to make, then the cutting, then the sewing.. Lots of steps to complete the finished project.

Culinary Delight

Many of our boys and girls enjoy cooking, although some have indicated they are "eaters" not "cookers." Either way they can all participate in some manner. A couple of weeks ago, right before Passover, we made sushi. 

Our ingredients were carrots, cucumbers, rice, and seaweed sheets. We followed step by step instructions. First we cut the long carrots, using a carrots shredder, then spread the rice, and stuffed it with the ingredients of choice. Some boys and girls wanted just cucumber, some cucumber and carrots. Then we rolled the seaweed and cut it. Then came the taste test. These may be sushi chefs in the making.