Teddy and Mia work together to make their garden grow. Hopefully these sunflower seeds will take root so they can be planted outside by the adult B'nai Mitzvah class in June. It was very heart warming to see these two friends so gently watering the small plants, making sure not to pour too much water in any single plant. Together we nurture to see tomorrow's growth.
While outside today, I noticed several older children helping the younger ones. Jake took turns with Josh at the basketball hoop. Matt showed Sam just how the lemonade pitcher worked. What gentle care these two older boys showed the younger ones. Parents, we share your pride.
As we continue to think about how we are creating a nurturing culture at TBSCC, one aspect we considered was how the children connect with our rabbis. There are many points of connections between the children and Rabbi Jay and Rabbi Todd, from coming into the classrooms to share in holiday preparations to celebrating Shabbat together on Fridays. It is often the little moments that the children and rabbis especially enjoy. Saying hello as we pass in the hallway, a wave from the parking lot, or a casual classroom visit are all ways Rabbi Jay and Rabbi Todd work to promote our children's sense of belonging.
A few glimpses from this week: "I'll stand by the door and give you high fives on your way out," Rabbi Todd explained as we finished our Shabbat celebration in the sanctuary this morning. Rabbi Todd knelt down and the children lined up for their turn to say Shabbat shalom.
"Rabbi Jay!" the children called from their classroom. So Rabbi Jay stopped into the Unicorn lunch bunch class and Jake and Jacob shared their plan for their next vacation. "We can go to California on an airplane for Chanukah."
As the Rainbow class walks down the hallway they glanced up and noticed the photo display of TBS's rabbis. "Rabbi Jay!" they exclaimed. "Rabbi Todd!" And the teachers continued the discussion with reminders of when Rabbi Jay came to the classroom with the torah last week and when Rabbi Todd showed us the lulav and etrog on Sukkot.
In our effort to enhance the nurturing culture of our classrooms, we considered the principle of honoring the uniqueness of each family and child. Each class is unique as well, and Maria and Smadar chose to reflect each child's personality by creating this stunning portrait wall. A large photo of each child is matted and framed in a shallow cardboard box. This aesthetically pleasing display attracts the attention to all who enter the classroom and the simple black frames highlight the uniqueness of the children's faces. Come take a peek!
As we came back to school this year, a portion of our professional development time was focused around studying nurturing environments. In what ways were we offering nurturing places and experiences for children? And just as importantly, how could we offer those same nurturing elements for adults? Arrange your space and routines to promote community was one of the principles we examined. Knowing that children and adults alike feel more relaxed in a homelike environment than an institutional one, we considered various ways of bringing home into our school setting. Our new living room is just one example of this work. I hope you are enjoying using it as much as I am.
to make their garden grow. Hopefully these sunflower seeds will take root so they can be planted outside by the adult B'nai Mitzvah class in June. It was very heart warming to see these two friends so gently watering the small plants, making sure not to pour too much water in any single plant. Together we nurture to see tomorrow's growth.
