About Parents:
I was just reading the weekly newsletter sent to the parents from the K-1 teacher and realized that most of the parents of the K-1 students either volunteer at the school, teach at the school, donate things to the classroom or pick up things from the teacher’s wish list when they are at the store. It’s just a wonderful group of families. I’m so glad that the teacher lets us know what everyone else is doing. If parental involvement in a school is a measure of the school’s quality, we are top notch.
About Kids:
Last week at Shabbat circle Rabbi Aaron had such a large pile of mitzvah notes from the kids that he couldn't even read them all. One was really sweet and stuck in my mind. A kindergarten boy does not like to eat and often refuses to eat his lunch. The Rabbi read a mitzvah note that said that this little boy had eaten his lunch nicely one day. All of the kids and the teachers clapped and congratulated him as the Rabbi explained that taking care of your body is also a mitzvah. The little boy had a big smile. His was the only mitzvah that received applause.
From a kid's perspective:
R. my child, said the other day “My school does not have very many kids in it, but when we all play together, it feels like there are lots of kids.”
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Teaching Art
I teach art on a volunteer basis at the Jewish Academy every other Friday to the K-1 class. You’d think by the end of the week the kids would be tired and ready for the weekend, but they are so great and are so easy to work with. So far I have had no discipline issues to deal with and every child has been happy to sit down and work on whatever I’ve brought for them to do.
For the first lesson we did color wheels, starting with primary colors. What amazed me was how exciting they found this simple exercise. One boy got the brown right on the first try and was so proud. They all were very impressed with his color wheel.
Then I passed around pictures of Color Plane and Minimalist paintings for them to look at and say how the colors and shapes were making them feel, and then they painted their own. They all came up with different results. Some wanted to add black tape, to mimic the black lines in Mondrian’s paintings, so they did that. This was a really good project to start with.
This past Friday I brought in tons of photos cut out of magazines and had them make a collage that tells a story. This was a much more complicated project than the first one, but all of the kids attacked it head-on. One little girl, a sports lover, composed a story about a basketball player coming to her house for dinner. Another showed a picture of a lady surrounded by all of her stuff (like in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings).
One first grader started an epic work about a man and woman going on a great adventure to discover new lands. She decided that her plans were too great to complete during my class, so she folded up her project, put it in her box, and announced that she would complete it during the week. Erin, the teacher, has an expression, "If you have think you are done, you have only just begun." I think that this attitude of working on something long and hard rather than just getting it done is great. I am so glad that she is willing to have these art projects last longer than just the time I am there so that the kids that want to can complete something they are proud of.
For the first lesson we did color wheels, starting with primary colors. What amazed me was how exciting they found this simple exercise. One boy got the brown right on the first try and was so proud. They all were very impressed with his color wheel.
Then I passed around pictures of Color Plane and Minimalist paintings for them to look at and say how the colors and shapes were making them feel, and then they painted their own. They all came up with different results. Some wanted to add black tape, to mimic the black lines in Mondrian’s paintings, so they did that. This was a really good project to start with.
This past Friday I brought in tons of photos cut out of magazines and had them make a collage that tells a story. This was a much more complicated project than the first one, but all of the kids attacked it head-on. One little girl, a sports lover, composed a story about a basketball player coming to her house for dinner. Another showed a picture of a lady surrounded by all of her stuff (like in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings).
One first grader started an epic work about a man and woman going on a great adventure to discover new lands. She decided that her plans were too great to complete during my class, so she folded up her project, put it in her box, and announced that she would complete it during the week. Erin, the teacher, has an expression, "If you have think you are done, you have only just begun." I think that this attitude of working on something long and hard rather than just getting it done is great. I am so glad that she is willing to have these art projects last longer than just the time I am there so that the kids that want to can complete something they are proud of.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Uniforms
My first reaction to R. having to wear a uniform to school was negative. I thought it would squelch an opportunity for self-expression. Now that we're into the school year, I realize that I was completely wrong.
First, the uniform itself is open to some variation. The guidelines are a white or light blue collared shirt, and navy or khaki bottoms. The style of these items is not dictated, nor is the policy strict. Nobody seems to mind if a kid shows up missing a collar or wearing brown rather than khaki pants. They can wear any outerwear they want or layer colorful shirts underneath, so the kids walk in looking like individuals. One little girl wears boys soccer shorts under a navy tunic, another layers a sheer lacy tunic on top, and the boys are all untucked and boyish. But still, getting dressed in the morning is easy.
Today the kids are helping a volunteer Mom plant flowers and herbs in the planters on the school deck, so the uniform was waived for the day. Old clothes were recommended.
R. woke up at 6:48 (before the alarm) and immediately set to the task of figuring out what to wear, taking all of the clothes out of the drawers. I suggested that R. just wear an older, stained uniform but this idea was immediately nixed. What was I thinking? 20 minutes later, after 3 inappropriate outfits were tried on, modelled, and returned to the overflowing drawer, R finally came in with a pair of khaki pants (uniform appropriate, actually) and an old long sleeve t-shirt that's a bit too small.
If there was no uniform, we would have to set the alarm 20 minutes earlier or spend time every evening planning an outfit. I'm glad to have that time to sleep or play an extra game of Uno.
First, the uniform itself is open to some variation. The guidelines are a white or light blue collared shirt, and navy or khaki bottoms. The style of these items is not dictated, nor is the policy strict. Nobody seems to mind if a kid shows up missing a collar or wearing brown rather than khaki pants. They can wear any outerwear they want or layer colorful shirts underneath, so the kids walk in looking like individuals. One little girl wears boys soccer shorts under a navy tunic, another layers a sheer lacy tunic on top, and the boys are all untucked and boyish. But still, getting dressed in the morning is easy.
Today the kids are helping a volunteer Mom plant flowers and herbs in the planters on the school deck, so the uniform was waived for the day. Old clothes were recommended.
R. woke up at 6:48 (before the alarm) and immediately set to the task of figuring out what to wear, taking all of the clothes out of the drawers. I suggested that R. just wear an older, stained uniform but this idea was immediately nixed. What was I thinking? 20 minutes later, after 3 inappropriate outfits were tried on, modelled, and returned to the overflowing drawer, R finally came in with a pair of khaki pants (uniform appropriate, actually) and an old long sleeve t-shirt that's a bit too small.
If there was no uniform, we would have to set the alarm 20 minutes earlier or spend time every evening planning an outfit. I'm glad to have that time to sleep or play an extra game of Uno.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Jewish Academy of Wake County
The reason I decided to write this blog is to give one parent's perspective on our little school. I must state from the onset of this blog that I am not an impartial observer. My heart is in The Jewish Academy of Wake County. I want this school to grow, and getting out the good word is as important as providing excellent education.
I will refer to my child as "R".
The first three weeks of school have proceeded marvelously. R. is learning so much in kindergarten. I am amazed by how much R's handwriting has improved. In three weeks R. has gone from writing in all wobbly capitals to writing a majority of upper and lowercase letters correctly on lined paper. R. loves writing. They have a journal that they write (or draw) in every day and then they have begun to share those journals with the class once a week.
Last Friday I volunteered in the office. I listened through the door as the K-1 class shared their journals with the 2nd and 3rd graders and the 2nd and 3rd graders read stories they had written to the K-1 class. Then, at Shabbat circle on Friday afternoon, they all sat together again, telling more stories about their weeks, singing songs, and listening to a visiting Rabbi talk about the parshat hashavuah. The Shabbat circle is open and parents often attend. One parent brings her guitar to accompany the singing. What a great way to end a week!
So far, every day I have picked R up from school and asked "How was school?" R's answer has been "Good" or "Great". What more can a parent ask for?
I will refer to my child as "R".
The first three weeks of school have proceeded marvelously. R. is learning so much in kindergarten. I am amazed by how much R's handwriting has improved. In three weeks R. has gone from writing in all wobbly capitals to writing a majority of upper and lowercase letters correctly on lined paper. R. loves writing. They have a journal that they write (or draw) in every day and then they have begun to share those journals with the class once a week.
Last Friday I volunteered in the office. I listened through the door as the K-1 class shared their journals with the 2nd and 3rd graders and the 2nd and 3rd graders read stories they had written to the K-1 class. Then, at Shabbat circle on Friday afternoon, they all sat together again, telling more stories about their weeks, singing songs, and listening to a visiting Rabbi talk about the parshat hashavuah. The Shabbat circle is open and parents often attend. One parent brings her guitar to accompany the singing. What a great way to end a week!
So far, every day I have picked R up from school and asked "How was school?" R's answer has been "Good" or "Great". What more can a parent ask for?
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