I have invited JAWC parents to contribute their thoughts to my blog. Here is what the mother of a boy in the 4-5 class has to say.
"J. arrives and leaves school with a smile. At JAWC he is growing spiritually, emotionally and academically. (At JAWC) we never have to worry about his academic growth being stunted or him becoming bored. If he is ready to do work in the next grade level, his teachers accommodate him. I love that the learning achieved there is not one dimensional. He is able have his imagination to soar, to express his thoughts and ideas, and to be heard. One year when students were doing standardized testing, and it was not his year to participate, he was curious and asked if he could also take the test. He was not only permitted to go ahead, but was encouraged to do so."
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Note from a Parent
I've asked parents to contribute some posts. Here is not from a Mom who has two sons at the school. The youngest is in the K-1 class and the oldest in the 4-5 class.
"I wanted to share with you the great joy I experienced the weekend of Sukkot from my boys carrying over their Jewish Academy experiences. D. (the kindergartner) and his buddy were belting out their benching on Friday after lunch at the shul. Also, at Sunday school (they attend a Conservative synagogue) R. (the 4th grader) took the lead in singing Ashrei in his class. He regaled me all the way home with the full prayer, even though they were only working on the first line! D. and R. continued to sing the Shabbat songs they have been practicing in Judaics all day on Sunday, for fun. Finally, D. has been locating and announcing hechshers on grocery items, drink and candies. Much to his surprise and joy, Laffy Taffy is kosher!"
"I wanted to share with you the great joy I experienced the weekend of Sukkot from my boys carrying over their Jewish Academy experiences. D. (the kindergartner) and his buddy were belting out their benching on Friday after lunch at the shul. Also, at Sunday school (they attend a Conservative synagogue) R. (the 4th grader) took the lead in singing Ashrei in his class. He regaled me all the way home with the full prayer, even though they were only working on the first line! D. and R. continued to sing the Shabbat songs they have been practicing in Judaics all day on Sunday, for fun. Finally, D. has been locating and announcing hechshers on grocery items, drink and candies. Much to his surprise and joy, Laffy Taffy is kosher!"
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
School Started Today
This morning the Jewish Academy started its third academic year. R is in 2nd grade!
This year, we have all primary grades. All of the classes, K-1, 2-3, and 4-5, are about the same size, ranging from 5-7 kids. In addition to two new teachers, we have hired a couple, Rabbi Lev and Dossi Cotler, to help Rabbi Aaron Herman with administration and Judaics. They are so nice, so excited and energetic, and the parents are just thrilled to have them here.
R. woke up bright and early this morning and had her usual getting dressed crisis, even though she had chosen what uniform elements to wear the night before. "This white shirt is too long. It covers the bow on the front of my skirt. I don't want to tuck it in. I want to wear the clips with the bright yellow hair piece. No, I want to wear my new headband. No, I want a ponytail..." Oy. She finally figured it out.
She got there on time with a smile on her face, walked right in and started the day. I'm not sure I even got a wave goodbye. She is very excited about Morah Jodi Gore, who also happens to be her summer swim coach, being her teacher. I am excited as well. I helped Jodi set up the classroom one day, and it is so warm and inviting, as well as academic. I think it's going to be a great year.
This year, we have all primary grades. All of the classes, K-1, 2-3, and 4-5, are about the same size, ranging from 5-7 kids. In addition to two new teachers, we have hired a couple, Rabbi Lev and Dossi Cotler, to help Rabbi Aaron Herman with administration and Judaics. They are so nice, so excited and energetic, and the parents are just thrilled to have them here.
R. woke up bright and early this morning and had her usual getting dressed crisis, even though she had chosen what uniform elements to wear the night before. "This white shirt is too long. It covers the bow on the front of my skirt. I don't want to tuck it in. I want to wear the clips with the bright yellow hair piece. No, I want to wear my new headband. No, I want a ponytail..." Oy. She finally figured it out.
She got there on time with a smile on her face, walked right in and started the day. I'm not sure I even got a wave goodbye. She is very excited about Morah Jodi Gore, who also happens to be her summer swim coach, being her teacher. I am excited as well. I helped Jodi set up the classroom one day, and it is so warm and inviting, as well as academic. I think it's going to be a great year.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Micrography, Oil Spills, and L'Cha Dodi.
I taught art again last Friday. We made picture for Mothers Day, inspired by Micrography or Microcalligraphy. Micrography is a style, often seen in Jewish art, where text is used to actually create an image. Lines of text are used as lines. Different density of text can be used for shading.
We started by writing a few sentences about Mom. Some of the kids wrote two sentences, some filled a page. Next we used pencil to lightly sketch out an image. The kids then either outlined their images with the text. Some used crayon to add some color, and then traced the letters using sharpies. We then erased the pencil lines. We spent about an hour and fifteen minutes on the project, most of the kids taking almost that entire time to complete it. One of the Moms came up to me and thanked me, saying the picture and the things their child wrote made her cry (happy tears, of course.) I was very proud of how seriously most of the children worked on the project.
Then we had a short Shabbat circle. The kids started the circle by telling Rabbi Aaron a bunch of riddles and jokes. That could have gone on for the entire session so Rabbi Aaron told them to tell him all of the rest of their jokes after Shabbat circle. They then talked about the oil spill. The children had read a book about oil spills, and had a science lab related to oil spills. They had all sorts of information to share about why oil spills are a problem and some of the ways people try to clean them. Rabbi Aaron then talked about the Torah, and how it has no title pages. How do we know when we are moving from one book to the next? Because there is a big space between the last line of one book to the first line of the next book. Where do the books get their Hebrew names? From the first important word in each book.
Then they sang L'cha Dodi, like they do every week. R., who had just returned from Israel, shared that she had been in the courtyard in Tzefat where the song L'cha Dodi was written in the 16th century, and that she sang the song while she was sitting there. Rabbi Aaron pointed out how the author, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, wrote it as an acrostic poem, putting his name, Slomo ha'Levi, into the first letters of the lines of the song. He held up a siddur to show them where they could find his name.
We started by writing a few sentences about Mom. Some of the kids wrote two sentences, some filled a page. Next we used pencil to lightly sketch out an image. The kids then either outlined their images with the text. Some used crayon to add some color, and then traced the letters using sharpies. We then erased the pencil lines. We spent about an hour and fifteen minutes on the project, most of the kids taking almost that entire time to complete it. One of the Moms came up to me and thanked me, saying the picture and the things their child wrote made her cry (happy tears, of course.) I was very proud of how seriously most of the children worked on the project.
Then we had a short Shabbat circle. The kids started the circle by telling Rabbi Aaron a bunch of riddles and jokes. That could have gone on for the entire session so Rabbi Aaron told them to tell him all of the rest of their jokes after Shabbat circle. They then talked about the oil spill. The children had read a book about oil spills, and had a science lab related to oil spills. They had all sorts of information to share about why oil spills are a problem and some of the ways people try to clean them. Rabbi Aaron then talked about the Torah, and how it has no title pages. How do we know when we are moving from one book to the next? Because there is a big space between the last line of one book to the first line of the next book. Where do the books get their Hebrew names? From the first important word in each book.
Then they sang L'cha Dodi, like they do every week. R., who had just returned from Israel, shared that she had been in the courtyard in Tzefat where the song L'cha Dodi was written in the 16th century, and that she sang the song while she was sitting there. Rabbi Aaron pointed out how the author, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, wrote it as an acrostic poem, putting his name, Slomo ha'Levi, into the first letters of the lines of the song. He held up a siddur to show them where they could find his name.
Let your child come visit for the day
I was having a conversation with a parent whose child is very unhappy in their current school. My proposal, let the child come spend a day at the Jewish Academy.
Did you know that your child, even a rising kindergartner, is welcome to come spend the day attending class with the Jewish Academy students? This is part of the beauty of a small school. We can be flexible. The teacher is not concerned that your child will be disruptive or make her day more difficult. The students in the class are kids who know how to treat a stranger, so they are going to be as welcoming as a group of K-2 kids can be.
I say, go for it. If you are unhappy with your child's school situation or are trying to make a decision about kindergarten, just let your child give us a try.
Did you know that your child, even a rising kindergartner, is welcome to come spend the day attending class with the Jewish Academy students? This is part of the beauty of a small school. We can be flexible. The teacher is not concerned that your child will be disruptive or make her day more difficult. The students in the class are kids who know how to treat a stranger, so they are going to be as welcoming as a group of K-2 kids can be.
I say, go for it. If you are unhappy with your child's school situation or are trying to make a decision about kindergarten, just let your child give us a try.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Notes for the Kotel
My family is going to Israel. R. is very excited. She has learned quite a bit about Israel, having been first in a Jewish preschool and now in a Jewish Day School, and is ready for the trip. One special thing R. has on her schedule in Israel is putting notes in the Kotel (Western/Wailing Wall) for her class. The notes are in a ziplock. She knows she has a very important job. Many of them have the word "private" written on the outside and R. made it very clear to my husband and I that we are not to read her friends' notes, that they are private prayers and requests to G-d.
Amy Ripps visits for Shabbat Circle
A week ago we had a really special visit from Amy Ripps, the Director of Education at Beth Meyer Synagogue. She was the visiting Jewish Educator during Shabbat Circle.
Amy, who is always a terrific story teller, told the tale of a bear who is hanging out in a building in Brooklyn, steeling the honey for Grandmother's Shabbat kugel as family members return from the store. The grandmother keeps repeating to the members of her family who come back from the store with no honey "But there are NO BEARS IN BROOKLYN." The children all joined in a chanted this chorus with Amy, giggling. Finally the Grandmother goes to the store herself. When she is harrassed by the bear she discovers that he is lost and invites him to Shabbat dinner. I love this story because it is a wonderful, funny way to teach that one should open their heart and their home to the person who has nowhere to go for Shabbat and Holidays.
In addition to Amy's story, many of the students read entries from their classroom journals to the group. Some of the entries were short, some of them were very long. What I always find amazing is how the students sit patiently and listen to their classmates, applauding at the end of each story. One little girl read a very long story about all sorts of weird things that kept showing up in her lunchbox. Sometimes it was gross. Sometimes it was silly, but she read the whole story and everyone listened attentively. She wasn't rushed or cut off, even when it was clear that we were going to run out of time, because allowing a little girl to read her entire story is very important.
This is another wonderful thing about being in a small school with an engaged population of parents. We ran out of time. Parents arrived and stood around the classroom, but nobody took their child. There was no carpool line that needed to be managed. Everyone waited patiently and listened to the end of Shabbat Circle. Even the tween older sister who had run in to get her brother, whose Mother was waiting in a running car in the parking lot understood that the right thing to do was just to wait, enjoy listening to the kids read their journal entries, to Amy telling her story, and to sing L'cha Dodi together to welcome the upcoming Sabbath.
Amy, who is always a terrific story teller, told the tale of a bear who is hanging out in a building in Brooklyn, steeling the honey for Grandmother's Shabbat kugel as family members return from the store. The grandmother keeps repeating to the members of her family who come back from the store with no honey "But there are NO BEARS IN BROOKLYN." The children all joined in a chanted this chorus with Amy, giggling. Finally the Grandmother goes to the store herself. When she is harrassed by the bear she discovers that he is lost and invites him to Shabbat dinner. I love this story because it is a wonderful, funny way to teach that one should open their heart and their home to the person who has nowhere to go for Shabbat and Holidays.
In addition to Amy's story, many of the students read entries from their classroom journals to the group. Some of the entries were short, some of them were very long. What I always find amazing is how the students sit patiently and listen to their classmates, applauding at the end of each story. One little girl read a very long story about all sorts of weird things that kept showing up in her lunchbox. Sometimes it was gross. Sometimes it was silly, but she read the whole story and everyone listened attentively. She wasn't rushed or cut off, even when it was clear that we were going to run out of time, because allowing a little girl to read her entire story is very important.
This is another wonderful thing about being in a small school with an engaged population of parents. We ran out of time. Parents arrived and stood around the classroom, but nobody took their child. There was no carpool line that needed to be managed. Everyone waited patiently and listened to the end of Shabbat Circle. Even the tween older sister who had run in to get her brother, whose Mother was waiting in a running car in the parking lot understood that the right thing to do was just to wait, enjoy listening to the kids read their journal entries, to Amy telling her story, and to sing L'cha Dodi together to welcome the upcoming Sabbath.
Monday, January 18, 2010
And here's a letter from Morah Leah, the Judaics teacher. Just to clarify, this is a K-2 class she's talking about. I did cut out one paragraph about their Hebrew reading homework. Same with the letter from Morah Erin. I edited out some specific assignment instructions.
Dear Parents,
We are busy doing many things in our Judaic Studies lessons. Here is an update of what we have been covering.
Tefillah/Prayer
We are progressing nicely through the prayer of “Ashrei” – we sing it every day and try to follow along with most of the words. Just this week we have finished the entire prayer, which is quite an accomplishment. The children feel very proud of being able to sing along to a very long prayer. We will continue practicing it so the students can become even more fluent in their reading.
Chumash/Bible Study
We are continuing reading and translating the Chumash in its original text. At this stage, a lot of the singing/reading/translating is done by memory. We are comparing similar words and looking for clues as we decipher the translations. I did send home some Chumash review homework and had varied results. Some of the students were frustrated when they tried reviewing at home. For now, I will keep the reviewing in the classroom until they feel more confident. If your child would enjoy reviewing at home, you might try showing them a Chumash opened to the first chapter of Beraisheit. The book we use in school is in large print, color-coded and is very child-friendly, but it is important for the children to see that these ancient words are the same in all different types of Chumashim, as well as in any Torah they will ever see.
Tu B’Shvat – The New Year for Trees
The topic of Tu B’Shvat has been filling our classroom – the bookshelves feature special tree-themed books, our walls are covered with artwork depicting this holiday and even our classroom door has some extraordinary artwork and reflections on giving trees.
I read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree to the class and we had a fascinating discussion about the question: Who is YOUR Giving Tree? The children all had different answers and it was so interesting to hear all the different perspectives on giving and receiving.
We discussed the lessons that trees can teach us and the responsibility we have to sustain trees and all living things. Our class is very environmentally aware and brainstormed for ideas of how to take care of our world to make it a place where things can grow in a safe and healthy way.
The children each imagined “What kind of tree would I be?” Each child’s unique personality was reflected in their artwork and their choice of tree.
The children have been singing Tu B’Shvat songs as well as learning the names of various fruits and grains in Hebrew. They will make their own memory matching game to take home and practice the “Shiva Minim” – The 7 types of fruit and grains that are special to Israel and that are talked about in the Torah.
To end our Tu B’Shvat unit, we will be tasting an assortment of fruits and comparing and contrasting them, using all of our senses.
Have a Happy Tu B’Shvat!
Morah Leah Herman
Dear Parents,
We are busy doing many things in our Judaic Studies lessons. Here is an update of what we have been covering.
Tefillah/Prayer
We are progressing nicely through the prayer of “Ashrei” – we sing it every day and try to follow along with most of the words. Just this week we have finished the entire prayer, which is quite an accomplishment. The children feel very proud of being able to sing along to a very long prayer. We will continue practicing it so the students can become even more fluent in their reading.
Chumash/Bible Study
We are continuing reading and translating the Chumash in its original text. At this stage, a lot of the singing/reading/translating is done by memory. We are comparing similar words and looking for clues as we decipher the translations. I did send home some Chumash review homework and had varied results. Some of the students were frustrated when they tried reviewing at home. For now, I will keep the reviewing in the classroom until they feel more confident. If your child would enjoy reviewing at home, you might try showing them a Chumash opened to the first chapter of Beraisheit. The book we use in school is in large print, color-coded and is very child-friendly, but it is important for the children to see that these ancient words are the same in all different types of Chumashim, as well as in any Torah they will ever see.
Tu B’Shvat – The New Year for Trees
The topic of Tu B’Shvat has been filling our classroom – the bookshelves feature special tree-themed books, our walls are covered with artwork depicting this holiday and even our classroom door has some extraordinary artwork and reflections on giving trees.
I read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree to the class and we had a fascinating discussion about the question: Who is YOUR Giving Tree? The children all had different answers and it was so interesting to hear all the different perspectives on giving and receiving.
We discussed the lessons that trees can teach us and the responsibility we have to sustain trees and all living things. Our class is very environmentally aware and brainstormed for ideas of how to take care of our world to make it a place where things can grow in a safe and healthy way.
The children each imagined “What kind of tree would I be?” Each child’s unique personality was reflected in their artwork and their choice of tree.
The children have been singing Tu B’Shvat songs as well as learning the names of various fruits and grains in Hebrew. They will make their own memory matching game to take home and practice the “Shiva Minim” – The 7 types of fruit and grains that are special to Israel and that are talked about in the Torah.
To end our Tu B’Shvat unit, we will be tasting an assortment of fruits and comparing and contrasting them, using all of our senses.
Have a Happy Tu B’Shvat!
Morah Leah Herman
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I love the letters I get from the teachers. Here's one from Morah Erin. Her enthusiasm is palpable.
Dear Parents and Friends,
What a wonderful beginning to a new year! First and foremost, I would like to say an official welcome to the Sh----- family. H------- joined us the first day back from winter break making First Grade student number eight (As the children and I would say- “Eight is great”!). She has been with us two weeks and has told me on more than one occasion that she is enjoying being at JAWC. Hats off to each of the other children for their genuine caring and helpfulness to make H-------’s transition a smooth one!
We have been busy learning about amphibians, reptiles and spiders the last few weeks. We experienced firsthand what it is like to have to molt like a snake at Science Lab last week. This week, we learned some amazing facts about spiders. Do you know?
1. What animal group spiders belong to and other animals in the same group?
2. How many eyes a spider has?
3. How many sets of spinnerets most spiders have?
4. If a spider’s web gets destroyed what it will sometimes do before building a new one?
Your children sure do-ask them and find out!
This week we followed directions to an experiment many of the children read about in one of our Leveled Reading books, Earth’s Riches. As each of them read this book, they asked/begged to make their own salt crystals. We now have several jars of colored salt crystals beginning to form along the edge of the window in our Science room. If you have a moment when you drop your child off in the morning or pick up in the afternoon, come in and take a peek!
Several of our students have been recipients of thank you letters recently. Several of the soldiers that we sent care packages to in December have sent us many beautiful letters. One soldier wrote: “Your kind words remind us why we are here and why we serve. It (your package) helped to soften the separation we feel at not being with our families. We feel honored and blessed to love in a nation and serve such fine young people like yourselves.” It is amazing how such a little bit of effort can have such a powerful impact!
We discussed the earthquake in Haiti this week. We learned: where Haiti is on the map, that for every one person who works, there is one person who does not and those who do work only make a little more than two dollars per day. At Shabbat Circle, Rabbi Aaron had each of the children give extra tzedakah so the school could make a donation to the disaster relief fund.
This afternoon, we read an amazing book that Syndey and her family brought in about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Hershel. It told of both of the men’s lives and struggles. It led to a discussion about prejudice, being open minded and standing up for what you believe in. WOW!
I am happy to announce that our Second Grade girls did a remarkable job reading at Temple Beth Or Preschool last month. They have been invited to come back this month to read to the four year old classes again! These young ladies are also going to pair up and be a “reading buddy” with a four year old from Hillel Preschool every Thursday afternoon beginning in February.
Another big Thank You goes to our fabulous Art Teacher, Debbie Secan. She came in this afternoon and did a lesson on shading, sketching animals and scratch art. I hung several of the student’s creations on the board and windows in our Science room. As I was hanging things up, one student remarked, “That’s A LOT of animals!” Please stop in and see the gallery we enjoyed making.
Have a fabulous l-o-n-g weekend,
Morah Erin
Dear Parents and Friends,
What a wonderful beginning to a new year! First and foremost, I would like to say an official welcome to the Sh----- family. H------- joined us the first day back from winter break making First Grade student number eight (As the children and I would say- “Eight is great”!). She has been with us two weeks and has told me on more than one occasion that she is enjoying being at JAWC. Hats off to each of the other children for their genuine caring and helpfulness to make H-------’s transition a smooth one!
We have been busy learning about amphibians, reptiles and spiders the last few weeks. We experienced firsthand what it is like to have to molt like a snake at Science Lab last week. This week, we learned some amazing facts about spiders. Do you know?
1. What animal group spiders belong to and other animals in the same group?
2. How many eyes a spider has?
3. How many sets of spinnerets most spiders have?
4. If a spider’s web gets destroyed what it will sometimes do before building a new one?
Your children sure do-ask them and find out!
This week we followed directions to an experiment many of the children read about in one of our Leveled Reading books, Earth’s Riches. As each of them read this book, they asked/begged to make their own salt crystals. We now have several jars of colored salt crystals beginning to form along the edge of the window in our Science room. If you have a moment when you drop your child off in the morning or pick up in the afternoon, come in and take a peek!
Several of our students have been recipients of thank you letters recently. Several of the soldiers that we sent care packages to in December have sent us many beautiful letters. One soldier wrote: “Your kind words remind us why we are here and why we serve. It (your package) helped to soften the separation we feel at not being with our families. We feel honored and blessed to love in a nation and serve such fine young people like yourselves.” It is amazing how such a little bit of effort can have such a powerful impact!
We discussed the earthquake in Haiti this week. We learned: where Haiti is on the map, that for every one person who works, there is one person who does not and those who do work only make a little more than two dollars per day. At Shabbat Circle, Rabbi Aaron had each of the children give extra tzedakah so the school could make a donation to the disaster relief fund.
This afternoon, we read an amazing book that Syndey and her family brought in about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Hershel. It told of both of the men’s lives and struggles. It led to a discussion about prejudice, being open minded and standing up for what you believe in. WOW!
I am happy to announce that our Second Grade girls did a remarkable job reading at Temple Beth Or Preschool last month. They have been invited to come back this month to read to the four year old classes again! These young ladies are also going to pair up and be a “reading buddy” with a four year old from Hillel Preschool every Thursday afternoon beginning in February.
Another big Thank You goes to our fabulous Art Teacher, Debbie Secan. She came in this afternoon and did a lesson on shading, sketching animals and scratch art. I hung several of the student’s creations on the board and windows in our Science room. As I was hanging things up, one student remarked, “That’s A LOT of animals!” Please stop in and see the gallery we enjoyed making.
Have a fabulous l-o-n-g weekend,
Morah Erin
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Lunchtime Visit
I had to take R. to a appointment mid-day today, and when I dropped her back off, I got such a nice warm fuzzy feeling. When we arrived the other kids were in another room eating lunch, so only the general studies teacher, Erin, and May Berman, a retired teacher and volunteer, were in the classroom. R. had eaten her lunch in the car so she decided to stay in the classroom with May and Erin and work on her journal, the daily writing they do every day. She happily went to gather her journal box and brought it to the table, together with the Starbucks hot cocoa we picked up on the way in. She seemed perfectly content, sitting at her desk, writing, and drinking her hot cocoa, getting lots of attention from Erin and May. Then I dropped in on the rest of the class. They were sitting around a big table in the synagogue's kiddush room, eating and giggling with Jodi Gore. Why were they all giggling? They were doing Mad Libs with Jodi while eating lunch!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Hands-On Mitzvah Projects
This fall JAWC students undertook two Mitzvah projects. The first project was a canned food drive for Jewish Family Services. First they each brought in non-perishable food from home. They counted the classroom tzedakah and took a portion of the money to Kroger, where they each chose two additional non-perishable items. Taking the children to Kroger on Thanksgiving week to buy food for families that need some help is becoming a tradition at JAWC, as this is the second year they have done this. Shopping for basic items to give to people in need reinforces to the children that they have much to be thankful for, and that something as basic food is not to be taken for granted. The kids love doing the self check-out. In the end three boxes of food were given to Jewish Family Services.
For the second Mitzvah project, right before winter break, the students packed and shipped boxes filled with hygiene products, snacks, and candy to deployed servicemen. Their teacher, Erin Scoggins, has a brother serving in Afghanistan who advised her on the items the soldiers need. Some of the students gave names and addresses of people in the military that they know. Our next door neighbor is a Chaplain in Iraq so a package was sent to him. S. and her family had spent Shabbat with a Rabbi and his family at Camp Legune so she felt connected to this mitzvah project, having spent a weekend with military families and soldiers on a base. In addition to needed items, each box contained a class photo, with all of the children dressed in red, white and blue, in front of the American and Israeli flags. Some of the children wrote notes to the soldiers. Even though the packages will arrive well after the holidays, as the holidays were fresh on the kid’s minds, I did see “Happy Hanukkah, I love you” written on one card and heard some discussion between the kids on whether or not it makes sense to write “Merry Christmas” on another. Eleven boxes were sent.
For the second Mitzvah project, right before winter break, the students packed and shipped boxes filled with hygiene products, snacks, and candy to deployed servicemen. Their teacher, Erin Scoggins, has a brother serving in Afghanistan who advised her on the items the soldiers need. Some of the students gave names and addresses of people in the military that they know. Our next door neighbor is a Chaplain in Iraq so a package was sent to him. S. and her family had spent Shabbat with a Rabbi and his family at Camp Legune so she felt connected to this mitzvah project, having spent a weekend with military families and soldiers on a base. In addition to needed items, each box contained a class photo, with all of the children dressed in red, white and blue, in front of the American and Israeli flags. Some of the children wrote notes to the soldiers. Even though the packages will arrive well after the holidays, as the holidays were fresh on the kid’s minds, I did see “Happy Hanukkah, I love you” written on one card and heard some discussion between the kids on whether or not it makes sense to write “Merry Christmas” on another. Eleven boxes were sent.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
JAWC Hosts Jewish Children’s Book Author Dina Rosenfeld
This is the full version of the article I'm writing for the Raleigh/Cary Jewish Federation's paper. The paper's version will be much shorter.
It was a cold and snowy day, the first day of winter vacation, yet the Jewish Academy of Wake County was warm and full of happy children. Dina Rosenfeld, author of many Jewish Children’s books, was sitting in a little green chair, teaching an enwrapped audience of twenty children and many adults how to write a children’s book.
She used as an example her book “Peanut Butter and Jelly for Shabbos”. It started on a sheet of yellow lined paper that is covered with sentences and paragraphs all written in different directions, generated through brainstorming. One sentence was circled, the idea behind “Peanut Butter and Jelly for Shabbos.” She then showed the editing process, where the story is refined from a handwritten pages with many corrections to a typed pages with corrections to a finished story that is then put into an envelope and sent to the illustrator. Rosenfeld says “In a picture book, if you talk about something you have to show it.” She showed the illustrator’s process from pencil drawings to full color images and the changes they made along the way to clarify the message of the illustrations. She showed the finished book in its hard cardboard binding.
Next she showed two books in their original form that she had illustrated herself, and how professional illustrators and book designers had continued her work. In one example, the illustrator did something completely different than what she had originally drawn. She said that it’s interesting how two people can interpret a story in two completely different ways. She then showed an original layout of a book where she had created collages of colored paper for the illustrations. In that example the illustrator had used her illustrations as the inspiration for his paintings.
Mrs. Rosenfeld also held up the book “A Kind Hearted Rivka”, translated into many languages, and read the title in all of the different languages. She showed them the same book in Braille, and explained how the Jewish Heritage for the Blind prints books in Braille so that blind adults can read stories to the children in their lives.
The final message of the story “Peanut Butter for Shabbos” is “You’ll only succeed if you’re willing to try.” The children at JAWC had made their own books during the last few weeks, each one fully illustrated with a cover and a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The childen were very proud to share their books with Dina Rosenfeld who said “Everyone can be an artist and make up stories.”
It was a cold and snowy day, the first day of winter vacation, yet the Jewish Academy of Wake County was warm and full of happy children. Dina Rosenfeld, author of many Jewish Children’s books, was sitting in a little green chair, teaching an enwrapped audience of twenty children and many adults how to write a children’s book.
She used as an example her book “Peanut Butter and Jelly for Shabbos”. It started on a sheet of yellow lined paper that is covered with sentences and paragraphs all written in different directions, generated through brainstorming. One sentence was circled, the idea behind “Peanut Butter and Jelly for Shabbos.” She then showed the editing process, where the story is refined from a handwritten pages with many corrections to a typed pages with corrections to a finished story that is then put into an envelope and sent to the illustrator. Rosenfeld says “In a picture book, if you talk about something you have to show it.” She showed the illustrator’s process from pencil drawings to full color images and the changes they made along the way to clarify the message of the illustrations. She showed the finished book in its hard cardboard binding.
Next she showed two books in their original form that she had illustrated herself, and how professional illustrators and book designers had continued her work. In one example, the illustrator did something completely different than what she had originally drawn. She said that it’s interesting how two people can interpret a story in two completely different ways. She then showed an original layout of a book where she had created collages of colored paper for the illustrations. In that example the illustrator had used her illustrations as the inspiration for his paintings.
Mrs. Rosenfeld also held up the book “A Kind Hearted Rivka”, translated into many languages, and read the title in all of the different languages. She showed them the same book in Braille, and explained how the Jewish Heritage for the Blind prints books in Braille so that blind adults can read stories to the children in their lives.
The final message of the story “Peanut Butter for Shabbos” is “You’ll only succeed if you’re willing to try.” The children at JAWC had made their own books during the last few weeks, each one fully illustrated with a cover and a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The childen were very proud to share their books with Dina Rosenfeld who said “Everyone can be an artist and make up stories.”
Friday, October 23, 2009
Overscheduled?
I was talking to a mother about JAWC the other day. “The public magnate school offers electives.” she said. Ok, so we don’t have electives, but every day in addition to general studies the children study modern Hebrew and Judaics. The children at JAWC do not need to enroll in religious or Hebrew school through their synagogues until they are in middle school, so they have much more time after school and on weekends to register in whatever extra-curricular activities they and their parents choose. R. is on a competitive swim team that practices twice a week and has weekend meets once a month, sometimes both days of the weekend. She doesn’t have religious school on Sunday morning to interfere with swim meets. She is also a girl scout and takes piano lessons. With all of these activities, R. still has two completely free afternoons each week. Unless there is a swim meet, every Saturday and every other Sunday are also completely free. Synagogue religious schools have a very important role in the community, but enrolling a child in a Jewish day school, like JAWC, can help keep the child from becoming overscheduled, providing them the time to pursue their interests.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Discussing Size
I often find myself in conversations with parents about how great JAWC has been for my kid. Generally the other parent tells me why they didn’t send their child to JAWC. Often that reason is size related, but usually the fellow parent never looked at the school or talked to Rabbi Aaron about it.
Many parents say “The school is to small" based on conversations they have had with other families who have not sent their children to JAWC. Instead, if the same parents would actually take a good look at what the school has to offer, they may discover something promising. If they then talk about it with fellow parents, a portion of them will also look and some will enroll their kids. The school would no longer be considered “too small”.
The second size related reason is “Socially, my child needs more kids in a class.” I have an extremely social child. Socially, she is perfectly happy in her small class (10 children, k-2). She is friends with every girl in the class. (Boys are almost a different species from the six year old girl’s perspective.) I know that any of those girls can come to my home after school and play quite happily with my daughter, and I’m happy to send her to any of her classmate’s homes. Besides her classmates, she has also maintained friendships from preschool and developed new friendships through extracurricular activities. She has plenty of friends. In a class of 25 kids, how many children is one child really friends with?
I’m not criticizing people for choosing to send their children to other schools after looking at all their options, and some parents do exhaustive research. I am frustrated by the tendancy that some parents have to exclude JAWC from that research because of its size. The small size is not a problem for the children, and if more parents enroll their children each year, it will grow.
Many parents say “The school is to small" based on conversations they have had with other families who have not sent their children to JAWC. Instead, if the same parents would actually take a good look at what the school has to offer, they may discover something promising. If they then talk about it with fellow parents, a portion of them will also look and some will enroll their kids. The school would no longer be considered “too small”.
The second size related reason is “Socially, my child needs more kids in a class.” I have an extremely social child. Socially, she is perfectly happy in her small class (10 children, k-2). She is friends with every girl in the class. (Boys are almost a different species from the six year old girl’s perspective.) I know that any of those girls can come to my home after school and play quite happily with my daughter, and I’m happy to send her to any of her classmate’s homes. Besides her classmates, she has also maintained friendships from preschool and developed new friendships through extracurricular activities. She has plenty of friends. In a class of 25 kids, how many children is one child really friends with?
I’m not criticizing people for choosing to send their children to other schools after looking at all their options, and some parents do exhaustive research. I am frustrated by the tendancy that some parents have to exclude JAWC from that research because of its size. The small size is not a problem for the children, and if more parents enroll their children each year, it will grow.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
She is learning something!
Sometimes while watching R. (6 yrs old) at, for instance, a childrens service at synagogue, I wonder, is she really internalizing all of this information about Judaism that is taught at school? She's not the kid who raises her hand to answer the questions that Rabbi Solomon or Amy Ripps ask during those services. I think she knows the answers and has something to say, but are they at the tip of her tongue?
Finally I saw a sign. R. reported that at practice for a sport she participates in, the coach commented that she didn't see her on Monday. "We have A LOT of holidays." R. said. The coached asked "Rosh Hashana?" Yes, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and then next week we have Sukkot." The coach had never heard of Sukkot, so R. explained. "When the Israelites were in the desert, they didn't have houses or restaurants or grocery stores. They had to build sukkahs." "What's a sukkah?" R. answered "A hut. So we build a hut in our yard for Sukkot, like the Israelites had in the dessert." And then she said "Mommy, she didn't know what a sukkah was, so I had to use the word "hut".
A simple answer. It was right at the tip of her tongue, she felt comfortable answering the question, and was confident in her answer.
Finally I saw a sign. R. reported that at practice for a sport she participates in, the coach commented that she didn't see her on Monday. "We have A LOT of holidays." R. said. The coached asked "Rosh Hashana?" Yes, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and then next week we have Sukkot." The coach had never heard of Sukkot, so R. explained. "When the Israelites were in the desert, they didn't have houses or restaurants or grocery stores. They had to build sukkahs." "What's a sukkah?" R. answered "A hut. So we build a hut in our yard for Sukkot, like the Israelites had in the dessert." And then she said "Mommy, she didn't know what a sukkah was, so I had to use the word "hut".
A simple answer. It was right at the tip of her tongue, she felt comfortable answering the question, and was confident in her answer.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
First Day of School
School started today. Drop-off was a little crowded with all of the parents hanging out while their kids got settled, but there were smiles all around. Everyone was happy to say hello and shmooze a bit after the long summer break, but we couldn't hang out and turn the classroom into a coffee klatch. Morah (teacher) Erin had worksheets ready on the returning students' desks, so that they could jump right back into study. There were new kindergarteners who needed to be shown the ropes. We grown-ups had to get on with our days.
I didn't give school one moment's thought all day. I knew she was in good hands and was probably having a great day. When we went to pick her up she ran out smiling and gave us big hugs. I saw other kids doing the same thing. One K student told his Mom excitedly about a story the Morah Leah had read during Judaics about Bagels. They had read Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis. We had recieved this book from the PJ Library program and it's a really good one. One of R's favorites.
R. said when she got home that 1st grade is really different than kindergarten. There is much less playing and no rest period. She was a little annoyed that the new kindergarteners don't have to suffer through rest time like her class did but I'm guessing she'll get over that. It sounded like R. really enjoyed having the new kindergarteners in the mix. I asked if the 1st graders included them during free time and she promised me that they had.
I asked R what she did today that she liked. She said the best part of the day was making three different kinds of playdough, and she described to me the different recipes. When I got home, Morah Erin completed the playdough story with her email reporting on the first day. They made three very different types of playdough for their first science lab, which are being stored till tomorrow when the kids will compare and contrast.
Morah Erin's email also had photos of the kids involved in some of their first day activities. It was nice that she made sure that every kid in the class was in at least one of the photos.
I didn't give school one moment's thought all day. I knew she was in good hands and was probably having a great day. When we went to pick her up she ran out smiling and gave us big hugs. I saw other kids doing the same thing. One K student told his Mom excitedly about a story the Morah Leah had read during Judaics about Bagels. They had read Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis. We had recieved this book from the PJ Library program and it's a really good one. One of R's favorites.
R. said when she got home that 1st grade is really different than kindergarten. There is much less playing and no rest period. She was a little annoyed that the new kindergarteners don't have to suffer through rest time like her class did but I'm guessing she'll get over that. It sounded like R. really enjoyed having the new kindergarteners in the mix. I asked if the 1st graders included them during free time and she promised me that they had.
I asked R what she did today that she liked. She said the best part of the day was making three different kinds of playdough, and she described to me the different recipes. When I got home, Morah Erin completed the playdough story with her email reporting on the first day. They made three very different types of playdough for their first science lab, which are being stored till tomorrow when the kids will compare and contrast.
Morah Erin's email also had photos of the kids involved in some of their first day activities. It was nice that she made sure that every kid in the class was in at least one of the photos.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Month of May
It's been a whole month since I've posted and the year is coming to a close in a few weeks. We had another guest Rabbi this month. Rabbi Jurovics from Temple Beth Or came to Shabbat circle and told the children a story. Unfortunately I couldn't be there that day, but I just wanted to make a note that each Raleigh synagogue, Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox, has had a Rabbi participate in Shabbat circle at least once this year.
This last month has been really fun. The kids have gone on lots of field trips. They went to the Waste Management recycling facility, the N.C. Museum of Art, a farm with animals, the public library (where they each got their own card) and Strawberry picking.
I organized and led the trip to the art museum and was very pleased by the level of interest and good behavior the kids maintained for the entire visit. We went through all of the galleries currenty open plus hiked through the park to see some of the large outdoor installations. The children made wonderful observations about the artwork they encountered. One of my favorite moments was when we all sat in a circle in a room that had three huge but very different paintings hung, a Keifer, a Stella, and a Katz and the children discussed which one they liked best. The class was split in three, and each group gave a compelling k-1 level reason for liking their first choice. The other thing I noticed was that each child chose the painting that most resembled their own artistic approach!
A cute moment was in front of a painting showing the worship of the golden calf. One child stood their and found all sorts of inconsistencies with her understanding of the story. The museum guard listening to the conversation was both impressed and amused. "Mt. Sinai isn't a big mountain like that, it is a humble mountain. The Israelites wouldn't have dressed like that, etc, etc."
We also had our a school fundraiser this month, a barbeque at one parent's home. It was pouring rain that day and we worried that people wouldn't come. My husband said to me "Why are you so worried. A group of people who like eachother and are getting together to support an organization they care about." Almost everyone who had RSVPed came, and there were a few welcome extras that just showed up. All of the parents helped to make the event happen, and it was such a success.
This last month has been really fun. The kids have gone on lots of field trips. They went to the Waste Management recycling facility, the N.C. Museum of Art, a farm with animals, the public library (where they each got their own card) and Strawberry picking.
I organized and led the trip to the art museum and was very pleased by the level of interest and good behavior the kids maintained for the entire visit. We went through all of the galleries currenty open plus hiked through the park to see some of the large outdoor installations. The children made wonderful observations about the artwork they encountered. One of my favorite moments was when we all sat in a circle in a room that had three huge but very different paintings hung, a Keifer, a Stella, and a Katz and the children discussed which one they liked best. The class was split in three, and each group gave a compelling k-1 level reason for liking their first choice. The other thing I noticed was that each child chose the painting that most resembled their own artistic approach!
A cute moment was in front of a painting showing the worship of the golden calf. One child stood their and found all sorts of inconsistencies with her understanding of the story. The museum guard listening to the conversation was both impressed and amused. "Mt. Sinai isn't a big mountain like that, it is a humble mountain. The Israelites wouldn't have dressed like that, etc, etc."
We also had our a school fundraiser this month, a barbeque at one parent's home. It was pouring rain that day and we worried that people wouldn't come. My husband said to me "Why are you so worried. A group of people who like eachother and are getting together to support an organization they care about." Almost everyone who had RSVPed came, and there were a few welcome extras that just showed up. All of the parents helped to make the event happen, and it was such a success.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Pesach
This year at the Passover seder we got to see our tuition dollars at work. R. was so well prepared for Pesach we were rather blown away.
The day before Pesach bread R. brought home a Hadagadah that she had made in school. Each page was simple. It had the name of one part of the seder written in Hebrew on the top of the page. The pages were printouts, but one each page she had added the vowels into title words that didn't have them, added printouts of prayers or visual clues to the page, or drawn and colored on it. It was obvious that a lot of work had gone into this. It was nicely bound with plastic rings and the cover was laminated. I had a look, complimented her work and stuck it into the bag we were taking out of town. At that time I didn't really expect it to be used at the seder.
The seder night came. We went to my Sister's home were she had 23 people. R. sat down in her seat, ready to start, and the FOLLOWED THE SEDER with her Hagadah from school. When my Brother-in-law announced that we were moving from Kadesh to Urchatz to Karpas, etc, she found the page on her own , looked at her page, listened, and enjoyed feeling like she was a part of it all. Sometimes there was a little back and forth between her and my Brother-in-law or other people at the table..."Are we here yet? Isn't this next?" etc.
Then, she sang the Four Questions, solo. I needed to help briefly by reminding her the first syllable of a word her or there, but basically, she sang it by herself. They had practiced it once every day in school for a couple of weeks and had to practice at home each night. Although R. is not shy, she has stage fright and we did not expect her to pull this off completely.
I am not telling you all of this to brag about my child. Obviously I think my kid is great, but we all have great kids and they all achieve all sorts of things. I'm telling this story to show how well prepared she was for what, in the Jewish world, is an important yearly event. If she is able to enjoy and understand a Passover seder at this level in kindergarten, I really look forward to the depth of experience and understanding that she will have at the Passover seder in a few years, as she advances through the Jewish Academy of Wake County.
The day before Pesach bread R. brought home a Hadagadah that she had made in school. Each page was simple. It had the name of one part of the seder written in Hebrew on the top of the page. The pages were printouts, but one each page she had added the vowels into title words that didn't have them, added printouts of prayers or visual clues to the page, or drawn and colored on it. It was obvious that a lot of work had gone into this. It was nicely bound with plastic rings and the cover was laminated. I had a look, complimented her work and stuck it into the bag we were taking out of town. At that time I didn't really expect it to be used at the seder.
The seder night came. We went to my Sister's home were she had 23 people. R. sat down in her seat, ready to start, and the FOLLOWED THE SEDER with her Hagadah from school. When my Brother-in-law announced that we were moving from Kadesh to Urchatz to Karpas, etc, she found the page on her own , looked at her page, listened, and enjoyed feeling like she was a part of it all. Sometimes there was a little back and forth between her and my Brother-in-law or other people at the table..."Are we here yet? Isn't this next?" etc.
Then, she sang the Four Questions, solo. I needed to help briefly by reminding her the first syllable of a word her or there, but basically, she sang it by herself. They had practiced it once every day in school for a couple of weeks and had to practice at home each night. Although R. is not shy, she has stage fright and we did not expect her to pull this off completely.
I am not telling you all of this to brag about my child. Obviously I think my kid is great, but we all have great kids and they all achieve all sorts of things. I'm telling this story to show how well prepared she was for what, in the Jewish world, is an important yearly event. If she is able to enjoy and understand a Passover seder at this level in kindergarten, I really look forward to the depth of experience and understanding that she will have at the Passover seder in a few years, as she advances through the Jewish Academy of Wake County.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Rabbi Solomon visits Shabbat Circle
Rabbi Solomon from Beth Meyer synagogue was the visiting Rabbi at Shabbat circle on Friday.
When he walked in the door of the K-1 class the three girls that attend Beth Meyer (including my daughter) were so excited they surrounded him, jumping up and down and making lots of happy noise. We had been working on a greeting card project in art, so a few of the kids made cards to welcome him and all the kids had signed their names. Then, the class dragged him around giving a tour of their K-1 classroom. They were so proud to show off their classroom and so excited to have him visit.
At Shabbat circle he began to tell a story about Miriam being the first to brave that first step into the Red Sea. Rather than it being a story that he told, it turned into a lively exchange, as the kids were familiar with the story and wanted to give their two cents as well. With all of the hand raising and back and forth, he did manage to squeeze a good lesson in there about how when something is hard but is the right thing to do, you just need to have faith and take that step.
Then the teachers and kids did the usual Shabbat circle thing, sharing what they had learned and achieved over the week. The first graders showed off their cursive, a few of the kindergartners read a story, and the 2nd-3rd graders read one paragraph each of their social studies essays on the Stamp Act. They sang a fun repetitive chant of the order of the Pesach Seder and the first and last of The Four Questions.
Rabbi Solomon's visit made Friday and Shabbat circle very special for my child. I thank him for coming.
When he walked in the door of the K-1 class the three girls that attend Beth Meyer (including my daughter) were so excited they surrounded him, jumping up and down and making lots of happy noise. We had been working on a greeting card project in art, so a few of the kids made cards to welcome him and all the kids had signed their names. Then, the class dragged him around giving a tour of their K-1 classroom. They were so proud to show off their classroom and so excited to have him visit.
At Shabbat circle he began to tell a story about Miriam being the first to brave that first step into the Red Sea. Rather than it being a story that he told, it turned into a lively exchange, as the kids were familiar with the story and wanted to give their two cents as well. With all of the hand raising and back and forth, he did manage to squeeze a good lesson in there about how when something is hard but is the right thing to do, you just need to have faith and take that step.
Then the teachers and kids did the usual Shabbat circle thing, sharing what they had learned and achieved over the week. The first graders showed off their cursive, a few of the kindergartners read a story, and the 2nd-3rd graders read one paragraph each of their social studies essays on the Stamp Act. They sang a fun repetitive chant of the order of the Pesach Seder and the first and last of The Four Questions.
Rabbi Solomon's visit made Friday and Shabbat circle very special for my child. I thank him for coming.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Morah Erin
I thought I'd write a few words about our K-1 general studies teacher, Morah Erin.
First, Morah Erin has boundless energy. She is a self-starter and is not afraid to dive headfirst into a project involving lots of steps, mess, and effort. Our upcoming Purim carnival is an example. She came up with the idea to host a Purim event for rising Kindergartners and immediately started enlisting help to carry it through. It is an event that is mostly going to be run by the kids. They are working hard making games for the preschoolers to play. I do hope a nice group of the little ones come because I think they'll have a good time playing with the big kids.
Erin is not Jewish, but she has worked as an educator in local Jewish schools for many years. This year she has decided that she will learn to read Hebrew with her K class. When I asked her "Why do you teach at this school?", she said, "Well, for instance, the kids are helping me learn to read Hebrew. I couldn't get that anywhere else." In the parking lot, I heard her thanking a child for helping her read Hebrew today. She made him feel very special. I could see by the smile.
She also said that she likes the fact that she can spend time every day, teaching every child individually. When I asked her this afternoon what she would want me to write about her, she said that this is very important to her. It's her favorite thing about teaching a small class. R. doesn't talk about general studies at school. When I ask her what she did in school that day she usually talks about P.E., recess, and lunch. Yet I see what an improvement there has been in R.'s reading, writing, and math skills. I have noticed that she suddenly has all sorts of information that I didn't teach her.
Erin is not stern. Her classroom is full of laughter and chatter, but there is also discipline. She speaks to the kids and to us very honestly and without mincing words. I remember at the beginning of the year R. was very unhappy that there was a 20 minute rest time every afternoon. I went in with R. to ask Erin what could be done about my child's terribly unhappiness during rest time. Erin, without pause, looked directly at R. and said "Kindergartners have a short rest time every afternoon. That is a time for you to rest quietly on your mat. We don't play or read during that time." R. accepted this as the way things were going to be and hasn't mentioned it again.
While she maintains discipline Erin distributes pounds of goodwill, and encouragement to the kids. She can be sort of cheerleader-like. She's very perky. She is also a very serious teacher and is doing a wonderful job teaching my child. R. has woken up every morning happy to go to school.
First, Morah Erin has boundless energy. She is a self-starter and is not afraid to dive headfirst into a project involving lots of steps, mess, and effort. Our upcoming Purim carnival is an example. She came up with the idea to host a Purim event for rising Kindergartners and immediately started enlisting help to carry it through. It is an event that is mostly going to be run by the kids. They are working hard making games for the preschoolers to play. I do hope a nice group of the little ones come because I think they'll have a good time playing with the big kids.
Erin is not Jewish, but she has worked as an educator in local Jewish schools for many years. This year she has decided that she will learn to read Hebrew with her K class. When I asked her "Why do you teach at this school?", she said, "Well, for instance, the kids are helping me learn to read Hebrew. I couldn't get that anywhere else." In the parking lot, I heard her thanking a child for helping her read Hebrew today. She made him feel very special. I could see by the smile.
She also said that she likes the fact that she can spend time every day, teaching every child individually. When I asked her this afternoon what she would want me to write about her, she said that this is very important to her. It's her favorite thing about teaching a small class. R. doesn't talk about general studies at school. When I ask her what she did in school that day she usually talks about P.E., recess, and lunch. Yet I see what an improvement there has been in R.'s reading, writing, and math skills. I have noticed that she suddenly has all sorts of information that I didn't teach her.
Erin is not stern. Her classroom is full of laughter and chatter, but there is also discipline. She speaks to the kids and to us very honestly and without mincing words. I remember at the beginning of the year R. was very unhappy that there was a 20 minute rest time every afternoon. I went in with R. to ask Erin what could be done about my child's terribly unhappiness during rest time. Erin, without pause, looked directly at R. and said "Kindergartners have a short rest time every afternoon. That is a time for you to rest quietly on your mat. We don't play or read during that time." R. accepted this as the way things were going to be and hasn't mentioned it again.
While she maintains discipline Erin distributes pounds of goodwill, and encouragement to the kids. She can be sort of cheerleader-like. She's very perky. She is also a very serious teacher and is doing a wonderful job teaching my child. R. has woken up every morning happy to go to school.
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