HAFTR’s Early Childhood had so much fun learning about and preparing for Thanksgiving. The yeladim put so much hard work into the projects they brought home. Learning about the Thanksgiving story and singing songs about Mr. Turkey kept the children excited, and gave them so much information to learn about and play with. The week culminated with a gala Thanksgiving feast. Each class enjoyed the delicious cornbread and carrot muffins they baked.
In case you missed it, last Friday was National Cookie Day. The children couldn’t wait, and celebrated by baking their own chocolate chip cookies! Baking with children is not only enjoyable, it’s also educational. They learned about science by melting butter to turn it from solid to liquid. They used math skills to measure and count the different ingredients. The children learned the importance of patience by waiting to take their turn mixing the batter. They had a sense of accomplishment, enjoying the cookies they helped bake. Their favorite part was eating the absolutely delicious treats!
Finally, walking through HAFTR’s Early Childhood hallways and classrooms, it is clear that Chanukah is quickly on its way! Classes have created beautiful hallway bulletin boards and Chanukah projects are under way throughout the classrooms. Every day, the yeladim are learning and playing new Chanukah themed games, and creating crafts based on the fun ideas of this holiday. During ma’agal, the wonderful morot have been reenacting the story of the Maccabees. In music, Morah Leah has been teaching the boys and girls many festive Chanukah songs. They love spinning like a dreidel, shining like a candle, and marching like a Maccabee, and holding up eight fingers as they count the eight days and nights.