The Anticipated Wait to Make
Strawberry Shortcake is Over!

The children in the Yellow Room have been anticipating making Strawberry Shortcake since before the winter break.  The interest began from the story “Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!”  This story is a take on the much loved Little Red Hen.  The Rooster, who is the descendant of the Little Red Hen, was tired of chicken feed and remembered a story of his great grandmother the Little Red Hen having a cookbook of recipes she had made.  When the rooster found the book he enlisted fellow farm animals to cook with him.  Like in the Little Red Hen, three animals refused to help, but in this story Iguana, Potbellied Pig, and Turtle  offered to help.  Ask your children about the jobs of each of the animals and make sure to ask how each animal did their job!  

Much like the story and the Iguana, the children were excited to sift the flour.  I had to remind them to gently mix it and not sift through it like Iguana. (Ask your child to describe how Iguana sifted the flour.)  The children recounted the steps in cooking as we moved through the process: first wash your hands, get the recipe, get the ingredients and mixing supplies (bowls and measuring cups), pour and measure ingredients, check the egg for blood before adding to the mix, stir/mix the ingredients, place mix in a greased pan and place in the oven.  The children enjoyed all the steps along the way.

Cooking isn’t just to produce food though.  As the children worked to make the Strawberry Shortcake they learned.  They learned about hygiene when cooking when one child blew in the dry ingredient mixture.  Yes it is a fun sensory experience, but when we cook for other people we must be careful to preserve the ingredients from germs.  They learned that mistakes happen and we learn from them, as one child excitedly mixed the dough fast and spun the dough right out of the bowl.  Though the child got upset about the dough flying from the bowl and the mistake she made stirring so fast it was an important lesson to see that we make mistakes, but they are opportunities for us to learn and grow.  We now know why Morah says to stir slowly with control.  

         The children learned and applied lessons as they measured and mixed the batter.  The children read the ingredient list and recipe,  and were able to apply the learning of fractions with which they had been working.  They used the assistance of one another in measuring and mixing as one friend held the bowl or measuring tool while the other mixed or poured. The children were so excited about the Strawberry Shortcake that they were happy to color in the kitchen as the mix was baking.                                     

Of course the learning is the most important part, but Pot Bellied Pig will tell you the tasting is important too.  Be sure to ask how the children liked the Strawberry Shortcake when you pick up on Friday.

Recipe (bake at 450 degrees 15-18 minutes):                                                                                                                                2 Cups flour (we used gluten free)                             
½ cup butter                                              
2 Tablespoons Sugar                                                     
1 egg                                                            
1 Tablespoon Baking powder                                       
⅔ cup milk                                                          
½ teaspoon salt                                                              
2 C. whipping cream   
2 cups strawberries          

Sift dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix                                            

Literacy Through Play

      This week the children continued to work on their literacy as they wrote letters to grandparents for the Tu B’Shvat celebration. They also read and spelled words.  The children sounded out the words to determine the letters in the word and then had to search for and recognize the letter in a pile of letters.  The pride they showed when they spelled the words was priceless!

The science of mixing colors meets art and sensory play! 

To prepare for Tu B’Shvat the children painted a wooden plaque as a backing for a clay plant imprint.  The children chose three colors which was randomly poured on shaving cream.  Not knowing why, the children were curious but went along.  The children placed their wooden circle on the colored shaving cream and were amazed and delighted when they lifted the wooden circles off the shaving cream. 

The activity did not end with the painting of the wooden circle, though, because what child wouldn’t want to play in the shaving cream and find out what happened when they mixed/blended the colors?! 

  

 

B”H

 

Dear Parents,

The Yellow Room learned how Hashem took the Jewish People out of Mitzrayim (Egypt). When the Jewish People were stuck between the Yam Suf Sea ahead of them and Pharoah with his soldiers chasing them from behind, Hashem split the Yam Suf Sea so that we could walk on dry land to the other side. The Jewish People were so thankful to Hashem for saving them that they, led by Miriam, Moshe’s sister, sang Shira to Hashem. The birds joined in. We want to thank the birds for joining in and singing with us. Every year on this Shabbat many people set out food for the wild birds before Shabbat begins. The Yellow Room used their fine motor skills to create unique bird feeders.

 

Parsha Discussions:

How would you react if you were in the desert with a sea in front of you and people chasing after you?

Leanna: I would just get my parents to carry me from the river and find a way to get away from the people who are getting me. And get whoever's arms are very big and get the river to disappear.
Ronan: I would just swim across. So fast. Faster than they could swim.
Mae: Ask the people behind me to stop.
Leah: If you had a super speed boat you go across.
Shyli: I would get a boat and row across the sea.
Naveed: I would get my mom and dad. This would be if I know how to drive. I would run to my car very fast and just drive.
Angie: Ride a boat.

What are some things for which you are thankful to Hashem?:

Leah: …for so much love
Shyli: …for making me and making animals and I love animals.
Leanna: … for loving animals that we have. Like the ones that are not dangerous. But the ones that are dangerous I like a little bit. I like cheetahs. They run fast and I run fast like a cheetah. Then I can be safe.
Angie: …for making me strong and making a house for me and for making my Mom and Dad.
Naveed: …for giving me a life. Like Hashem made me live for a long time. And for giving me a good Mom and good Dad.
Mae: …for having a Mom and Dad and having a home.

After the Jewish People crossed the Yam Suf Sea they traveled in the Midbar Desert so they could receive the Torah from Hashem. There were no plants or water in the desert, nowhere to find food. Again, Hashem saved us and provided food and drink in the form of ‘mon’ and the Well of Miriam. The Well of Miriam was a rock which Hashem miraculously gave us water. The ‘mon’ tasted like anything one wished it to taste (except zucchini, watermelon, leeks, onions and garlic which the Talmud explains could be harmful to lactating women).

If you were traveling and were running out of food, would you be worried? What would you do?

Mae: If I was on a airplane I would ask them to bring more food.
Naveed: Not the pilot because he has to fly the plane.
Naveed: On a plane usually the magazines sends the girls. They only have to be girls. I went to all the planes in the world and they were all girls.
Leanna: Go to the gas station and get some food.
Naveed: You can wait till where you get to where you are going and get food there.
Mae: You can go to Starbucks.
Leah: Buy more at the store. At the grocery store.
Naveed: Just tell the ladies to give me. (in the plane)
Leanna: Go to the gas station.
Leah: There was a store in Flagstaff.
Shyli: I was on the plane and they didn't serve me food because there is no kitchen on the plane. I would get food from my Daddy's luggage.
Angie: I will ask my Momma to go Circle K to get a snack.

Tu B’Shvat + Math 

The Yellow Room Math Whizzes figured out why Tu B’Shvat is called Tu  B’Shvat. They figured out the gematria (numerical value) of the Hebrew letters Tes and Vov (which spells Tu in Hebrew) which equals 9 and 6 respectively. Utilizing the unifix blocks they figured out that 9 + 6 = 15 and Tu B’Shvat is on the fifteenth day of Shvat!

Kriyah + Tu B’Shvat

Several Yellow Room children are at the Kriya stage where they know many of the nekudos (Hebrew vowels) and were therefore able to read the Hebrew words for: Eretz Yisrael and the 7 Kinds (5 fruit and 2 grain) that Israel was blessed with.

Song:

Hashkediyah porachat

Veshemesh hazorachat,
Tziporim merosh kol gag
Mevasrot et kol echod.

Tu b’Shvat higiya
Chag la'ilanot.
Tu b’Shvat higiya
Chag la'ilanot.

The almond tree is growing
The golden sun is glowing,
Birds are chirping happily

From every roof and every tree
Tu B’Shvat is here
A happy holiday
(Repeat)

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 

 B”H

 

Dear Parents,

 

The children were so excited to see each other again this week! They were so happy when they realized that the first day back in CJP was Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the first day of the Jewish month of Shvat. The Yellow Room Friends learned about the first mitzvah the Jews were given which was to make a calendar based on the cycle of the moon.  The Friends are on the lookout for the size of the moon and like to check it out at night so they can see it grow bigger and smaller.

 

Song:

New Moon, New Moon

(TTTO Baa Baa Black Sheep)

 

New moon, new moon,

What do you say?

I say the new month

Begins on this day.

 

Full moon, full moon,

What do you mean?

The middle of the month,

I am right in between.

 

Tiny moon, tiny moon,

Up in the sky,

The month is over,

Time to say goodbye.

 

Thank you, thank you,

Moon so bright,

I’ll look out for you

Each night.

 

Parsha + Kriyah + Math

The Yellow Room Kriyah Friends missed out on two weeks of Parsha, due to vacation. They caught up with the Parsha and learned about the last makos (plagues) Hashem gave the Mitzriyim (Egyptians). The Yellow Room whizzes figured out how many makos were mentioned in this Parsha by figuring out the gematria (numerical value) of the letters of the Parsha name: Bo. Spelled in Hebrew it has a Beis and an Alef. Beis = 2 and Alef = 1. 2 + 1 = 3. Three makos are mentioned in this Parsha!

 

The Yellow Room also learned about the mezuza that we hang on the right doorpost and how it reminds us that Hashem protects us just as He did when he saved us from slavery in Mitzrayim. The Yellow Room focused on the Shin letter this week and where the dot goes on the letter (the right).      ש‘

 

Happy Birthday, Naveed!

Happy 6^th birthday, Naveed! May your parents and family continue to have only nachas from you always!

 

Mitzvah Notes Please

Your child does so many positive things. Please send in a Mitzvah note every day with your child. It makes your child feel so noticed by you and puts him/her in touch with the positive things your child does. If you’ve run out and need more Mitzvah notes, please let me know and I will put another packet in your child’s backpack.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Perline

 

Developing Community and Learning Through Play!

    The Yellow Room is booming with pride in their class community and in themselves. The children in the Yellow Room have been playing with babies since before the winter break. It is still an area of focus for them.  They have realized differences in how they speak and interact with the babies as compared to how they treat one another.  They use this play to develop an understanding of how to treat others and themselves. They use this play to continue building their classroom community: A place where they feel connected to peers and have a sense of belonging, a place where they have trust and feel confident in taking risks in learning including stating and discussing their ideas, their needs, and their interests.

Mae and Jacob build a home for animals.

 

 

Playing babies in homes built by peers

                                                                                    Building community also entails building a confidence and trust to explore, and to be oneself, and be supported by peers. The children often spend time exploring ideas and then excitedly share their findings with peers, as Naveed did with the domino effect and blocks.  Of course the class was excited to see Naveed’s experiment and immediately wanted to replicate it.                               

Drawing Self Portraits: an exercise in patience, observation, and expression

Each month the children have been drawing their self portraits, and this month they were excited to introduce this project to Shyli, our new classmate. Their guidance was a success, as clear by her dedication to the activity.

Each child interprets what they see in the mirror and draws their representation (Ronan proudly stated he drew circles for his freckles).  

The exploration of the self portraits led into a class discussion of similarities and differences as we continued the lessons from before winter break.  This week after reading Same, Same, But Different, we discussed how some of our houses are different from people who live in other places.  We looked at the way we play and others play (including our friends).  The children also talked about respecting the interests of others.  During this discussion the children learned that their friends’ interest, though not their own, can have a hidden common interest.  When Jacob shared his Thomas train this week the children learned that some of the class had been on trains for travel, and some had been on trains at amusement centers. 

 

Reminder: Strawberry Shortcake Cooking Day

Thursday, January 13, 2022 

The exploration of similarities and differences is also part of a new project that the children are working on. This week we began to discuss penpals and began to explore what they would say and ask of a penpal.  The children have started writing a letter to send to a penpal telling the penpal about themselves and asking for information as well.

 

 Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Devora