“The problem is I thought yesterday was the best day ever . . . but now today is!” exclaimed one member of our kehillah (community) when reflecting upon his day at school during our closing Circle Time.
And indeed, our time together these first weeks of school has been wonderful. We really feel like we are creating a sense of belonging and community in our classroom – and we are experiencing so much joy!
Most of our mornings begin with free play; during this time, we’ve observed children thoughtfully drawing in their Feelings Journals, giggling at our sand table, making “cupcakes” with home-made blue (sparkly!) play-dough, observing their daily findings at our Discovery Tray, and working collaboratively to create complex structures in our block area. And in just a short time, we’ve learned each other’s names during Circle Time (by singing “Thumbkin”), created some meaningful classroom rules, and practiced bringing peace and kindness to our classroom through the use of prayer, yoga, and meditation.
This sense of discovery and wonder continues throughout the day and we are grateful to be accompanying our students as they begin their learning journey here at JCDSRI.
In peace,
Andrea and Ilana