Ganon Gimmel has been busy exploring many different types of Sukkot. We looked at pictures, comparing and contrasting them, seeing how each one is very unique. We used various types of loose parts not only to construct our Sukkahs, but to decorate them too! We worked hard using our patish and masmer (hammer and nails) to build Sukkot and construct them the way we thought they should be. We wish everyone a Chag Sameach!

It has been very exciting in Gan Gimmel as we prepared and learned for the upcoming chag. Students learned about the different parts of the Sukkah and what makes a Sukkah ksheira. Students passed different photos around of Israeli Sukkot, some on the beach, some in the deserts, many built on apartment porches. To add to their learning, students created Sukkot out of loose parts collected around the classroom: cork, marbles, wood pieces, and branches. These original pieces will make beautiful adornments for the Sukkah!

ECD students were privileged to meet with Rabbi Penn in the Bet Midrash and see Yavneh's six Sifrei Torah in the Aron Kodesh. Each child then had the opportunity to come up to the bima as Rabbi Penn pointed out the letters of the Aleph Bet in the Torah. 

In anticipation of Sukkot, all students in grades 1-8 were divided into small groups of older and younger students to learn about the 4 minim, Lulav, Etrog, Hadasim, and Aravot. They learned that although each one of the species represents a different type of Jew, ranging from those who excel in both Torah study and mitzvah observance to those deficient in both areas, all four must be held together. It is this unity that makes us such a special nation. After the learning, each student created a bracha card for the Arba'at Haminim to use in the sukkah. What a special opportunity to have our entire school unite and internalize this beautiful message. Wishing the Yavneh family a Chag Sameach!

In Kitah Aleph, the students have been working on learning their Aleph Bet. They made bracelets with their Hebrew name, have drawn their letters in salt, and created letters out of play dough. It's so much fun learning our Aleph Bet!

In 3A this week, meteorologists studied four main types of clouds. Using visualization skills of good readers, students identified descriptive language to create models of Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus and Nimbus clouds! Everyone enjoyed illustrating/manipulating cotton balls to represent each cloud’s unique characteristics. Finally, we checked with online resources to compare our models with actual photos!

SEL UPDATE

During our SEL first grade classes this week the students engaged in mindfulness activities including listening games as well as coloring and discussions. Mindfulness activities promote focus and relaxation for the body and mind as well as increased attention, self-control and compassion. The students really enjoyed the activities and were excited to continue this tool at home, feel free to print and enjoy!!

This week some of our 6th graders were lucky enough to "step into the past'' and experience the lives of prehistoric people in a unique and exciting way. 

In Social Studies, we have begun our exploration of people living in pre-historic times. We have read articles about their lives, and the clues (artifacts) they left behind. One of the most amazing examples of these artifacts are the cave paintings found around the world. This week, students worked in groups and moved from station to station to discover more about this topic, using a multi-sensory approach. Stations included: a Virtual Reality tour of a famous cave, designing their own cave art, observing and inferring from pictures of actual art from these caves, mapping out where in the world these caves were found, watching a video and answering questions, and reading a passage to discover new vocabulary words. After working through these stations, as a class we debriefed. We discussed what we learned from each station and how the different tasks aided in our overall understanding. Thank you to the tech team for helping our students have this experience.

Students enjoyed the tasks and are looking forward to doing other similar activities!