Programs
1. Morning Circle
This is a time when w all come together to start our day. We do songs, movement activities o foster body awareness, self regulation and listening skills; also Tefilah (morning prayers), and calendar. This small part of our day is a time in which we work on being part of a large group.
2. Tzedakah Time
Tzedakah (righteous giving) is a daily occurrence at “Gani”. We will have a classroom container decorated with hearts and during Tefilah the children are encouraged to “open their hearts” and take out a few of their coins to give Tzedakah.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, or a combination of loose coins should be brought in at the beginning of the school year. The amounts are less important than establishing the concept of helping others and sharing what they have.
3. Mitzvah Notes
Your child learns the importance of performing good deeds and Jewish traditions. We will seek to cultivate an appreciation for positive behaviors displayed at home. This connection between the home and school is as simple as writing a Mitzvah Note.
4. Birthdays
Monthly class celebrations are held to honor the birthdays of our young students. Our teachers will be happy to have you come for lunch with the class and read a story. Although the staff prepares cupcakes, if you would like to volunteer to prepare the cupcakes at Chabad in honor of your child’s birthday, please let us know.
5. The Celebration of Shabbat
To celebrate the coming of the Shabbat, each Friday a special Shabbat atmosphere is created. Several Hebrew songs and Shabbat movement songs bring a special energy into the class. As for the celebration of Shabbat, candles are lit, and we recite the blessings for the Kiddush grape juice and Challah.
Every week a different boy and girl will be chosen to be the Ima (mommy) and Abba (daddy). The Shabbat celebration concludes with lunch and a special Shabbat story.
6. Challah on Friday
As we educate and excite our students about Shabbat, the children have the opportunity to make a Challah for the family. Of course, it takes practice and skill to braid the Challah. However, each child has a sense of self-pride when sharing their own Challah with their family.
7. Field Trips
Field trips and excursions are made throughout the year to enrich the school program. Permission slips will be sent home and must be signed and returned before each trip. Parents are asked to help accompany and chaperon us on these outings. We always appreciate your voluntary assistance and urge you to participate whenever possible.
8. Rosh Chodesh
New Month Celebration: The Jewish months follow a lunar calendar. Hence, when the moon is just a small crescent, it is the beginning of a new Jewish month. A full moon means it’s the 15th day of the Jewish month. After we move to Standard Time, and the children can see the moon before their bedtime, we will introduce the celebration of Rosh Chodesh – the new month. A special song, snack, and activity will make this monthly celebration unique.
9. Jewish Holiday Celebrations
Prior to each Jewish holiday parents and extended family are encouraged to join our school for a fun-filled holiday experience, which includes a holiday presentation by the children, as well as an array of hands-on activities which will create memorable moments that you share during this quality time with your child.
10. Practical Life
The purpose of practical life exercises is to encourage conscious, orderly, controlled and functional knowledge out of the mass happenings in the real world. The practical life exercises help a child break down jobs at hand into easily manageable components. They all require real tools: silverware, wood, glass etc- all items that reflect and typify an actual home environment. In this way, they provide the child a chance to learn what practical living is, and how to manage it. The main areas in the practical life exercises involve Grace and Courtesy, Care of Person, Care of the Indoor Environment, and Art.
11. Sensorial
This area deals with size shape and color. The sensorial materials are designed to aid the child in training and refining his/her five senses. Children are exposed to concepts of size, shape and color and challenged to make judgments about them. By using the sensorial materials, the child learns to recognize similarities and differences; to discriminate between similar objects and to gradate similar objects. Each set of materials is used as carefully and precisely as possible. Precision at this stage prepares for later work in geometry.
12. English Language
Montessori children typically do not remember learning to read, as the environment is designed so that all experiences feed naturally toward the development of skills required for reading. Therefore, although reading, writing, spelling, and grammar are introduced to the child in an organized phonetic method, the presentation allows the child to acquire reading skills without realizing the effort. We combine Montessori materials with the Curriculum "Handwritting Without Tears" that along with short reading primers sets the foundation for enthusiastic life long readers.
13. Hebrew Language
Aleph Bais are always taught in order as opposed to English letters which are taught by most common sounds. After a child has mastered several letters the teacher will then begin introducing one vowel at a time beginning with Kamatz then Patach etc. Once a child has shown fluency in blending letters with vowels the teacher will introduce the blending of two letters then three etc with different vowels.
14. Mathematics
Math is the study of numbers, quantities, shapes, and measurements and how they relate to one another. In Montessori math, the children are introduced to the concrete sensorial impressions of numbers, the decimal system and its functions, addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Using manipulative materials, the child explores these concepts physically, creating a basis for more abstract operations.
15. Geography
Geography is the study of the earth including its people, resources, climate and physical features. Teaching Geography aids the child in developing a clear sense of spatial orientation. By giving sensorial impressions of the earth and showing children their relationship to it, Montessori lessons help develop a foundation of global awareness.
Geography is a wonderful tool to introduce to children the different lands and waters Hashem created. Older children love working with these materials as they are both beautiful and complex. They begin to learn about Jewish culture and holy places all around the world.
16. Botany/Nature
Botany/Nature: Exploring the subject of Botany helps a child develop an appreciation for and an understanding of the life cycle and the beauty of Hashem's creatures. Through specific Botany works, the child develops a greater knowledge and understanding of the virtue of patience as the child is exposed to nature's seasonal changes and the growth cycle.
As the child builds success upon success with small tasks, he/she is able to go on to greater ones, mastering his/her small environment.
