Apple Picking at Tougas Family Farm

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Well... we just returned from our annual Sukkot apple picking trip to Tougas Family Farm and, as usual, we had a blast!

Guess how we got to the apple orchard? By hayride! MWJDS students split up among two tractors. Here are a few snapshots of students in line for the hayrides and then on them.

The Tamar class waits to get on their hayride.

MWJDS students on their way to pick apples!

MWJDS students take in the scenery at Tougas Family Farm. 

Cheese!

Once at the apple orchard, each MWJDS student picked six Gala apples from the trees: 5 to take home in a plastic bag and one to eat then and there. It's always fun to pick an apple off a tree and then immediately eat it. Here are some photos of us doing just that!

Mmmm.... fresh apples!

Crunch crunch crunch... Slurp.

As a second treat, MWJDS students each got to pick a pumpkin from the Tougas Family Farm patch to take home. Here are some photos of students with their pumpkins. 

Back at the main entrance, we had lunch as a school. Then students played in the Tougas Family Farm playground with students from other schools. Some MWJDSers visited Tougas Family Farm's petting zoo, where they pet and fed baby goats. 

When it was time to leave Tougas Family Farm at 12:45, students and teachers were exhausted but full and happy! Gefen and Tamar familes, please enjoy your special sukkot apples! And hag sameach to you all!

All The Best, 
Janis and Eliza

PS Here are some more shots from the special day:

4th Grade/Kindergarten Buddies

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Fourth graders received their kindergarten buddies today! Ask your fourth grader with whom he or she is paired!

This year we are scheduled to spend time with kindergarten buddies on Thursday afternoons. Because we don't have a Thursday in school for two more weeks, we will not actually start our buddies project until October. That said, it is going to be really fun! We are going to be making a book with our buddies about our favorite things about MWJDS. Fourth graders are going to do the writing and illustrating and kindergarteners are going to illustrate. We did a similar project last year and it was a big hit with both grades.

We will post pictures of fourth graders and their buddies as soon as we get together in October. Stay tuned!

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Have an Easy Fast:)

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

We had a nice, FULL week! Both classes started Guided Reading books. Gefen is reading Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen while Tamar is reading Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. We have also been breaking up into our Math groupings and they have been going nicely. Students set up their email accounts too!

Have a good holiday and an easy fast.

All The Best,
Hamorah Janis and Hamorah Eliza

This Gefen class has been busy this week.  They began their first book called Molly's Pilgrim during the literacy block.  I demonstrated how the children should read with their buddies and then they worked on activities to check for comprehension of the text.

The first math unit will focus on multiplication.  They will also be working on clock and weather activities.

Tashlich MWJDS-Style

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar, 

We had a really beautiful tashlich ceremony this morning. After eating the traditional Rosh Hashanah sweet snack, apples and honey, students were each given two rocks. On one rock they used permanent marker to write down a sin or something about themselves they wanted to cast away. On the other rock, they wrote down a goal or hope for the new year. 

As a school we walked to a nearby river, where students tossed their "sin rocks" into the water. Students kept their other rocks as reminders of what they want to work on. As we stood by the water, we read aloud a poem about Rosh Hashanah and reflection authored by Rav-Hazzan. 

Back on the front lawn at school, we sang songs and blew the shofar. I was touched to hear one of the fourth graders say, "This was the best day ever!"

Here are some photographs from the special day. 

Fourth graders smile after a sweet snack of apples and honey

Reflecting and writing

Third graders smile with their pebbles

The MWJDS crew walks to the river

The MWJDS community gathers by the river

Siblings cuddle up and sing

Friendship:)

Have a wonderful Rosh Hashanah! Next week we are going to begin giving homework regularly and really dive into academic curricula, so Gefen and Tamar students should rest up during this long holiday weekend!!

Shana Tova!

Best, 

Hamorah Janis and Hamorah Eliza

We're Off to an Exciting Start!

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

We've gotten off to an exciting start of school!

On Tuesday we had Bryce, Gabrielle and Sabrina's uncle, Erich, come in to talk to us about his bike trip across the USA. He showed students his bike, his route and the tent where he slept. He shared lots of amazing stories about run-ins with animals and more. It was pretty cool and very inspirational. See the picture below.

Erich talks to MWJDS students about his bike trip across the USA!

This morning students took two short math assessments. These assessments will help us place students in the correct math groupings for optimal learning.

We also had an extra special Peulat Shabbat today, where Rav-Hazzan showed students how to blow shofrot (shofars). Afterwards, students got a chance to try their hands at it, themselves. Here are some pictures.

Grades 1-4 enjoy grape juice and challah at their first Peulat Shabbat of the year

Gefen and Tamar students getting ready to blow their shofrot

Cheese!

Teh-kee-aaaaaaaaaah!!!

Have a wonderful and restful Shabbat and long weekend!

Best, 

Hamorah Janis and Hamorah Eliza

Back to School

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

We had a wonderful first day of school! Here are some pictures of students getting settled in, playing getting-to-know-each-other games, and more.

Gefen and Tamar's first Morning Meeting of the 2013-2014 school year!

Students make name tags for themselves and their "bins"

Gefen and Tamar students work on their name tags

Gefen and Tamar students pass two hoola-hoops around the circle in a cooperation/trust game

This afternoon we met our kindergarten buddies for the first time! Ask your Gefen/Tamar child how it went!

Best,

Hamorah Janis and Hamorah Eliza