After a wonderful Purim celebration, the children got busy measuring themselves and everything else they could find as part of our "As We Grow" curriculum cycle. I hope you had the chance to see the tracings of our Pre-K students dancing along the hall. Our younger groups had fun "down on the farm" creating all kinds of barnyard animals and using them to count, sort, and to create stories. Our duckling class even got to milk a cow -- ask them.
The children and staff are busy preparing for our new Passover Experience which will be held on Wednesday, April 4th. Instead of just telling the story, we enact it with hands-on fun activities that make it come alive for our youngest learners. The children will travel from room to room and in each one participate in a different part of the story . In the first, they will meet the Egyptian Princess who is bored and lonely. While on a walk with her, they will notice something floating in the water table river. They will take the baby out, dry him off and give him to the princess. In the next room, they will encounter Pharoah, who has them work and build with blocks. They will go on to experience plagues, make Matzah and cross the Sea of Reeds. Our day concludes with a traditional model seder, fun for parents and kids alike. All are invited -- contact the ECC if you wish to attend.
A huge thank you to the Discovery Museum for including our school in their project "outdoor learning spaces." Two new gardens are now on our playground. Members of the Discovery Museum team came out and installed the gardens. One will be an edible garden where we will plant vegetables, herbs and even some fruit. The second one will be a butterfly garden. Right now, both gardens are resting having had layers of compost, hay and soil applied. In April, the team will be back with seedlings and help us get started. The children will learn to tend the gardens and parents are signed up to help. It is truly a community project. We can't wait to share what we grow.
Amazingly, our school and camp is growing too. Our registration is up but there is still plenty of room for you. So call us and reserve your child's space soon. Don't have a child or grandchild of ECC age? Well, tell a friend who does. You are our best recommendation. Don't forget, we are now a full-time school with lots of attendance options. We have special activities and a great curriculum. Most of all, we nurture the children in our care, creating confident lifelong learners. We are part of the Adath Emanu- El community, so we are much more than just a school.
Have an Awesome April!
L'Shalom, Cheryl Matis Early Childhood Center Director
