Rabbi Nevins Begins Grade-Level Class Visits with Early Childhood
From Head of School Rabbi Danny Nevins:
Tuesday, September 13
One of my new year’s resolutions is to visit classes in every grade level during the fall semester. I began this morning with Gan B, one of our kindergarten classes led by marvelous teachers Morah Andrea Berkowitz and Morah Anat Lev Tov. After morning meeting, we went to class and spent some relaxed time coloring—the kids approved of my sunrise but thought my birds didn’t look like birds (fair!). Then I was invited to read the book, “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” about Gerard the giraffe, who finally finds his groove. Since the book referred to unfamiliar steps such as the “Cha-cha-cha” we decided to get up and learn that dance (more or less!). The deeper lesson elicited by Morah Andrea was for us to identify things we don’t know how to do, “yet.” For example, I don’t know how to play guitar yet, but would like to learn. Each student offered ideas of skills they would like to learn, and we all left feeling encouraged by the ways we will grow in the year ahead. I love Gan!
Wednesday, September 14
Continuing my tour of early childhood instruction at GOA, I visited one of our Ganon (Pre-K) sections and then one of our first grades. In both rooms I observed masterful instruction by our teachers as they engaged children on many levels. In Ganon B with Morah Suzanne and Morah Tali I read a book called The World’s Birthday: A Rosh HaShanah Story. We spoke about friendship—and how God wants us to be good friends to other people, especially when they are hurting or sad. In the first grade with Morah Aliza and Morah Elissa, we learned basic skills of literary analysis—how to notice the characters and setting of the story as well as its narrative arc (beginning, middle and end). I read a silly story, Night of the Veggie Monster, and we reflected on how foods can make us feel different feelings. Our students are keen observers of social dynamics at home and in the classroom, and they are already learning the basics of interpersonal ethics with the perceptive and kind guidance of our teachers.
Thursday, September 15
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Tuesday, September 13
One of my new year’s resolutions is to visit classes in every grade level during the fall semester. I began this morning with Gan B, one of our kindergarten classes led by marvelous teachers Morah Andrea Berkowitz and Morah Anat Lev Tov. After morning meeting, we went to class and spent some relaxed time coloring—the kids approved of my sunrise but thought my birds didn’t look like birds (fair!). Then I was invited to read the book, “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” about Gerard the giraffe, who finally finds his groove. Since the book referred to unfamiliar steps such as the “Cha-cha-cha” we decided to get up and learn that dance (more or less!). The deeper lesson elicited by Morah Andrea was for us to identify things we don’t know how to do, “yet.” For example, I don’t know how to play guitar yet, but would like to learn. Each student offered ideas of skills they would like to learn, and we all left feeling encouraged by the ways we will grow in the year ahead. I love Gan!
Wednesday, September 14
Continuing my tour of early childhood instruction at GOA, I visited one of our Ganon (Pre-K) sections and then one of our first grades. In both rooms I observed masterful instruction by our teachers as they engaged children on many levels. In Ganon B with Morah Suzanne and Morah Tali I read a book called The World’s Birthday: A Rosh HaShanah Story. We spoke about friendship—and how God wants us to be good friends to other people, especially when they are hurting or sad. In the first grade with Morah Aliza and Morah Elissa, we learned basic skills of literary analysis—how to notice the characters and setting of the story as well as its narrative arc (beginning, middle and end). I read a silly story, Night of the Veggie Monster, and we reflected on how foods can make us feel different feelings. Our students are keen observers of social dynamics at home and in the classroom, and they are already learning the basics of interpersonal ethics with the perceptive and kind guidance of our teachers.
Thursday, September 15
I started my day with Gan A, watching as the kindergartners used watercolors to create abstract art. When I asked them to describe their work, these colors resolved into memories of beach days in the summer, visions of home, and of time spent with loving family. Our students carry rich worlds in their minds! After I read a story, Morah Carol proposed a dance in honor of Rosh HaShanah, and so we all got up and joined hands for a free-form hora. My mood-meter oscillated between enthusiasm and joy—it was a happy start to my day.
In the afternoon I returned to observe the first-grade math class taught by Ms. Sinoway and Ms. Kagan. The focus was on polygons, which the students correctly defined as shapes with multiple sides. They had previously created trees decorated with leaves of different shapes from triangles to rhombuses and hexagons, so today they returned to their art and used mathematical tools to tally the number of shapes and create bar graphs to quantify them. These first graders already know a lot! They proudly presented me with their work, and happily corrected any miscalculations found on their papers. We are fortunate at GOA to have math specialists who enrich our curriculum from such a young age, integrating artistic and quantitative activities to deepen the learning experience. Early childhood at GOA is serious fun!
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