Educational | The Angel Forever

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Preschool Shabbat Box Project

Posted on March 15, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Reality check time. My baby is going to be a kindergarten kid in a few months. Soon, JSL will no long be in preschool in the place that we know and love. He will venture off into an entire new world filled with learning and many more firsts. Before I rush us past this first year, I am going to cherish the time we still have in his nursery school.

On a day that we went for a meeting with the school district about JSL’s amazing speech progress, we had wonderful box of goodies sent home. These were items that JSL had made during the school year in his classroom. Each child presented their families with an amazing Shabbat Box.

As fantastic as it looks on the outside, it was even more impressive inside. Check out all of the items that were within the gorgeous Shabbat Box.

So what are all of the items you ask? Well, let’s take a tour to see all of the JSL made Shabbat items that his teachers helped to make.

This week, the kids spent time making challah dough, learning to braid them, and baking mini challahs to bring home. These were perfect to have along with the challah covers that they also designed.

Of course, when preparing for Shabbat there must be something to drink ~~wine~~ –er grape juice out of. This is the colorful kiddush cup that JSL created.

There was one item that was breakable in the Shabbat Box. The kids made beautiful sand art Shabbat candle stick holders. These are so pretty thanks to the different color sand varieties that they had to pick from.

The item that I think JSL will use a lot is the kippah that he made. I am sure he will be able to wear it to holidays and also use it for Shabbat. JSL told me that they painted them. Love the tie dye effect and how original his came out.

The last things included were some educational items. There was a pamphlet with Shabbat blessings for Friday night and ending on Saturday evening. JSL was especially excited about the Shabbat matching game that he insists we play soon.

Thanks to making these special items to use for Shabbat, they mean even more to JSL. I know that he will always remember his time in preschool thanks to the memories that his fantastic teachers have provided for him.

P.S. The kids also made another item that came home last week. More on the Tzedakah box coming soon!

Categories:
arts and crafts Educational fun holidays jsl milestone photos school

Tuesday Tales – It’s a Big World, Little Pig!

Posted on March 6, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

When we first got our Kindle, we wanted to try a picture book on it. That is when we met Poppy the Pig in Dream Big, Little Pig! The book was an adorable tale written by figure skating gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. In it, Poppy wants to be a star and learns that she has to work hard, be persistent, and believe in herself. When I was contacted by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky to let me know that Poppy was back, we immediately wanted to read about her new adventure.

It’s a Big World, Little Pig! is available in stores today. Poppy returns in this book following her dreams of going to a special competition in Paris. The heroine gets nervous about traveling from New York City all the way to Paris. She is especially worried about not making new friends in this far off location. Tim Bowers illustrations whisk us away from Poppy’s home in New York City to the competition village in Paris.

Through the book, Poppy meets and makes friends with competitors from different countries. She waits on line to register and meets a panda from China named Li. They talk, look at a map of the village, and share some of their own language with each other. This learning adventure continues as Poppy meets more friends and they help each other to be less nervous along the way.

As a parent, I love this book and how Kristi Yamaguchi helps to show that fears are normal when you do something new and different. She also shows that by being brave and meeting new people, you can help each other with these situations. We may not all look the same, or speak the same language, but kindness and smiles are understood by everyone. In addition to this, I adore how supportive Poppy’s parents are and how they continue to encourage her to reach her goals and then travel to view things in Paris with her after the event.

The educator in me adores how this book could convert to many teachable moments with older children. Not only can you talk about the concept of following your dreams, but you learn about new cultures, new places, and new languages with Poppy’s new friends. A lot of fun activities with passports. There are even activity kits that you can download for free from the first book that would be fun for children to try.

Another great perk about purchasing the book is that Kristi Yamaguchi is donating 100% of her profits from the book to early childhood literacy programs supported by her Always Dream Foundation.

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Two Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the two books mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

Categories:
books Educational photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Hunger Games Mania

Posted on February 28, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

In September 2008, author Suzanne Collins wrote a book that would quickly become a fan favorite. Now, almost three and a half years later, The Hunger Games has sold over 23.5 million copies in the United States. The book has spent more than 160 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

Hunger Games Trilogy on Kimberly Kindle

I have to admit, I have heard people raving about the book for a long time, but never stopped long enough to read it. Then more and more came out about the book being made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate. I was definitely more intrigued as friend after friend mentioned reading it. In addition to this, many teacher friends have used the book within their classrooms as a unit of study. Scholastic has even made pages on their website to help fans of all ages to connect to the trilogy and learn more.

When we got our Kindle, we selected The Hunger Games Trilogy as part of our prize. Last week, I finished reading some other books and sat down to start The Hunger Games. After the initial chapter, the pages were turning faster than I could imagine. Suddenly, I was swept away in the world of Katniss Everdeen. My mind was racing as the book reminded me of some novels that I read in High School, only I adored this SO much more. I quickly finished book and am now almost finished with Catching Fire. I have put my knitting down and can’t stop reading every chance that I have.

On March 23, The Hunger Game will blast onto the screen in theaters across the country. We will be able to watch Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and all of the other characters that captivate their audience. Here is the trailer for the movie:

Are you a fan of The Hunger Games Trilogy? Are you looking forward to seeing the movie coming out in less than a month? Let me know your thoughts on another book to movie event.

Disclosure: Three Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the items mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link. We bought this book on our own from Scholastic and know it is on our gift list for other children.

Categories:
books Educational interesting me moments Movies Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Isabella: Girl on the Go

Posted on February 21, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Last year, I read a blog post about a book called My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream? It was not just any book. It was about inspiring children, especially girls, to dream big. The spunky little character within the story is Isabella. Author Jennifer Fosberry introduces us to this fun child who did not simply want to be herself, she wanted to be famous women in history. I fell in love with the New York Times bestselling book and was so excited to hear that Fosberry and illustrator Mike Litwin teamed up again for the new sourcebook about Isabella. The book is being released today.

In the first book, Isabella uses her imagination to showcase to her mother the amazing scientific women that she is pretending to become. She learns that the sky is the limit if she follows her dreams. In Isabella: Girl on the Go, we watch as Isabella sits in her backyard and talks to her father.

Once again, Isabella’s imagination takes her from her yard and propels her into the adventure of a lifetime. Each time her father asks her who she is, we are whisked off to a new city where we see a famous structure.

Thanks to Isabella, we are able to see that everything in the world is just a dream away. We learn about new careers like being an archeologist, artist, astronomer, and more while traveling to places like Paris, London, China, and beyond. The playful words from Fosberry allow readers to see where Isabella has gone in her imagination. They are paired perfectly with the gorgeous illustrations from Litwin.

The book really could be for multiple age levels. Younger children will marvel at Isabella’s silly imagination and talks with her father while in her own yard. Older children can use the tale as a starting point to do more research about the places and structures that Isabella sees within her vivid imagination. At the end of the book, there is even more information about the places and structures that we visit.

I know that I highly recommend this book and hope to use it for gifts in the future. More information about the book, a downloadable Isabella Girl on the Go Passport and activity kit, and book tour can be found on Sourcebooks website. I know I will be printing these out to try with my kids soon. They look like a fun addition to a book study in a classroom, or something to try at home on a snowy or rainy day.

Categories:
books Educational gift ideas photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Happy Birthday Trees

Posted on February 18, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

Watching you learn about Jewish holidays at nursery school has been so much fun. You love taking in all of the information and sharing it with us when you get home. Of course, you also adore making crafts that go along with the events.

Last week, your class celebrated Tu B’Shvat. As you told us, it was time for the trees birthday. One day, when you arrived at school, you were going to add paint to a tree project that you had already started. You were so happy to see what this multi media craft would involve. Another day, you planted parsley seeds into the remains of half an orange. As we drove home and you held onto the orange you were proud to announce that you helped to make orange juice before planting the seeds.

Now we will take the best care of your seeds as possible. With any luck, some parsley will grow and we can use it for our Passover Seder. For now, I look forward to seeing your smiling face as you learn all about Purim in the weeks ahead. I have a feeling you will be a pirate for your festival at school.

Thank you for sharing all that you learn.

Love,

Mommy