December 5, 2024 |

Welcome Gan Families!

Posted on September 12, 2017

Hello Gan Class Families!


I hope that the end of your summer was outstanding and that the transition to your new school year routines has been easy.  In less than a week we will begin our Gan Class journey at Temple Israel.  Over the summer you received a brief email from me about the Kindergarten at Temple Israel.  Below you will find some additional information to help you prepare.

This year is going to be AMAZING.  Your students will enjoy experiences and gain knowledge and understanding in several areas including the Aleph Bet, Torah Stories, Tefilah (prayers), Israel and Celebrations (holidays and mitzvot). It is my hope that each student will make new friends and be a part of an outstanding community.

In addition to myself, your students will have the opportunity to work with many talented educators on our staff.  Bar Argaman, an Israeli Shinshin will share information with us about Israel most weeks.  Ann Green and Bina Landis have been part of the Gan Class team for many years.  They offer support and guidance to our students and are both truly wonderful.  Gisele will also be in our classroom this year to offer student support.  It’s a great team!

Just a few logistics for you:
  • Our class is located in Room 3 which is in the downstairs level of the School Wing. Please plan to drop off and pick up your student at the classroom each week. Drop off is at 9:00am and dismissal will begin around 11:55 so that you can pick up older students in the lobby at noon.
  • The Nursery School Wing door closest to the lobby is unlocked on Sunday mornings so that no code is necessary to enter.  Please use this door to access our classroom.
  • Each student will have their own cubby!  Please select a picture with your student that they would like displayed on their cubby this year and bring it to class this Sunday. If you would like to bring in a sweatshirt or change of clothes to leave in your student’s cubby please feel free to do so.
  • Each student will need to bring their own snack to class each day. This snack should be Kosher and dairy.  As per our building policy, please do not send items with nuts.  Students in the Gan Class will not be permitted to share snacks to ensure the safety of all students.
  • Water bottles are allowed in our classroom.  You are welcome to bring one in.
  • Our mornings will be full of activities. If your student will be absent, or will need to be dismissed early, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can plan accordingly. 
  • Each week I will create a blog post to share all the exciting things that happened in our classroom.  I will email you a link to the blog post as soon as it is available.  You can always check out the blog to see what all of our classes are up to by visiting https://tioneducation.blogspot.com/
This year I am excited to announce that we will be inviting Mystery Reader’s into our classroom most Sunday mornings. Anyone can be a mystery reader!  Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and family members are welcome to be the mystery reader. Mystery readers are encouraged to bring a favorite Jewish story to share with the class at 11:40 on Sunday morning.  If the reader would like suggestions of stories that go along with what we are learning in class on a particular day, I am happy to make suggestions.  In addition, there is a bookshelf in the Religious School Wing filled with PJ Library books that would be excellent to share with the class.  Below is the link to a Doodle Poll so that you can have the opportunity to sign up for a date.  To make sure every family has a turn, please only sign up for one date per family at this time.  I will send it out again  if more readers are necessary. Sign up at https://doodle.com/poll/43gmgx3iicyyr2a6.  

I am so looking forward to meeting you all next Sunday for our first class together!


If you have any questions or concerns about the Gan Class, please feel free to reach out at any time by emailing me directly at MichelleNelson624@gmail.com.

Ann, Bina, Gisele, Bar and I are looking forward to a great year!