Enrichment

Enrichment activities are offered on a weekly basis and are included in the tuition cost.

SIGN LANGUAGE

Our sign language program starts with our very youngest and goes through our oldest classes. Children learn signs through singing, storytelling, art and music. Teachers also learn signs to use with the children on a daily basis. A letter will go home with each family to reinforce these signs with your children. There are many benefits to sign language. Children can develop a larger vocabulary, become better readers, increase their IQ, speak earlier and experience less frustration.

ART

Art is not only a way to create beauty, rather learning about and creating art hones many skills that help children excel as they mature. With projects planned such as making Hamash hand chimes from clay and beads, wooden sculpture Menorahs, table top Sukkahs, art will allow for stimulation and development of the mind and body.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical education is available for children ages one year and older. Children get the chance to move around while learning about their body. Children can learn different skills such as spatial awareness, throwing, kicking, catching, crawling, jumping, and skipping. Learning about their muscles and body parts are other core elements of this enrichment activity.

HEBREW

The goals for teaching Hebrew include creating lessons with visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learning techniques to help children grasp the new words and letters. Children will learn the Hebrew language through music, arts and craft projects, and story time.

CREATIVE MOVEMENT

Tammy Rosen (Katie Wilbur's mom) has taught dance to adults and youth for years. She is the owner and director of The DanceLoft, where she teaches modern dance and creative movement. In 1997, she co- founded the professional modern dance company NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre for which she still choreographs, dances and teaches. In addition to her performances with NEW ART, she has performed locally with FUNHOUSE movement theater, Tenth Street Danceworks and O-T-O Dance (all in Tucson) and was named "Best Pregnant Dancer" by the Tucson Weekly. She is also deeply engaged with developmental movement and is a fully certified Feldenkrais® practitioner in May of this year.

PUPPET THEATRE

The lights are shining, the audience is filled with anticipation, and then...a handful of puppets come on to the stage! However, these are not your everyday puppets; rather men, women, children, and animals that are trained in the wonderful world of theatre to bring shows unlike any seen before. With the creation of a replica theatrical stage, many of your children's favorite books will be transformed into plays while being performed for ages one year and above. Not only will the entertainment component be present, but each week a special topic in theatre ranging from costumes, actors, and set design will be discussed. Theatre is one of the most creative forms of expression; puppet theatre takes it to a new level.

GARDENING

In an exciting new twist, the Strauss ECE and Kindergarten has opened our own vegetable garden! Every month we will learn about how a vegetable grows, we will have cooking projects with that vegetable. In addition, one class each month will plant the vegetable themselves and water it every week. Once the vegetables are ripe, we will have the wonderful opportunity to pick them.

COOKING

Cooking is an great, sensory, science, math and cultural learning experience for our three and four year olds.  Children learn how to cook Jewish food as well as foods from other cultures.  During this enrichment class,  they taste, smell and touch different foods.  They learn about measurement and changing compounds from liquids to solids.  Children also use their gross motor skills to stir, mix, knead and pour.  They learn, explore and taste new fruits and vegetables and talk about healthy eating. All this and they get the joy of tasting yummy foods that they created!