I proudly attended Magen David Yeshivah’s Author’s Tea, recently. With one glance you could see the community united, as mothers, fathers and grandparents gathered to see these kindergartners move forward.
One usually asks, what is an Author’s Tea? Magen David holds an annual charming performance by the entire kindergarten, marking the end of the school year. The children are the authors of their performance and after they perform guests are invited to a “tea” in their classrooms.
Guests gathered in the school gym excitedly awaiting their children. Class by class arrived in colorful T-shirts, sponsored by the PTA, proudly saluting the 60th birthday of Israel through song and dance. At first some were nervous, but as they performed, their nervousness subsided and their maturity shone through. Their hard work and diligent approach is the proud product of their teachers’ many hours of practicing.
The Kindergarten Author’s Tea at MDY originated with Mrs. Terri Mizrachi joining the staff as the Early Childhood Director. Under her guidance, with Rabbi David Bassous joining in, the Author’s Tea was a unique opportunity for the children to share their accomplishments with their families. The children’s love for reading in both Ivrit and English is ignited by their teachers’ enthusiasm to create an atmosphere whereby books, language, and story telling come to life in their classrooms.
The children are encouraged and supported in their daily uses of oral and written language. The beauty is a specialized approach to literacy and is evident in our children’s excitement about learning. Author’s Tea entails the children sharing song and dance that reflects their love of Israel, Tefillah and Pizmonim. The celebration continues in the classroom, where the children share their self-authored and illustrated books.
“Magen David Yeshivah’s Early Childhood Program is very proud of every child’s academic achievements. The collaborative endeavor of the dedicated staff and the continued effort and support shown by the parents can be credited for their children’s successes,” said Terri Mizrachi.
After the performance, guests were invited back to the classrooms for a “tea” and the children proudly showed off their projects. How far they have come since the beginning of the year! As the school year comes to a close, we can look ahead to the future, congratulations class of 2016!
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Randi Shomer is a community member, mother of four children, and a freelance writer for IMAGE Magazine.
