South Hebron Hills

Purpose of the workshop:  Music activity at Hashem el-Daraj preschool with Huda

Topic of the activity: Movement and response to music.

Seventeen children were present at the preschool – less than usual because of cold stormy weather.  The wall heaters have yet to be fixed to the walls.  The children were excited to see us and wanted to shake our hands.

Activity: Huda read a story – “Basha’s Hat”, about the wind conspiring to blow off Basha’s hat and how she learns to cope with the wind.  The children were very attentive to the story and participated in the discussion about wind and followed Huda’s lead in movements related to types of wind.  The children acted out the story and all were keen to participate.  They were much more comfortable in acting out the story than they were previously.

The music activity included percussion instruments, musical games, and movement games in response to music.  The children were very enthusiastic and were eager to have a role in the activity.

Pictures of the activity (Judy – Gan Huda art activity December 19^th, 2013: https://picasaweb.google.com/113044451662544057850?authkey=Gv1sRgCNS_j8qy0sCOGA

“Staff” meeting:

We were very pleased with today’s activity and discussed as we drank tea and ate dates and cookies.  Huda will continue the activity during the week: making of hats from newspapers which we brought with us.  Huda and Amna proudly pointed to the large piece of construction with pictures of olive trees to which the children added leaves.  To date, there is no way to hang up the large pictures.  If they are taped to the wall, they fall down.  We plan to have poster boards put up which should solve the problem.