Today I spoke to her.

Today we were invited to gan to shop in a store the kids had set up. My 3yo came with me this time. I bought a challah cover my son had decorated, and two cookies. The money went to tzedaka.I bravely approached this mother with my prepared speech. I had only seen her once before at the Chanukah … [Read more...]

Update on that babysitter. . .

The babysitter continues to appear at gan without the baby in tow. Today I mentioned to her that it was against the law to leave a child under six alone in the house. "What, for five minutes, asleep in the crib?" She said that the mother knows about it (that makes it all right then, no?) I said that … [Read more...]

Beyadeinu Or Va-eish — Fire and light in our hands

In the end I enjoyed my son's Chanukah party, despite getting ten calls from home on my cell-phone during the hour-long event. My son had a good time too. But while the other parents were admiring the display, I was checking for fire exits. I noticed that the windows in the gan had burglar-proof … [Read more...]

Gananot on little brothers and sisters

Another truth known to all Israeli gananot (preschool teachers) is that younger siblings should never be brought to a party in the gan. One ganenet actually sent home a poem with a story about a boy who was so upset because instead of watching him sing and dance, the mother was occupied with the … [Read more...]

Update on Gan Finances

This is what the ganenet (kindergarten teacher) asked for from the parents: A dollar is 4.5 to 5 New Israeli Shekalim. Amounts are in shekalim. 220: Weekly exercise class, in the gan. 60: Photocopies 35: Embroidered towel 80: End of year gifts and pictures 80: "Sal tarbut" (culture … [Read more...]

Collective Gifts for Preschoolers–Yes or No?

I decided go to my daughter's class. It's true, as Sephardilady suggested in the comments, that I could meet the teacher another time, but I would like to see how the teacher and the school present themselves to the parents. So far they seem to have been doing a wonderful job and my daughter … [Read more...]