Innovative Middos Curriculum to Launch at the Kinus
Project TEAM took center stage in preschools around New Jersey and will be available for the first time at the Kinus HaShluchos to be licensed nationally. Project TEAM, short for Torah Approach to Emotional Awareness and Middos, is a project of Tzivos Hashem. The curriculum is geared for children ages 4-7, and teaches Torah principles of character refinement based on messages from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, culled from his written addresses to children.
Project TEAM was written and developed over a span of five years by Morah Sima Susskind of Morristown, NJ. Consisting of thirty lessons, each one includes an engaging puppet show script, an interactive activity, and an advanced lesson for older children. The dynamic lessons give children insight into their emotional world, providing them with the tools necessary to build strong friendships and to make good choices. The extensive curriculum covers a wealth of foundational lessons including safety, anger management, patience and respect. Visit TorahTeam.com to see an outline of the complete program.
After being piloted in Lubavitch on the Palisades Preschool in Tenafly, NJ and meeting unparalleled success, Morah Sima will finally heed the numerous requests from other schools and launch a national pilot program that will enable ten select schools around the country to offer Project TEAM this fall.
“What makes Project TEAM unique,” explains program founder Morah Sima, “is that it makes children aware of their inner strengths and struggles, empowering them to understand their true mission as a soldier in the army of Hashem. Chassidus teaches us that every challenge we encounter is sent by Hashem as an opportunity for us to grow, and TEAM provides the tools and awareness to overcome those challenges and develop middos tovos.
In addition to fostering a positive community feeling amongst students and creating a marked difference in the school culture, parents report the difference the program makes in their home.
Dr. Dina R. Dick, a pediatrician and parent in Morristown, NJ is grateful that her daughter had the opportunity to learn about good middos from this revolutionary program. “Characters such as Zrizy the fireman, Flexible Fievel and Mr. Ga’ava became a part of our language at home, and enabled us to help teach our other children in a fun and insightful way.“
Teachers of Project TEAM will receive thirty complete lessons which include a puppet show script, follow-up activities and projects, individual child assessments, ready-made newsletters, notes, training webinars, and access to the author for support throughout the year. Schools, who participate will get a lot more than just a year-long curriculum. Project TEAM provides teachers with social-skills training and social-emotional vocabularies to guide children to problem solve and make good choices. The supporting tools enable the lessons to be reinforced throughout the week.
Mrs. Chani Goldberg, Principal of Cheder Lubavitch in Morristown has seen the tremendous impact the program has had on the students. “The lessons they learned about honesty, being flexible, and humility, among others, are something that will remain with them forever.”
Only ten schools will be selected to pilot the course for the coming school year. To learn more about the program and to reserve your spot, visit TorahTeam.com. Shluchos can meet Morah Sima during the kinus resource fair on Sunday by the Tzivos Hashem booth.
The Project TEAM vaad is comprised of Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf, Dean of Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School, Rabbi Zalmen L. Markowitz, Educational Consultant, Merkos Linyonei Chinuch, and Rabbi Bentzion Stein, Dean of Cheder Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch.
The curriculum material has been reviewed and approved by Mrs. Vivi Deren, Executive Director of Gan Yeladim Preschool, Mrs. Sarah Hecht, Director of Chai Tots Preschool, Mrs. Fraidel Zucker, Experienced Early Childhood Teacher, Mrs. Shulamis Rothman, Experienced Elementary School Teacher, and Child Psychologists Rifka Schonfeld, Director SOS, and Sonia Roitman, Ph.D.
For more information contact Sima Susskind at info@TorahTeam.com or visit http://www.TorahTEAM.com.
