Education – 3rd Grade (Wilgus)

4/20: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a special day where all of K – 6th grade met at CBA instead of JCYS so we could spend time in our sanctuary.
  2. The theme of today was a Tour thru the Spring “Yoms (Yom Hashoah, and Yom Ha’atzmaut). It was great to see so many of our learners engaged here!
  3. We began our session in the sanctuary for an all school t’fillah. Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa led us in Havdalah. Several of our students helped by holding up the spice box, candle, and kiddush cup.
  4. Then we divided up by grade for 3 stations of our Tour thru the Spring “Yoms”
    • Omer: The Omer is 50 days walking from slavery in Egypt, into Freedom, and walking to Sinai to receive Torah. It runs from the 2nd day of Passover thru Shavuot. They looked at a famous Omer story of a school of rabbis, and how they sadly modeled disrespectful behavior.  They then did a project tracing their feet ‘walking thru the Omer’ and writing examples of how they can walk (show) respect on the feet cutouts.
    • Yom Hashoah: they looked at “The Story of Simcha – the story of Holocaust survivor Simcha Holzberg” in a Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypeQhEAtO2w ) and program designed by Yad Vashem’s Educational program. We created a processing worksheet to help the children understand the story.
    • Yom Ha’atzmaut: The students were given a chance to continue to learn about Israel thru participating in a YOM HA’ATZMAUT POSTER COMPETITION  (https://education-en.nli.org.il/curate-create ) which offers real cash prizes.It was great to see their enthusiasm and creativity.
  5. K – 5th grade gathered back in the sanctuary for Shira led by Morah Alexa.  There was a lot of Ruach (spirit!)  She led them in songs from Passover, Yom Hashoah, & Yom Ha’atzmaut. 
  6. 6th grade went to the ALC with Morah Dickson for Trope Plus.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Work on Prayers that were worked on during trope. Focus on Blessings Before and After Haftarah, Avot V’imahot and Gevurot.
  2. Learn how to access the Trope book and prayers on Beth Am Website
    • Go To Beth Am Website
    • Scroll Over To “Education & Youth”
    • Click on “Education & Youth”
    • Click “Religious & Hebrew School Work”
    • Left hand box is a tab labeled “6th Grade-Trope Plus”
  3. Starting 4/20 – Please have your child bring highlighters for Trope (Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink)

4/6: Today in class we worked on:

  1. What a busy day!
  2. Gan – 3rd grade gathered for Tefillah led by Rabbi Prass & Morah Alexa. Rabbi Prass helped us to focus on the important themes of the holiday of Chag Pesash thru story and introductions to our familiar prayers.
  3. Then, we wrote letters to the brave Chayalim (soldiers) of the Israel Defense Force to express our appreciation for their fine efforts.  This is part of JUF’s week of good deeds campaign.
  4. Then we learned about Joseph and his coat of many colors and the problems of jealousy in families.
  5. Then it was off to Shira, where Morah Alexa led Gan – 3rd grade in many songs for the upcoming holiday of Passover. 
  6. We came back to class to illustrate our parshat and listen to the music from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
  7. We ended the day playing hodgy podgy!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Please finish any pages in your Gamebook for Chapter 13 you did not finish in class.

3/16: Today in class we worked on:

  1. “Be Happy! It’s Adar” The Hebrew month which holds Purim.
  2. Today was Yom Purim! It was great to see so many of our learners in Purim costumes!
  3. We began in our assigned classrooms where each grade divided into teams and came up with their own team names based on Purim themes.  Here are the names each team/grade came up with for themselves:
    •  K-2, The Hamantaschen Crew
    • 3rd (last name ending in A – Ka), Chocolate Hamantaschen Cookie
    • 3rd (last name ending in Ki – Z), The Kings/Melachim
    • 4th, Purim Hamantaschen
    • 5th, The Hamantaschen
    • 5th, The Grogers
    • 6th, Peanut Butter Hamantaschen
  4. Then we gathered for an all school t’fillah led by Morah Alexa, Rabbi Bellows, and Rabbi Prass. Morah Alexa changed the melodies to some of the prayers to have a Disney theme.  Rabbi Bellows showed us the real Megillah.
  5. Then we divided up by grade and the teams we created for 4 stations of “Yom Purim” aka Purim Sunday!  We will share out their work over the course of the week. 
    • What is Beautiful? – Queen Esther looking at Esther’s beautiful character traits and actions, and how those same things could solve some of today’s problems.
    • Let’s Get to know Each other – Purim Style looking at how we would teach Purim words/themes to someone who isn’t Jewish, and then coming up with mixer/icebreaker questions using those same themes.
    • What’s it all about – Purim Acrostics asked the groups to create a modern lesson of the Purim story in the form of an acrostic, using the Purim character names of Esther, Haman, Vashti, Mordechai
    • Haman’s Proper Blessing asked the groups to list 7 modern Hamans.  Then they played of the Tzar’s Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof and wrote 3 “Haman’s Prayer”
  6. We then gathered back together for an all school Purim shira led by Morah Alexa where we sang Purim songs, Rabbi Prass read some Hebrew from the Megillah, 3 of our students read an English 5 minute Megillah so we could cheer Mordechai & Esther, and booooo Haman.  We also had a reenactment of the Latke vs Hamantaschen debate which began at the University of Chicago in the 40s and is still held to this day.
  7. As we left Rabbi Prass handed out Hamantaschen.  

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

3/9: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a busy day!
  2. First, we enjoyed an all school Tefillah, led by our guest Jay Rapaport. 
  3. Jay also introduced us to the three Reform  Movement specialty summer camps, including the Fine Arts Camp he directs in Pennsylvania.
    • URJ 6 Points Sports Academy Summer 2025 Registration is open! (for more information click here)
    • URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Summer 2025 Registration is open! (for more information click here)
    • URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Summer 2025 Registration is open! (for more information click here)
  4. Then we continued with our Torah studies, learning what happened when Jacob returned home with his wives and met his brother, Esau, once more. We also learned how Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, after wrestling all night with a stranger. We worked in our textbook, reviewing exercises and what we have learned so far.
  5. We finished our morning, with an all-school Purim Shirah led by Rabbi Prass.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to look for ways to bring Shalom Bayit into your home.
  2. Don’t forget to take a few minutes as the seasons change to see evidence of God around us.

We strongly believe in the power of Jewish overnight camp and want to help you find the right camp for your child.

This past Thursday, we welcomed URJ 6 Points Sports Academy, URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, and URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Academy, to CBA!

Whether they have a passion for sports, science and technology, arts, or want to experience a little bit of everything – there’s a camp for them! Here is a short description of the camps:

At 6 Points Sports Academy, Jewish athletes participate in a unique camping experience that combines professional sports coaching and the beloved traditions of Reform Jewish camping. Within our kind and nurturing community, campers form lifelong friendships, feed their passion for their chosen sport, and strengthen their identity as Jewish athletes. Contact Jackie here!

At 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, kids have fun learning about science and technology through the lens of Judaism! Build a robot. Save the environment. Perform chemistry experiments. Design a video game. Code an app. At 6 Points Sci-Tech East, located just outside of Boston, campers entering grades 5-10 learn from experts and are part of a camp community that appreciates science and technology! Contact Jayme and Dan here!

At 6 Points Creative Arts Academy, the program staff, campers, and site work together to create a holistic, meaningful experience for artists in a living laboratory for learning and performing. Mentored by the best in their field, young artists are drawn together in a dynamic community to experience camp, explore their passions, and improve their skills in creative writing, photography, dance, instrumental or vocal music, theatre, musical theatre, songleading, and visual arts. Contact Samantha here!

3/2: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a fun day!
  2. K – 3rd grade started with tefilah led by Rabbi Bellows, and learned a new part of the V’ahavta.
  3. We then learned two new parshaot in our Torah books – we learned about the birth and young lives of Jacob and Esau, and how Jacob, the youngest, ended up with both the birthright and special blessing that were to be Esau’s. We then went on to learn about how Isaac sent Jacob away because Esau was angry at being tricked and to find a wife among his mother’s people. We learned that Jacob himself was tricked when he wanted to marry Rachel, but was married to Leah instead and had to work for another seven years to be able to marry Rachel.
  4. K – 3rd grade went to shirah led by Rabbi Prass, where we learned about Purim and sang Purim songs.
  5. We then returned to class to illustrate our two parshaot and work in our Game Books.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Complete any exercises in chapters 10 and 11 that were not finished in class.
  2. Continue to look for ways to promote shalom bayit at home, and ways to bring God into your daily lives.

2/23: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we did a lot!
  2. We started with tefilot with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa.
  3. Then we continued in our Torah studies learning about how Rebecca became Isaac’s wife, and how Abraham bought a cave for a family tomb after Sarah died. We learned how kindness and consideration were highlighted in Eliezer choosing Rebecca for Isaac
  4. At Shira Morah Alexa led 4th & 5th grade in our annual Yom Folk Music singing.  Rabbi Prass discussed some of the Jewish folk singers such as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Peter Yarrow.
  5. We returned to class and illustrated our Torah parshat and worked in our Game Books.
  6. We ended the class by playing hodgy podgy to review what we had learned.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Complete any exercises in your game book that were not completed for the chapter.
  2. Continue to look for ways to increase Shalom Bayit at home.

2/16: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today K – 3rd grade gathered for t’fillah led by Morah Alexa & Rabbi Prass. Rabbi Prass used our weekly morning shacharit service as an opportunity to go through different parts of the traditional Tu B’Shvat Seder. 
  2. We then learned about how God asked Abraham to take Isaac, his favorite son to a place to offer him to God, but forbade Abraham at the last moment to kill his son and offered him a ram to sacrifice instead. God affirmed that life was precious and Abraham’s children would be numerous and leaders among mankind.
  3. K – 3rd grade then had Shira with Morah Alexa and got to sing songs about trees and Tu b’Shevat.
  4. We returned to class to illustrate this week’s parshat and ended the day playing hodgy podgy.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Complete the exercises for the chapter in your gamebook if you did not complete them in class.
  2. Continue to look for ways to promote shalom bayit in your home.

2/9: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we started with tefillot with the whole school for the special auf ruf for the 5th grade faux wedding. We learned about the custom and had fun showering the ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ with candy. It was wonderful to see all the 5th grade parents present.
  2. We then moved to the next chapter in our Torah studies about how Abraham and Sarah got their new names, how Sarah bore a son named Isaac, who was named for the laughter he brought his parents. We learned that Abraham welcomed some visitors and challenged God to not destroy the city of Sodom if there were 10 good people to be found, and how the visitors met Lot there and were unable to find 10 good people. The visitors helped Lot and his family flee, telling them not to look back as the city was destroyed, but his wife did, and was turned to a pillar of salt.
  3. We then drew the stories for our Torah scrolls and worked in our Game Books.
  4. We ended the day with a fun shirah with Morah Alexa singing lots of songs about Tu b’Shevat, the birthday of the trees.  It was great to be with Gan – 4th grade.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish any exercises in your Game Book that were not finished in class. Continue to look for ways to promote shalom bayit at home.

2/2: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we started with our attendance and feelings.
  2. Then we joined the entire school for t’fillah led by Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa.
  3. We continued in our Torah studies by learning about the first Jews, Abram and Sarai, and how they followed God from their home in Ur to the land of Canaan with their nephew Lot. Students discussed what they would take with them on such a journey and even pretended to take the journey by hiking around the school.
  4. K – 5th grade joined together for Shira led by Morah Alexa.
  5. Then we illustrated the story for our Torah scrolls. We also talked about Shalom Bayit – peace in the home – and ways we can each work to make sure our homes are peaceful.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish any of the exercises in your gamebook that you have not completed and play the game in your Child’s Bible book with a parent or sibling.
  2. Continue to look for ways to bring Shalom Bayit into your home.

1/26: Today in class we worked on:

  1. What a great day at our annual 3rd grade Boker B’yachad.  It was great to see all the parents!
  2. Parents joined us for the start of class where we did attendance and students said what they did to make their parents nirgash (which is Hebrew for excited).
  3. We then went to tefillot with Gan – 2nd grade, led by Morah Alexa and Rabbi Bellows.
  4. After t’fillah, parents joined Rabbi Bellows afterward for a ‘parents only’ discussion on the topic of the morning, “Our Relationship with God”
  5. While parents were with Rabbi Bellows, students went back to class. We discussed bracket and how cool it is that we have a tradition of not only thanking God but also blessing God. We learned about special prayers to be said when we see something amazing in nature, when we hear thunder, smell amazing flowers, and more.
  6. Parents rejoined us, at a fun shira with Gan – 2nd grade, led by Morah Alexa.
  7. Then, parents & 3rd graders came back to class.  Students performed their 10 Commandments song and did a project with their parents on ways to bring God into their homes, and share a conversation about their family God beliefs.
  8. Thank you for joining us for a meaningful morning.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

1/12: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we played a review game from our madrich Ben to review what we learned 1st semester.
  2. After we joined Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa for tefilot with K – 2.
  3. We then made posters for our 10 Commandments song we will present to our parents in two weeks and practiced our song several times.
  4. We joined Morah Alexa and K – 2 for shira and sang some fun songs.
  5. We finished up the day playing a quick round of hodgy podgy.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice your song at least 5 minutes a day! You can find the video with the words here: https://youtu.be/E_yZb95d3gU?si=G9FAOcxabDb06rSz
  2. Please make sure you have completed all of the exercises in your Game book up through chapter 5 before our next class.

12/15: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was Yom Chanukah! It was great to see so many of our learners in ‘Chanukah swag’
  2. We began in our assigned classrooms where each grade divided into teams and came up with their own team names based on chanukah themes.
  3. Then we gathered for an all school t’fillah led by Morah Alexa, Rabbi Bellows, and Rabbi Prass. We talked about Chanukah and how the prayers connected to our upcoming festival of Chanukah. Rabbi Bellows shared how Chanukah means dedication and that we need to give thought to rededicating ourselves to many of today’s challenges and not giving up on them.
  4. Then we divided up by grade and the teams we created for 4 stations of “13 Minute to Win It activities”.  We will share out some of their work in the days to come. The stations were:
    • Chanukah is about HEROES with Moreh David.  We looked at the Chanukah story and thought about the heroes in the Chanukah story, Israeli heroes, our own heroes, and ways that we can be heroes.
    • Chanukah is about LIGHTS with Morah Wilgus.  We talked about the Chanukah rituals, where we have lights in Chanukah, What we can do to create light.
    • Chanukah has Dreidels with Morah Rachel & Mr & Mrs. Popper. Our congregants brought in some of their 250 dreidel collection to share.
    • Chanukah Write-Pass-Write with Morah Kaufman. We retold the Chanukah story in creative contemporary formats.
  5. We then gathered back together for an all school shira led by Morah Alexa where we sang Chanukah songs.
  6. As we left Rabbi Bellows and Rabbi Prass handed out Chanukah Gelt and dreidels.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

12/8: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we welcomed a new student and started with tefilot with Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa.
  2. We then reviewed last week’s parshat about the Tower of Babel and drew our pictures and worked in our Game Book.
  3. We joined Kindergarten – 2nd grade led by Morah Alexa, for shirah and sang some very fun songs and learned new ones for Chanukah.
  4. We then worked on our 10 Commandment songs and played hodgy podgy to end the day.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish any pages in your game book you did not complete in class.
  2. Remember to work on your song at least 10 minutes a day. A link to the song can be found here: https://youtu.be/E_yZb95d3gU?si=9kZyCycyxT4Gu2Yx

11/24: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we started with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa in tefillah and spoke about gratitude and thankfulness.
  2. We then returned to class and saw how high we could build a tower together using blocks, then discussed the ease or difficulty students had – did it work out the way they wanted, did they work well together, how did they communicate, what was their outcome, what might they have done differently. We then used that as an introduction to the Tower of Babel from the Torah. We discussed how the bricks of the tower became more important than the people building the tower and how people became so obsessed with building higher and higher, that they started to believe they could challenge God. God finally had enough and ‘babbled’ the languages of the people so they couldn’t understand each other and would stop causing trouble.
  3. We talked about not letting things become more important than the people around us – how love and friendship is more important than the next shiny thing, and how important it is to stop and appreciate the beauty and creation around us.
  4. We then joined the K – 2nd Grade class for Shirah with Morah Alexa and sang some fun songs.
  5. We went back to class and worked on our 10 Commandments song, which students are learning so well!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Complete the exercises in A Child’s Bible for the chapter “A Tower to the Sky”. Work at least 10 minutes a day on your song.
  2. Continue to look for opportunities to help around the house without being asked, especially during the holiday, as well as for opportunities to appreciate the world around you.

11/17: Today in class we worked on:

  1. K – 3rd grade joined Rabbi Prass & Morah Alexa for t’fillah. Rabbi Prass talked about the Jewish concept of Hakatoret Ha-Tov or gratitude/recognizing the good as we draw closer to the US Holiday of Thanksgiving.  We also talked about our Jewish prayers in our t’fillah, and how they teach us to recognize the good by offering praise.
  2. Then we reviewed last week’s parsha of Noah’s Ark and students illustrated it for their Torah scrolls.
  3. We enjoyed Shira with the 3rd grade class. They learned new songs and had fun with their favorites led by Morah Alexa.
  4. Then we returned to class to work on our 10 Commandments song.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish any exercises in your game book you did not complete in class for chapter 4.
  2. Practice your 10 Commandments song at least 10 minutes a day. The song can be found here: https://youtu.be/kq4h3Opy-Xc?si=R5Kb3aC-5nbKwh6w
  3. Continue to look for opportunities around the house to help out without being asked.

11/10: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we learned a lot!
  2. Gan – 3rd grade had tefilot with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa.
  3. Then we continued to learn our Torah by learning about Noah. We learned that God was frustrated because most people had become mean and thoughtless, even though they were made in God’s image, so God decided to destroy everything with a great flood. Noah was a person who we are told ‘walked with God’, following God’s ways. God told Noah to build an ark – a big boat – that would hold 2 of every land animal because a big flood was coming. Noah did so and his family gathered the animals. God sealed them in and it rained for 40 days and nights. When Noah sent the dove out to find land, it finally came back with an olive branch, showing land was again available. Noah and his family and all the animals left the ark and God gave them new laws to follow and promised to never again destroy the whole earth with a flood. To remember this, God gave us the rainbow as a symbol of this promise.
  4. Gan – 3rd Grade went to shirah with Morah Alexa and sang some wonderful songs.
  5. We then got the first songsheets for our 10 Commandment song and learned the first verse and chorus.
  6. We then played hodgy podgy to wrap up the day!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice your song at least 5 minutes every day. The song can be found at this link: https://youtu.be/kq4h3Opy-Xc?si=wtU55sWOG7e-dbgW  Be sure to turn on the subtitles and set the speed to .75 to make it easier to sing!

11/3: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we continued our Torah lessons by reviewing the parshat of Cain and Abel and the illustrating the story. After students illustrated the story, they worked in their Gamebooks for the chapter.
  2. K – 3rd Grade joined Rabbi Bellows and Morah Ari for Tefilah.
  3. We then began to learn our song about the 10 Commandments that students will perform in January.
  4. K – 3rd grade joined Morah Ari for shirah with lots of songs.
  5. We finished up the day by playing hodgy podgy to review what we had done.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Complete any exercises in your Gamebook that you did not complete in class.
  2. Look for at least 3 opportunities this week to help out at home without being asked.
  3. Bring a small stuffed animal for next week’s class.
  4. Practice our song by going to this link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E_yZb95d3gU?si=q2zf_kGienjs9PcC

10/27: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a busy class!
  2. We had tefilot with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Ari, and K – 2nd grade.
  3. Back in class we learned the next parshat in our Torah about Cain and Abel. We talked about siblings, and our relationships, why Cain was jealous, and how keeping feelings buried can lead to anger and unanticipated actions.
  4. K – 3rd grade joined Morah Ari for shirah and sang some fun songs.
  5. Then we talked about how we are created in God’s image – b’tzelem elohim, and what that means. We talked about ways we can act in God’s image at home by helping before being asked and not fighting with our siblings (or at least doing so less).
  6. We then played hodgy podgy to review what we had learned.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Find at least 3 opportunities to help out at home without being asked this week.

10/20: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a special day where all of K – 6th grade met at CBA instead of JCYS so we could spend time in the Sukkah.
  2. We began our session in the sanctuary.  We look around this room and talked about what makes a room “chol” Hebrew for secular, and what makes our sanctuary “kodesh”, Hebrew for holy.  The students shared answers like the Torah scrolls, Israeli flag, Jewish stars, and one 6th grader said the community. We then made Havdalah together, having some of our 6th graders hold the 3 symbols.
  3. From here the entire school broke into 4 stations/rotations focusing on Sukkot.  They were:
    • Sukkot Charades: Reviewing Sukkot topics by playing charades
    • Sukkot STEM: Learning about Sukkot through the lense of STEM questions
    • Sukkot Visits: We went out to the Sukkah with Rabbi Bellows, shook the Lulav/Etrog and talked about what middot (Character traits) we need to invite into the sukkah this year.
    • Paper chains with a 2023 twist:  We made paper chain decorations by writing the name of a hostage being held in Gaza on each piece of paper.
  4. The entire school gathered back in the sanctuary for Shira led by Morah Alexa.  There was a lot of Ruach (spirit!)
  5. Then Michael Greenwald, an associate Camp Director from OSRUI, came and we enjoyed a presentation from him on the amazing opportunities for fun, learning, and Jewish community from Reform Judaism Summer camp in Wisconsin.  The camp website is: OSRUI.  The Reform movement runs the following speciality camps:  6 Points Creative Arts Camp, 6 Points Sci Tech Camp, 6 Points Sports Academy,
  6. Lihitaot (good-bye)! See you next week back at JCYS!

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

10/6: Today in class we worked on:

  1. What a great day!
  2. We started off seeing how everyone was feeling this morning and learning the Hebrew words for that – several were sleepy!
  3. Gan – 3rd grade joined Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa for tefilah and talked about Yom Kippur, which comes up next Friday and Saturday.
  4. We then reviewed last week’s lesson about the Garden of Eden, and the choice of Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We then talked about what we would draw and spent some time illustrating the parshat.
  5. Gan – 3rd grade joined Morah Alexa for shirah, reviewing a Yom Kippur song we learned last week and a brand new song with hand motions.
  6. We returned to class and spoke more about Yom Kippur, using our Partners with God book. We talked about feeling sorry for actions or words we have made during the year, and how Yom Kippur offers us a chance to review our behavior and to apologize to any we have hurt. We also talked about how hard it can be to say “I am sorry” as well as how difficult it can be to forgive someone we are angry with. We talked about the idea of t’shuvah – repentance or actually ‘turning’ – which means not only realizing actions we may not be happy about, but working to change that behavior.
  7. We finished up by playing hodgy podgy to review the day.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish Chapter 2 in your a Child’s Bible gamebook (and any other pages in Chapter 1 that have not been completed).
  2. Continue to look for moments that remind you that God is all around us and try to apologize to anyone you may have upset in the past year.

9/29: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a busy day. We selected our tzedakah project for the year – American Friends of Sheba Medical Center – which helps Israeli soldiers who are injured
  2. K – 3rd grade went to tefillah with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa.
  3. We also started our second chapter of the Torah, about the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then we learned about how God is around us if we take the time to allow God to be there. We talked about how we let God into our lives when we are kind, polite, and thoughtful to others.
  4. K – 3rd grade went to shira with Morah Alexa.  There we heard Rabbi Prass and Milo, one of the students!
  5. We ended by playing a game of hodgy podgy to review what we had learned.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Have a great Rosh Hashannah! Remember to be kind at home and work to do chores before asked to help spread God’s peace in our homes.

9/22: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we began with identifying how we were feeling in the morning. We learn the Hebrew words for how we are feeling and how to say “I am…” This gives students a moment to reflect and get ready to learn. They are starting to get eager to see the sheet with a variety of emotions in Hebrew and pick their feeling, then say it in Hebrew. Ayef/a is very popular.
  2. Then K – 3rd grade went to tefilah with Rabbi Bellows and Morah Alexa.
  3. The students all worked together to complete a scavenger hunt to get to know our physical Sunday learning spaces, our wonderful Sunday staff, and how their work makes us feel.  We will be sharing the answers out next week once all the classes have completed it. Ask your student about it!
  4. We went back to class and started working on our illustrations for the first parshat of the Torah – Creation. We identified what was created on each day and drew it. When we finished, we worked in our blue Game Book.
  5. We joined Morah Alexa for shira and learned new songs and about the shofar.  Rabbi Prass sounded the shofar in celebration of Elul.
  6. We then played hodgy podgy to review our day and get ready to go home.
  7. Great day!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish any exercises in your Gamebook that were not completed in class.
  2. Continue to look for moments or images during the day that remind you of God and creation.

9/15: Today in class we worked on:

  1. What a great day!
  2. We started by talking about how we were feeling and learning Hebrew words for emotions – we will be doing this all year.
  3. We started learning our first chapter in the Torah about how the universe was created and did some exercises in our Child’s Bible Book.
  4. We also began our Partners with God book, discussing how we can’t see God, but there are many things we can’t see that we know are there. Some of the things we can’t see but know are there students listed included: air, wind, and love!
  5. Gan –  6th grade joined in our first Sunday t’fillah of the school year led by Morah Alexa and Rabbi Prass.  We talked about where we “find inspiration for our own words” and how silence helps us find other inspiration.  Rabbi Prass shared two rabbinic stories, and a Ringo Starr story about this.  
  6. We joined Morah Alexa, and Gan – 2nd grade for a fun shirah session where we sang some of our favorite songs.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish the exercises in Chapter 1 of your Child’s Bible text book. Review the story with your parents.

9/8: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a great opening class!
  2. We enjoyed an Opening Ceremony, with all the grades together, Morim & Madrichim, Rabbi Bellows, and Rabbi Prass. We reenacted Mt Sinai by each kitah (class) sitting in the large circle to pretend we were encircling Mt Sinai.  Then we chose 2 people from each class to go closer to the middle of Mt Sinai to do some running for a scavenger hunt.  Morah Alexa led us as we sang blessings and we ended with a streamer/confetti burst to kick off our Torah learning party of a year!  It was great to have so many parents join us.  Pictures of the kickoff can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=BethAmBuffaloGrove&set=a.906074391552343
  3. We went to class and discussed what we will be learning this year and agreed to some basic class rules.
  4. We read the first chapter of our Bible book for the year and discussed how Torah means ‘teaching’ and we will be learning all kinds of things that relate to our lives today.
  5. We discussed how so many things in our lives can be described in cycles, or circles, and how God encompasses all.
  6. K – 3rd grade joined Morah Alexa for Shira and learned some new songs.
  7. We took a big nest of the confetti from out opening one of our students gathered and pulled out strings of it to name off things in the world we could think of and look at how it was all connected.
  8. We played a game of hodgy podgy to review what we had learned and discussed today.
  9. On the way out, each of us were offered a popsicle both to hold onto summer weather, and to begin our Torah learning with some sweetness.
  10. Thanks for a great opening day!

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A