Dear 3rd Grade Parents,
The students have spent the last 3 weeks working dilligently on completing Shabbat boxes to take home!
Today, each student decorated candlesticks, challah covers, and kiddush cups to add to these boxes. Next week (when everything is dry!) the students will take these boxes home. It is my hope that you will use these boxes to celebrate Shabbat on Friday evenings with your children at home. The best way to reinforce all that we have been learning in class about Shabbat is to celebrate with your children at home. I'm confident they would love to share with you all the reasons why we have each of these ritual objects, and what each one represents!
We will continue to add items as we continue to study the other parts of Shabbat -- such as Havdallah -- later in the year.
Next week, we will be taking a brief break from our study of Shabbat to learn all about Chanukah (which comes VERY early this year). Students will be going home today with a photocopied sheet of their "checklist" from the front of their Chanukah chapter. Please go over this list with your student and think about new traditions you can add to your current family traditions. The homework checklist this week contains some great questions to discuss at home and bring back to class next week.
As part of our curriculum, I encourage you to attend both of the synagogues upcoming Chanukah events. The first is a special Friday evening Chanukah service on December 3, and the second is the ARS Chanukah Dinner/Celebration on Tuesday, December 7. The ARS dinner follows right after religoius school and is a great way to celebrate Chanukah as a member of the ARS community!
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Stacy
sweinberg@ohabei.org
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Shabbat is Here!
Hello Families!
Yesterday was another great day in third grade! Although I myself was absent, the substitute, Phil Bressler, reported that they had a great class. I would like to start off with a quick apology. It is my understanding that there was some confusion in regards to the books going home with your students this week. I will scan the required homework page and post it tomorrow to make sure that your student can complete their assignment!
We have begun our study of Shabbat rituals for Friday Evening. Class began with a discussion of why we celebrate Shabbat, and then moved into a discussion of ritual. The students were introduced to what a ritual object is, and how we use ritual objects to celebrate all holidays, including Shabbat. They shared their ideas on the different ritual objects that are a part of their lives, and their importance.
They then began a project that will carry us through the next couple of weeks of class. We are making "Shabbat Boxes" for the children to bring home with them. These boxes will contain all (mostly) of the objects that they need to help themselves and their families celebrate Shabbat. Yesterday, we worked on decorating these boxes, and over the next couple of weeks we will decorate/create the objects that will go inside them. I hope that you will take advantage of having these wonderful ritual objects in your home to create some new or reinforce some old Shabbat traditions in your homes.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Stacy
Yesterday was another great day in third grade! Although I myself was absent, the substitute, Phil Bressler, reported that they had a great class. I would like to start off with a quick apology. It is my understanding that there was some confusion in regards to the books going home with your students this week. I will scan the required homework page and post it tomorrow to make sure that your student can complete their assignment!
We have begun our study of Shabbat rituals for Friday Evening. Class began with a discussion of why we celebrate Shabbat, and then moved into a discussion of ritual. The students were introduced to what a ritual object is, and how we use ritual objects to celebrate all holidays, including Shabbat. They shared their ideas on the different ritual objects that are a part of their lives, and their importance.
They then began a project that will carry us through the next couple of weeks of class. We are making "Shabbat Boxes" for the children to bring home with them. These boxes will contain all (mostly) of the objects that they need to help themselves and their families celebrate Shabbat. Yesterday, we worked on decorating these boxes, and over the next couple of weeks we will decorate/create the objects that will go inside them. I hope that you will take advantage of having these wonderful ritual objects in your home to create some new or reinforce some old Shabbat traditions in your homes.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Stacy
Thursday, October 14, 2010
So Many Pomegranate Seeds!
This week the third graders had a fabulous time exploring Rosh Hashanah symbols in greater depth.
We had a special opportunity this week to combine our class with the Kindergarten-1st grade class. The students opened the class by sharing the stories they had written about their Rosh Hashanah symbols with the younger students. We then talked all about these symbols and why they are important for us. To tie this unit together, we took some time to explore the pomegranate in depth. We discussed the 613 seeds that the fruit is supposed to have to represent our 613 commandments. Some students really believed this was true, and others were a bit skeptical!
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns!
Best,
Stacy
I was so impressed with the wonderful stories the students completed for homework!
We had a special opportunity this week to combine our class with the Kindergarten-1st grade class. The students opened the class by sharing the stories they had written about their Rosh Hashanah symbols with the younger students. We then talked all about these symbols and why they are important for us. To tie this unit together, we took some time to explore the pomegranate in depth. We discussed the 613 seeds that the fruit is supposed to have to represent our 613 commandments. Some students really believed this was true, and others were a bit skeptical!To test out this theory, we cut open two pomegranates and counted all of the seeds inside! One of our pomegranates had 516 seeds, and the other had about 650. Together, they averaged to VERY close to 613!
We also had the opportunity to begin a conversation about Yom Kippur. For homework, I asked the students to read pages 16-17 in their Experiencing the Jewish Holidays book. These pages discuss the "Al Chet" prayer and what it means to "miss the mark." Students are asked to have a conversation at home about what this means, and think about ways that they might have "missed the mark" this past year.
Stacy
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Weekly Newsletter 10/5/10
The third graders have been doing a wonderful job so far this year. I am so impressed with everyone's attention to both in class and out of class work.
Last week we learned all about Simchat Torah. We discussed the importance of having a holiday that celebrates the Torah, and the importance of the Torah to us. I was happy to see that most of the students made mobius strips at home. It was great to hear their creative answers about how the Torah is like a mobius strip in class today.
Last week we also learned about midrash, and had an opportunity to create some of our own using torn paper. The pictures are hanging up in the classroom and I hope you all take a chance to look at them again on Back to School night next week.
This week, we went backwards a bit and learned about Rosh Hashanah. We started class with some Rosh Hashanah Trivia which gave the students a bit of a chance to show off what they already know, and learned a little bit from their classmates as well. Afterwards, we had a conversation about Rosh Hashanah symbols and what they mean. We also discussed the importance of symbols to holidays, and how we can remember them and why they are important. We discussed the Shofar in class as a specific example of this.
For homework this week, I asked students to think about a specific symbol of Rosh Hashanah and create a story about that item that helps us to remember why it is important to Rosh Hashanah. I encourage you to work on these stories together.
Starting in two weeks, when we begin our Shabbat unit, I will be photocopying the first page of each chapter from the book for your child to bring home with them. This sheet gives a "checklist" of activities that they will work on completing to help them better understand the holidays by doing activities that relate to the holiday. Some of these we will do in class, some will be homework, and others are activities that you can complete as a family. If you have any questions about this, or about anything going on in class, please don't hesistate to contact me at sweinberg@ohabei.org, or give me a call in the Temple office at 617-277-6610.
Kol Tuv,
Stacy
Last week we learned all about Simchat Torah. We discussed the importance of having a holiday that celebrates the Torah, and the importance of the Torah to us. I was happy to see that most of the students made mobius strips at home. It was great to hear their creative answers about how the Torah is like a mobius strip in class today.
Last week we also learned about midrash, and had an opportunity to create some of our own using torn paper. The pictures are hanging up in the classroom and I hope you all take a chance to look at them again on Back to School night next week.
This week, we went backwards a bit and learned about Rosh Hashanah. We started class with some Rosh Hashanah Trivia which gave the students a bit of a chance to show off what they already know, and learned a little bit from their classmates as well. Afterwards, we had a conversation about Rosh Hashanah symbols and what they mean. We also discussed the importance of symbols to holidays, and how we can remember them and why they are important. We discussed the Shofar in class as a specific example of this.
For homework this week, I asked students to think about a specific symbol of Rosh Hashanah and create a story about that item that helps us to remember why it is important to Rosh Hashanah. I encourage you to work on these stories together.
Starting in two weeks, when we begin our Shabbat unit, I will be photocopying the first page of each chapter from the book for your child to bring home with them. This sheet gives a "checklist" of activities that they will work on completing to help them better understand the holidays by doing activities that relate to the holiday. Some of these we will do in class, some will be homework, and others are activities that you can complete as a family. If you have any questions about this, or about anything going on in class, please don't hesistate to contact me at sweinberg@ohabei.org, or give me a call in the Temple office at 617-277-6610.
Kol Tuv,
Stacy
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Welcome to Third Grade!
Dear 3rd Grade Parents,
We've had a great first two weeks in our third grade class! Last week in class we spent some time getting to know each other, playing games, and making rules for our class. We even had a chance to show off everything that we knew about Jewish holidays, by playing a few rounds of "Jewish Holiday Jeopardy."
This week, we learned all about Sukkot. We talked about the Sukkah itself: how to build one, why is so important to the Jewish people, and how to decorate it. We also learned about Usphizin, and talked about the different Usphizin we invite into our Sukkah. This brought up a great conversation about Mitzvot and the different kinds of mitzvot that we can do, including inviting guests into our home. For homework, your children are asked to think about Ushpizin in a less traditional sense, and invite 7 famous Jewish people into their sukkah, and think about a question, or topic that they would like to talk to them about. Next week, we will continue this conversation by thinking about what we can gain from others who we might invite into our Sukkah.
Our curriculum this year is all about learning about the Jewish holidays by experiencing them firsthand. We will spend our class time with a little bit of reading and discussion, and lots of art projects, games, and hands on activities that will let your children explore the holidays in ways they may not have before. This curriculum encourages your students to do activities outside of class as well, that will help reinforce these ideas at home. The weeks homework assignments will reflect some of these activities, and there are even more that you can try as a family!
Each week, your child will bring home a homework folder that has a "homework checklist" that lists the homework assignment, as well as any worksheet or materials that they need inside. The homework should not take more than 15-20 minutes to complete, and may even take less. There also be links to the homework checklist and any worksheets on this blog. If for some reason you find that the homework assignments are too challenging or taking too long, please let me know!
We have such an exciting year ahead! I look forward to working with your children this year. Please don't hesistate to contact me with any questions or concerns you have. I can be reached by email at sweinberg@ohabei.org, or by phone at the synagogue at 617-277-6610.
Best,
Stacy
We've had a great first two weeks in our third grade class! Last week in class we spent some time getting to know each other, playing games, and making rules for our class. We even had a chance to show off everything that we knew about Jewish holidays, by playing a few rounds of "Jewish Holiday Jeopardy."
This week, we learned all about Sukkot. We talked about the Sukkah itself: how to build one, why is so important to the Jewish people, and how to decorate it. We also learned about Usphizin, and talked about the different Usphizin we invite into our Sukkah. This brought up a great conversation about Mitzvot and the different kinds of mitzvot that we can do, including inviting guests into our home. For homework, your children are asked to think about Ushpizin in a less traditional sense, and invite 7 famous Jewish people into their sukkah, and think about a question, or topic that they would like to talk to them about. Next week, we will continue this conversation by thinking about what we can gain from others who we might invite into our Sukkah.
Our curriculum this year is all about learning about the Jewish holidays by experiencing them firsthand. We will spend our class time with a little bit of reading and discussion, and lots of art projects, games, and hands on activities that will let your children explore the holidays in ways they may not have before. This curriculum encourages your students to do activities outside of class as well, that will help reinforce these ideas at home. The weeks homework assignments will reflect some of these activities, and there are even more that you can try as a family!
Each week, your child will bring home a homework folder that has a "homework checklist" that lists the homework assignment, as well as any worksheet or materials that they need inside. The homework should not take more than 15-20 minutes to complete, and may even take less. There also be links to the homework checklist and any worksheets on this blog. If for some reason you find that the homework assignments are too challenging or taking too long, please let me know!
We have such an exciting year ahead! I look forward to working with your children this year. Please don't hesistate to contact me with any questions or concerns you have. I can be reached by email at sweinberg@ohabei.org, or by phone at the synagogue at 617-277-6610.
Best,
Stacy
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)