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
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
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
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