Religious School Parent Bulletin November 9, 2012
Thank you to all the 3rd Grade parents who made reservations for the Kabbalat Siddur (Consecration) Parent Meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5:30-6:00pm in the Library. It looks like we will have 100% turnout!
Please help us with this year's Turkey Drive. We collect money which is used to purchase and deliver Kosher turkeys to our local Jewish Family and Children's Service. Kindly send your contribution with your child no later than Sunday, Nov. 18. Thank you for enabling us to continue this annual mitzvah.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Saturday Nov. 10 – Shabbat Family Experience, 10:30am in the Epstein Chapel
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy. There will be a free deli lunch after the service and singing led by Cantorial Soloist Emily Ellentuck. Everyone is welcome to join in this service. Participants will lead the service and discus the meaning of prayers. The service will feature Religious School 6th graders who will act out scenes from the weekly Torah portion. For more information and to RSVP, contact Kim.
Friday Nov. 30 – 3rd thru 5th Grade Shabbat Service and Dinner, 5:45pm
Join us for this energetic service led by the 3rd – 5th Graders in the Religious School and at Tucson Hebrew Academy. We'll share a delicious Shabbat dinner after the service. We had 75 6th – 8th Graders at their service and dinner recently, and look forward to an equally good turnout at this one as well! A letter went home to all 3rd – 5th Grade students inviting them to sign up for parts in the service. Please complete the form at the bottom of the letter and return it to me.(Rabbi Herman). A flyer for the dinner will be given out on Sunday. Please RSVP by Nov. 26 to Kim.
Teachers' Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1st Grade-Renee Hulsey
The students had another great class on Sunday. We learned more about Shabbat and started learning some of the prayers and songs that we will lead during our class Friday night service in January. Don't forget to bring tzedakah each week!
2nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
I am so proud of how the whole class is progressing in Hebrew, which is also a testament to their 1st Grade teacher. They are reading some fairly complicated words. Using the computer lab for Hebrew turned out to be a very popular, so we will use it more often in the future. In Bible stories this week, we learned about "Jacob and Esau." In the commandment series, we finished the first group of eight lessons with "Talmud Torah."
3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
We had another wonderful week at school! The students continued with learning more of Lecha Dodi, of which they took home a copy to practice. They also continued in completing their section on the Galil regarding Tiberias and the Golani Junction, and have begun to learn about Safed, the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. They have been working on booklets as they learn each new area. They are doing an excellent job in the Hineni book, and I can see a difference when they practice the pages sent home!
4th Grade – Rodin Molina
In Hebrew this week the class began learning about the prayers "Ma'ariv Aravim" and "Yotzer Or." On Sunday we discussed the purpose of the prayers and identified familiar words in both prayers. On Tuesday we reviewed the meaning of "ha" (the), "v" (and), and "nu" (our), then broke into stations to practice reading, writing, and learning new words; all using the prayer ma'ariv aravim. In Judaics, we finished our review game on Sunday and went over the answers to the questions the students found difficult. On Tuesday we discussed tikkun olam and its connection to the covenant between God and the Jewish people, and we did a short text study from Leviticus with commentary from Rashi (a medieval rabbinic commentator).
4th Grade – Sarah Artzi
Our thoughtful 4th Graders continued discussing the many aspects of community, our responsibility as members of a community, and what principles should guide a community. A lively debate ensued regarding the Jewish mitzvah of "Welcoming the Stranger." More than half our class felt "stranger-danger" and self-protection outweighed the potential benefits of including a total stranger in the group. There were excellent points made for both sides, and I was impressed with the depth of the students' comments. Please share your thoughts about this with your kids. In Hebrew, we are preparing our final review of the first section of the Amida, the "Avot and Imahot." A review sheet went home, and those who complete it (and turn it in!) earn extra credit tickets. A final reminder about the Rick Recht Concert this Monday at 6:30pm at CAI. My family and I will be there, and I would love to have 4th Graders and their families join us. Hope to see you there!
5th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
The 5th Graders finished our Bulletin Board for the Turkey Drive. We hope that everyone will give a donation to this meaningful project!
6th Grade – MeMe Aguila
The students have been moving right along with their study in Jewish American History. We are concentrating on immigration and the westward expansion, and looking at our Jewish roots. Each student was given a sheet to complete, a family tree with a twist. Instead of filling in the names, they are asked to fill in birth places, so we can track from where we come. To learn more about immigration, we are planning a field trip on Sunday, Dec. 2 to Handmaker. Students will talk with the residents to learn their histories and origins. We will then take all that we have learned about the residents and ourselves and plot the information on a map to see the countries from which people originated. The hope is to learn that we are more connected than we think!
7th – 8th Grade – Jacob Kotz
On Tuesday the students split into groups to read articles from three sources, Israeli, Arab and American, about the issue of settlements in east Jerusalem. Students made venn diagrams to show the different biases and the overall differences between the articles. The students were very interested in this topic.