Religious School Parent Bulletin November 8, 2013
UPCOMING EVENTS:
"Turkey" Drive 2013, Nov. 3 – 24
Every year, CAI collects money to purchase kosher turkeys and other support for Jewish Family & Children's Services to help enhance the Thanksgiving celebration of families in need. Food items may be dropped off in the marked box in the administrative office lobby. Monetary donations may be dropped off or mailed in. (Please make checks payable to CAI and note "Turkey Drive" on the check.) Let's help enhance someone's Thanksgiving dinner!
We’ll have our Turkey Drive Assembly on Sunday, November 24 at 11:45am in the Library.
Saturday, Nov. 9 – Shabbat Family Experience, 10:30am, Epstein Chapel
Did you enjoy our High Holy Day Family Services? Then join us for another fun-filled, participatory service led by Religious School and THA students. Please RSVP to Kim by Nov. 6.
Sunday, Nov. 22 – Kindergaretn – 2nd Grade Friday Night Service & Dinner, Cantor Falkow Lounge
Our youngest Religious School and THA students will lead parts of our Friday evening service (as well as some songs!) for a lively Shabbat experience. We’ll begin with dinner at 6:00pm, followed by the service at 7:15pm.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – Hanukkah Family Workshop, 4:00-6:00pm
Join us for some fun learning stations, including hot wax candle making (for older students), learning about “The True Story of Hanukkah” and cookie decorating. This event is followed by our congregational Hanukkah Party!
Sunday, Dec. 8, Mitzvah 613 Torah Siyum
Religious School will be participating in this culminating event where we dedicate our new Torah! For all of 2013, we have been raising money so that each child will have a letter of the Torah in his/her name. Now we will get to see the fruits of our labors as the new Torah will be dedicated for us in our congregation (including at your child or grandchild’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah!) This event will also feature our Youth Choir (Grades 3-6).
Saturday, Dec. 14, Shabbat Family Experience 10:30 a.m. CFL
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy, followed by a free lunch and singing led by Cantorial Soloist Nichole Chorny. Please RSVP for the lunch to Kim by Dec. 11.
Sunday, Dec. 15, Religious School Assembly & Talent Show, 10:30am, Cantor Falkow Lounge
Parents: See what your children have been learning in their electives including Israeli dance, creative arts, drama, music & band/orchestra. Refreshments served.
TEACHERS' CLASSROOM RECAPS:
Kindergarten – Renee Hulsey
This week we learned two letters: Chet, as in challah and Tet, as in tallit. We also practiced the prayers and songs that we will lead with the 1st and 2nd graders at our service on November 22. Don’t forget to bring tzedakah next week!
1st Grade – Nancy Auslander
This week we read The Shabbat Box in anticipation of completing our own versions. We made our challah covers, and next week we'll make our Model Magic challahs. The children love working with the art media and work very hard. We also started reviewing the story behind Hanukkah. In Music with Nichole, we reviewed the nigguns (wordless chants) and other Shabbat songs that we'll lead at the K-2 Shabbat service on November 22, and we learned two Hanukkah songs. Our lessons in the Hebrew alphabet are going well, too (Bet, Shin, Tav, Mem, Lamed, Kaf, and Hay), and the students are adjusting to writing from right to left.
2nd Grade – Bryan Gordon
This week the students passed their second class assessment with flying colors. Their spelling and pronunciation are improving very quickly, and they are able to write more entire words –always linking them to their meanings. We also read the stories of Jacob wrestling with the angel, and of his son Joseph, and shared our favorite ways to talk to God.
3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
Another great week! Our Hebrew class did really well with the Brachot and today they enjoyed practicing what they learned on computers. The students are continuing to practice the Friday night prayers, and the solos are coming along well. In Judaics, the kids have been finishing their pamphlets on cities and areas in Israel.
4th Grade – Elana Israel
This week, the students discussed the various necessary aspects of the Jewish community. Each student picked what they thought was the most important piece, and used it to demonstrate the building blocks of a synagogue. In Hebrew, we used our minds and taste buds to work on remembering a new vowel, as well as the letter gimel. Everyone is doing great work, as usual!
5th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
In Judaics, Rabbi Robert Eisen came to speak about Confirmation and growing up! In Hebrew, we continued reading in our book. Each student confidently read six lines without any problems. I see their hard work paying off and can't wait to continue moving forward.
5th Grade – Sarah Artzi
This week brought lots of lively and opinionated conversations as the students looked ahead to their teenage years and the next Jewish life-cycle ceremony: Confirmation. We were fortunate to spend our class time with Rabbi Robert Eisen learning about this relatively modern custom where Jewish teenagers "reaffirm" their commitment to Jewish studies and living a Jewish life post-bar and bat mitzvah. Our class was in agreement that the teenage years can be full of challenges and that our foundation of Jewish values is an important tool to help navigate these challenges. On another note, please ask your child to take a peek at the moon each night and have him/her explain why. Finally, I will be out of town on Sunday and look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.
6th Grade – MeMe Aguila
The students continued study of American Jewish History.
7th – 8th Grade – Sivan Shahmoon
The class continued their discussion of the film “Cyberbully.”