DALET:
Dear Parents of Kitah Dalet 1 & 2 (4th-grade),
Happy Healthy 2022, Adar 5782, and February 2022
Gratitude:
On a weekly basis our students share what they are grateful for as this is such a wonderful way to appreciate our lives and everything we have. I’d like to personally express my gratitude for our students and families that value the important subject matter and relationship building that is part of our Talmud Torah experience.
Avi Aharoni:
We were honored and blessed to have Avi working with our TT students at the beginning of our school year. He brought joy, enthusiasm, and Hebrew and Judaica knowledge to our students. It was such nachas (pleasure) to see Avi leading a group of USY teenagers on a Winter Retreat this past weekend. Wishing Avi much success in his new position as the new Beth El Director of Youth Engagement. He continues to make a great impact on our children and the Jewish community.
Ivrit-Hebrew:
We are continuing to work in our Hebrew book as we focus on decoding, comprehension, and reading fluency. The students have been getting instruction and are working toward completing work up to page 25 in the Hebrew book and up to page 12 in the Handwriting book. Ask your child to read a couple lines from “Ayfo Ha Talit-Where is the Tallit (Tallis)?” for you. We ask that students do not work ahead in the books and, instead for those students, we have provided additional material to challenge them. As each student is working at various levels and taking absences into consideration, we are excited to have successfully implemented Reading Clinics and Work Time at the beginning of each class session.
Reading Clinic & Work Time:
Students are receiving individual and small group support to practice Hebrew letter identification, decoding, challenge work if needed, and catching up with previously assigned work. We are grateful to be receiving additional guidance from our teenage tutors at this time to get more focused and individualized instruction for each student.
Remembrances-Etgar (Challenge):
Some encouragement is needed for those students who still need to present a family member that is no longer with us. The interview assignment is on pages 20-21 in your student’s binder. Directions are on page 20. Each student needs to interview an elderly member of their family to enable students to learn about a family member who is no longer living. This will be an opportunity for your child to learn from an elderly relative whose stories are unfamiliar to them. Thank you to those students who have already completed their interview. We will soon be creating projects to accompany these interviews and then will present them to our peers.
Walk Down Memory Lane
Students discovered multiple ways in which Jewish people remember the stories of family members. They reflected upon the importance of these זִכְרוֹנוֹת (zichronot)—remembrances—and considered which method of remembering seems the most meaningful to them. Ask your child about the videos we watched on: Gardens, Artwork, Concerts, Creating Fund Raisers and more… as a way to remember those we loved.
Please Mark your Calendars
A Special Family Blessing Program for Dalet 1 and 2 will take place the morning of April 10, 2022. We are inviting parents to join their child either on Zoom or in person. Stay tuned for details.
Community and Communication
Moreh (Teacher) Jason Bass has been supporting our Dalet Team and we are grateful for his support and dedication to our Hebrew and Judaic studies since January.
Blessings,
Morah (Teacher) Schear
DALET 3:
Dear Dalet 3 (4th-grade) Parents,
Here is an update on what we have been learning.
In Torah, we have studied the Torah portions of Lech Lecha, Vayera and Chayei Sarah. We are now beginning Toldot.
We have been introduced to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and now to Jacob and Esau.
Brit (Covenant), defined the relationship between us and God and will be a recurring theme going forward.
We learn many important values from Abraham: pursuing peace, hospitality, honoring the dead, and more. We witness Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah. This is the first piece of land that Abraham (we) own/s in Canaan!
In honor of Tu B’Shevat, we spoke about the mitzvah of “Bal Tashchit”, do not destroy. Caring for trees, our environment, and animals were also part of our discussions. Students particularly enjoyed working on projects based on famous quotations from a variety of Jewish sources having to do with nature, our environment, and animals.
We will soon begin speaking about Purim, one of our most joyous holidays.
It continues to be a pleasure to work with your children.
Wishing you a wonderful President’s Day weekend.
L’hitraot,
Mary