GIMEL
Dear Kitah Gimel (3rd-grade) Families,
Thank you so much for joining us for Multi-Generations Day! It was wonderful to see everyone on the same screen, and even say hello to family members from out of state! We loved playing games together and giving our students a chance to show off everything they have learned so far this year.
In Debby’s class we completed our review of the Aleph-Bet and began our book, The New Siddur Program for Hebrew and Heritage. The kids are learning about roots and how words are developed through three letter building blocks. Ask your kids about the root letters for the word Shalom.We also began to build our individual Milonim-dictionaries that the kids will grow throughout the year. One of the highlights of the class is reviewing Parshat HaShavuah. It’s hard to stop telling the stories each week as the kids are enjoying them so much.
In Polly’s class, students finished their third unit of the year - the Jewish Calendar! We discovered the date of our Hebrew birthdays, learned the names of the Hebrew months with Rachel Cole’s “Months Song,” and created our own Jewish Calendar in our journals with dates that are important to us. We also learned how the Israeliites used the moon cycle to track the days in the month. It was exciting for us to be able to look at the moon and know what time of the month it is!
Over the next few weeks we will learn about Hanukkah. Look out for more information about our virtual Kitah Gimel Hanukkah Hagigah on Sunday, Dec. 5th!
We are so thankful for your continued support and enthusiasm for our classes.
B’Shalom,
Polly & Debby
GIMEL/BET
Dear Kitah Gimel/Bet (3rd/2nd-grade) Parents,
It was wonderful seeing so many of our students with their parents, grandparents and other loved ones at Multi-Generations day.
The Bet and Gimel students are reviewing / learning Hebrew reading skills, each at his/her own pace. We begin each class with quiet writing/reading practice.
We are also working on reading with comprehension. Students are studying the New Siddur Program, Book 1. This book also has prayer reading selections. We read these pages both with and without the melody.
Once a week, we learn about the weekly Parsha. Recently, we learned about Jacob and Esau. in the first Parsha with this story, it appears that Jacob lies and benefits from lying to his brother and to his father. The next Parsha shows how Jacob’s lies come back to him, as he suffers due to others lying to him. These lessons spurred a lively classroom discussion.
Students are beginning to learn about Israel. They are studying materials that have them learn about the important places in Israel as if they are tourists. They will even have a “Passport.”
In ETGAR, they were doing lessons about Shabbat. ETGAR lessons are designed to dig a little deeper into the subject matter. Throughout the year, students will return to the unit about Shabbat, as well as learn about Rosh Chodesh (the new Hebrew month.)
Students have started learning the ETGAR units about Hanukkah. While learning the ETGAR units, they have additional opportunities to learn Hebrew vocabulary, prayers. Students also improve their ability to read prayers accurately with fluency. In addition to the story, students learn about the symbols, recite the blessings, learning to apply the lessons to their own lives, exploring how they are also Maccabees. Since the students have also been learning about Shabbat, they compare and contrast various aspects of Shabbat and Hanukkah, starting with the blessings, symbols, and food.
Etta Bernstein