April 28, 2014

It was great to see the students back today after April vacation. We worked more on exploring Shmirat HaLashon; some students wrote poems, and others created books using Book Creator on the iPads. 

We then began learning a new skill--trope. Please be aware that the students have a trope worksheet on homework due Thursday, 5/1. There are some great resources for learning trope: the website http://learntrope.com/, the iPad app Pocket Torah Trope, and, if your child can read music, this is a helpful PDF: http://learntrope.com/downloads/TorahTrope.pdf. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of this.

April 17, 2014

We had a small but great class on Thursday. The students wrote poems about Judaism: one acrostic, a form which can be found all the way back in the Bible, and one haiku. They were very creative! I look forward to seeing the students when they return from vacation on Monday, April 28.

April 10, 2014

On Thursday, the students completed their Popplet projects on modern Exodus stories and shared them with each other. I was very impressed with the depth of their research and the creativity of their presentations. I hope to be able to share their next projects with you on this blog!
We also continued studying the book of Samuel. We were introduced to the character Saul, who will become Israel's first king. We made predictions about what kind of king he would be.
Finally, please join me in congratulating Gabe Kramer on being the Mensch of the Month for Adar II! Gabe is always quick to ask what he can do to be helpful and makes a genuine effort to be a better student and friend.
We will not have class on Monday, April 14. I look forward to seeing the students again on Thursday, April 17.
Chag Pesach Sameach!

April 3, 2014 and April 7, 2014

Thank you all for your help in making our Chocolate Seder a success! The students had a lot of fun reading the chocolate version of the haggadah, and of course enjoying the chocolate milk, ice cream, and candy. Many apologies for the slightly sticky and sugar-high versions of your children that came home last night :-)
Last Thursday, in the spirit of Passover, the students worked on independent research projects about modern Exodus stories. They learned about the Underground Railroad, Nelson Mandela's fight to end apartheid, and Operation Moses. This coming Thursday they will create a Popplet to show what they have learned.
To start a conversation with your child about KIRS: Ask them how their modern Exodus story connects with the Exodus story of Passover.

March 31, 2014

In class, we are busy preparing for our Chocolate Seder, which will be on Monday, April 7. Please sign up here to help contribute. We studied the seder plate and talked about what the different foods represent. We thought about what we could add to it that would be meaningful. Chocolate ice cream, representing the sweetness of freedom, was the winner!
Please note that the students have a vocabulary quiz on list 7 on Thursday, April 3. They are welcome to study the words on Quizlet. Please see the previous post for login information.
To start a conversation with your child about KIRS: Ask what they would add to the seder plate and why.