Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

I was especially proud & pleased with our class presentation this past Sunday.
A special Thank You to those parents who made the effort to be with us!  Our learners really did an amazing job. They researched & understood their topics & presented them beautifully. We played Jewish Jeopardy on Tues. and the kids knew many of the answers because they learned it for their presentations.  Their Chanukiot will be on display in the Berman  Showcase. If you couldn't make it please stop by & take a look.

 Chanukah teaches us that the best response to darkness is to add & intensify the light. This Project Based Learning Unit has brought more meaning to your children & thus added & made Chanukah much brighter for them.

Have a great vacation! See them back on Jan 5.
Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Bet Update

I hope you enjoyed your morning in Kitah Bet during Simchat Limmud. Learning Hebrew reading and learning the parsha of the week are how we spend a lot of our time . Using different activities and resources that make learning fun and adaptable to our different learners is how I teach the class.

Thank you for attending our special morning or learning and thank you to the siblings who helped and added to our morning of learning. Also special thanks to Levi Silverman for the excellent book review on "Oskar and the Eight Blessings". You were a wonderful teacher.

See you in 2016!
 Davida

Morah Levinson and Schlussel Hebrew Update

Dear 4th - 6th grade families, 

 It was another wonderful week of sharing and learning at CSZ! 

 Sunday was our Simchat Limud day, and it was a big success! We began our day meeting in Adler Hall for Project Snap. Everyone worked very hard creating beautiful and colorful drawings that eventually will be transformed into an elaborate mosaic. Afterwards, Morah Schlussel and Morah Katz met with individual parents in the library to discuss their children's reading progress, while Morah Levinson and Morah Zachor met with the 4th graders for class time activities. 

 On Tuesday the 6th and 7th graders participated in the Torah Lab in the small chapel. The kids are all becoming extremely comfortable with the way that things are done during a typical Shabbat morning service, and will be more than prepared for their upcoming bar and bat mitzvot. The 4th graders enjoyed a challenging and fun game of Hebrew baseball, utilizing words in their reading books. 

 Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat and a relaxing break! We look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday, January 5th 2016. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

 

B'shalom, 

 Morah Dona Levinson 

 Morah Toby Schlussel 

Morah Katz Update

6th Grade Update

HI All !

 It was wonderful seeing most of you on Sunday and sharing the experience of hearing your kids read their d’vrei Torah. It was amazing. I am so proud of them. Attached is a copy of everyone’s work, in case you were not here or misplaced your sheet. A hearty Yasher Koach to all of the kids.  Bravo!

We will be moving back to “regularly scheduled programming now.” However, in the spring, we will complete another d’var Torah on ONE of the Torah portions that we study. The kids will be “old hat” at this skill by the time their big day comes around. 

 On Tuesday we moved back to our Vayera portion, but we began focusing on the section where God questions whether to share the plans to destroy Sodom and Gemmorah with Abraham.  The kids learned about this section of text by playing the game Would You Rather. So… if you want to know if your child would rather be Elsa or Anna or would rather have a fist fight with a great white or a T-rex, you will just have to come and stop on by one of these days and get the scoop. We were rolling on the floor laughing. It was great to see them so engaged.

 More exciting was the fact that the kids transitioned to the lesson so nicely. They found two Would You Rather questions that God would have posed and we spent the rest of the time discussing why God would question these things.  Ask your child what the two questions are!

 When we get back from break we will begin our Inside Out lesson and move into the negotiating sections of Sodom and Gemmorah.

 Have a wonderful vacation!

Leah

Kitah Zayin Update

Dear Parents,

This week we continued our Chanukah celebrations by making our own Chanukiot (chanukah candelabras) using duck tape and other available resources. We challenged the class to create Chanukiot in light of/accordance with the Jewish laws relating to celebrating Chanukah (pun intended).

As the week progressed we focused on the Torah service and ended our final session of 2015 with an open question answer session with our teachers. In this open session the students had the opportunity to ask their burning Jewish questions and better understand Jewish practices and traditions.

Best,
Morim Hollenberg and Rice

Kitah Zayin Religious School

Dear Kitah Zayin Parents:

 This week we talked about Hanukah.  We discussed the laws of the Holiday.  We learned the proper way to place and Light the candles in the Menorah.   We learned the blessings over lighting the candles.  This Sunday we are having Simchat limmud.  We are hoping the parents will be able to attend.  There will be plenty of learning for all. 

 Shabbat Shalom,

Morot Rice and Hollenberg

Morah Gawel Update

Hi All! We have had a very productive week practicing delivering our D’vrei Torah.  The kids have practiced with a podium, have learned about proper public speaking, and have learned how to effectively and constructively critique others’ speeches.  I am proud of all of the hard work that the kids have put into this D’var Torah project.  My hope is that when their big days roll around, this process will be easier, as they will have had some practice!

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our Simchat Limmud celebration on Sunday.  I can’t wait for you to hear the kids deliver their D’vrei Torah.  I will also mail and pass out copies of everyone’s work; the kids should be proud.

 For those students who still have not turned in their d’vrei Torah, they may bring a hard copy to school Sunday and deliver their speeches as well.

 Have a wonderful Hanukkah. I hope that this season of craziness allows for you to have a small respite of peace and quiet J

 Be well,

Morah Leah

Hebrew Update

Dear 4th - 6th grade families, 

This week was filled with lots of fun, learning and holiday festivities! 

 Sunday, the 4th graders played a game called Taboo - Jewish Edition. They had such a fun time trying to get their teammates to guess specific words related to various Jewish traditions and customs, and it was great to witness everyone's creativity. It was also such a pleasure to see how well they all play together. 

 Afterwards the students went to their Chugim (electives). This week in lieu of challah braiding and in honor of Chanukah, a new chug was introduced -- dreidle making! I heard from some kids who participated in this chug that they really enjoyed it.

 For the last hour of the day, the entire school gathered for a wonderful performance by the Jewish A Cappella group the Six13. It was very entertaining and they had lots of the kids dancing!

 On Tuesday we began with our usual Torah Lab time, and then we joined the Minyan to light the Chanukkiah. Our day concluded with all of the religious school students gathering in the lobby and eating yummy latkes with applesauce and sour cream. 

 May the glowing candles of Chanukah bring peace to you all this holiday season. Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday. 

 B'shalom, 

 Morah Donna Katz

Morah Dona Levinson 

 Morah Toby Schlussel 

Morah Aliza Zachor

 

Kitah Bet update

Kitah Bet Update-December 10

Dear Parents,

 I hope you will be joining your children in our "kitah" this  Sunday for a little  "Ivrit" and a little 

"Torah" as we all learn together. We will  begin learning in our room beginning at 11:45.

I would  appreciate you letting me know if you  and your children plan on being there this Sunday .

Chag Hanukah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

Davida Robinson

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

Kitah Hey is looking forward to seeing you at our Simchat Limmud Program this Sunday, December 13.

Our class will be showcasing their Unit on Chanukah in our classroom #2 in the Berman Wing at 11:35 a.m. Our learners have been working on this for weeks. You will be impressed with how much they have learned , while researching & building their group Chanukiah. 

 The Maccabees, with Gods help, went to war and miraculously drove away the Syrian-Greek Army from Jerusalem. They had renewed belief, strength & enthusiasm and returned the Holy Temple to its former glory. Chanukah is a renewal of spirit & service to God. I look forward to greeting you this Sunday,  together, we can keep our learners excitement & their enthusiasm for learning about their Jewish heritage continue.

If you have any questions please contact me.

Happy Chanukah

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Hey Post

Dear Parents,

I'm sure everyone had a good Thanksgiving Holiday.

We are very busy working on our presentations & projects for our upcoming Chanukah Unit. The children's creativity has really been impressive.

The kids have been studying how Chanukah is celebrated in Israel. They were very surprised to hear that children in Israel don't receive Chanukah gifts. Instead they get candy & Chanukah Gelt ( money in coins).

Please remember to put Dec. 13 on your calendars for our Simchat Limmud Menorah presentations. We will also be using our custom made Menorahs at our December 8, Religious School candle lighting at 5:30 pm. Please join us!  

 Any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Zayin

Dear Parents,

This week we began our preparations for Chanukah by learning about the Romans' destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the origins of various Chanukah traditions (like playing dreidel and eating foods made with oil) and the Jewish laws relating to celebrating Chanukah.

Sunday night (12/6/15) is the first night of Chanukah this year (as I'm sure you already know). We look forward to continuing to learning about this Holiday focused on Jewish identity and perseverance despite adversity.

Best,
Morim Hollenberg and Rice

6th Grade Update

Hello All!

We had a super productive Tuesday; we spent the class learning about effective public speaking. The students who were in “almost there shape” with their d’vrei Torah speeches went into the main sanctuary with our Ramah Fellow Miles and practiced public speaking.  The students who still needed help writing their drafts, stayed in the board room with me and we had a writer’s workshop.  At this point, the kids have been working on this for over a month and they should all be just about done with their drafts.  If your child has been absent, or is having difficulty, PLEASE have them email me: leahgawel@yahoo.com so that I can help them.  2 emails were sent to all of our parents that have attachments containing: 1) the text of Toldot 2) the ‘How to write a D’var Torah’ worksheet.  These items are essential for your child to be successful in this project.

 We will be presenting in written and oral form our d’vrei torah at our family learning celebration, Simchat Limud, on December 13^th.  Please plan on attending this celebration of learning, so that you can share this wonderful experience. The kids have been working hard! I am so proud of their successes.

Please note the following deadlines.  I really need the kids to have their work done by these dates in order to ensure that I can print out their speeches for distribution and we can practice our oral reading on Sunday.

1)      FINAL COPY of d’var torah is due Sunday the 6^th . Please EMAIL a copy to Morah Gawel by Sunday night: leahgawel@yahoo.com

2)      PRINT OUT a working draft of the d’var Torah on Sunday the 6^th and bring it to Sunday School so we can practice delivering the speeches

3)      Anyone who misses Sunday school on the 6^th MUST email me a copy of their D’var Torah by Tuesday the 8^th, so that I can organize them into our printed booklet.

 Again, we will hand out booklets of our d’vrei Torah to the families during our presentation on December 13^th, simchat Limud.  Rabbi Starr will be there to talk about the process we went through and listen to the speeches.  This is a BIG deal, so please make sure that your child(ren) have their final drafts 1) emailed to  me and  2) printed. 

 I recommend the drafts be printed in 20 point font. This makes it much easier to read them without having difficulty.

 

Thank you for your support in this process.

Fondly,

Morah Leah

 

 

 

Morah Katz and Motah Zachor Hebrew Update 11/29-12/5

Shalom 4th-6th Grade Families:

This Sunday evening marks the first day of Chaukkah and we have been doing all kinds of activities in preparation.  We played the "guess that blessing" game where the students were blindfolded and had to reach into a bag containing a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, breads, baked goods and candles.  Each student got a chance to "blindly" reach into the bag and choose an item.  He/she could use all of the the other 4 senses to guess the item and then make the appropriate blessing over it.  We had so much fun and laughed a lot.

In addition, we practiced the blessings over the Chanukkah candles on the first night and subsequent 7 nights.  We identified the correct way to light the chanukkia and discussed the different ways Americans celebrate and Israelis celebrate the holiday.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday for a special Chanukkah concert at 11 am.  We wish you a peaceful Shabbat!

B'shalom,
Motah Zachor and Morah Katz