As our year comes to an end, our Kitah Dalet students are preparing for the future and we put the finishing touches on our values based discussions for the year. We talked about reputations, and what it means to honor our names. We talked about the importance of always doing the right thing, and maintaining high standards for ourselves and those we keep company with.
We studied a bit of Pirke Avot, literally translated as the Sayings of our Fathers, and tossed around the idea that we are given many names in our life, a name our parents call us, a name our friends call us, and most importantly the name we earn for ourselves. We compiled an extensive list of the values we thought we possessed and the behaviors we regularly displayed in the classroom, and I asked our students to think about just what they wanted me to tell next years teachers about them. It was quite interesting to hear the values they thought they should have, and the values they displayed on a regular basis. Of course, I confronted them on the discrepancies, and promised we would revisit the issue.
By the time you read this, we will have observed Lag b' Omer and eaten s'mores around the campfire. Please ask your students to share a little bit of their knowledge about this obscure celebration, starting with the connection of the number seven....days of mourning, seven days, seven weeks, and the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend, and if you celebrate, a Happy Mother's Day. See you next Tuesday!
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