GRADE 1 PESACH, CULMINATION OF UNIT April 10, 2016

 April 10, 2016

Dear families:

I feel so exhilarated each week being with you. The children seem to enjoy our activities, leaving with smiling faces. Your kind words and support are most appreciated.

Today was the culmination of our unit on Pesach.  We were very busy reviewing the important ideas and rituals. 

After breakfast, the students were thrilled to know that the bookplates they created last week with Robin were in the new siddurim.  A few students did get books with classmates names and showed them to each other!  After tefillah, Cantor Ken led us in Pesach melodies like the order of the Seder, Dayenu, Eliyahu HaNavi, and the Four Questions. (The booklet they created last week can help them say them at your Seder.)

THE OMER—Back in class, we talked about counting the Omer from the second day of Pesach until Shavuot.  The farmers count the days from the spring planting.  Day 49 is the day before Shavuot, the harvest and the day the Jews received the Ten Commandments.  Each child got an Omer counting sheet.  Cross off each day as it comes.  We will do this each week in class.

HEBREW: Our lesson this week had two parts: first the vowel “o”–as in shalom, shofar, menorah, Rosh Hashanah.  It can be represented by a “vav” with a dot over it, or by any letter with the dot to the left of the top.  We described it as an orange hitting the top of your head, and you saying “Oh” in surprise.  We also learned the letter ט“tet”–the first letter in tallit, Tu B’Shevat, and the Hebrew version of telephone.

STORY: To review elements of Pesach, we read P is for Passover. A is for afikoman, B is for burning bush, C is for charoset, etc.

CRAFT:  Using felt pieces and fabric markers, we decorated a Seder pillow (we recline as free     people).We stuffed it with hypoallergenic poly fill.  I sewed around most of it, leaving a long thread to be completed at home.  Or, you can staple part of the last side shut.  See the photo.

As time permits, we also did puzzle papers and played my learning games.  Among the favorites are my Uh Oh!  books and my game Find the Afikomen.  Our madricha, Ariel, is a big help to me and the children during breakfast, crafts, games, and Hebrew lessons.

We concluded with a paper on what doesn’t belong on the Seder table.