We have continued to learn the rest of the letters of the Alef-Bet and began reading and spelling words such as: Torah, havdalah, bracha (blessing), tzedakah, and mitzvah. One of our favorite activities is shira (music) with Yoni. The students also loved the virtual tour of Israel we had last month. Very soon we will delve into the story of Moses. We also re-enacted the Joseph story, and talked about the importance of kindness, forgiveness, and empathy. Recently, the students dramatized Honi the Circle Maker, a Tu B’Shevet legend. She has made the Bible stories and holidays a lot of fun by having us act them out. We have been so lucky to have Jennie Gorn, a Bibliodrama specialist, join our class recently. We are having Purim Pandemonium Day! Following B’Yachad Havdalah, the students will be able to choose from a number of different electives, including art and dance. We recently began our Purim exploration – on February 28, the kids are in for a treat. Ask your child to name all the ways that trees help us, and what we can do to take care of the earth. We had a great time learning about Tu B’Shevat- the Birthday of the Trees. We will continue to learn more letters and vowels in the coming months! Every week we sing the alef bet, review the letters and vowels we know, and practice reading words with new letters and vowels. They also know the vowels that say ah, the vowel that says ih, and the vowels that say E- either a dot under a letter, or a dot under a letter, followed by a yud.
They now know the letters shin, bet, tav, tav, mem, caf, lamed, hey, resh, chaf, vet, dalet, alef, vav, tsadi, kuf, and ayin. The second graders have been working hard on learning to read Hebrew. For Hebrew, we have been working on learning the letters of the Alef-Bet, all the while playing some exciting scavenger hunt games to practice our letters. We learned about Abraham and his hospitality and did an art project about Noah and the rainbow.
In addition, the children love talking about the Torah. We have enjoyed reading holiday stories and singing songs with Yoni. Together we will create our own version of Shushan Castle! Parents are encouraged to join in with their K1 children that morning. K1 electives will include Israeli dancing and Art. On Sunday, February 28, we are having a Purim Pandemonium Day. A few weeks ago, drama specialist Jennie visited and did a Purim puppet show for the children. We’ve just begun learning about the merry holiday of Purim. We have been having so much fun learning about holidays and Jewish values! Most recently, we had a wonderful Tu B’Shevat Seder where students celebrated the New Year for the Trees, practiced the blessings, and sampled some traditional fruits and snacks.