Education – 5th Grade (Woolridge)

12/15: Today in class we worked on:

1. Today was Yom Chanukah! It was great to see so many of our learners in ‘Chanukah swag’
2. We began in our assigned classrooms where each grade divided into teams and came up with their own team names based on chanukah themes.
3. Then we gathered for an all school t’fillah led by Morah Alexa, Rabbi Bellows, and Rabbi Prass. We talked about Chanukah and how the prayers connected to our upcoming festival of Chanukah. Rabbi Bellows shared how Chanukah means dedication and that we need to give thought to rededicating ourselves to many of today’s challenges and not giving up on them.
4. Then we divided up by grade and the teams we created for 4 stations of “13 Minute to Win It activities”.  We will share out some of their work in the days to come. The stations were:
   • Chanukah is about HEROES with Moreh David.  We looked at the Chanukah story and thought about the heroes in the Chanukah story, Israeli heroes, our own heroes, and ways that we can be heroes.
   • Chanukah is about LIGHTS with Morah Wilgus.  We talked about the Chanukah rituals, where we have lights in Chanukah, What we can do to create light.
   • Chanukah has Dreidels with Morah Rachel & Mr & Mrs. Popper. Our congregants brought in some of their 250 dreidel collection to share.
   • Chanukah Write-Pass-Write with Morah Kaufman. We retold the Chanukah story in creative contemporary formats.
5. We then gathered back together for an all school shira led by Morah Alexa where we sang Chanukah songs.
6. As we left Rabbi Bellows and Rabbi Prass handed out Chanukah Gelt and dreidels.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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12/8: Today in class we worked on:

1. We began talking about Hanukkah. We discussed the story of Hanukkah. We discussed how the Macabees must have felt by making connections to our own lives.
2. At Shira, Morah Alexa started to teach 4^th – 6^th grade songs for the upcoming festive holiday of Chanukah!
3. Finally, 4^th – 6^th grade enjoyed Tefilla led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa!  Rabbi Prass began to remind us about Chanukah thru the lens of our prayers.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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11/24: Today in class we worked on:

1. We wrapped up our Shabbat and Havdalah unit.
2. We continued to discuss how to make Shabbat special in our home.
3. We talked about how to tell when Havdalah ends.
4. The 4^th – 6^th graders enjoyed Shira with Morah Alexa.
5. Then, 4^th – 6^th students, and 4^th grade parents gathered for t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa.  At Tefilla, Rabbi Prass connected our limmud theme of Jewish history to each of the prayers in that each of the prayers connect to a snapshot in Jewish history.  Rabbi Prass again talked about the Jewish concept of saying Todah or gratitude as we draw closer to the US Holiday of Thanksgiving, as well as challenging everyone to help out at their homes with what was needed to pull off a festive holiday celebration!

Homework to be completed by next class:

1. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and be thankful!

11/17: Today in class we worked on:

1. We began our shabbat and Havdalah unit. We talked specifically about shabbat this week. We discussed our families traditioins, ways to make shabbat special.
2. We also practice braiding challah with playdough.
3. At Shira, 4^th – 6^th grade enthusiastically joined with Morah Alexa and sang out some favorite numbers from our songster.
4. 4^th – 6^th grade joined Rabbi Prass & Morah Alexa for t’fillah. Rabbi Prass talked about the Jewish concept of Hakatoret Ha-Tov or gratitude/recognizing the good as we draw closer to the US Holiday of Thanksgiving.  We also talked about our Jewish prayers in our t’fillah, and how they teach us to recognize the good by offering praise.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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11/10: Today in class we worked on:

1. As part of culminating our current life cycle unit, we had our 5^th grade baby naming. We named our babies as well.
2. Each child brought in their homework, and they shared the story of their personal name.  We talked about our names, who we are named after, why our parents chose that name.
3. At Shira, we welcomed Morah Alexa back, who taught 4^th – 6^th grade new songs.
4. Morah Alexa and Rabbi Prass led 4^th – 6^th grade in T’fillah.  Rabbi Prass talked about the attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam this past week, but stressed that since we have a Jewish country, Israel was able to successfully rescue everyone.  We compared the Israeli planes bringing the Israeli fans out of Amsterdam into safety in Israel like a modern day Mi Chamocha moment.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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11/3: Today in class we worked on:

1. We continued to talk about the importance of name. We shared who we are named after and what we know about that person
2. We talked about the differences between a boys baby name and a girl
3. We talked about ways that we can honor our name
4. At Shira, 4^th – 6^th grade enjoyed spending time with Morah Ari who was with us again this week.
5. Morah Ari & Rabbi Prass led 4^th – 6^th grade in T’fillah. Rabbi Prass stressed the importance of finding holiness, as Jews, in Chesvan.  We had the opportunity to debate if the Talmudic rabbis were right, that this is MarCheshvan (the bitterness of Cheshvan) because there are no holidays in this month OR if Rabbi Prass’ t-shirt was right, some modern rabbis love Cheshvan because it is a slower pace than the previous month of Cheshvan.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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10/27: Today in class we worked on:

1. We finished up our talking about the High Holidays by discussing Simchat Torah
2. We began talking about the Jewish Life Cycle, we talked about why we have both a Hebrew name and an English Name and the difference between boys and girls baby naming
3. At Shira, 4^th – 6^th grade welcomed Morah Ari back and enjoyed learning new songs from her.
4. 4^th – 6^th grade gathered again for Tefilla led by Morah Ari and Rabbi Prass.  Rabbi Prass led a discussion where we talked about transitioning away from the structured “Holiday Time” of 4 holidays in Tishrei as we go into the month of Mar Cheshvan where we just live out lives, as Jews, in “Ordinary Time” with Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. Students also shared what makes them uncomfortable: structured time or unstructured time.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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10/20: Today in class we worked on:

1. Today was a special day where all of K – 6^th grade met at CBA instead of JCYS so we could spend time in the Sukkah.
2. We began our session in the sanctuary.  We look around this room and talked about what makes a room “chol” Hebrew for secular, and what makes our sanctuary “kodesh”, Hebrew for holy.  The students shared answers like the Torah scrolls, Israeli flag, Jewish stars, and one 6^th grader said the community. We then made Havdalah together, having some of our 6^th graders hold the 3 symbols.
3. From here the entire school broke into 4 stations/rotations focusing on Sukkot.  They were:
   • Sukkot Charades: Reviewing Sukkot topics by playing charades
   • Sukkot STEM: Learning about Sukkot through the lense of STEM questions
   • Sukkot Visits: We went out to the Sukkah with Rabbi Bellows, shook the Lulav/Etrog and talked about what middot (Character traits) we need to invite into the sukkah this year.
   • Paper chains with a 2023 twist:  We made paper chain decorations by writing the name of a hostage being held in Gaza on each piece of paper.
4. The entire school gathered back in the sanctuary for Shira led by Morah Alexa.  There was a lot of Ruach (spirit!)
5. Then Michael Greenwald, an associate Camp Director from OSRUI, came and we enjoyed a presentation from him on the amazing opportunities for fun, learning, and Jewish community from Reform Judaism Summer camp in Wisconsin.  The camp website is: OSRUI.  The Reform movement runs the following speciality camps:  6 Points Creative Arts Camp, 6 Points Sci Tech Camp, 6 Points Sports Academy,
6. Lihitaot (good-bye)! See you next week back at JCYS!

Homework to be completed by next class:

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10/6: Today in class we worked on:

1. We talked about Yom Kippur
2. We discussed why we celebrate Yom Kippur, the different traditions
3. We also discussed different things that we did that we are not proud of this past year and ways to be better this year.
4. At Shira, Morah Alexa taught 4^th – 6^th graders new songs for the High Holiday season that will be sung at the Youth Services here at Beth Am, as well as a Debbie Friedman variation of Oseh Shalom Beemromov.
5. 4^th – 6^th grade gathered for Tefilla led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa.  We talked about what we can do when things are open, and what we can’t do when they are closed.  Rabbi Prass reminded us that on Rosh Hashanah, the Gates of Heaven are open and our prayers are extra heard thru Yom Kippur’s neilah service.  We continued to hear the call of the shofar. We also recalled the tragic events of October 7, 2023.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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9/29: Today in class we worked on:

1. We wrapped up talking about Rosh Hashana by discussing why we use a ram’s horn as a shofar
2. We discussed positive mitzvot that we accomplished this year as well as goals that we want to accomplish next year
3. We began talking about Yom Kippur
4. 4^th – 6^th Grade gathered for Shira. Morah Alexa taught us new songs for the High Holiday season that will be sung at services here at Beth Am.
5. Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa led 4^th – 6^th grade inTefilla. Rabbi Prass got us all in the spirit of the upcoming High Holiday season and the new year of 5785 by blowing the Shofar; additionally. we expressed our hopes for things to be  better in 5785!

Homework to be completed by next class:

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9/22: Today in class we worked on:

1. We continued to talk about Rosh Hashanah and how we can make the holiday meaningful as 5^th graders
2. We made Rosh Hashanah cards for our families
3. At Shira, Morah Alexa taught 4^th – 6^th grade new songs for the High Holiday season.
4. At Tefilla, 4^th – 6^th grade joined together with Morah Alexa and Rabbi Prass. Rabbi Prass got us all in the spirit of Chodesh Elul by blowing the Shofar. 

Homework to be completed by next class:

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9/15: Today in class we worked on:

1. 5^th grade made cards for the temple’s college students boxes.  They will be sent out for Rosh Hashanah.  
2. Began discussing Rosh Hasana and why it is important to me
3. Did a scavenger hunt to get to know our physical Sunday learning spaces, our wonderful Sunday staff, and how their work makes us feel.  We will be sharing the answers out next week once all the classes have completed it.
4. 4^th – 6^th grade joined together in Shira led by Morah Alexa
5. Gan –  6^th grade joined in our first Sunday t’fillah of the school year led by Morah Alexa and Rabbi Prass.  We talked about where we “find inspiration for our own words” and how silence helps us find other inspiration.  Rabbi Prass shared two rabbinic stories, and a Ringo Starr story about this.  

Homework to be completed by next class:

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9/8: Today in class we worked on:

1. We enjoyed an Opening Ceremony, with all the grades together, Morim & Madrichim, Rabbi Bellows, and Rabbi Prass. We reenacted Mt Sinai by each kitah (class) sitting in the large circle to pretend we were encircling Mt Sinai.  Then we chose 2 people from each class to go closer to the middle of Mt Sinai to do some running for a scavenger hunt.  Morah Alexa led us as we sang blessings and we ended with a streamer/confetti burst to kick off our Torah learning party of a year!  It was great to have so many parents join us.  Pictures of the kickoff can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=BethAmBuffaloGrove&set=a.906074391552343
2. Did a getting to know you activity.
3. Completed part a Know, Wonder, learn worksheet on what we are learning this year.
4. Read a story to introduce talking about why we celebrate the holidays. As well as talking about the Jewish Life cycle.
5. Played rock paper scissor- Jewish tournament (students had to answer questions about the holidays to move onto the next round).
6. 4^th – 6^th grade joined in Shira led by Morah Alexa
7. On the way out, each of us were offered a popsicle both to hold onto summer weather, and to begin our Torah learning with some sweetness.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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