Grade 6 Weekly News
September 21, 2010

Welcome to grade 6 at the ARS! I encourage you and your family to read our weekly newsletter and watch for more information about our new class blog. These are great ways to keep up to date on assignments and important reminders about our school and synagogue. By knowing what’s going on in our classroom, it gives your family the opportunity to discuss the same topics we cover in class to reinforce the learning and add your own family’s twist on the subject matter.

I look forward to spending the year learning and laughing with each of you. If you need to contact me with any questions or concerns, please send a message to my new email address: monge.kate@gmail.com.


Jewish Studies
This week, we dove into our text book, Eizehu Gibor: Living Jewish Values. The fall semester’s Jewish Heroes curriculum helps the students to internalize Jewish values and gets them to “stick” by putting a face to abstract concepts and connects students to their proud heritage.

We started in the middle of the book with the chapter on T’shuvah (a fitting topic for this time of year). T’shuvah comes from the Hebrew word shuv, which means “to turn.” T’shuvah is usually translated as “repent” but more accurately means to get back on the path toward becoming the best that you can become.

We read about Rabbi Mark Borovitz, a recovered alcoholic and rabbi at a halfway house for Jews in recovery.


HOMEWORK (due Tuesday, September 28):
Reread the story on Reb Zusya and answer the questions that follow (including the “your t’shuvah” section). Click here to read the assigned page of homework. This link will also take you to our whole textbook so feel free to scroll up and see what else we read on Tuesday (pages 59 - 62).


Hebrew – B’nei Mitzvah Skills
This week, the grade 6 students took a "field trip" to the sanctuary bimah to imagine what it will feel like when they each take their place behind the Torah table and lead the congregation. We continued to refresh our memories on Hebrew reading as we flipped through the Torah service in our siddurim (prayerbooks) to see exactly what we have on our plates this year.

Next week, we'll begin studying the Blessing Before the Haftarah and will have our first Trope (cantillation) lesson from Cantor Schloss. We'll also begin distributing Reading Raffle Cards!