RELIGIOUS SCHOOL NEWS
When I was thinking about what to write this month, I came up with this great idea. W hy not describe a typical Sunday at Temple Avodat Shalom Religious School? The problem is there is no such thing as a typical Sunday. Every Sunday is a new adventure. Let me describe this morning (January 8). It started off as a typical day...teachers getting ready to start the day, parents and children arriving. Marla Compa and I checked in with each other. Marla supervises our madrichim (student teachers) and makes sure that everything runs smoothly in the office. Once I answered a bunch of questions and found a few items for people, I could visit classrooms. I stopped into a fourth grade classroom. Our fourth and fifth graders are using our new Hebrew curriculum, Mitkadem. The room was very quiet. The children were all working independently. Some had finished the Ramah (unit) on blessings and were taking a test while others were still working on some part of the unit. Three others were in another room listening to the blessings being read in Hebrew on a CD and practicing their reading. Mitkadem is self-paced so each child works at his/her own speed. At 9:30 I joined the K/1 Family Education program. Barbara Haber took the parents into the social hall while I was with the K/1 students. The program was on Shabbat, so I sang some Shabbat songs with them, the madrichim played a Shabbat game with them (something like musical chairs) and then we read a story. The parents then joined us and the families went to different stations. I worked with the groups as they came into the kitchen, rolling and braiding challah dough. By the time we were done we were all covered in flour but we had learned to make challah. At 11:00 we change shifts. I love this time because the building is really buzzing with people and activity. Today, some of the Kindergarten, first and second graders stayed for a program called Chaverim. Chaverim is a junior, junior youth group of sorts. The children have time to socialize, eat lunch and do a fun activity together. At this Chaverim gathering, ably led by Pam Edelstein, Marcy Peyser and with special help from Heather Corrigan, they decorated cookies. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time and the cookies looked DELICIOUS! At some point I popped into the Membership Committee Meeting which was going on. This committee, under the leadership of Mitch Light, has been doing an amazing job of bringing new members into the building. We talked about pre-k programs, Tot Shabbat, First Friday and all the other programs which welcome new families with young children. A little while later, as I walked past the open door of a fifth grade classroom, I heard Morah Barbara (Barbara Haber) say, "and we have a rabbi right outside the door who can answer that question." The fifth grade happens to be one of the most inquisitive groups and I was immediately asked questions like, "How do we know that someone didn't just make up the Torah?" and "How do you know that there really is a God?" The second shift was actually pretty quiet today. The sixth grade was out of the building at the YJCC's Kehillah program. The sixth grade attends this program on 6 different Sundays and they learn about Israel through different arts. Sixth graders from all over our community join them so it is a very exciting opportunity for our kids. By the end of the morning, I have seen so much wonderful activity, learning and fun. But it is almost another hour before I leave the building because teachers have questions and issues to discuss. Sometimes, we just schmooze a bit about the morning and how everything went. On my way to my car I think "It’s all good" and I smile, a tired smile, but a smile. Rabbi Paula Feldstein PS The next meeting of the Religious School Committee is on Sunday, January 29 at 11:00 am. Everyone is welcome to attend.
CELEBRATE YOUR CHILD’S BIRTHDAY! Looking for a special and
unique way to honor your child’s birthday? Make a valuable
contribution to Temple Avodat Shalom’s Youth Library. Call
Pam Edelstein or send a check for $10 to
$15 to the Temple
and we will choose a book for you.
A
bookplate with your child’s name will be placed on the
inside cover of the book; your child will be the first to
borrow the book.