First Grade – Kitah Alef

ברוכים הבאים B’ruchim Haba-im  Welcome!! (back!!)  We hope that you had a wonderful Pesach and restful break.

Once again, a big THANKS to those who helped with our Model Seder and to those who came to see it!! We know how difficult it is to take the time (especially around Passover)  and be at school for the Model Seder.  Your children LOVE seeing you there and “showing off” all their skills.  We  heard how beautifully our students did at your family seders and we are very proud of them!

And now back to WORK!!!!

We will be completing  our 4th Ariyot  (Mazal Tov!!) and then………………….

אריאות כותב  Ariyot Kotev    Ariyot writes!!! in CURSIVE…  We begin with

א  Alef   Remember that the direction of writing in Hebrew is right to left!!! Each student will receive a מחברת machberet a writing notebook in which to practice each night. More details to follow!!!

ספירת העומר  Sefirat HaOmer  Counting of the Omer    From the 2nd night of Pesach  we count each day until we reach the holiday of Shavuot.  We are anticipating receiving  the 10 Commandments!!!

יום השואה  Yom HaShoah  Holocaust Memorial Day is on Thursday and we will remember together.

יום הזכרון Israel’s Memorial Day will be commemorated during prayers next week.

יום העצמאות  Yom Ha-atzmaut  Israel Independence Day is next week!  So get ready for lots of singing and wearing blue and white on Thursday, 4/26!!!  Israel’s birthday is on the 5th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar.

פרשת השבוע שמיני Parshat HaShavuah  Sh’mini    The Torah portion this week is the one about the laws of Kashrut.  We learn about what is:

כשר לא כשר  Kasher    Lo Kasher   kosher and not kosher

תפילות Tefilot Prayers   At this point in our curriculum, we will be praying with

חזנים  chazanim   prayer-leaders from our class.  This is also true when we say the Birkat HaMazon in the lunchroom.  Two of our students will be leading the Birkat with the older kids each week.  We are proud of those students who will be our leaders in prayer!

חג שמח Chag Sameach   Happy Holiday!  We wish you a happy and Kosher Pesach!

סדר Seder   order      Our Model Seder is this Tuesday, 4/3, at 1:30 PM in the Bessie Setzer Frisch Activities Center.  Come and kvell from our students!  We will be using The Animated Haggadah  (orange covered hard-backed book) and you can take these home for your own seders.  PLEASE return them to school after the Passover break.

תודה רבה Todah Rabah to those parents who will help us set up our Seder plates.  (Come at 1:00 to help!!)

אריאות  Ariyot   Yes, we are completing the 4th book of Ariyot and finishing the Alef-Bet!!  Mazal Tov!!

ת  Tof is the last letter  and we learn words like:

תודה todah   thanks

תורה תורות  Torah  Torot    5 Books of Moses

תעודה תעודות te-u-dah   te-u-dot  certificate (s)

אותיות o-tee-yot   letters

תנועות te-nu-ot  vowels

מתנה מתנות  matanah  matanot  present (s)

חוברת חוברות  choveret  chov-rot  workbook (s)

תפילה תפילות  tefila tefilot  prayer (s)

ש  Sin  (keep imagining this letter with the dot on the left side)   We honored these patient students:

שרה וישראל   Sarah V’Yisrael  Saylor and Yisrael

Time is  flying by…. here we are and it’s Spring and almost Passover!  Try to keep up with the minimal homework and of course READING every night at home.   Our new letter is:

ש     sin  (imagine a dot on the left side of this letter in all these words!!!)

משחק mesachek   plays for a boy

משחקת  mesacheket  plays for a girl

משחקים mesachakim  plays for many

שמח  sameach  happy for a boy

שמחה   s’mecha  happy for a girl

שמחים   s’mechim  happy for many

ישראל  Yisrael   Israel

ששון עושה Sasson (name of a boy)  o-seh   Sasson does

גילה עושה  Gila  (name of a girl)  o-sah  Gila  does

מעשים טובים   Ma-a-sim Tovim   Good deeds

שמלה  simlah   dress

שמלות  s’malot   dresses

יד שמאל yad s’mole    left hand

רגל שמאל  regel s’mole   left foot

שק   sak   bag

שערות  s-ah-rot   hair

AND OUR OWN

שרה   Sarah   Saylor!!!

פרשת השבוע צו Parshat HaShavua  Portion of the Week in Torah is Tzav

שבת הגדול  Shabbat HaGadol   This is the Big Shabbat before Pesach!!

סדר  Seder  means order  and we’re getting things in order for our Seder!!

טי לי לי לי לי  Ti, li, li, li, li

מים וסבון בדלי Mayim v’sabone ba’dlee   Water and soap in the pail

We are cleaning  and preparing for Pesach.  You should be hearing lots of songs and will enjoy the whole Kitah Alef Seder on Tuesday, April 3 at 1:30 PM.  All are invited!! This is just a model Seder and we  look forward to our own family seders in the coming week!!

איזה יופי Ayzeh Yofee!!!  It’s GREAT!! We had a wonderful week and looking forward to more fun ahead!

אריאות Ariyot   Our next letter is the letter

ק kof     With words like:

מקשיב   maksheev  pays attention for a boy

מקשיבה  maksheeva   pays attention for a girl

מקשיבים  maksheevim  pays attention for many

מקליט  makleet   records (a voice or sound) for a boy

מקליטה makleeta    records for a girl

מקליטים  makleetim  records for many

קול  kol   voice

מדביק  madbeek    glues for a boy

מדביקה   madbeeka  glues for a girl

מדביקים  madbeekim  glues for many

קוף kof  boy monkey

קופה  kofah  girl monkey

קופים  kofim   monkeys

קופץ  kofetz   jumps for a boy

קופצת  kofetzet  jumps for a girl

קופצים  koftzim  jumps for many

צוחק   tzochek    laughs for a boy

צוחקת  tzocheket  laughs for a girl

צוחקים  tzochakim  laughs for many

AND   יצחק  Yitzchak   (our own Isaac!!!!)

פסח כשר ושמח Pesach Kasher V’Sameach     A Happy and Kosher Pesach

We are busy preparing for Pesach.  Learning words like:

בני ישראל  B’nai Yisrael  The children of Israel

המשפחה של משה  Hamishpacha shel Moshe   The family of Moses:

יוכבד  עמרם  מרים  אהרון  Yocheved, Amram, Miriam, Aharon –Moses’ dad, mom , sister and brother

פרעה  בת פרעה   מצרים  Paroah, Bat Paroah, Mitzrayim   Pharoah, Pharoah’s daughter , Egypt

מלך העולם Melech Haolam    King of the Universe

חג האביב Chag Ha-aviv    Holiday of Springtime

חג החרות  Chag Ha-cherut   Holiday of freedom

חג המצות  Chag Ha-matzot   Holiday of matzahs

עבדים  avadim   slaves

בני חורין  b’nai choreen   free people

חמץ  chametz   all the leaven we have to not eat and get rid of on Pesach

תפילות Tefillot   Prayers   Dr. Mitzmacher was a really good sport last week for our Backwards Day.  Even when we were praying with him, it was all upside down and backwards!!!  SOOO FUNNY!!! Now, we’re back to the real world and using our best manners when davening.

פרשת השבוע  Parshat HaShavua  Portion of the Week is a double portion .

ויקהל  פקודי Vayakehel Pikuday

תודה רבה  Todah Rabah to those moms, dads and grandmothers who helped us bake our hamentashen!!!

DON’T FORGET….. THIS WEEK our Middle School Play is Thursday morning and evening!!!  Our class will get to see it at school but bring them and yourselves in the evening to enjoy the Beatles, etc. in Hebrew!!

A few of our students accomplished writing their own books and went to Kitah Gimel and read their creations to the BIG kids.  Kol Hakavod!!!  Thanks to Morah Rivka O for helping them and thanks to Morah Liat for letting them visit her classroom.