HSRS Announcements (Hodaahot הוֹדָוֹת) Apologizes for the first email. Something was up with the formatting. The pictures are still off, but atleast you can read the content this time!
Is your child interested in going to sleepaway camp for the first time? We are thrilled to announce that applications are now open for Jewish Overnight Summer Camp Grants! JEWISHcolorado One Happy Camper (OHC) Program, in partnership with The Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC), awards grants of between $700 and $1000 to eligible families sending their children to Jewish overnight camps for the first time.
We will be hosting a camp fair on January 28 after HSRS!! Come learn about the 3 Jewish Overnight camps in Colorado: JCC Ranchg Camp, Ramah of the Rockies, and Shwayder
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
December 24, 27, 31, January 3, 7- NO HSRS January 10- HSRS back in session! January 19- Shabbat Jr at 5:30pm, oneg to follow January 21- Beresheet Day 3 at 10:30am January 21- TuBeshvat celebrated for grades K-2 January 24- TuBeshvat celebrated for grades 3-7 January 27- 2nd/3rd grade Havdallah January 28- NO SCHOOL FOR 2ND AND 3RD GRADES ONLY January 28- Camp Fair at 12pm
BBYO & Teens Teen of the Week! We would like to feature: MAYA POTEMPA!! Maya is a great leader in and outside of the classroom. She knows how to get her class's attention and is a great storyteller. All of her first graders love reading stories with her and playing games. She jumps in to help without being told and is a great addition to our team. We love you, Maya!
All the madrichim planned and led their own Hanukkah lesson on Sunday. From scavenger hunts, to find it bottles and cookie decorating, as well as making their own dreidels out of clay, the teens created these unique lessons for their classes. Learning how to read a story with Judy, and learning how to teach for all different kinds of learners. Thank you madrichim for everything you do!
Synagogue & Community News Please note that our campus will be closed and staff will not be working from Saturday, December 23rd until Tuesday, January 2nd.
From Our Teachers
Beresheet (Preschool) Day 2 brought us learning about sky and clouds. We played with water beads, made lava lamps, colored, made clouds in a jar with shaving cream and food coloring, and tested our scientist skills with a sinking and floating activity.
Kitah Gan (Kindergarten) From Morah Brenna, subbing for Morah JoJo- We started the morning with aleph bet yoga. We then practiced writing Hebrew letters in their Hebrew notebooks. Later, we went to the kitchen and made old-fashioned hot cocoa and egg cream drinks. We ended the day with a Hannukah scavenger hunt taught by the madrichim and story time with Morah Judy.
Kitah Alef (First Grade) From Morah Katie- On Sunday, we had story time with Judy and talked about the letter vav. Then the madrachim played bingo with the kids and read them a story about Hannukah. After that we had cooking, where we made two different types of drinks and then we went back to the classroom and finger painted menorahs.
Kitah Bet (Second Grade) Sunday from Morah Anne- Sunday was another busy day for us! So much to do, so little time. We continued with our Hanukkah celebration even though the holiday has come to an end. Our classroom madrichim took over lessons and led three different activities. The kiddos were most respectful as they taught and very patient as we worked through a few kinks. Zelda read a great story, Ryan had a scavenger hunt for them to do, and Ceci made mini alef bet search-n-finds with them. We ended the morning with some exciting rounds of Hanukkah BINGO. All in all, I think everyone had fun. Have an amazing break! I look forward to seeing everyone when we return.
Kitah Gimel (Third Grade) Wednesday from Morah Robin- We started class by sharing our family Hanukkah traditions. From inviting Jewish and non-Jewish friends over, to lighting the menorah and playing dreidel games, we each shared how we celebrate this festive holiday. We then moved on to our Hebrew studies, continuing with Lesson 8 in our Hebrew workbooks. For break time, we spent a few minutes running around outside to release a bit of energy, but then came back inside and played board games and puzzles. After break, we continued with Lesson 8, speaking Hebrew sentences like “Who are you? I am Micah.” “What is under the Hagadah?” “The matzah is under the Havdalah”, and more phrases that we are continuing to build upon.
Sunday from Morah Robin- Our Kitah Gimmel Madrichim, Cory and Zia, did a great job running our class for the first hour. We did Hanukkah coloring pages, watched a Hanukkah video, and Cory read a great Hanukkah book “ When Mindy Saved Hanukkah”. We also played Hanukkah Bingo led by Cory and Zia. They both did a great job leading the class and interacting with the students. After break we did a short craft activity with Hanukkah scratch art. The last 45 minutes we focused on Hebrew. We finished lesson 8 and began lesson 9 in our Hebrew workbooks.
Kitah Dalet (Fourth Grade) Wednesday from Morah Merav and Morah Shoshanna, subbing for Morah Sophie- After our pizza party and T’filah with Josh we lit Hanukkah candles with Rabbi. We also enjoyed some donut holes in honor of the holiday. We read from the Aleph-Bet wall and from our word wall. We also talked about helping people in need. Everyone wrote down who they’d like to help on a piece of paper. Some wrote more than one and many added art to their paper. All the paper was gathered and we made a beautiful paper chain. It was a fun project.
Sunday from Morah Merav and Morah Sophie- We did not have Shira with Josh this week, but that didn’t stop us from starting our day singing. We went over several prayers in class and sang them together. We split into teams, did a team building activity, as we prepare to learn the bar'chu. We had our awesome Madrichot lead a story, a project and a game outside. It was so much fun. We decorated cookies and played kickball together. We are so grateful for both of our Madrichot, Lila and Linden! Thank you! It was a full day in Kitah Dalet. We had Storytime with Judy and as usual learned a lot. We discussed where Jews in the world lived and what caused them to move and leave their homes. We talked about Mizrachim, Sephardim and Ashkenazi Jews. There was a chocolate theme with our book. Our Story led us to Cooking with Morah Ellen in the Har Shalom kitchen. We made hot chocolate and egg cream treats. Ask your student which they enjoyed most. What a fun filled day!
Kitah Hay (Fifth Grade) Wednesday from Morah Lauren- Wednesday night featured fluently reading up to five new complete sentences composed of 5 words. Students did it well!
Sunday from Morah Lauren- Morah Debbie read us a beautiful story of how Bubbe’s quilt is treasured by her granddaughter in the new country. Morah Judy shared about genealogy with us. Please return the questionnaire by Wednesday if you would like your children’s genealogy researched.
Kita Hey genealogy project: We read "The Keeping Quilt" by Patricia Polacco and talked about family heirlooms and traditions. If you want to participate and have me do some research into your family, please return the questionnaire to Har Shalom this week or scan and email it to me so that I can do the research over winter break.
Kitah Vav (Sixth Grade) Wednesday from Morah Laura, subbing for Morah Leah- With the great huge thank you (todah rajah) to Laura, Wednesday night was a pre-teach on Brit / Bris, birth and pregnancy in the Jewish Life Cycle. Laura led your student in a review of the Ten Commandments - and the differences between commandments, covenants and mitzvot (good deeds). All parts of a well rounded Jewish life. The covenant of Bris will be discussed in greater detail on Wednesday (12/20) night when Dr. Bernie Birnbaum (Har Shalom community member and family physician) will come in and discuss his role as mohel and what it means to be welcomed into (jewish) life. There was also some great Hebrew reading.
Sunday from Morah Leah- We finished the semester with some fun. We began class with a Hebrew lesson - your student is doing so well. Let me know if you would like any resources for over the school break to keep up their learning. We were then joined by Judy who shared with us American Jews who made significant contribution to music - it was a great story about Irving Berlin, with lots of music, listening and learning. Todah Raba Judy!! We then took a brain break and played some Hebrew / Jewish games, Finally we ended the day with use your own book & screen time party - also a hot cocoa bar with whipped cream, peppermint sticks, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Wishing you all a safe, fun and happy break. See you in 2024. Shavua Tov
Kitah Zayin (Seventh Grade) Wednesday from Rabbi Finestone- On Wednesday evening, the students of the seventh grade spent additional time working on the blessings of the Torah service. We looked at the roots and origins of several Hebrew words. After break, we went into the sanctuary and practice the prayers for the Shabbat morning service. The seventh graders did such a wonderful job!
Mazel Tov to Kitah Zayin on a leading a fabulous Shabbat service. You were confident, well-prepared, and knowledgeable. Todah Rabah to all of our families for participating in the service and contributing to our oneg. Morah Michelle and Courtney, thank you for reading Torah and showing our students that hard work pays off!
From Our Specials
Tefillah News Tefillah Josh has done a wonderful job working through the Saturday morning Shabbat service with our students. This week, in addition to our usual routines, we lit celebrated Hanukkah together!
News from the Sifriyah (Library) Storytime:
In Kita Gan and Alef, we read "Rena Glickman, Queen of Judo" about a Jewish woman who was the first woman to compete in a judo competition and helped popularize judo as a women's sport. We described her as a hero who did something no one had done before. We described other kinds of heroes and decided that we can be heroes in our own lives by helping people.
In Kita Dalet we described the Jewish family tree as having three main branches--the Ashkenazim (primarily Jews of Europe), the Sephardim (the Jews of Spain) and the Mizrachim (the Jews who stayed in Israel and the Middle East). We then talked a little about early American history and discovered that Sephardi Jews were the first Jews in America. The story "The Boston Chocolate Party" described how Sephardic Jews helped introduce chocolate to America. Thank you to Morahs Shoshanna and Ellen for making authentic Sephardi hot chocolate with the students!
In Kita Vav we read a story about Irving Berlin and listened to excerpts of his music. We discovered the song "God Bless America" ends with the last 3 notes of the Shema (think about it) and after listening to "White Christmas" discussed the phenomenon of Jews writing popular Christmas songs. We talked about how many of these songwriters were immigrants and that these songs helped Jews assimilate into American culture. We also talked about different expectations of immigrants in our grandparents' generation and in our own time, and that one reason Hanukkah is important is because it reminds us to be proud of our differences.
News from the Kitchen Many thanks to Morah Shoshanna and Morah Ellen for making Sephardic hot chocolate with the students. She also introduced them to egg cremes (chocolate, milk and seltzer, no eggs!), a cold soda fountain drink invented by the Ashkenazim in New York City during the immigrant period of the 18802-1920s. The origin of the name is unclear, but could have been for the creamy froth on top of the drink that looks kind of like a foamy egg white topping.
