Dear Parents,
A Gutten Chodesh to you and your family! We are so grateful to have had a wonderful, uninterrupted month packed with games, activities, thought-provoking discussions and more! As we delve into Kislev with our brand-new themes, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we gained in Cheshvan.
As a reminder, we broke out our Cheshvan themes with a scavenger hunt and scratch art to explore the value of staying hopeful when things seem gray. The entire month was filled with activities to emphasize the importance of trusting in Hashem when things are difficult and realizing that we, and not our circumstances, control our happiness. The boys were given a task to complete a puzzle, with some boys blindfolded and some with their hands tied behind their backs. The boys persevered through this challenge and appreciated the beauty of the finished puzzle when all the pieces fit together perfectly!
Next, we played hot potato, and each child either received a prize or extra middos money for our monthly store as they unwrapped the layers! We learned as a group that things are not always as plain as they appear on the surface. As the month went on, we painted and potted flower pots, exploring how through darkness often comes beauty and light! We also spent a session emphasizing how we control our own happiness and learned that “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” To assist the boys with developing a sense of self-awareness about their overall attitude in life, the boys each decorated a key chain to take home. The group was prompted to keep it in their right pocket when they find themselves being positive and move it to their left pocket when they switch to negative thoughts.
As the month continued, the boys decorated popcorn as we explored that sometimes all we need is a little pressure to help us “pop” to our fullest potential! We ended the month with a fabulous “seer, runner, doer,” activity, in which the groups had to work together to replicate a poster that only the “seers” saw. The “seers” then explained what they saw to the “runners,” who dictated the instructions to the “doers.” The posters came out amazing and the groups explored that even though we feel “blind” sometimes, Hashem always gives us the tools we need to complete our mission.
I’d like to welcome back Mr. Levinson as a Team Leader for our blue group! This is Mr. Levinson’s third year with Atideinu as a Team Leader and second year in the role of an Alumni Advisor for one of our graduates. We are excited to have him return!
We’re looking forward to another uninterrupted month ahead of us packed with new themes, games and activities! As a reminder, we are off for Thanksgiving and start Chanukah vacation on December 3rd. Session resumes after Chanukah, on December 11th. I wish you and your family a wonderful month of Kislev and a great Chanukah.
Sincerely,
Chana Perel Handler
Director, Atideinu