Dear Parents,
Wow – we cannot believe we already completed 2 months of Atideinu! As we continue on our journey together, we wanted to reflect on all that we have already accomplished in Tishrei and Cheshvan.
Tishrei
As many of you know the theme for Tishrei was accepting Hashem as the King of the world and using Teshuva to build up our internal resiliency. We had projects to assist with gaining a strong sense of self, as well as to reflect the value of bouncing back from mistakes. Some of our activities included, building your own Succah only with the materials provided (rubber bands, clothes pins, popsicle sticks, etc), as well as bringing in Peter Baum to show the boys the transformation of a plain piece of wood into a beautiful mezuzah case using the proper, “tools.”
Cheshvan
Our theme for Cheshvan was based off of “Mar Cheshvan;” believing in Hashem when things are gray and building up trust within ourselves and in our relationships with others. The kids had such a great time as we went through our activities that often started off “gray” and transitioned to “light” as we went through them.
Our breakout for Cheshvan was doing scratch art to show a clear visual of how things may seem black but if you look beneath the surface you will find the light. We continued with some trust exercises involving teams where one partner was blindfolded and the other could only use their words to guide the blindfolded partner (no physical guiding). The kids had a blast!!
As the month went on we also learned that sometimes we need to work hard before we see results. That is where the plants that your child brought home came in! Things that start off bleak and dark can become beautiful and rewarding with the proper time, effort and investment.
Kislev
We broke out our Kislev theme on Rosh Chodesh with a scavenger hunt in the dark searching for glow sticks. Our theme for Kislev is being a light unto the nations; what being or making a Kiddush Hashem truly means and how to continue to develop self-respect and refine our Middos to truly be Mekadesh Sheim Shamayim.
The children already decorated flashlights and engaged in a Middos skit where 2 groups were given the same scenario and 1 acted it out with manners and 1 without. The boys had a great time and the skits were hilarious! We are looking forward to the rest of the month as well as to our Chanukah party, on December 8th, IYH.
Progress Assessment Reminder
As a reminder, we will be sending out our Progress Assessment (PA), every two months for you to complete. Please complete the PA enclosed, and send it back in a sealed envelope with your son no later than December 1st. The earlier we receive it the more helpful it is.
On a final note, please remember that there is a strict “no outside food” rule for Atideinu. It is imperative for our Cleveland Kosher hashgacha that we abide by this completely. If there is a circumstance in which your child needs food outside of the menu that we sent home please contact me directly so we can discuss on a case by case basis.
Thank You
Thank you for your involvement with Atideinu! Needless to say, the program could not be successful without the wonderful children in it. We wish you a super Kislev and Chanukah.
Sincerely,
Chana Perel Handler
Director, Atideinu