Dear Parents,
Wow! We can’t believe we are already half way through the school year! We hope you all had a fabulous winter break and as are excited as we are to get back into the swing of things. We had a wonderful first few days back and are looking forward to having two Adars this year to really celebrate the themes of the month – Simchas Hachayim and the beauty of using the gifts in our lives to help others.
Kislev Theme
Our last newsletter went out around Chanukah time when we were beginning to explore our Kislev themes; being a light unto the nations and the importance of self-respect. We also explored the value of presenting things in an appropriate and respectful manner and how our presentation is often more important than the content of what we are discussing. We talked about the opportunities that we have daily as they relate to truly being Mekadesh Sheim Shamayim. We also had a great time making those spinning dreidel cards and hope you enjoyed them as much as we did!
Teves Theme
Our themes for Teves were staying strong in our identity as Klal Yisroel, and identifying and continuing to develop our individualized strengths to be able to contribute to our community as a whole. We broke out our themes by having dominos set up and knocking one down – which of course resulted in all of them falling. We challenged the children to explore why they all fell simply because one did, thereby introducing the significance of being a part of a close knit community that stands strong together without gaps in our midst. The rest of the month continued with fun activities and games to assist the children with really recognizing their unique traits that make them individuals.
Shevat Theme
Next came Shevat where we explored the concept of “Mah Rabu Ma’asechah Hashem,” as well acknowledging and appreciating others in our lives. We explored the importance of true Hakaros Hatov; both to Hashem and to people. The children made “appreciation jars” for people in their lives whom they often forget to thank. We then filled the jars with mints and placed a “You mint a lot to me!” tag on the jar as they headed home to give them to their identified person.
Coming Up
As we dive into Adar, it is once again time to complete the Progress Assessments for the children. Enclosed, please find a progress assessment to complete. Please send it back no later than next Thursday, 2/18. It is absolutely vital for the continuity of the program that we receive these in a timely manner, for without an assessment of how your child is doing every 60 days it is impossible to determine the effectiveness of our program. If you need assistance completing it, please do not hesitate to contact Chana Perel at 216 282 4394.
Thank you for your participation with Atideinu! We have had a wonderful first half of our year and are looking forward to an outstanding continuation. Once again, needless to say, without the awesome children that come here every day, our program could not be a success. Thank you for your support and we wish you a wonderful Adar!
Sincerely,
Chana Perel Handler
Director, Atideinu