Dear Parents,
Can you believe the year has come to an end? It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming all our new kids and welcoming back all our veterans. While this year may have flown by, the lessons and concepts absorbed at Atideinu these past 10 months will hopefully last a life time!
Simchas HaChayim Theme
We left off our last newsletter approaching Adar which explores the concepts of Simchas HaChayim and developing the skill of empathy. We were so excited to have our own personal concert from Mr. A.Y. Nakdimen as a breakout for the month! As the month went on we played a variation of the “headbands” game in which each child had a feeling word (frustrated, disappointed, surprised, happy, etc) on their “headband,” and the group took turns providing a statement that would likely provoke that feeling. The kids had a great time learning the concept of empathy and the value of really understanding how someone else may feel.
Nissan Theme
As we approached Nissan, we explored the beauty of becoming a nation and the importance of healthy and appropriate boundaries within relationships. We broke out the theme by having a baby pool filled with soapy water, a hula hoop in the middle of the pool, and a stool in the middle of the hula hoop. The children had so much fun taking turns stepping on the stool as we pulled up the hula hoop with a bubble around them and talked about “what pops our bubble.” Nissan was a short month as we took a two week break for Pesach!
Iyar Theme
When we returned from our Pesach break, we dove in full speed to lyar with our brand themes! We learned about managing peer pressure, becoming a leader, and overall self-advocacy. What a jam-packed month! We broke out our theme by trying to blow up a smiley face balloon that was inside a water bottle. 0f course, the constraints of the bottle prevented it from inflating. When we took the balloon out of the bottle and tried it again, it inflated beautifully! The children explored the struggle of trying to thrive and grow when we are held down by negative surroundings. We also played a leader game where one leader had to lead the rest of the (blindfolded) group through a maze without knocking anything over. The kids had a super time taking turns being the leader and learning from the leaders’ mistakes before them.
Sivan Theme
As we delved into Sivan, we explored what the Torah means to each child, as well as the concepts of personal and communal responsibility and maximizing opportunities as they arise. We broke out our themes by having the children try on all different sized clothes, hats and accessories. We explored how many of the items they tried on did not fit, because one size does not fit all. We processed how unbelievable the Torah is, that one size does fit all! No matter what our age, gender or struggle may be the Torah will always be there with the guidance. As the month went on, we had a lot of fun painting those hand shaped note holders as we explored the concept of “grabbing” an opportunity when it arises. We also played human tic tac toe to assist with recognizing the balance of individual and communal responsibility. We processed the value of being on a team but also having to make our own decisions sometimes.
Upcoming Announcements
As the year comes to an end, I have some notable announcements to mention. We will IYH be moving over the summer to a new location, located on Warrensville and Mayfield. The exact address is: 1463 Warrensville Center Rd, South Euclid, OH 44121. We are so excited to have nearly 40 children enrolled for our 2019 program and are so glad to have found a fabulous space that allows us to run two simultaneous groups of 10 children each. We also, unfortunately, will not be able to provide transportation next year. I will IYH send out a list of all of the children in the program sometime early summer, so parents can arrange carpool amongst themselves.
It’s with extremely bittersweet feelings that we note that Mrs. Schwarzmer, who developed the (240!!) activities for our three-year curriculum, has chosen to step back from her role as Program Director due to time constraints. We are grateful that she will remain in the organization and know that she will be an invaluable asset regardless of her role in Atideinu.
Similarly, for myself, running Atideinu with a separate full-time job has been an uphill battle, to say the least. I am honored and excited to announce that our board has asked me to come on full-time. I am so grateful for this opportunity and have many plans and ideas for further enhancement and growth of both the programming and the organization.
l’d like to end off by thanking all of our staff for their giving their heart and soul to the program. I feel so humbled to be part of such a fabulous team! l’d like to give a special shout-out to Devorah for the unbelievable job she did this year in her role. One would never believe that while this is her third year with Atideinu, it was her first year in this position! We look forward to having her for many more years, IYH!
I wish you and your family a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
Chana Perel Handler
Director, Atideinu