Seekers Online!

Dear Parents,
This was our first week of virtual learning! Challenges definitely presented themselves, but we were well-prepared to adjust to them, and learned a lot from the experience. A heartfelt THANK YOU to you for being so cooperative and patient as we figure this out. We will continue to adjust our online practices so they are most convenient for your family. We will be sending a survey out shortly, after you get a chance to settle into your new at-home routines. For now, here are some updates about what your kids learned in class! This week's theme: Derech Eretz, literally, the way of the land, often referring to behaving appropriately and respectfully among others.

Kita Alef with Stephanie

Kita Aleph today was such a wacky first adventure! We got a sense of how class will go over Zoom, learned about the letter Mem, and the Hebrew word for respect: Derech Eretz. Be sure to check Google Classrooms for coloring page prizes and homework to reinforce what we learned.

Kita Bet with Batya

This week, Kita Bet met in our new online classroom. Just like at in-person Seekers, Kita Bet demonstrated their mindfulness of one another, and we had a great learning experience! This week we learned about Derech Eretz, respect. We all got a chance to read parts of an ancient story called "the missing stone". The story was about a gem dealer who insisted on respecting his father's sleep instead of waking him so that he can make a sale. We all got to reflect on this story and share the lessons we learned from it. Kita Bet had a great cooperative lesson and we look forward to meeting again next week!

Kita Gimmel with Yardena

This week we started the class by checking in and talking about how we are doing at this time. I explained to the students what derech eretz is and asked students to share examples of acts of kindness they have done and acts of kindness they have received. They all shared a person they know who lives by derech eretz. Then we all shared objects around the house that grounds us and helps us remember to live by derech eretz.

Kita Daled with Heather

This week we explored the concepts of "pikuach nefesh" or "saving a life" in relationship with "derech eretz" or the "way of the land" - norms of behaviors in the society around us. We talked about the different ways that our societal environments affect our behaviors and influence how we express our Jewish values.  Students had the chance to discuss different examples of manners and how they see manners enacted and not enacted in environments around them. Many students made connections to the social-distancing and hand-washing practices that are part of day-to-day life now. We will begin class next week by generating class norms for our online learning

Kita Hey and Vav with Yonatan

Today we learned about “Derech Eretz” - how to be a mensche, or an upstanding person. We started off by sharing what our manners are and who did we learn them from. We continued by watching a Sesame Street short film about respect. Then, students were asked to share with the class by showing us through the camera an object, animal, or person they pay respect and/or care to, and a person, animal, or object that takes care of them. We also learned about Pirkey Avot, the ethics of our ancestors, and shared some of the manners we try to live by in our personal lives.

Kita Zayin with Heather

This week we explored the concepts of "pikuach nefesh" or "saving a life" in relationship with "derech eretz" or the "way of the land" - norms of behaviors in the society around us. We talked about the different ways that our societal environments affect our behaviors and influence how we express our Jewish values. We generated some examples of "norms" or "manners" we could practice at home, at school, and what we would like to see more of in the world when it comes to things that are considered a given in society. The students then had the chance to generate their own list of class norms for our new online learning environment. Class was definitely a challenge but we are looking forward to exploring virtual learning more in the weeks to come.