School Curriculum

· School Curriculum
           Kindergarten
          1st Grade
         2nd Grade
          3rd Grade
          4th Grade
          5th Grade
         6th Grade
          7th Grade

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Religious School of Congregation Kol Tikvah
2010/2011 Curriculum

Kindergarten: Our goal in Kindergarten is to provide a seamless transition from the ECC, building on the knowledge acquired there. This is a foundation year with special emphasis on the Jewish holidays and the rituals and traditions surrounding Shabbat. Israel is an integral part of their experience as they learn about kibbutzim and the city of Tiberias. They will begin their study of the Hebrew language with special emphasis on words used in prayer. The music curriculum starts them on their journey toward the fourth grade Consecration ceremony by learning some of the more simple songs sung during the Shabbat evening service. And finally this year, they will begin their lifelong study of Torah with a few well known stories presented in a hands-on, interactive fashion that will bring the Torah alive for them.

First Grade: Our goal in first grade is to build on the kindergarten curriculum adding more Torah stories, special Mitzvot, Jewish symbols, more Shabbat evening songs and prayers, and additional Hebrew prayer & holiday vocabulary. The connection to Israel continues with a city tour, spending extra time in Beersheba. In this year we begin our modified Holiday curriculum. This encompasses an overview of all the holidays as they occur in the calendar with more focus on half of the holidays, and special activities for Rosh Hashanah and Havdalah. In each grade the students will celebrate Yom Ha'atzma-ut (Israel Independence Day) in the form of an Israel Festival. This will be a year of very interactive lessons and plenty of crafts and activities.

Second Grade: In second grade our goal is to build on the knowledge acquired in kindergarten & first grade, while placing special emphasis on Mitzvot. Children will learn that the Torah not only contains meaningful stories, but also important Mitzvot that bring us closer to God. The children will learn about the structure of the Torah with its five books while they create their own illustrated torah scrolls. Israel will continue to be explored as they learn about the people, symbols, and lifestyles of Israelis as well as create a special project about Haifa. They will continue to build their Hebrew vocabulary and review all the holidays, focusing on the half not covered in-depth in first grade, with special projects for Sukkot and Shavuot. This grade is filled with crafts and activities that prepare our students for the years ahead.

Third Grade: In third grade we explore the synagogue and the beginning of Hebrew reading skills. Building on their knowledge of Hebrew vocabulary, the children will now master the aleph bet with vowels, and vocalize simple syllables. This grade also begins a more in depth look into the Torah as they study parashat in Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus. Israel is further explored through food, music, and dance with a special project about Jerusalem. We continue to learn special Mitzvot as well as build their knowledge of the Shabbat evening service in song and prayer. Following our modified holiday curriculum, the children will review all the holidays as we follow the Jewish calendar, while focusing again on the holidays covered in first grade with special projects for Purim and Pesach.

Fourth Grade: This year we continue to build on the Hebrew knowledge acquired in the lower grades as the children integrate their new reading ability into the context of learning prayers for the Consecration service which they will lead at the end of fourth grade. Their Torah studies continue with parashat from the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy along with important Mitzvot. This year students take an in depth look at the people and places in Israel with a special emphasis on Eilat, the dead sea, and Masada. The holiday curriculum continues as before, this year focusing on the holidays covered in second grade with special emphasis on Simchat Torah and Shabbat.

Fifth Grade: In fifth grade our students experience the whole fifth grade team of teachers as they rotate through important topics on their second day of class. They begin the study of the Shabbat morning liturgy as well as continue their exploration of the Tanach and the foundations of the Reform movement as they take on the Prophets. This year they will also study important lifecycle events, Mitzvot, and Jewish history from biblical times through the 1880's. Their connection to Israel will be enhanced as they study the security and hopes for peace in Israel incorporating current events, as well as the cities of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Our holiday curriculum takes them through a review of all the holidays as the calendar progresses looking in depth into Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Tu BiSh'vat, Purim, Pesach, and Yom Hazikaron.

Sixth Grade: The sixth graders also enjoy a rotation of subjects on their second day allowing our teachers to get to know them all. As the students master the prayers they'll need as they become a bar and bat mitzvah, they also spend time connecting to their particular Torah portion. Our curriculum brings them to the final section of the Tanach as they study the Writings, as well as a taste of Talmud with an introduction to Pirkei Avot (the ethics of the fathers). Their study of Israel encompasses a return to Jerusalem to explore the government of Israel, engaging in discussions of current events, as well as continuing the history of the Jewish people from the 1880's through the creation of the State of Israel. Mitzvot are incorporated into a study of Jewish heroes and the holidays will be explored as before, this year focusing on Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Yom HaShoah, and Shavuot.

Seventh Grade Seminar Series: By seventh grade our students have worked incredibly hard, they've mastered the prayers and liturgy, and they're working with their tutor on their Torah and Haftarah portions. It is our desire at this point to show them what it means to live your life as a Jew, and how important it is to keep on learning and growing. Beginning in the fall, on Monday evenings from 6 to 8 pm, the students will spend thirty minute sessions with an ever-changing assortment of presenters from the Rabbi, Cantor, and Religious School Director to the teachers and congregants of our synagogue. Topics to include social action, Israel, business ethics, March of the Living, Torah, Youth Group, Jewish theater, art and much more. This format allows the congregation to step up and become a part of welcoming our students into the community as fellow participants. It is our hope that as the students feel that sense of belonging, they will stay on in Confirmation class, in Youth Group, as participants in the services, or as volunteers in the synagogue and Jewish community.