| May 24, 2019 Yesterday our school had a blast both on the field and in the gym. Led by the Grade Six class, our students participated in a Lag B’Omer field day. The Omer is the period between Passover and Shavuot, which historically has been a time of mourning where haircuts, weddings and live music are prohibited. For several reasons, Lag B’Omer, falling on the 33rd day of the Omer, provided a reprieve from mourning. As such, the day is marked with bonfires, hair cuts, weddings and field days. Our Grade Six-led field day is one of a series of leadership experiences our oldest students are given as part of their capstone year. It falls on the heels of the Purim carnival, Yom Hazikaron assembly and Yom Ha’atzma-ut celebrations. Each of these events offers something different from a leadership development perspective and is part of a set of events that makes the year special and different. Our graduating students have also taken a leadership role in prayer this year. Each month on Rosh Chodesh, when our students gather to mark the beginning of a new Hebrew month, Grade Six students lead the Torah Reading Service. This is a culmination of many years of Torah study and time spent in Grade Five learning trope (specific notes for Torah reading). It is a deliberate preparation for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. On June 4th, our graduates will don their handmade tallitot for the first time and lead the upper grade students, as well as their parents and grandparents, in a final Rosh Chodesh service at the First Narayever Synagogue. We are grateful for this partnership and are looking forward to a meaningful service to mark the beginning of the final Hebrew month of the school year. |
