Eitz Chayim K-6
We are a community committed to nurturing an active, Jewish environment that engages, cultivates and inspires learners of all ages
Welcome to Eitz Chayim and Gesher, our Kindergarten through sixth grade learning program at Congregation B’nai Shalom! Our school is divided into four Y’chidot or Units. Click on a link below to explore your child’s Y’chidah!
Shoresh – Grades Kindergarten & One
Gezah – Grades Two & Three
Anaf – Grades Four & Five
Gesher – Grade Six
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Here’s a taste of what your family will find when you join our school:
- Our focus is on learning through authentic Jewish learning experiences for children and families.
- Relationship and community building with children and families is a visibly central goal of our program.
- Our educators engage children and adults in Jewish life and learning.
- Learning experiences are deepened and made relevant through hands on learning.
- Hebrew learning begins in Kindergarten and reading skill acquisition begins in 3rd grade and continues with small group instruction through 6th grade.
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Inclusion is important to us and our school programs. We provide learning specialists to work with students and families who need additional assistance! We do all that we can to keep students in classes with additional support, we work with families to come up with individual plans for those who cannot participate in the classroom setting, and we are committed to enabling every child to learn and grow in a way that honors what they are capable of achieving – please come and speak to Rabbi Eiduson for guidance on these opportunities.
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In every classroom we focus on Jewish learning and religious exploration. But with students that come from dozens of different secular and private schools, building Jewish community is another integrated part of our curriculum.
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School Tzedakah and Collections for the Needy!
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During the months of January and February we will be collecting donations of gently used items for babies and young children including diapers, new toys, and gently used clothing. Items will be given to local charities and distributed to needy families. Please place all items in the blue bins outside the school office.
- During the months of January and February all Tzedakah Donations will go to the Jewish Community Federation of Central Massachusetts for use in their Israel programs benefiting the young people of Israel. This donation is made in honor of our two Young Israeli Emissaries!
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Mifgash – Small Group Gatherings
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Mifgash (pronounced “meefgahsh” – plural is mifgashim) is Hebrew for “gathering or encounter.” Mifgashim provide a way for children to get to know a small group of peers and to feel a sense of belonging within the larger grade. Each child has the potential to share an especially close connection with our faculty and Madrichim who are leading his or her mifgash group, as this person monitors each student’s needs and progress, communicates with families regularly, and establishes relationships with parents in order to best understand the “whole child.” Mifgash time is modeled on the typical “morning meeting” from school (in age appropriate ways), and may include:
- “Checking in” with one another and setting the tone for learning together
- Review of the Jewish calendar with attention called to holidays and upcoming events
- Recognition of birthdays and other important life events (a new sibling, or a family member who isn’t feeling well)
- Regular routines that use Hebrew language to establish patterns of activity and allow the children to hear and speak Hebrew
- Learning and singing songs
- Playing games
- Sharing Torah stories
- Reading and listening to simple books in Hebrew or English
Clearly, not all of the above are accomplished during every Mifgash session. This is a sampling of the types of activities – and pedagogic goals – that the faculty have in mind as they are carefully crafting this important group time together.
HEBREW
Beginning in grade 4 and continuing through grade 6, students attend school either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons for one hour of Hebrew instruction. Small classes and creative programming are hallmarks of our program. Rooted in music, Hebrew in Harmony encourages students to create meaning from personal prayer and make emotional connections through communal prayer. The flowing words help students learn Hebrew through the music! Our self-paced and child-centered approach allows each student to achieve according to their own ability and teachers are able to adjust the program according to each child’s abilities. For more information, check out Hebrew In Harmony
Click Here to See HIH In Action!
Choir
The CBS Youth Choir, B'nai Shir is made up of enthusiastic singers in grades 2-5. Through participation in the Youth Choir, our kids develop a love for Jewish music, create special friendships, and strengthen their connection to CBS and the larger Jewish community. They stretch themselves musically while having a lot of fun performing and celebrating with each other.
Our repertoire includes a variety of traditional Shabbat songs as well as many other Hebrew and English melodies. There are opportunities for part-singing, solos, and instrument playing as well.
We sing monthly at the Shabbbat Rishon Family service on the first Friday of every month. In addition, we participate in several other events during the school year! We rehearse every Sunday that religious school is held during Chugim (clubs) for Gezah and Anaf. There is no audition required for B'nai Shir.
For more information, or to join, contact the director, Sharon Brown Goldstein
Overnight and Seminar Educational Programs for 2018-2019 / 5779
General Retreat Descriptions
6th Grade – (October 26 - 27, 2018) Gesher students will travel by bus to Camp Ramah New England for an overnight of celebrating Shabbat in prayer, music and Torah. This trip offers the students an opportunity to discover our Eitz Chayim Torah theme, to build community with their classmates and have fun.
Our WAFTY 678 Shul-In (sleep over) begins with Havdalah and then students board a bus and head out to a surprise activity with food and fun. On Sunday morning we venture out again for leadership and teambuilding activities.
4th and 5th grade- Our Anaf/WAFTY Lite Shul-In (sleep over) begins with Shabbat Rishon Services followed by an evening of food, fun, movies and finally, a giant sleep-over in the Social Hall. On Saturday morning students enjoy a special morning of programming prior to pick up!
PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. Today, families in hundreds of communities across the United States and Canada are able to explore the timeless core values of Judaism through books and music. Through a partnership between Congregation B’nai Shalom and PJ Library, we mail high-quality Jewish children’s literature and music to our families on a monthly basis – free of charge.
All Congregation B’nai Shalom member families with children from age six-months through six years of age are welcome to enroll.
PJ Our Way offers the gift of exceptional books with Jewish themes to kids ages 9-11 – books that they choose themselves! Every month, from the 1st – 10th, kids visit this website to choose a book from a selection of four high-quality titles that have been reviewed by a panel of PJ educators, parents, and kids. That’s 12 free books a year! To make the choice easier, every title offered comes with a synopsis and author bios, ratings and reviews, and video trailers. Kids can also take polls and quizzes, participate in monthly interviews and challenges, and comment on blog posts.
Click HERE to explore PJ Our Way!