Dear Kita Dalet Parents,

I am excited to tell you about a project in which your child will participate this year in my class. You've probably heard of the Flat Stanley books and projects---and you and your family may even have participated in it. Our class will be taking Flat Stanley to Israel—specifically to Yokneam-Megiddo, St. Louis' Partnership 2000 community with which we have many different types of exchanges!

Our students will be making their own Flat Stanleys (the template is www.flatstanley.com), placing a photograph of their own heads on the head portion of the Flat Stanley, and then writing a short paragraph about themselves on the back of the Flat Stanley. They will then be taking pictures of Flat Stanley accompanying them to various activities, places and holidays. We will ask our students to bring in the pictures, and even ask for some volunteers to send their Flat Stanley's with the pictures as we send them to our counterpart school in Yokneam-Megiddo.

We need your help in encouraging your child to make his/her Flat Stanley, to help with the photos, and to make sure that your child brings in the photos BEFORE THANKSGIVING so that they can be included in the Flat Stanley package that we will send to Yokneam-Megiddo.

In return, we will receive Flat Stanleys from our Israeli student counterparts and will put their pictures and Flat Stanley's on a bulletin board in our classroom. We may even send home an Israeli Flat Stanley to accompany you and your family during your family activities. Wouldn't that be cute?

We will provide you with "Flat Stanley Updates" throughout the year. Until then, best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Morah Esther

I am sorry this update was not sent last week when it was written, but delayed til now! I was very busy with Rosh Hashana!

Last week was a great week at SSRS! We met the Israeli girls Ya'ara and Efrat, who are doing their Sherut Le'umi in St. Louis. They showed a video they made of life in Israel and taught the kids a game and gave them Israeli "kisses." (Ask your kids what I mean!)

We also cooked with Morah Eli and everyone got a noodle kugel recipe for the holidays which are quickly approaching. We talked about why we used apples in the kugel, with the round symbol of a new yearly cycle of Jewish life and renewal in personal ways as well.

Ask your son/daughter about the Jewish Journal we are slowly compiling throughout the year too. So far the first lesson in there is the teaching by Rabbi Akiva known as the Golden Rule: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. In Hebrew that is "V'ahavta l'rayecha kamocha." We're working on the Barchu in the Hineni text book and refining our Hebrew writing and reading skills.

Official beginning of the Kita Dalet tzedaka project is on Monday 10/10/11. Please send a coin, a couple coins, or a dollar! This is something really important to me in my class, to develop a love for the Jewish traits of caring, generosity, and justice. (Tzedaka comes from the word tzedek, meaning justice.) I hope to remind you on Sunday about this. I'll have some extra coins in case someone forgets.

Other recent areas of study include the Barchu, which is the subject of chapter 1 in our Hineni prayer textbook. The kids are working hard at pronouncing the words properly and they are doing well. Please help them complete the worksheet by Monday (10/10).

Tashlich on Sunday was a great program- after the communal bread-throwing and singing, our class acted out skits relating to high holy day themes- see if your child(ren) can remember the messages of The Rich Man and the Mirror, A Visit to Heaven and Hell (sorry for the use of that word!), and Returning the Stones.

Well, there's more to say but that's good for now! I hope to continue to update you regularly. Thank you for your support!

Have a meaningful Yom Kippur!
Morah Esther

PS: If you haven't sent in the family photo, please do so- never too late!
pps: Good "mazal" tonight Cardinals!

There are a lot of cool things coming up next week! A sub on Sunday will do Parsha skits (I'm going to a wedding in Houston, sorry!), Monday and Wednesday will feature cooking, Israeli girls visit, and lessons on Rosh Hashana, & the prayer Barchu, among other things.

Thank you for enrolling your kids at SSRS. I am grateful for the opportunity to show them my passion for Jewish life and knowledge. The other major things you can do for them is show them your own passion for Judaism, and nurture theirs. The knowledge and community will be a real asset for them in the ever-changing world around us!

This week's recommendation- introduce them to to babaganewz.com, an awesome kids website through KarBen publishers. Won't they think it's funny if you mandate computer time to be spent on a Jewish kids site? Check it out with them, it's such a fun web-space.

Please send in a family picture if you have not yet! Thanks a lot,
Morah Esther

PS: SHABBAT SHALOM!

My name is Morah Esther. I'm so excited to be back at Shaare Shalom after two years away. Our summer of planning was a great start for this year ahead. I love teaching Hebrew and Judaics and I hope your child or children will have a very positive Jewish educational experience.

Some basics about me-
The rest of the world knows me as Kate Friedman but my Hebrew school teacher identity is beloved to me and I like to be called Morah Esther for all things related to SSRS. I am married to Robert, an attorney, and we have an 18 month old daughter, Adira. She was born in Seattle where we lived for about a year and a half. Robert is a native St. Louisan and I grew up outside of Portland, Oregon. We met at Brandeis University in our first semester of college. I have been teaching Hebrew school for about seven years and studying Hebrew since I was the age of your children now. I even minored in it at Brandeis because I loved it so much! When I'm not teaching Hebrew School I am a devoted stay at home mom and like to be involved in the community and world around me. I like to exercise and coach, read, be outdoors, garden, do anything Jewish including Shabbat and Torah study, scrapbook, explore the city, and try new things (all with my darling daughter in tow)! I really look forward to getting to know your family this year.

My preferred mode of standard communication is email. I'm also good by phone and will return your call, but do feel free to call again. If I can't pick up please do leave a message; I listen to them!

I enjoyed meeting your children today at BSKI. Please send them to Hebrew school tomorrow (at SZ) with a photo of them with your family from this summer (if possible.) If you don't have printed pictures yet, whenever you get them is fine. Anita could probably print them if you don't plan to.

As a teacher, I love hearing from you about your kids and how they learn best. I have high hopes for a great year ahead! Please be in touch, and I intend to do the same on a weekly basis.

Morah Esther