Spring Fling

Each year goes faster and faster, and this year was no exception! It seems like I was just welcoming the new and returning Edot students into the Edot classroom back in September, making name tags and photographing them, and playing the "Start-of-the-Year Shekel Game." Now, seemingly overnight, it's the last day of JQuest - our Spring Fling.

Three boys came to our final Edot session - Jeremy, Callen and Zach C. I finished reading the final chapter of "The Circlemaker," then we played the "End-of-the-Year Shekel Game."

With only 3 boys, it was obvious we had enough students to make 3 teams. Here's Callen with everything necessary to play the game - shekels (Israeli currency), a sheet of paper to record his bets, Charna, ready with the questions, and a big bowl of goldfish crackers (ok - the last one wasn't absolutely necessary for the game, but certainly made it more enjoyable!)

Zach is thinking of an answer in the 30 seconds allotted to him.

Jeremy kept very careful track of his bets - and was the winner!

It seemed we had only just begun playing when the clock told us it was time to leave our classroom to join the rest of JQuest up in the Sanctuary for our Spring Fling celebration. Cantor Korn put us all in the right spirit by leading us in singing "Heenei Mah Tov," as people gathered in the Sanctuary

After a few more songs, Rabbi Greninger invited all the teachers up to the beema, for teacher appreciation.

Then, it was time to show our appreciation for our T.A.'s! Below, Max and Charlie, our first session Edot TA's, are among those TA's being thanked for all their help. (Isaac, our second session Edot T.A. was at a NFTY retreat, and couldn't join us.)

We were then all treated to a wonderful slide show of all the different things we've done in our classrooms and at other JQuest events like the Purim Carnival, youth group outings and the Kulanu Family retreat. After hearing a seventh grade presentation about the environment-themed organizations they decided to donate their tz'daka to this year, hearing about how the tz'daka money collected by the K-6th graders was going to be used to help the Jewish Family and Community Service help refugee families settle in our area, and then singing more songs and getting some "Camp Kefli ruach," we all went into the Social Hall for an hour of schmoozing over a BBQ lunch with a jump house and gaga game all set up for the kids.

I wish you all a very enjoyable summer together, and look forward to seeing everyone again in September, in the Edot classroom and/or at all-school activities.

SHALOM V'L'HEETRA'OT (au revoir)!