Learning at Rashi
Kindergarten - Grade 2
The journey of learning at Rashi begins in grades K-2. Our classes provide a nurturing environment fostering the emotional, social and academic growth of each child.
In these formative years, students learn to read, write, compute and understand the world around them through observation, exploration and inquiry. Our children begin to appreciate their Judaism through their study of Torah, tikkun olam (repairing the world), tefillah (prayer), hagim (holidays), Israel, and Hebrew language. This strong foundation, with an emphasis on an integrated curriculum, allows children to develop and thrive as they progress through the grades.
Beginning the Educational Journey
Kindergarten introduces children to the worlds of writing, reading, experimenting and socializing that together begin to establish their educational foundation.
Writers’ Workshop (formal writing program), Open Circle (social competency program), and the Everyday Math curriculum provide a common language, routine and structure for learning. Rashi kindergarteners also experience tzedakah (the joy of giving) as they bring their cans of soup to a food pantry, and participation in a class theatre production. These experiential opportunities make learning fun and engaging.
In first grade children read and write more skillfully in both English and Hebrew. Students begin to see themselves as writers. Their stories reflect their increasing understanding of the writing process. Rashi first graders take pride in their finished product, which they share with parents during “Authors’ Shabbat.”
Thematic units such as the study of shelters and clothing provide many opportunities for integrating science, social studies, language arts and Jewish studies. In the first grade unit about clothing, students investigate fibers under a microscope and use graphing skills to record their observations. As part of their study of the history of clothing, students learn about the tallit and kippah. A field trip to the Textile Museum in Fall River gives students a real world connection to the classroom learning and an opportunity to participate in a theater arts production that centers on clothing.
Rashi second graders expand on their prior learning experiences, working both independently and in small groups that emphasize their ability to work with others. The writing curriculum this year includes poetry, memoirs and fiction. Students explore literature through book discussion groups.
A hallmark of the second grade curriculum is the introduction to research. Second graders study the Charles River through an integrated science, social studies, math and Judaics curriculum. The nearby Charles River provides an environmental laboratory for hands on learning. Elements of study include the water cycle, erosion, geology and animal habitats. Students write their own play, about what they learned in their research on the Charles River, in collaboration with their teacher and the Rashi theater specialist. Second graders showcase their learning through oral and visual presentations. These experiences prepare our students for their next phase of learning in the upper elementary grades.
Integrating Jewish studies and Jewish life
Jewish education is an integral part of Rashi’s curriculum and activities.
The Jewish Holidays provide a framework for much of our learning. In kindergarten, for example, the study of Rosh Hashanah introduces children to honey and bees as symbols of the sweetness we hope will fill our new year. Kindergarteners use science skills to investigate the wax in honeycombs and art skills to create beeswax self-portraits. Students hear stories and learn songs and poems about bees. Culminating this unit is a visit with a beekeeper, one of many Creative Arts programs brought to the school throughout the year.
First graders are able to read and understand prayers and songs that they have previously learned by repetition. A highlight of the year is the presentation of a siddur (prayerbook) to each child. Children and parents work together to create a siddur cover and participate in a special service and dedication ceremony to mark this milestone in their journey of Jewish learning at Rashi.
Second graders meet “tzedakah heroes”, people who have made a positive contribution to society. They are able to read and study sections of the Torah text in Hebrew and have weekly tefillah (prayer) with third grade tefillah buddies.
In the K-2 grades we also have the pleasure of welcoming children and families into the warm Rashi kehillah (community) through family programs at each grade level.
