Weekly Summary Page
2nd and 3rd GradeJanuary 10, 2021
October 25, 2020
The past few weeks, we’ve been learning about a Jewish theme called Sukkat Shalom. We started learning about Sukkat Shalom at the beginning of Sukkot, which is a holiday that celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection God provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. Many families build temporary structures (Sukkahs) that provide protection from the outside elements during the holiday, and celebrate inside with friends and family.
Sukkat Shalom stems from this, in that it is a theme about feeling peace and shelter, but not necessarily because of a physical structure. Today each of the students went on a scavenger hunt in their homes to find 3-4 things that provide them peace and shelter. Many of us showed blankets that help us fall asleep, household pets, and small figurines that provide happiness and peace in our everyday lives. We talked about how even though a figure or a thing may bring one person comfort, it doesn’t necessarily provide comfort for everyone who sees it! The kids seemed to really enjoy sharing their objects of safety, and I enjoyed seeing everyone’s objects as well!
We are also following along with the Torah Portions; today we talked about Parsha Noah, and how God chose Noah to build an ark because he was a righteous man. We connected the idea of Sukkat Shalom to this week’s Torah Portion, and realized that the Ark was definitely a Sukkah Shalom for Noah! We wrapped up class by creating drawings or structures from this week’s Parsha.
See you next week!

Alissa Huntsman
I started babysitting when I was only 11 years old and nannied for many years, which has helped me realize my passion for watching students grow and learn. During the week, I work at an energy company in Boston, but I haven’t been into the office since March 11th of this year! I live with my husband in Chestnut Hill, and have two adorable nieces, who live in Weston and Natick! McKenna was just born in August, and Anna is two years old. I am one lucky teacher!
I can’t wait to learn from you all, and to navigate this year as a team!
Ms. Marks
