-- Pirkei Avot (Sayings of the Sages) - Congregation Mishkan Tefila

FAMILY SHABBAT EXPERIENCES: NOURISHING OUR SOULSOur ancient rabbis teach us that lighting candles is the first mitzvah of Shabbat. Our mysticaltradition offers the insight that once we light the Sabbath candles, our lives become filled with light.We can fulfill the mitzvah of preparing for Shabbat through simple acts: food shopping, mealpreparation, learning and discussion at home, and reading books to our children. And whenShabbat is upon us, we can fulfill the mitzvah of its observance by filling our homes with the light ofthe Shabbat candles, making Kiddush over wine or grape juice, saying ha’motzi over challah, and bysinging, learning, teaching, coming into community for prayer, and nourishing our souls with rest.Shamor et yom ha-Shabbat le’kodsho is the commandment to observe the Sabbath day and make it holy.“All week long we are called upon to sanctify life through employing things of space. On theSabbath, it is given us to share in the holiness that is in the heart of time.” Rabbi Abraham JoshuaHeschel, The Sabbath.Throughout this year, we would love for your family to join our community celebrations of Shabbat.Children will gain the experience of learning the service, practicing their Hebrew, and coming intodeeper understanding of the rich, layered meanings of Shabbat, tfilah (prayer) and the weekly Torahreading. We hope they will deepen their sense of joy in this shared experience, and developimportant relationships with friends, teachers, and community members, as well as our rabbis andcantors. With regular attendance at Shabbat services, the skills, ideas and knowledge that studentslearn as part of the school’s prayer curriculum will be realized in actual practice.Please check your email and our website for announcements about upcoming Family ShabbatExperiences.EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS1. PreparationAll students are expected to arrive at school on time, with homework completed, and withall necessary books and materials to start the day.Parents of students in grades 3-7, please provide a notebook binder or notebook foryour children to organize their work. Please be sure that your child comes to school regularlyand prepared to learn.2. HomeworkWe recognize that students, even in earlier grades, begin receiving a lot of school homework.Keeping this in mind, we try to accomplish as much as we can in the classroom, ready to continuethe following class. However, we have found that practicing reading Hebrew and review ofimportant enduring understandings that students are taught in the classroom is invaluable to theirunderstanding and integration of the content. Thus, reading and/or writing homework isoccasionally assigned. Please discuss with your child what he or she learned in class after each6