A Meaningful Start to a Year of Social Justice Learning and Action!

By Anonymous September 28, 2017

Social Justice Learning In First Grade...

The start of school reminds me of all the promise, opportunity and responsibility that lays before us with the Rashi students, their families and the faculty and staff to genuinely make a difference right here at school, in our own communities and in our world.

First Grade students pondered one of our first big Essential Questions this year:

How can one person's actions and words inspire others (and
create a "domino effect") to make a difference in the world?

First graders were asked to imagine each domino representing someone in their class and to watch what happens when the first domino (representing someone who has taken action to make the world better) touches the domino in front of it and how all of the other dominoes can be impacted (and inspired!)

Then first graders worked with a partner to experiment with dominoes to create their own domino effect. The very long domino trail that students created reminds me how Rashi students daily inspire one another to choose kindness and follow their passions to fix problems and challenges in the world.

Launching Our Year of Social Justice Books!

This year first grade students will be inspired by many different characters featured in over 30 spectacular books that connect with social justice themes and mitzvot such as Rodeph Shalom (chasing peace), Gemilut Hasadim (acts of lovingkindness), V'ahavta L'reicha K'mocha (love your neighbor as yourself), Kavod (honor/respect), Ahavat Yisrael (loving Israel) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). These characters will "show us" genuine examples of how we can make a difference in our classroom, at school, in our family, in our community and in the world. Stay tuned for our weekly book spotlight!