What’ New?

The 5th grade had a wonderful experience on our recent field trip. The weather was perfect and the views of the Bay from our sailboat was magnificent. The staff who ran the program were very knowledgeable and worked well with the 5th graders. Everyone was engaged in learning and experiencing an unforgettable time. The tour of the Bay Model was also so informative and impressive. Our docent was chock full of information about water systems and the various aspects of the SF Bay. We had a terrific day of learning in the real world and experiencing what the explorers may have felt when they first explored the SF Bay. This field trip enriched our study of the Age of Exploration and our reading of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, as well as our ongoing study of the environment. Yesterday, we had a test covering our unit in history on the Age of Exploration. There were 3 pages of multiple choice and three essays to write. That’s a lot of papers for me to read but I will get them back to the class as soon as I can. It was a challenging test but the kids had two weeks of class time to review, write outlines for the essays, take notes and do practice problems.

This Friday, Oct. 30, Written, typed descriptions of each student’s proposed invention is due. I have given out a sample descriptions, illustrating how to write it up, what to include and how it should look. Every student should look at the sample and follow its form.

The latest creative writing story was due this past Monday (Oct 26). I have given them back with editing comments and corrections. Several students have had the chance to read their story out loud. Now it is time to type the story. I have told the class to do a page a night or even half a page a night until it is done. The more experience they have typing, the easier it will become. In class they have made beautiful illustrations to go with their stories.

There is a new spelling list assigned for this week. They need to be reviewed several times before Friday’s test.

This Wednesday (today) as well as next Wednesday, our class has art as a specialty. We rotate with computers every two weeks. We are working on the Million Dollar Project in the computer lab. Our class is almost finished making floor plans for their MDP. In two weeks we will begin making spreadsheets for our budgets.
In my math class we are working on setting up and solving word problems, multi-digit multiplication and division with 2-digit divisors.

Today we will begin a very special unit called: “Discovery.” It is a month long activity which has the children experiencing what it was like to colonize the New World by simulating it. For this unit, the class will be divided into 3 colony groups. They will have to choose jobs such as governor, recorder, trader and mapper. they will earn money (wealth units) by performing certain map skills. With their wealth unit they will be able to buy supplies for the long journey across the ocean to America. This will require planning and problem solving. They have to make sure they won’t starve on the long journey or run out of vital supplies. Once they have landed. they will have to use good thinking and knowledge of geography to choose a beneficial place to establish their colony. Land is worth different amounts of wealth units and reflects the reality of the early settlers’ needs and experiences. They will pick fate cards which will determine if they get to have a piece of land, if the Native Americans will trade with them or if a battle will take place. Fate cards mirror actual events that took place during the early English settlement of what is now the U.S. This simulation activity not only teaches early colonial American history, but involves the students in cooperative learning, keeping records, using math skills, problem solving, bartering, geographical knowledge and a hands on approach to learning history. Most students find it a highlight of their 5th grade year.

Field trip and some important assignment dates

Tomorrow is our field trip where we will be sailing on the Bay and learning about navigation, exploration, history and a little marine biology. All students must bring lunch and a water bottle and a day pack free of school supplies. We will be returning at 5:00 PM.

There are some important dates to note:  Please help your child put these dates on his/her home calendar or bulletin board.

The creative writing story we have been working on in class must be completed (1rst draft only) by Monday, October 26.

There is a challenging history test on the Age of Exploration Tuesday, October 27. Students should practice what they are going to write on the three essays and go over their notes, the study sheets and the chapter and lessons in the text.

A typed, written description of a proposed invention for the Invention Fair is due Wednesday, October 28. A sample of this assignment will go home with each student to follow.

We are back in full swing after the Rosh HaShanah holiday. In history we are getting deeper into learning about the Age of Exploration. In class the students have written :letters to a sailor” warning of the dangers of sailing the oceans as perceived by the Europeans in the 1400’s. Dire warnings of sea monsters consuming ships and storms and winds forcing ships off course and off the edge of the flat world. The students wrote wonderfully graphic descriptions of the dangers which lurked in ocean travel. We also have beenlearning about the technological advances that Europe made over a 400 year period such as the lateen sail, the rudder, the compass, etc. which helped them feel more able to sail. We learned about how even the printing press played a role in developing navigational know-how. Students made illustrations of three inventions which helped launch exploration and wrote about how they were used. We have also been looking at maps to determine the geographical underpinnings of exploration such as why Portugal was the first European country to set sail for a sea route to the Indies (India). We will be looking at the unfolding of history through the lenses of geography, economics and , social conditions. As in today’s world, religious differences also played a great role in the Age of Exploration.

In our unit on Inventions, students have worked in class on projects such as looking up inventions from the past and present and have created their own designs of these same inventions in the future. Tomorrow in the computer lab, they will be practicing word processing by typing up the mini-reports they wrote on an inventor. They will be learning how to format a report, how to include images and how to use font sizes, spacing of lines and margins, etc. Today, I introduced to the class the concept of a Rube Goldberg “invention.” Each student will be designing his/her own Rube Goldberg invention. All this is done to stimulate their creativity so they will be able to come up with their own “original” invention.  Our study of history and science have inter-connected in learning about inventions and technology. From the invention of the printing press and the rudder to today’s Iphone, the course of history can be linked to the development of technology. Later this year we will be taking a trip to the Tech Museum of innovation in San Jose to further immerse ourselves in the world of technology.

In math, my  group is studying prime numbers, factors, multiples and exponents.  We have learned how to prime factor a composite number and write its prime factrs in exponent form. We will be reviewing all that we have studied this term so far and there will be a math test next Wednesday. All students have math notebooks where they have written down definitions of terms and examples of problems which will help them study for the math test. In addition, they will be taking home their textbook and workbooks for studying purposes.  Some students have also been working on an enrichment activity where they have to find out what numbers are “perfect,” “deficient,” or “abundant.”

In reading, we are talking about cliffhangers, allusions, symbolism and how characters change as the story progresses. Vocabulary is an important part of our reading. Ask your child to tell you what the following words mean: litany, decrepit, disembarkation, grotesque, cringe and dirk.  We are also writing short pieces from the main character’s point of view as well as our interpretations of the author’s point of view.

As you can see, we ar engaged in a rich and creative curriculum and that your children are doing very interesting and high level academic endeavors.  Nexy week they will get a chance to write their own skits for history and create their own inventions out of everyday materials in the classroom. Stay tuned.

L’SHANAH TOVA

L’Shanah Tovah, Have a Sweet and Healthy year.

In SCIENCE Our fifth graders are currently working on a “mini-report” on an inventor and his/her invention. Marcia Lovelace, our wonderful librarian, has brought stacks of books about inventions into our classroom. The students got to peruse the books and choose an invention or inventor each was interested in. They also got information at home on the internet and brought it to school. In class we are learning to take notes and organize the information into categories. Tomorrow, Wednesday 9/16, we will be typing up these reports in the computer lab and learning to put images in the reports. If your child was absent these last few days, he/she may feel uneasy and behind the rest of the class. I’ll do what I can to catch them up with the assignment but they will need to work on the weekend to catch up. Rosh Hashanah starts Friday night. There is no school on Friday. I suggest Friday may be a good day to work on this mini-report. See the INVENT booklet, p.4 for what is required to be in the report. Next week they learn about another invention which they pick and see how it has changed in design from the past to the present. Then they will think about how they would like to improve the design and function of that invention and come up with that invention in its future form.

In HISTORY, we have been learning about how the Europeans in the 14th and 15th centuries developed a desire to trade with the Orient, also known as the Spice Islands. This desire for trade and for the specific goods found in India and China such as silk and spices and precious metals, inspired sea exploration. The need for a sea route to Asia to bring these goods to Europe launched the Age of Exploration and discovery. It opened up the world to Europeans and led to colonizing the “New World,” the Americas. Shira and Amara brought in examples of things made out of Silk which were very beautiful. Selma, our chef, made everyone in the school delicious honey spice cakes for Rosh Hashanah which were redolent with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, some of the very spices the Europeans wanted to get from the Indies (India). We also have been looking at inventions and technology which encouraged exploration such as the rudder, the lateen sails, the cross-staff, the Caravel ship, the compass, and more. Here we see how inventions and technology have played a crucial role in the history of civilization. We also saw a 28 minute documentary on the three stages of the Age of Discovery: the crusaders and the tales of Marco Polo, Prince Henry of Portugal creating a college of navigation an training and developing navigational knowledge and skills and the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, Cortes, and many other explorers who “discovered” and conquered lands and the impact it had on Native populations.

In WRITING, the students hav been writing letters to a “friend” warning of the dangers of sea exploration as believed by people before 1492. They have been told to vividly describe the dangers of drifting off to sea and falling off the edge of the flat earth. They are writing dire warnings of grotesque sea monsters gobbling up ships like a play toy and of enduring storms and possible capsizing due to the weakness of the ships. Of course, this writing activity is meant to enrich not only the student’s writing ability, but reinforce our study of the Age of Exploration.

In MATH, we are learning about estimation and approximation for use in mental math. Today we introduced the concept of factors and how certain numbers have more factors than others. We will continue to learn about factors and multiples and how there are factors and multiples common to certain numbers. By the end of the week we will be learning about prime numbers.

Today, I introduced The Million Dollar Project to the class. I showed them several projects that former students did and we discussed many different ideas. I told the class to bring in a written proposal describing what project they would like to do by next Wednesday (Sept. 23). They need to have a second back up plan in case two people chose the same idea or I realize their project idea won’t work financially. The Million Dollar Project must be a service or business which benefits the community either locally or globally and is a non-profit. Most of the Million Dollar Project will be done in school.

In READING, we are getting further into the intrigues of True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We have been emphasizing vocabulary as well as other literary devices. Ask your child to tell you what decrepit, loathsome, stench, cringe, gesticulate and grotesque mean.

Please check your child’s red homework assignment book and make sure they have done and packed in all their work. Best regards.

MANY PROJECTS AND LONG TERM ASSIGNMENTS COMING DUE

You may be noticing that your 5th grader has a lot of projects and assignments due one after the other. If your child has been keeping up with these assignments all along, then completing them should be very possible.  The model of the invention should be completed by tonight and a photo taken and printed and brought to school tomorrow. Many students have already brought in their photos and their completed Log Books. Log Books are due Wednesday (April 30).  All but three students have completed their final drafts of their outlines for their Women in History research reports and are working on writing their first drafts of the report itself.  Two students have already written their first drafts. The first draft of the report is due: May 4.  Your child should be working on one or two paragraphs a night in order to complete the report on time. Those who are very behind and are still working on their outlines, should be spending some weekend time catching up. There will be a history test on The Southern Colonies May 7. I will be giving some review and study time in class. I will also be giving the essay questions in advanced (tomorrow) and some study guide sheets this week. Please help your child by making sure your computer is working, your printer is working and your child is reminded about the nightly work on the report and all due dates. You might want to post a calendar with the due dates circled and labeled with the assignment. 

In school we are working on completing the Million Dollar project, reading Johnny Tremain, studying about the Southern Colonies and slavery, doing some activities related to some science curriculum we learned on our field trip to the Headlands, writing letters to parent chaperones, writing memoirs from a slave’s point of view or “graphic novels” depicting the three passages of slavery. We had a great time on our Headlands trip and got a chance to see and explore sea life and eco- systems we could never have done on school campus. At the Headlands the outdoors became our laboratory. 

Gail’s Blog is Back!

Yes, it’s been a long time but my blog is back and there is so much to tell you about. The class has been working very hard in math, literature, writing, science and history.

•  Literature: 
• Finished Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, one of the best written books for young adults there is. We used the author’s writing devices, vocabulary and techniques to model for us and inspire us to grow as writers as well as lovers of  literature.
• Beginning Johnny Tremain tomorrow.
• Students will be picking books to read independently for next book report due mid-May.
• Math:
• Completed units on fractions, decimals, ratio and percent.
• Introduced weekly math enrichment, every Thursday, in class. Students get to work on high level critical thinking problems and puzzles and topics such as exponents, coordinates & graphing, statistics, number theory, tessalations, geometry and more.
• Science:
• Learning about the physics of simple machines. Recently explored properties of incline planes, Archimedes Screw, levers and balaces. Made an Archimeded Screw as well as a levered balance out of K’Nex pieces and conducted various explorations based on measurement and equation to determine how these machines made work easier.
• Learned physics vocabulary such as: the load, the effort, the fulcrum, the load distance, the effort distance, the mechanical advantage.
• Completed 4-day workshop on puberty education
• Completed preliminary activities in our inventions unit. Students have learned about the history of many inventions, the purpose of inventions and how one goes about trying to invent something based on a necessity. Students have conducted surveys and research and are now ready to make their inventions and to determine their targeted market based on their survey.
• History:
• Completed large unit on Early European Settlements in America. Students took notes, worked in study groups, made outlines to prepare for test, wrote four essays, worked on map skills, used compare and contrast format to understand the difference and similarities among the Spanish, French, Dutch and English settlemts. The major concept was to see how America offered either economic opportunity or religious freedom to the early settlers and to understand why these forces were so compelling.
• We also traced the economic reasons for slavery in America and in particularly, in the Southern Colonies. We watched two volumes of Roots, a mini series from the late 1970’s which traces one African American man’s family back to Africa and being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Students got to see the nature of slavery in the early 18th century and see how European and American beliefs rationalized this inhumane situation.
• We have begun the next unit in colonial American history which will emphasize the different economic development of the English colonies due to their geography and social/cultural influences. We will emphasize the ever dividing attitudes towards slavery in the Southern and Northern colonies as well as the ever uniting idea of independence from Great Britain. We will look at the Declaration of Independence and interpret it words and intent.
• Students have been working hard in their reports on a woman in history. It has been a real challenge for many to take notes, to get enough information, and to know what is important and what should be left out. We have begun working on writing an outline for the report. Many students are finding out that they need more information and are having to go back and take more notes. This is a learning process.  Students should be working every night on their outlines. They work in class for a period a day but many need more time to complete the amount required each day.
• Writing:   We finished writing science fiction stories inspired by the movie E.T. Students have used their wonderful imaginations to create amazing stories. Everyone has grown so much as a writer this year. They have illustrated their writing as well and will have a beautiful portfolio to keep forever at the end of 5th grade.

SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR HISTORY REPORT:

• OUTLINE DUE APRIL 3
• FIRST TYPED DRAFT OF HISTORY REPORT DUE MAY 4
• COVER FOR HISTORY REPORT DUE MAY 5
• TITLE PAGE FOR REPORT DUE MAY 6
• BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR REPORT DUE MAY 7
• COMPLETE CORRECTED FINAL DRAFT DUE MAY 18

SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR INVENTION PROJECT:

• INVENTION MODEL COMPLETED BY APRIL 29. PHOTO OF INVENTION DUE IN CLASS ON APRIL 29. INVENTION, ITSELF, STAYS HOME UNTIL –JUNE 1.
• INVENTION LOG BOOK ENTRIES NEED TO BE MADE EACH NIGHT YOU WORK ON INVENTION, SIGNED AND DATED BY A WITNESS. LOG BOOK AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS ARE DUE BY APRIL 30, AND HANDED IN THAT DAY.

MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT AND INVENTION POSTER BOARDS WILL BE DONE IN CLASS AND TEACHER WILL SUPPLY MATERIALS.

KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES

I so much enjoyed meeting with you at parent conferences. I regard my role as your child’s teacher to be a partnership with you, his/her parents and myself. Together, we create the best possible educational and emotional experience for your child. Thank you for taking the time to conference with me and for your insights which help me be a better teacher. I am truly loving my class this year. It is such a luxury to have a small and bright class that allows me the time to work with each child and to provide each child with  the help and guidance he/she needs.  

As always, we have been very busy learning in school. In my math class, we are learning so much about fractions. There are many skills to learn with fractions, including problem solving and measurement. There will be a test on all that we have covered in fractions so far, next Monday and Tuesday (November 24 &25). I have given each student a practice test and other review sheets which we are working on in class all this week. Your child will need to practice and study from these review sheets in preparation for the test. In order to give the children enough time to review every skill, I am giving the test next week, even though it is right before the Thanksgiving break. If your child will be away next Monday and/or Tuesday, he/she will have to take the test upon returning. So, make sure he/she studies and the material is fresh in his/her mind upon returning.

We will be having our annual Thanksgiving feast next Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 11:15 – 12:15.  We celebrate Thanksgiving not only because it is an American holiday, but because we are studying American history in 5th grade. The story of the Puritans and their establishing a colony in America to be able to practice their religion free from persecution, is an important part of our understanding of the historical events  that has shaped our country and our values. In honor of all this, we will be cooking in class on Monday, Nov. 24. We will be making a hearty and delicious vegetable soup and corn bread. The other 5th grade will be making some dishes and we will come together and eat, talk about what we are thankful for and sing some songs about America. Each child has been assigned an ingredient to bring to school by Friday. An E-mail was sent out about this and I will post the list in class.

Our exploration of colonization is continuing with our student colonies filling their ships with cargo for the journey to the New World. Choices they make are crucial to their success. Will they bring enough food to see them through the long journey across the ocean? Will they have enough people to hunt, fish and farm for sustenance? Will they be able to negotiate with the Native American for land, food, water? What perils await our eager colonists on the ocean as well as the wilderness which is the New World? 5th graders are busily using their reasoning and problem solving skills to make the best possible choices in these life and death decisions.

In our study of writing, we are learning to recognize as well as write our own topic sentences and detail sentences to form paragraphs for narratives and essays. We work almost daily in these activities which will culmunate in writing a 3 -5 paragraph essay.  In literature, we are getting close to the end of our book. We are discussing the author’s use of: personification, symbolism and comic relief as literary techniques which make the book come alive.  In our study of inventions, each student has written a mini-report on an invention and its inventor. They typed it up in the computer lab, got pictures from Google Imagesand super imposed it onto their reports. The results look great and we all learned a lot about  some inventors and inventions. They are posted on the classroom wall.  

New Units of Study

Having had our history test on European Age of Exploration and Discovery, 5th graders are seeing the fruits of their studying labors. Those who studied their notes and study sheets and practiced writing the answers to the essay questions did very well. Children need different amounts of time to learn the material. Many of the 5th graders are starting to see that they may have needed to practice, study and prepare more than they did. Others found the right amount of time they needed to learn the material well. Each child is unique and needs to find the ways that work best for him or her. Part of the goal of giving the test was to teach our students study skills and test taking skills. Everyone has grown academically from the whole experience. Hopefully, everyone has a better understanding of what the world was like in the 15th and 16th centuries and how it has impacted America’s development to this very day. 

We have begun a new unit in history on early American colonization of North America. In order to make the concepts come alive and be real for our students, we will be doing a month long simulation of colonization, imitating the English colonization of the Atlantic coast.  The simulation involves dividing the class into three colony groups. They will be learning map skills, using a budget to buy supplies for their ships, sailing across the ocean and trying to colonize the land they arrive in. Along the way they will experience hardships, problems and excitement that the early English colonies experienced. They will have to survive by negotiating with the Native people, trading, fishing, hunting, and farming. They will pick fate cards that replicate actual experiences that early colonists had. Crops can be destroyed, epidemics can wipe out portions of a population, Native Americans can show your colony how to fish and hunt – all things that did happen to some colonies. This simulation will really help our students understand what life was like and what the goals were in establishing colonies in the “New World.” Students will be using problem solving strategies, math skills, leadership, collaborative team work, creativity and reading and writing skills to make their colony succeed. 

As you know, the presidential elections are almost here. We are discussing the electoral college- why it exists, what it does, and what is needed to win the election. I am asking the class to watch a half hour of the election returns (if parent allows) next Tuesday evening. They will have a map of the U.S. with the states and their corresponding electoral votes printed on it. The students’ assignment is to watch the news coverage of the election and jot down an O or an M on their maps on any states whose votes have been counted. I would also like them to see the big “fuss” that surrounds this event. We will discuss the elections the next day in school.

In our English and writing classes, we are finishing up writing a creative short story on being granted three wishes. The students have great imaginations. I am enjoying reading their stories as they work on them. The first draft will be due November 5. Then, they will need to get typed. I’m encouraging the class to try to type their stories themselves. But, I know the reality. For many children, they don’t have the typing skills to do so in a timely way. Many will need parent help. I would like to suggest that parents (who are willing) type a page and have your child type a page, or a paragraph or two paragraphs. As long as the child types some part of the story, he or she will be taking the first steps towards familiarity with the keyboard and with setting up  word processing.  The more students type up their work, the better they will get at it. Some of your kids have written very long stories so, your contribution to typing may be really needed.

We are learning about writing paragraphs, topic sentences and supporting details. This is the building block for writing essays and reports and for any expository writing. We continue to practice proof reading and the rules of punctuation that go with it. This week I will introduce our first spelling list. Most of the words are from our study of history and from the errors I see on the students papers. 

We continue working on the Million Dollar Project. Many of the children have listed most of the items they think they’ll need for their project and have begun pricing them. What good practice for real life and for working with a budget!  They are rounding prices to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 which calls upon their math skills. We are using calculators to add the totals, which gives them practice with calculators.  In Gail’s math class we have begun a unit in fractions. Some of the vocabulary we are learning in math is: numerator, denominator, lowest common multiple, divisor, equivalent fraction, and reducing to lowest terms or simplifying. Ask your child what these all mean. Maybe he or she will give you examples. It’s great when math discussions can happen at home.

The Happy Holiday Of Sukkot

Rabbi Tsipi told us that Sukkot is the one holiday in the Torah that commands us to be happy. I wish all of you a good holiday and to enjoy the beauty of the Fall and of the new fruits and harvest. We are having these wonderful holidays and yet, the learning process must go on in order for us to finish our fifth grade curriculum by the end of the school year. With that in mind, I need to announce that there will be a math quiz for my math group this Friday, October 17,  and a history test on Friday, October 24th. We are spending class time to study for the history test but students will need to review their notes and outlines in the days before the test. I will be sending home a study sheet listing all the topics that will be on the test and the three essay questions this Thursday.  Some students have some math to finish tonight, due Thursday.  They need to finish Textbook page 32 (#’s 7-14) and workbook page 30. Most of this assignment was done in class.

A Sweet & Healthy Rosh Ha’ Shana

I hope you all had a pleasant and meaningful Rosh Ha’ Shana. Despite the days off, the Fifth Grade has been very busy with our units of study. For the last two weeks we have been learning about some important inventions, writing mini-reports on an invention, drawing and writing about an invention and how it looked and worked in the past, in the present and the most fun, how might it evolve in the future. The latter assignment engaged the students creativity and thinking. We have many books on inventions displayed around the classroom. Students were fascinted by such old relics as the record player, the typewriter and the original telephones.  They are already thinking about what original invention they might design. Many children in the class were surprized that “bread” is an invention. We discussed the role of agriculture and use of grains as one of the key elements for the advancement of civilization in the history of humans.

In history, we are finishing up our unit on the Age of Exploration. Each student is keeping a history notebook where they take notes. They are learning outline form and Roman numerals and hopefully, how to use notes as a study aid. We are reviewing the unit and are learning how to prepare for a test. Next week, I will give everyone a study sheet listing all the topics that will be on the test and the 3 essay questions. I will have them write outlines for the essays – once again, showing them how to study. Study skills are a major skill that I strive to teach 5th graders over the course of the year.

In writing, the students have been writing stories in their journals. Some, have made several “chapters’ and hope to continue on in their novellas all year. We continue to practice proof reading/editing skills. Next week, I will begin teaching the class how to write a formal paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting details. This will develop into how to write a multi paragraphed essay and eventually, a report.

In math,  my math class has begun a unit on division with 2-digits in the divisor. We just finished learning multiplying by 2 and 3 digits. Division is one of the great challenges of the curriculum. Soon we will start fractions and learn how fractions is a form of division. Today, Tuesday, some students had to finish up some math for homework. I never give homework on the holidays but, they have a full day tomorrow before the holiday begins and they need the practice for mastery.

We have gotten to the exciting part of the book we are reading, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. The class is really riveted by the juicy plot and the great descriptive writing in this book. Last Friday we went to the library and every student took out a book for independent reading. They should be reading their new book as close to daily as possible.

In our  last Wednesday class meeting, we discussed how hurtful and embarrasing it may be for people to point out or make fun of other people’s physical characteristics such as: “you’re so short,” “Your ears are as big as Dumbo’s,” “You’re fat/skinny/tall,” etc. Many kids shared with the group how they have been teased or humiliated by other kids making these kinds of statements. When asked, “who in this class has ever felt bad about being teased about their physical traits, every child raised a hand.   We spoke of the Jewish value of not doing to others what you wouldn’t want for yourself. We spoke about the concept of empathy. How would you feel in that situation? Everyone agreed that we should pledge to be careful with our words and not use them to be hurtful to others.