The IFFP 3rd Grade class explores what it means to be a “hero” or a “saint,” and the students learn about both heroic and/or saintly individuals and qualities. Students discuss what it meant for individuals or groups to be “called by God.” They begin to discover the complexity of “saintly” and “heroic” figures (no one is perfect!). 

The heroes and saints might include some or all of the following: Abraham, Miriam and Moses, the Maccabees, St. Francis, David, Esther, John the Baptist, Jesus, Mary, the Disciples and modern saints like Martin Luther King, Ghandi or Mother Teresa

Methods: Teachers use stories, plays and class projects to relate these figures and their qualities to the students’ own characteristics and beliefs.

Purim Play: For many students, the highlight of the year is the class Purimspiel. After learning about the heroine, Esther, the third graders star in their own version of the Purim Story, which they act out for the rest of the IFFP Community at our annual Purim Carnival.

Hebrew: The third grade class continues to learn very basic Hebrew.