Purim 2014

All through last week, the children dressed up for the Jewish festival of Purim. The highlight was on Wednesday, including a parade, an exchange of gift baskets (Mishloach manot) and several stations with games, run by the pupils themselves.

The day started with the preparation of gift baskets in the classrooms.

Every teacher used a different method to make the baskets, but all gave the children sweets to put in them. The Mishloach manot celebrates unity and friendship, and makes Purim days of feasting and gladness.

Once the baskets were prepared, the pupils organised their game stations. One of the classrooms featured a game of twister, table-top cotton ball soccer (moving the ball by blowing through straws)

and fishing for bracelets with paper clips. While another classroom was hosting a little tournament of stomping on the opponents balloons (attached to their ankle with a string). Some teachers also helped the students with face-painting and glitter "tattoos".

The sixth graders darkened a classroom, and turned it into a horror maze. They let in a few pupils at a time, who then had to walk on all fours through tunnels made from tables and bed sheets. Around every corner was lurking another sixth grader, some armed with water or flashlights. One of them would burst out of a closet, screaming.

The highlight of the day was a parade, where all the pupils presented their costumes before the rest of the school. Popular choices included ninjas and princesses, and some costumes really stood out, like a lego man, Peter Fan (Peter Pan with a fan), an iPhone, and a whole team from Winnie the Pooh.