49 Days. 7 Weeks. The time it takes to get from Pesach to Shavuot. The amount of time that passed between B’nei Yisrael leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. The time to be transformed from an enslaved people to one with a close relationship with the Divine.

Traditionally, many people mark this time by counting the Omer, a ritual that involves counting the days and weeks leading up to Shavuot. More recently, the custom has developed that people read one chapter of Pirkei Avot on each of the Shabbatot between the end of Pesach and Shavuot. As the end of the school year coincides with the period leading up to Shavuot and the counting of the Omer, take the opportunity to learn one Mishnah from each chapter of Pirkei Avot as a way to reflect on the year and inspire students to take what they have learned with them over the summer.