SCHOOL NOTES FROM ANDREA:

    Our Amazing School Year 5767

 

 * SCHOOL STRUCTURE

     We had four classes for our 34 students): a Pre K-Kindergarten, a first and second grade, a third and fourth grade, and a fifth through seventh grade.  In addition, we had ten dedicated Ozrim (teenage helpers) who helped out almost every Sunday under the direction of their coordinator. 

 

·        TIKKUN OLAM(SOCIAL JUSTICE)

 This year our focus for Tikkun Olam was feeding the hungry.  The basis of our thought was that people can't help or improve themselves unless their most basic need for food is met.  During the year, we collected $300 for Mazon and thousands more when we participated in Project Bread's Walk for Hunger (with our own awesome T-shirts designed by two of our students

  In addition, we participated in Family Table through Jewish Family and Children's Services.  Every month, we collected boxes of graham crackers that went to a food bank along with many things that other institutions collected.  The items were then distributed to hungry families in the area.  Right before Passover, we went to Jewish Family and Children's Services to help pack and deliver.  For all who participated, it gave new meaning to the phrase “All who are hungry, come and eat.”  In addition, in keeping with our respect for the importance of food, no art or craft project could use food since our priority was that food is only for eating, helping people be healthy and strong.

 

* HOLIDAYS   

    We had many wonderful holiday celebrations this year.

    At Sukkot, we had a Friday night Family service and dinner in the sukkah, where the rabbi told all of us a wonderful story. 

   For Chanukah, we honored all our new students at Shabbat services and welcomed them to the school family.   Then, that Sunday we had a fun Chanukah fair, with many different activities including cookie decorating, making your own dreydel, making presents for your parents, giving Chanukah gelt to three local food shelters, a Chanukah store, and of course latkes, donuts and chocolate Chanukah gelt.

    If you missed our Tu B'Shvat presentation of the Giving Tree by our students, directed by one of our Ozrim, then you missed a truly wonderful performance by our students.

    The same regrets go for missing our Purim Schpiel--- Broadway,move over!! 

    For Yom Hashoah, the older grades discussed certain aspects of the Holocaust and then had a birthday cake to celebrate the 59th birthday of the state of Israel.

 

OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS 

   In November we had the first ever Friday night service when the students in the school participated in the service.  The fifth through seventh graders studied that week's parsha (LechLicha) in depth and taught the congregation.  Some of our students led the Shema for the service and some led the Barchu.  After the service, there was an extended Oneg in honor of our students.

   The fifth through seventh grade students spent part of the second half of the year working on individual projects, which they presented on the last day of school and are now on display in the library.   The students did a wonderful job and the projects covered a wide range of topics such as the history of the Maccabiah games, a study of the differences and similarities between Judaism and Islam, reflections on the history of one student's family, Israeli Hip Hop, how to bake challah. 

*      The first and second grade class made some very special friends this year.  All year, they were pen pals with a first and second grade class in a synagogue in Belmont.  After learning all about the Jewish value of Hachnasat Orchim (Welcoming Guests) the children had the opportunity to host their pen pals for a day of games, cooking, and fun.  The children were thrilled to meet one another and plan to continue their friendship next year.  A picture of the two groups of children together is on the door of Andrea's office.

*       Our students made a lot of progress in Hebrew this year and have been given summer reading assignments so they can keep their skills sharp over the summer.  The Rabbi and Andrea will make a contribution to the Mazon Tzedakah box of anyone who reads Hebrew every week of the summer.

*       Throughout the entire year our students worked and played together and learned that the most important aspect of our school is not how much they read or how many holiday facts they memorize but how they treat themselves and everyone around them.  Our students acted with respect, caring and decorum all year.  It truly was an amazing school year!

 

 

                  Andrea Silton, School Director