Parashat Tazria Metzora

This is such an interesting time of year; we are deeply involved in the series of "Yoms" as well as Lag B'Omer. It is a busy time of year and before you know it summer will be here.

As a faculty our energy is focused on making the end of school year meaningful and productive and we are also starting to plan for the 2012-2013 school year.  As part of our planning process we identify the programs that worked well and we are also always looking to make improvements to our program by introducing new ideas to the classroom so that our children benefit from them.

One area we take particularly seriously is class placements.  We know that class placements are a critical part of the lower school experience. Each year we look at the placements to ensure that the children get exposure to various teaching styles as well as the opportunity to interact with different peers. We also recognize that every child has unique needs and some teachers match better with some students. 

As part of the process of doing class placements we look at many factors. These factors include gender and geographic balance. We also look at the academic profile of each student as well as personality profile when looking at the placement.  Our classroom teachers and Special Services team also take a tremendous amount of  time to be sure placements work academically. Current teachers know their students and also understand their complex interactions. 

As part of the parent, teacher, student partnership, we would like to give you an opportunity to let us know if you have special requests for your child’s placement next year. We understand that you as parents see a side of your children that may influence their peer interactions and we will consider parental requests for students placements with other children as best as we can.  Given all of the factors that go into placing students, we can not guarantee all special requests will be honored.  Most of the time we are able to accommodate special requests (as they are often consistent with our own placement anyway), but at other times, the manifold factors that go into proper class placements preclude us from accommodating requests. 

That being said, it is also very important to note that what may seem like a poor class placement (by the parents or even the child) at the beginning of school usually turns into one of success over the course of the year.  Children learn to make new friends, find new interests, and develop a sense of independence.  After the initial disappointment, children adjust beautifully (with positive parental support J) and do well. 

Please know that you do not need to make a request for us to pay special attention to your child…you can take that as a given.

If you would like to share with us information that will help us in making a placement decision, please email it  to lsplacement@mjbha.org by May 7^th.  To ensure that all requests are properly reviewed we will only accept requests via email. We also ask that when emailing requests that you prioritize your request and also provide your reasoning for the request (as well as first and last names).

An example would be:

1. My first priority is that my son Will be placed in a class with Peter O’Day. Will and Pete developed a nice friendship in first grade and they have not been in class for two years.
2. I very much would like to be sure Lois is not with Mary Smith. They have been in class together for two years and Mary is very distracting to Lois.
3. I would like my son to have a teacher who is very structured and provides regular routine and consistent expectations.

Class lists will be published right before school starts. We are not able to share them prior to the beginning of school as many things shift throughout the summer (new students, students leave area, new teachers are hired, etc.) Thank you for your partnership. We look forward to a beautiful spring, fun summer and anticipate an exciting school year ahead.

p.s. At our Yom Haatzmaut Shuk today, students in grades 1 – 5 “bought” their Israeli treats with promises of mitzvot they will do: be on the look out for LOTs of help with setting &/or clearing the Shabbat  table, amazing cooperation and great listening, assistance with younger siblings, special attention to davening and acts of chesed.  Ask your child what s/he volunteered to do (approximately 4 mitzvot per child!!).  Your K – 5 children should be tired and exhilarated today from all the fun activities. We thank the teachers for their energy and skill!!

p.s. II (J) Lots of kids had questions about the attire for tomorrow.  Wearing blue and white is fine (if they have a clean outfit)). Shabbat attire is also great- but not too fancy

Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Tzav

Howard Gardner made famous a theory that most educators have known inherently, that of "multiple intelligences."  He says that children (all of us) learn - or are smart - in various ways. 

• Linguistic intelligence
• Logical-mathematical
• Musical intelligence
• Spatial intelligence
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
• Interpersonal intelligence
• Intrapersonal intelligence
• (He later identified an eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence.)

We believe in this - we see this every day.  A child who might struggle in reading absolutely shines when she's on stage - even memorizing her part amazing us all!

We see children who might struggle in math be the leaders when it comes to analyzing historical events.  Students who cannot imagine writing a complete paragraph translate an assignment into an outstanding piece of art work.

Obviously all students need to be able to read, write and do math – and many work mightily diligently at mastering these skills – or at least meeting the goals…but isn’t it wonderful t hat there are areas in which they easily succeed – and thrive?  Part of our curriculum is designed to academically challenge our students to do more, to reach new heights. Another facet recognizes that other need – of kids to succeed in other areas. And so, when we build our program, consideration is made to address all areas. 

Last week’s Oneg is a perfect example of this.  Our 5^th graders, with help from the DLGJCAC worked for a month with a playwright, writing their own scripts on Sefer Shemot, the Book of Exodus.  Imagine our delight when it was an unqualified success and the students wrote outstanding plays! This pleasure was increased when we watched 3 of their plays come to light on our stage and saw the various “intelligences” of our students shine!  This kind of learning is evident every day.  A first grade class took a break and the students did jumping jacks, counting to 50 by 5’s!  5^th grades learned about “chametz” by experimenting with yeast and balloon (trust me, it’s cool!); 3^rd graders used works of art to pinpoint Jewish traditions and also to create their own “Agams” about slavery and freedom. These of course are only examples of the multi-intelligence learning throughout the school.

The Pesach Seder, eons “before its time,” is a great example of this kind of learning.  We move, we taste, we ask, we sing; did you ever hear of the 4 sons!!!!.  Hopefully your children will bring home ideas and information that help you look at the Seder, at Pesach, through a new lens.  For many, it’s a turning of the tables.  We are commanded “v’heegadeta l’vincha”, and “you should teach your children.”  In many cases, the children are teaching their parents!! 

Second Trimester report cards should be sent home today.  As I read the various teachers’ assessments of your children, I am struck by the ability of our children to learn so much and to adapt to different styles of teaching.  I continue to enjoy the proof of multiple intelligences that children thrive in different ways, that varied learning styles – and the subjects themselves – bring out the best in our children and permit them to enjoy success.  

I join the entire Lower School staff in wishing you and your families a “zeesen Pesach,” our hope that you will enjoy your children and their knowledge – as well as their beautiful sweetness!  Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

This past Sunday, we attended an engagement party for our granddaughter and her chosen young man; he will be in kollel and she will continue as a math teacher in the NY City public schools.  As I enjoyed the happiness swirling around me, my mind took me back to my grandfather, who almost 80 years ago, fled Germany for the safely of the USA.  His worry in leaving his homeland was based on his fears that in this new "trafe" land, would his grandchildren be Jewish. I hope he saw my smile and hear me say, "yes they are - not only your grandchildren, but your great grandchildren, and your great great grandchildren, and im yirtzah Hashem, your great, great, great grandchildren."

Sometimes I hear parents of multiple young children or of those who are going through a rough stage wishing the age away….wanting their kids to be grown up (or at least not be little anymore)!! My retort is always the same “don’t wish away these years.”  And it’s not because of anything negative – the future stages have their own issues…but each step along the way should be treasured and valued for what it does contain, for the memories that are being made, and for the life experiences they contain.

When my husband was in Vietnam (for the longest 10 months of my life), we had 3 children 5 and under; I so vividly remember just wondering if I would ever be done parenting!! The answer of course is “no.” You’re never done.  Different stages require different energies and skills and each brings its own pleasures.

As your children grow and undergo the various lifecycle events – from getting their first siddur to their high school diploma, from their drivers license to their ketubah, you worry.  You worry about the “what ifs,” you second guess yourself, you question their choices, you wonder what else you could have done... Sometimes you worry so much, you don’t have time – or room – to enjoy your children.  And then they are on their own; And yes, sometimes they make not such great choices and you wish you could push “redo.”  But they learn and more often than not, they turn out very well and reflect the values that you had hoped to inculcate.  You get the chance to see that all that time and effort and energy that you devoted was worth it…but how did it happen so fast? Where did the years go?

Fast forward a few years and the dividends are born – but this time around, you don’t worry quite so much and you have the luxury of being able to simply enjoy, to kvell over the grandchildren's smiles and chuckle over the independence and recognize traits  of those who have gone before – and who grew up just fine.  You have the chance to marvel at the miracle of life and growth because you are not burdened by sleepless nights (and require less sleep!) and the worry about when they’ll reach their next milestone because you KNOW that it will happen, that with Hashem’s help, all will turn out well.

But even more amazing, the grandchildren themselves grow and thrive and mature and all of a sudden, they’re real people, facing the world and you see the absolute beauty in all of this.  I have been so blessed to have had the privilege of those sleepless nights, of walking the feverish child, of stressing over a child slow to pick up the academics; I have agonized over teens whose independence wanted them to go a different way and waited cautiously while life’s partners were being chosen.  And now, that they made good choices, we see even more branches as the next generation tenuously takes its steps.

My message is to relax, to enjoy each year of growth and what it brings, to take pleasure in your child.  Davening certainly helps as does believing that it will turn out right, that you are doing your best, that you are partners with G-D in raising this child and that with His help; s/he will become someone of whom you can be very proud (and even a friend). Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat Tetzaveh

One of the school’s Five Pillars is that of “acharayut,” responsibility.  Frequently we discuss it in terms of our collective responsibility to klal Yisrael, the Jewish people, as well as our community and our Country.  There is another important way in which to see this, that of our responsibility to ourselves, to making the right choices to help us be appropriate, our responsibility to think for ourselves.

This past week, I spent a chunk of time working with a group of students who collectively made poor choices.  The group of students together acted unkindly and inappropriately.  We were concerned because each child went along with a group decision that as individuals they certainly would have questioned or recognized as unkind.  The children, even though they knew what they were doing was wrong, participated because others were doing it, falling prey to peer pressure.

What we stressed to the children (in addition to the unsuitability of the action) was that they must think for themselves, only do what they know is correct, not listen to others when they know that it’s wrong.  As I spoke to each of the children the following day, after the children had written apologies for their behavior and discussed it with their parents, each of them said something to the effect of “That’s what my parents said!”  (Hooray!!! J)

One of our goals is to give our students the courage and the ability to “just say no,” not to participate in unacceptable activities, not to listen to their friends when they know it’s wrong!  It’s akin to “would you run into the middle of traffic if your friends told you to?”  Except that we’re preparing them for later on – when they will possibly be faced with more difficult decisions as teenagers. The time to start this education is now.  “Think for yourself.”

I appreciate the support from our parents in reiterating this message and helping teach our children to make good choices.

Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat Mishpatim

This last week has been filled with special celebrations.  You know about our amazingly wonderful Color War on Tu B’Shvat.  And that was just the beginning!!!

Two 2nd grade classes celebrated their completion of chapter 12 of Lech L’cha with a siyyum at which they dramatized the story.  They also showed us how skilled they are becoming in Hebrew.  One of the highlights for me was watching them at their seats following along in their chumashim (which they received earlier in the year) while a parent leyned the text.  This was unrehearsed and almost every child not only followed along with his/her fingers, but also mouthed the words.  Another Kodak moment engraved in my heart!

Last Thursday, the fourth graders each received a Tanach.  Each year, as we give the students this “book,” it always amazes me at how our students have such agility with the text.  For them, the Tanach is a guidebook, a reference book that quickly becomes a friend.  (Did I mention it is Hebrew only??).  Watching them leaf through it, looking for their favorite “stories,” marveling at its maps, showing each other what they have located is a thrill in itself.

My week of “gifting” continued this week as our first graders had their Siddur parties.  Each year as I watch the children perform with such excitement, anticipating the big moment (!), I am reminded of how extraordinary this event really is.  I feel that I am more in awe than ever before at the prodigious amount of knowledge our students acquire and at how this is such a momentous occasion for us all.  That we are privileged to teach and learn and celebrate in such an open environment – and take it for granted - is in itself phenomenal and a beautiful bracha.   The looks of awe, pride, and happiness on the children’s faces are always a joy to behold.  The reverence with which they hold their siddur is something that I am afraid does not last forever; if only we could capture it! But what we hope will last is the respect and love that are engendered.

Something else wonderful happened on the stage at one Siddur party.   Watching all the students, you would never have known that one of the students, who is part of the Sulam She’arim program, only joins her Academy class for parts of the day.     Watching all the students, you would never have known that there’s anything different about her.  During the dances and all the various portions of the presentation, there she was – part of the group.  If she needed help, her neighbors were right there, lending a hand.  I have had many occasions to watch the interactions in class and other parts of the day; she is accepted as a classmate and - just simply included.  The same as I do not take our privilege of education for granted, I do not take this acceptance for granted – but I am so very pleased!!  We teach our kids about middot and the importance of derech eretz; we talk about the importance of kindness and accepting people for who they are; we know that everyone has different talents and skills and that we don’t make fun of people; we model appropriate behavior and treatment of others.  But when we see it displayed day after day; when we know that our lessons are being learned; when we see 6  year olds acting like menchen (the plural of mench ?? ), we feel such pleasure – such nachas.  When we can – and do – appreciate others and include everyone, we know that there is hope for this world! We know that, as important as book learning is, there is more to our education and the proof is in the actions and interactions.

Our children have already received so many extraordinary gifts in their lives.   The Tanach and the Siddur will hopefully remain among their all time favorites.  Our children have also given us a gift – reminding us how precious everyone is and how beautiful life can be. Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Vaeira

Although it is customary to  write about the coming week's parasha, this week I beg your indulgence so that I can share with you a very special happening last Shabbat at the preconference Shabbaton I attended (for those of you who were not aware, I was away). This preceded the Jewish educators' conference that started on Sunday in Atlanta (although it could have been held at any hotel close to any major airport for all we got to see of the city!!!).  As the Haphtarah (for Ashkenazim) was being read, words jumped out at me. As Isaiah refers to teaching and understanding: "Commandment by commandment and commandment by commandment, measuring line by measuring line and measuring line by measuring line."tzav latzav tzav latzav,  kav lakav kav lakav..", I looked at the person sitting next to me, the Judaic studies director of another school.  We smiled and nodded that knowing look.  Later we discussed how very appropriate those words are, how timely the message - even though it was written so very long ago.  Sometimes we do need to review, word by word, line by line; we build knowledge upon knowledge, foundation upon foundation, skill upon skill, not rushing to cover everything at once, but spiraling our learning, line by line. Beautiful that the "Torah way" is so insightful and educationally accurate!

The NAJDS (National Association of Jewish Day Schools) conference itself was quite a feat.  It is a conference (of approximately 700 people) for four different branches of Jewish Day Schools - Modern Orthodox, under the aegis of Yeshiva University, RAVSAK, the Jewish Community Day School Network, Solomon Schechter, and PARDES, the Reform movement.  Can you even imagine it?  The opening keynote address is designed to touch everyone; the workshops speak to the issues of today as well as to the various jobs of school leaders: technology, the 21st Century classroom, methodology, retention and development...  The major part of Monday was dedicated to the separate Divisions, for member meetings and denomination-specific workshops.  Most meals were open seating and it was rare to see tables with just one segment of the "population."  (Different colored nametags identified our affiliations.)  In many sessions as well as at meals and in private meetings, peers consulted based on common issues their schools face, not on religious striations.  Hot topics ranged from use of ipads (or the like) by students to "how much homework?" to PR and Hebrew programs.   As much as the sessions themselves were impactful, the networking is a major part of the conference.  The connections and relationships formed have a positive effect on our institutions.

Avi Chai and PEJE, the prominent names of Jewish Day School support agencies were present, meeting individually and in groups with various schools.

Yeshiva University itself has quite an impressive program in its Center for the Jewish Future.    It  is designed for  college graduates enrolled in the Azrielli Graduate school of Education who are working in Jewish Day Schools while taking courses and being mentored.    It is an impressive program that reflects vision and caring about the future.

In general, the number of young educators was notable and refreshing.  It is exciting to see that so many bright, accomplished, idealistic young adults have entered the Jewish education field and are making a significant difference!  I am encouraged by this and hope that the trend continues.  One of our teachers asked me what changes I am planning on making.  What I see is not radical transformation but rather a renewed sense of purpose - what I term "rejewvenation:"  tzav latzav tzav latzav,  kav lakav kav lakav.  Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Shemot

This week we start the second book of the Torah, Sefer Shmot.  In English it’s referred to as the Book of Exodus, but the literal translation is “names,” because “shmot” is the first important word in the Parasha (which is how the names of the parshiyote and their books are determined.)

I was fortunate to daven on Monday with the 5th grade boys, which in itself is always a pleasurable experience.  I marveled at their growth and how they seamlessly took on the different roles, switching chazanim for the various parts of the service, knowing when to wait for others to finish a tefilah before continuing, and some very naturally simply leading the others.  As I watched these 10 and 11 year olds, I saw a society in formation, our future shul leaders: who will very likely be a Gabbai, who will help out with gathering up stray siddurim, who will help a latecomer.

At the end, I discussed with them “Shmot.”  Why are names so important?  They had many great ideas, but I, who has watched them grow and thrive over their 6 years in the Lower School, have another perspective.  Names are so important; we are all part of a greater whole.  Certainly when it is related to us as Jews, whether today or as slaves in Mitzrayim, each of us has a role.  Each of us is known by our actions, sometimes leading, sometimes following, sometimes speaking up and sometimes being silent.  HOW we are known is up to us. 

This is a recurring theme in our conversations with our students.  WHO are you?  Who do you want to be? When people hear your name, what will they think?  Is your name going to cause others to be happy, to smile, to think positive thoughts, or not?   Who determines that?    The children all know that it is they who are the determinants.  Even children who have multiple older siblings who have gone through the Lower School, whose siblings might have had the same teachers as they currently have – know that they cannot rest on their siblings’ (or parents’) laurels.  Occasionally, a student tries on “a different hat,” starts acting out in some way, maybe by not studying or doing homework, maybe by starting to disrupt a class or be the “clown.”  Is s/he satisfied with the results of these behaviors? Are these choices that have positive effects on the child? Does s/he like the consequences? Is this who the child wishes to be? 

B’nai Yisrael banded together; each family defied Egypt , slaughtered the lamb and smeared the blood, each person  took up his/her bundles and walked out of Egypt, each person said “naaseh v’nishma” (we will do and we will listen) at Har Sinai.  There was an Am Yisrael, and it was made up of individuals, of shaymote.    They forged our nation.

So too we teach our children to be individuals as well as part of a whole, but  never to forget his or her name, who s/he is, who s/he wants to be, how s/he can  help and what s/he needs to do.  In Pirkei Avot, it says in chapter 4, verse 13 “Rabbi Shimon would say: ……-but the crown of good name surmounts them all.”  We work with our students to help them find their appropriate names and encourage each to find that shiny one of a good name so that s/he may take his/her rightful place in the greater community. Shabbat Shalom