January 23, 2009 Tevet 27, 5769Dear MJCDS Parents, Barucha haba'ah - welcome back to Lianna Pront. We are glad to have her home. She and her family returned with good cheer and, lucky for us, with gifts too! Our class now has a new fun map of Israel and some new cds of children's Israeli/Hebrew songs! We now are fortunate to hear some of the latest of what is in the ears of children in Israel and we were able to plot places on the map where Lianna went. Mazel tov to the Greenspan Family. We hope that our prayers helped Jonathan. It seems he is on the mend and running around! Our thanks extend to Faygie who helped us get caught up with our weekly parashiot. This week we made a baby Moshe and the basket he was placed in while in the Nile for the parasha of Shemot. We also drew pictures of the makot 1-7 because in this week's lesson we studied the first seven plagues. Next week we study the last three. While it is a bit confusing reading about Egypt and our exodus now, it does help us get rooted in our tradition and history. At this time our thanks also extend to Ms. Adrienne Borisy Gross. This week students made abstract sculptures by experimenting with assembling pieces in different ways. They will soon turn this beginning piece into a paper mache entity. They will eventually complete an "Assemblage!" During General Studies students continued learning about the inauguration. They watched the swearing in ceremony, heard the poem that was read at the inauguration, and saw a bit of the parade. The children decided that they really liked the poem and would have liked to see a float or two in the parade. They also learned about Dr. Martin Luther King. They learned that he was a man for all the people and that he thought all people should be free and given equal opportunity. They learned that the color of skin should not be a decisive factor. They found that they also really liked one of this week's poems that spoke about crayons being different colors. They connected this with their studies about Dr. King. The consensus was that it would be boring if all of life were the same color. In Hebrew and Judaic studies students continued with Shemot, extended their Hebrew vocabulary, and in first grade, familiarized themselves with more letters and vowels. Their phonetic reading is strengthening as well as their sight vocabulary. Kindergartner's oral skills are expanding as students, such as Talia, begin to ask questions in Hebrew versus just being cued in to answers. Reminder: Please have children come to school on time. Todah Rabbah: To all for helping sustain our school. Having just returned from a Project Sulam Conference, it is undeniable that MJCDS has a very special parent body. With continued support we should be able to prosper. Upcoming Events: Monday, January 26, morning visit by Rabbi Joshua Ben Gideon. Until next timeÖ have a sweet Shabbat. Kol tuv, Meisha and Jodi |