Michelle Kobrin,

Shana Krauss, Margaret Danishefsky, Michelle Brody, and Valerie Roshwalb for their

help and support with the day's activities.

Thank you again  to our faculty committee for their vision and their commitment to making a difference:  

Adina Steinberg, Erin Cooper, Marci Kirshner, Beth Pepper, Jenny Horowitz, Naomi Cohen,

Malka Fleischmann, Debby Schloss, Penina Mazurek.

NUT REMINDER

We are asking parents to refrain from sending any peanut and tree nut products to school. While this policy might cause some minor inconvenience to parents, we must cooperate in creating a safe learning environment for all students. Please remember to send only peanut-free 

and tree nut-free snacks with your child each day. This requires that you check the labels of snack products, because even snacks without nuts, may have been produced in a plant that manufactures other products with peanuts or tree nuts. This information is typically noted at the end of the list of ingredients. Foods produced in a facility that processes peanuts or tree nuts should not be brought in to school.   

SAR's Shavuot Appeal 5771 is our second largest campaign of the year in support of the Scholarship Fund.  

Please visit:

www.saracademy.org/shavuotappeal to contribute and to see great clips and photos of SAR 2010-2011 in action.

If you have a Target Charge Card, you can designate SAR to receive 1% of your charges as a donation.  

To register your card, visit www.target.com/tcoe
SAR Target ID #11822

                    *ShARe The Power*

Inspired by Matt Fenster's letter on the Power of Words and this year's theme, "Good Choices: In Deeds and In Voices," we launched: "ShARe your Power: Change Our Words, Change The World". Each day, teachers taught a five to ten-minute lesson on the power of words, which focused on how our viewing of the world, other people, and ourselves can influence positive speech. This study and resultant raised awareness culminated on Monday, May 23rd at our School-Wide Power of Words Fair. 

Early Monday morning students in grades 1-8 gathered on the stairs where Rabbi Krauss spoke saying, "If we use the power of words today only for good, only to heal, only to help, and if we do that for one day and see how we feel at the end of the day, then we will consider well what to also do tomorrow."  

Fourth grader Akiva Hain addressed the school. "We say in Baruch She'amar every morning, 'Baruch she'amar v'haya ha'olam, Blessed is the one who spoke and then the world was created.' The word amar or 'to speak' here teaches us the power of words. Hashem is referred to as the one who has the power to create the universe with his speech. We also have power with our speech. We should continue to use this power only for good. We should do our best to use our words for praise and thanks and avoid being both speakers and listeners of lashon hara."

Our students then participated in programs throughout the school day on Shmirat HaLashon, understanding the power and effect our words have on the people around us. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, students actively engaged in learning, practicing, and understanding the power of words in their everyday lives. Students listened to and performed scenarios based on making good choices such as judging others favorably and not speaking about someone behind their backs; they watched and acted in skits; and were read stories by their teachers that acted as springboards for discussions about upright ways of behaving. Through these activities, they were challenged to respond to a hurtful comment or decide how different words could make situations better. They sang an original SAR song by Morah Naomi Cohen and eighth graders: Daniela Krausz, Avigayil Yucht, Rebecca Gabay, Rose Frankel, and Elana Apfelbaum.     

Everyone's Unique  

Every day when we walk into the building

We see fun, the kids that run and play

There's so much good to see,  

So much to see

Tamid lirot et hatov b'kol adam

Chorus:

 Everyone's unique

 Like a star,

מונה מספר לכוכבים לכלם שמות יקרא

 T he light that shines in

Makes it easier to see

The goodness in our SAR family

All the warmth

The open arms around us

Help us grow

Help us grow and learn each day

From the beginning to the end,

Surrounded by many friends 

We hold hands happily and sing with glee

Seek the good

Open up your heart to Torah

לדבר טוב do not speak לשון הרע

Expressing מידותin many ways

Paving the path for good days

דרך ארץ קדמה לתורה

Students also created posters with sayings such as: "Make A Difference-Use Words Wisely" and "Just Do It-Speak Nicely". They also wrote additional original songs, and bookmarks asking Hashem to help them to guard their tongues against lashon hara. Some students wrote letters to our student, Neshama Ryman, or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or to someone they haven't been in touch with lately. Third graders performed their song and dance for their grade and later, for Rabbi Krauss: "Did you know that bad words last? People spread them very fast. Never say, never say, never say lashon hara," they sang. Every student put a tile in a mosaic of the ShARe Your Power Logo, a dove with an olive branch in its mouth, spreading feathers as it flies. The logo reminds us how our words can bring so much peace to the world. The feathers remind us that once the words leave our mouths, they spread quickly--impossible to retrieve. Birds and words fly. Yonah Goldscheider led a session in memory of his brother, Elisha Goldscheider, z"l. "Think first," his film advised. Think first before you speak. "Just like Elisha raised the spirits of those around him, we want to raise Elisha's neshama. We thought a nice way to do this was to think first in terms of how and what we say," the children were told. At the end of Yonah's session, "Think First" bracelets were distributed. Students participated in an intra-grade team building activity, where tucked between mats lay a power of words design that only one person in each group could see. That person described the design to another person in the group, who then related the details to the rest of the group. The rest of the group (5 or 6 students) had to re-create the design based on how it was described to them. Students also learned Torah intergrade, considering for example, pesukim from the story of creation and considering what we can learn about the power of words in the story of Hashem creating the world. They then made bracelets as reminders and chose from a suggestion of words and acronyms or came up with their own such as: ITBIS- I Think Before I Speak, or AKWGALW- A Kind Word Goes A Long Way, and GYT-Guard Your Tongue.  

Matt Fenster spoke with our Middle School students. In answering student and teacher questions afterwards, Matt was humble and candid. "What if you accidently speak lashon hara?" one child asked. "Resolve to do better next time," Matt suggested. "Is not saying lashon hara hard?" asked another student. "It's so hard. It is so hard every day." Matt suggested that going forward, a small activity that would be beneficial to focus on are our texts and our emails. "Be aware," he cautioned, "those words stay around forever." 

Students kept Reflection Journals throughout the day, considering what they learned after each activity. The journals will be mailed home before Shavuot to allow for time and perspective to consider their growth from the Power of Words Fair. Students also listed on a note to themselves, which is attached to their journal, a personal goal to work toward achieving.

As the school day came to an end, we gathered once again on the stairs for a closing ceremony. Everyone sang our new SAR song together and watched a short video of the days' activities. As a group we sang, "Mi Ha'ish HaChafetz Chaim," and then returned to class areas for final reflection. We trust that the work leading up to the Power of Words Fair, and the day itself, will propel the school forward in understanding the power of words and in making good choices every day going forward.  

We want to thank Jennifer and Matt Fenster for their strength and their passion, and for propelling us forward in considering our words carefully and in raising awareness for the power of words.

                             *Giving A Gift From The Heart*  

The Academy held it's annual Blood Drive, co-sponsored by The Zack Meller Foundation. Established in memory of Zack Meller, z''l, to increase awareness of the needs of chronically ill children and their families. Thank you to everyone who donated blood.  

Sung From The Heart

                               *Nashir B'Yachad: We Sing Together* 

Kol Hakavod to our choir, led by Morah Naomi Katz Cohen, who on Wednesday, May 23rd participated in the Third Annual SAR Spring Concert. They were joined by the Yavneh Academy Choir, Ramaz Middle School Choir and 7th and 8th Grade Ensemble, and SAR High School's Choir.

Click here to enjoy their performance. A huge thank you to Gili Mor for filming.

~because you can use them for really bad or really good, so you really have to think . . . Ben Stern 

                          *Kindergartners Have Learned To Look*   

Our kindergarten children were primed for their trip to the Met by wonderful SAR parents who were their Learning to Look docents. They were all set to do a kiddush Hashem as they used inside voices and quickly followed their guides from painting to painting in the new Modern Art wing. In front of each, the children were reminded of what had been studied in class, and related those works to what we was being observed in the museum.

When asking the children what they thought the artist had considered when planning their artwork, child after child mentioned aspects of the painting that reflected their having really "learned to look". They noticed elements of art including use of color, shapes, objects, and light. With Chagall's dreamy memories of his Russian childhood, Picasso's guitar, Miro's signature eye in each work, Jackson Pollock' s giant splattered canvases, and Alexander Calder's mobile, the children truly wowed their teachers with their observations and ideas. The smiling faces around SAR's children reflected how impressed passers-by were with our budding art aficionados!

Some students extended the program by dashing to the Impressionist Wing to witness firsthand the incredible sculptures of Degas and Rodin. Having heard the story of Edgar Degas and his Little Dancer at school, they were thrilled to see the real thing. Children were photographed posing like the statue, after gazing at it in awe.  

The time at the MET ended all too soon, but everyone received  free passes to return to the MET to revisit this New York City treasure.

Thank you to all the kindergarten's Learning To Look teachers and docents: Amy Michelman, Tami Weitzman, Stephanie Minkove, Erica Edelman, Barie-Lynne Rosensaft, and Leora Lambert.  

~because you can heal and hurt with them . . . Akiva Sturm

By: Alex Kalb

Grade: 8Z

Parashat Bamidbar 

In Parshat Bamidbar, the reading begins with the counting of the Jewish people. Hashem then told Moshe and Aharon to arrange the tribes in a specific order. Every tribe except for Shevet Levi should be divided into four groups of three. One may ask that by dividing the shvatim into separate groups, the Jewish people would be less unified and be a divided nation. Why was it necessary to divide the shvatim into different groups?

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, author of Michtav Me'Eliyahu says that there are numerous reasons for order, in general. One reason is just for its own sake. Putting everything in order creates a feeling that all is well. Another practical reason is that we know where to find something in places where order exists. A third reason is that some things need order to work properly, such as machines which depend on all of its parts to work in order.     

On a spiritual level there is one other aspect seen. Each person realizes their potential through their talents. Talents within groups can be further developed. Each group can contribute their strength in their own unique way to create a positive whole. Even if there are many groups expressing themselves in different ways, in the end each group contributes and everyone benefits. As we can see, order actually maintains unity by defining roles, direction, and purpose. An analogy for this is the several skills which come together in a sports team. Each person on the team contributes its unique skill during the game, yet they all work to accomplish the same goal.

This is what we learn from the arrangement of the shvatim. Each was recognized in its own role and the focus was doing Hashem's Will. Although different, each shevet contributed in their own way, and gave what the others could not. By dividing into groups, the shvatim were able to unite in serving Hashem. This is further seen by Chizkuni, in the banners that each shevet carried. Each banner was inscribed with letters that with the combination of the other banners spelled the names of the Avot. This implies that only through unity can we earn the merit of the Avot.

Shabbat Shalom.

~because you can hurt someone's feelings or you can make someone feel part of something . . . Emma Schenker

                 Pick Kind  Words To Say       

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 SAR Spiritwear - NEW Sting Bee Slippers, Sting Kippot, SAR PJ Pants, SAR Sweatshirts, SAR Sports Bag, SAR Magnets and more.   To order, click here to fill out form and return to Sally Oshins in the Business Office.  

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