Do you have a business or practice?   

Consider advertising in Gesher's book for the spring Guardian of the Bridge event All the Magic that is Gesher. This book is an important fundraiser for Gesher and a terrific vehicle for advertisers to reach the greater community. The book will be distributed to some 250+ attendees (Gesher parents and grandparents, school supporters, honorees' families, staff and faculty, and more) at the event on March 27. Simply complete the ad contract. Questions?  Want to place an ad, but need help creating the artwork? Contact BJ Shiff at bjshiff@verizon.net.

We are pleased to announce this year's Tikkun Olam winner for Gesher's Annual Spring Gala: Candace Nachman.  We are thrilled she accepted the honor and will be joining us on March 27 to receive her award.

Many in the community nominated Candace.  The criteria on which we based our decision:

Gesher Guardian of the Bridge Event - Tikkun Olam Award 

The Gesher Guardian of the Bridge Tikkun Olam Award was established to recognize a Gesher Alumnus for the Mitzvot of Tzedakah and G'milut Hassadim (acts of loving-kindness).  The award is given to a former student who has applied the Jewish principles and values learned at Gesher to make a positive impact in the world.

Note to parents:

Sick kids! Too Much Sharing! 

Unless your pediatrician informs you otherwise, please assume that a child is infectious and should stay at home with the following conditions: a fever, strep throat or conjunctivitis before 24 hours on antibiotics, an unexplained rash or skin eruption, chicken pox until the last pox scabs over, vomiting and/or diarrhea, a severe cold.  

After School Hebrew Class, Organized by 8th grade students!

Starting next Wednesday, we will have 8th grade students available to help students up through Kitah Gimel with homework, reading, speaking and practicing Hebrew from 3:30-4:15pm.  Please contact Graciela Granek if your child is interested in participating ggranek@gesher-jds.org. 

Spotlight on Gesher Students and Alumni!

Want to hear about current Gesher students doing amazing things in the community?  Wondering what those Gesher Alumni are up to?  Click here to view Gesher Students in the Spotlight, and click here to view the Gesher Alumni Page.  You may be able to find out who...

• danced in 11 performances of the Nutcracker
• volunteers with the Rockville Fire/EMS Department
• plays clarinet in the McLean Youth Orchestra
• is the next International Sh'licha for the International Board of B'nai B'rith Girls
• preformed in the Little Theatre of Alexandria's production of Oliver! 
• recently placed first all-around at the Commonwealth Cup Gymnastics Competition    

Parents who carpool to school:

We are planning for your transportation needs for next school year.  As always, we will work to do all we can to meet the needs of individual families, while maintaining an efficient route.  We would like to know if you anticipate using the bus or car service next year or would like to request service or suggest a bus stop.  Please email dmendelson@gesher-jds.org to let us know.  Thank you!

 Pictures:

Kitah Gimel visits Gunston Hall.

Kitah Gimel visits Gunston Hall.

Kitah Gimel students visit Gunston Hall.

(Pictures from the 4th grade Boston Tea Party will appear next week, due to technical difficulties)

Moving Forward in the Meadow

The Gesher Green team has been planning how we want to enhance the meadow, using the wonderful grant we won from the US Forestry Service and the University of Minnesota.  Next week parent volunteer Elizabeth Whisnant, (mother of Amiel and Nesya), will accompany Jeanne Leckert to a lecture by Catherine Zimmerman who wrote the book on meadows for the mid-Atlantic region.  Literally!  Her book is called: Creating Beautiful Meadow Habitats, Big and Small.  As soon as the snow clears, we hope to get out there to define paths, and start planting.  It will be wonderful to transform that "weed patch" into a beautiful native wildflower habitat.  If you would like to help, please contact jleckert@gesher-jds.org.

Check it out!

If you go to Google maps, (http://maps.google.com) and type in our address (4800 Mattie Moore Ct) you will get a great "bird's eye view" of the campus and building.  If you go to the maximum magnification, you can see the courtyard with its rough outline of the state of Israel.  It looks great!

Spring is not too far away and soon we will be celebrating Purim and delighting in the sweet tastes of hamentashen. On that note, we will be taking orders for  Mishoach Manot. Volunteers will be needed for assembly and delivery. Anyone interested in helping out with the Purim Carnival should contact Michelle Nash, Naomi Hutchins and Micki Litman.

The third annual Gesher Used Book Sale will be held starting on March 28th. The sale will be open to the public starting on Family Fun Day on Sunday, April 3rd and through Wednesday, April 6th. Start saving your CDs, DVDs, audio books, videos and all kinds of books. Book collection begins March 14th thru March 17th. Volunteers will be needed for all aspects of the sale including sorting, set-up and sales. Please contact Sharon Bliss at Sharon@healthandbliss.com to volunteer or for more information.

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 11th, when  the PTO will host another coffee. 

National Geographic Kids is having a photography contest. Take your
best photo and send it to NK Kids My Shot for a chance to have the photo
featured online and in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Visit
kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/my-shot for more information.

The Smithsonian Institution has over 137 million artifacts, works of
art and scientific specimens, but less than 2 percent of its collection is
on display at any given time. For you and your kids to see more, go to
www.newsdesk.si.edu and click on "Smithsonian Snapshot" for a
behind-the-scenes story each week of a fascinating, historic or amazing
item.

Save the date and order your tickets!   

The Gesher PTO is sponsoring a screening of the important film, RACE TO NOWHERE on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm at Cinema Arts Theatres in Fairfax, VA.  The film is approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by a facilitated panel discussion with audience participation.

To register to see the film and purchase your ticket, go to:  www.racetonowhere.com and FIND our screening.  Our registration should be live on the web site by the end of this week.  If you have any questions about the film or the screening, please feel free to contact Michelle Stravitz  mstravitz@verizon.net

RACE TO NOWHERE

Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren't developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what's best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

In a grassroots sensation already feeding a groundswell for change, hundreds of theaters, schools and organizations nationwide are hosting community screenings during a six month campaign to screen the film nationwide. Tens of thousands of people are coming together, using the film as the centerpiece for raising awareness, radically changing the national dialogue on education and galvanizing change. 

Featured in the film:

• Dr. Madeline Levine, Clinical Psychologist and author of the best-seller, The Price of Privilege
• Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
• Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University
• Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder, Challenge Success, Stanford University
• Sara Bennett, Founder, Stop Homework

In memory of Phyllis Levin

            Iris and Biff Henley

In memory of Phillip Morton

            Iris and Biff Henley

In memory of Betsy Henley

            Iris and Biff Henley

In memory of Lawrence Locke

           Iris and Biff Henley

In honor of Sophia and Morgan R.'s B'nai Mitzvah

            Debra and Paul Mendelson

            Daniel S. and Family

In memory of Lillian Goldberg's daughter, Florence

            The Schwartz Family

In memory Florence Weissman

            The Schwartz Family

In honor of Dottie Bennett's birthday

            Miriam and Jeffrey Berkowitz

            Rebekah and Clay Dickinson

The JCCNV Teen Centertainers present Beauty and the Beast!

Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia upcoming events

Olam Tikvah Sisterhood invites the community to an afternoon of Food, Fashion & Fun!

The Jewish Federation Wants to Help! If you are in need of financial   

assistance at t his time, or if you know anyone in the community who 

is in need, please do not hesitate to contact the Jewish Federation's Warm Line at 1-866-950-4AID.