School News

Hot lunch  

Reminder: online lunch ordering is now up and running!

P.E. Request 

Attention Parents: We are in need of old tennis or racquet balls for P.E. classes.  To donate, please bring them into school, or contact Rose Marie Russo for more info rrusso@gesher-jds.org.

Student Council

Student Council is starting up again for the 2011-2012 school year. Forms have been handed out to students interested in running for executive positions.

• The president and vice president run together as a ticket creating a platform including a tzedakah project that the student council will support throughout the year. Candidates must be in 7^th or 8^th grade
• Communications officer is open to students in 6^th and 7^th grade
• Treasurer is open to students in 4^th and 5^th grade
• Secretary is open to students in 5^th and 6^th grade

Student forms (including parent signature and teacher recommendations), posters, and speeches are due on Tuesday September 20^th. Elections will be held on Friday September 23^rd. On Monday September 26^th each class will elective a representative to act as a liaison to Student Council.

We are very excited about the upcoming and look forward to hearing from all candidates!

Student Council Sponsors,

(Jen Helpern, Ronnie Oppenheim, and Lisa Rosenberg)

MAP is Back!

MAP, the Melnick Afterschool Program, is Gesher's series of enrichment classes offered for all our students.  There are three sessions, each 8 weeks long, and classes are either on Tues. or Thurs.  The fun begins at dismissal, when the children come to the library for a healthy, kosher snack from 3:30-3:45.  Then they go to their classes which run for an hour.  Parent pick-up is at 4:45. 

Due to the holidays this fall, the Tuesday classes will run from Sept 20-Nov 8, and the Thursday classes will go from Oct 27-Dec 22 (with no class on Thanksgiving).

As always, there are many great choices.  On Tuesday, beginning Sept 20, we have something new this year: Yoga (K-4).  This class will help children become calm and focused through yoga poses, games, stories and songs.  Mrs. Carol Ann Cohen is returning to lead Nature's Wonders (K-3), a chance for students to explore our rich campus and do nature-themed activities.  Our very popular Mountain Biking class (3-8) will be taught by our new PE teacher, Coach Russo.  House of Hoops will be teaching basketball again for grades K-6.  Rounding out the Tuesday schedule is the Fencing program, taught by former US Olympic fencing coach, Jun Liang-Smith.

The Thursday schedule beginning Oct 27, is just as varied.  Mrs. Cohen will teach our younger children about doing good deeds with Tzedakah Superheroes (K-3).  Dana Shwartz, who works with many of our students during the day, will stay to teach Intro to Dance (K-3).  Professional puppeteer Sandy Fuelner will show children some tricks for Bringing Puppets to Life (K-3).  Lots of great games will be played in Sports Spectacular (K-4).  Coach Chris will teach the long-time favorite Karate (K-6).  Jimmy Potter brings out hidden creativity in his Pottery (2-6) program.  Finally, our budding scientists have two great choices, Mad Science (K-4) and Robotics (3-6).

Most classes cost $120 for the 8 weeks.  Fencing, Mad Science, and Robotics cost $175.  Robotics is a 90-minute program, and ends at 5:15.

Make sure your child is in on the fun.  Click here  to see the full schedule, and registration form.  Don't delay! Sign up for MAP today!

Safety First

Let's establish good habits so that we have a 100% safe school year at drop-off and pick-up times.  Towards this end: Elementary School students (gr. K-5) may not cross to the parking lot on their own, they must be accompanied by an adult- otherwise please use our curbside service.  At the end of the day, cars in the carpool line must not pass our buses, so please be patient and wait for the signal that our buses and vans have departed.  Once traffic is moving, please pull up your car as far as you can and leave promptly when you are ready- do not linger and shmooze!   In the carpool line, load and unload all children on the curb side of your vehicle only.  Keep your eyes open, use good sense, and drive safely and slowly!    

Pictures of the Week: 

Gan families hold Tallitot over the new Gan students and recite the Shechiyanu blessing as they start their first day at Gesher!

Gan students count the number of cocoons during science class.

6th grade boys excited for their first day of Middle School!

6th grader Jonathan S. blows the Shofar on the first day of school.

Gesher's Garden Angels

The class gardens on the side of the building look great!  There's a good reason for that.  Over the summer several families signed up to come out twice during the summer, and weed and maintain those garden beds.  They are our Garden Angels, and they are the following families:  Morah Jackie, the Hopkins, the Jamisons, Melissa Goldberg and her boys, the Ricciardis, the Litmans, the Malakoffs, Mya S. and her grandmother Abhaya, and the Hones.  Without their help our class gardens would not look as nice as they do.

Here is what your children will see when thy visit the gardens later this month: 

• The Gan's "Five Senses" garden has plants to touch, smell, see and taste.  We're working on plants to hear for next year.
• The first grade grew flowers for the butterflies and other pollinators.  They look beautiful.
• The second grade's havdallah garden has mint, oregano and basil.
• Third grade's "Three Sisters" garden of corn beans and squash was very prolific.  Although the corn and beans are finished, you can see how the bean plants twined themselves around the corn stalks, and the squash kept the weeds at bay.
• The fourth grade harvested most of their "Medieval kitchen garden" for their feast last spring, but they have a bumper crop of beets to harvest now.
• In the fifth grade's slave garden, they'll see cotton which will be ripe soon, and lots of butternut squash to eat now.

So stop by and see how nice the gardens look, thanks in large part to the Garden Angels.

Spread the word about our wonderful school and curriculum!  Invite your friends to join us at the following admissions events:

Gesher Jewish Day School Admission Open House Dates!

Sept 22, Oct 10, Nov 9

9:30-11:00

For anyone interested in Kindergarten or other grades, come learn about our school and curriculum.  Visit classrooms and see teaching and learning in action at Gesher.  RSVP to Debra Mendelson, Director of Admission 703-962-9216

Gesher Parlor Meetings in your neighborhood!

New to the area or just new to Gesher JDS?  Meet new friends and learn about our school at one of these informal and fun gatherings hosted by Gesher families: Sept 19th in Vienna at the Litman home, Oct 6th in Oak Hill at the Malakoff home, Oct 27th in Alexandria at the Albert home.  For more information, Debra Mendelson 703-962-9216 or dmendelson@gesher-jds.org

Have you received the Summer Gesher Gazette?  If not, please email Rebekah and we'll be sure to mail one to you.  

We wish to thank our Corporate Sponsors!  Highlighted this week: TARGET

Local, regional and national businesses support Gesher throughout the years in meaningful ways. Whether through outright sponsorship, for which companies receive sponsorship marketing and acknowledgement, to placing ads, participating or attending our events, or even simply offering programs from which our parents' enrollment gives money back to the school (like SCRIP, Giant Rewards, iGive.com, Box Tops for Education, and Target's "Take Charge of Education"), we cannot thank these businesses enough for remembering the value of education.

We wish to thank Target for recently giving Gesher $450.77 as part of their "Take Charge of Education" program.  Todah Rabah!

Scrip! 

Refuah shlemah to Adina Ackerman.

Mazel Tov to Jennie Moline on her marriage to Kevin O'Holleran, and to Rabbi Jack and Ann Moline, the parents of the bride.

Condolences to Robyn Norrbom on the death of her brother, Richard Brian Glass.   

In loving memory of Nathan Partovich

            Iris and Milton Zaft, Elisheva, Lt. Cdr. Adam and Ariel Joseph Samuels

In memory of Glenn Taubman's father, Isaac Taubman

            Ingrid and Zvi Schoenburg

In honor of Liz and Peter Maer's new grandchildren     

            Ingrid and Zvi Schoenburg

In memory of Michael Bookman

            Ingrid and Zvi Schoenburg

For a Refuah Shlemah to Larry Schoenburg

            Gesher Faculty and Staff

In memory of Marge Tovey, mother of Karen Tovey

            Michelle and Steven Stravitz

In memory of Jim Timmes

            Michelle and Steven Stravitz

In memory of our father and grandfather, Isaac Taubman

            Glenn Taubman

In honor of the birth of Vivian Rose Golden

            Wendy, David, Ben and Sam Golden

In memory of Robyn Norrbom's late brother

            Melanie and Jon Eisen

In honor of the marriage of Jennie Moline and Kevin O'Holleran

            Gesher Faculty and Staff

For a Refuah Shlemah, a Speedy Recovery, to Arnie Hiller

            Gesher Faculty and Staff

The Washington Jewish Week is now available for purchase from the newsstand in the office for $1

Open Door: India.Arie and Idan Raichel Presented by Strathmore

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.