School News

Gesher United Soccer Kicks Off

Our soccer team began the season showing a lot of enthusiasm and skill as they took the field against Capital Hill Day School.  Final score: CHDS 6, Gesher 2. 

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. Elections of officers will be held tomorrow, Friday September 23^rd. On Monday, September 26^th, each class will elect a representative.  

• 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

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)

Last Call for Tuesday MAP classes

The Tuesday session of MAP began this week, on Sept 20.  There are still a few openings in some classes.  Basketball is off to a good start with several students on the team!  Nature's Wonders also has a nice number of students ready to explore outdoors and then do crafts projects and play games.  Both of these classes could handle another student or two, so if your child was thinking about this class, now is a good time to sign up for it.   

Of course, registration for Thursday classes is still on.  Don't forget to sign up for Tzedaka Superheroes with Mrs. Cohen, Bringing Puppets to life with puppeteer Sandy Feulner, Intro to Dance with Gesher's own Dana Shwartz, Karate with Coach Chris, Mad Science, a nationally franchised program, Sports Spectacular, with Overtime Athletics,  Robotics, with Fairfax Collegiate, or Pottery with Jimmy Potter's Studio. 

Click here  for the whole brochure.  

Pictures of the Week:   

Gesher students excited to see the Gesher Gorilla!

Gesher alumni enjoy the 30th anniversary picnic.

Julie B. paints during her middle school art elective.

Gesher's soccer team gets ready for the game!

The Gesher soccer team plays hard all game!

Fourth and Fifth grades learn outside

Last week both the fourth and fifth grades had lessons in the woods.  The interesting thing is that neither of them was learning about woods or trees!  The outdoors is a great place to learn so many different things. 

The fourth grade went on a word hunt.  They walked the new trail that was blazed last year by the Middle School.  Along the way, they observed many unusual and lovely things, and thought about words to describe them.  Words had to be ones that appealed to the different senses.  At first they wanted to say that everything was "cool" or "wow".  But after a while some of them were able to come up with better adjectives and metaphors to describe what they saw.  The rain had brought out many differently colored mushrooms which the children enjoyed.  They also saw a 4-point buck.  Given the noise the excited students were making, it's amazing that he didn't run far away from them!

Kitah Dalet students discover a fallen tree in the woods.

The fifth grade went on an archeological survey.  They made a grid of the area, then counted all the different things they saw in each square of the grid.  The reason for this is that if an archaeologist (or another lucky person) finds artifacts or other indications of past life on the surface of an area, she or he must decide where to begin excavating.  If they perform this systematic survey, they can use it to determine where the highest amounts of artifacts are located on the surface.  This is often an indication of where the greatest underground remains may be found.  It would be there that the excavation begins.

Abby D. and Max S. create a grid to survey the acorns on the ground.

By coincidence, both classes went outside at the same time.  But at Gesher, there is so much outdoor space on our campus that neither group saw the other until we were all headed back inside.  Gesher is such wonderful place to learn, both inside and out!

Stay in touch with Gesher through Facebook and our new Twitter Feed on our homepage at  www.gesher-jds.org  

The Admissions Department will host preschoolers for a Gesher Green outdoor program on Monday Oct 17 and Tuesday Oct 18.  Volunteers are needed to assist with the program each morning from 10:00 - 11:30.  The following preschools will be participating:  NVHC, RUJEC, OTPS, Gan Israel, Adat Reyim, and Agudas Achim preschools.  If you'd like to help out either (or both) mornings, please contact Debra at dmendelson@gesher-jds.org or call 703-962-9216.

Volunteers are also needed during the coming months to reach out to prospective families.  If you are willing to host a family for a Shabbat meal or call a prospective family to answer any questions they may have, please let Admissions know.  In addition, the Refer-a- Friend Tuition reduction program is again available.  Word of mouth is our most important recruitment tool.  Share your experiences with others to help build our enrollment.  We are very proud of our students, school and program and we know you are too!  For more information on Refer-a-Friend, contact Debra in the Admissions office.

Admissions Open House Dates

Monday, Oct 10 @ 9:30

Wednesday, Nov 9 @ 9:30

Gesher Parlor Meetings in your neighborhood

Thursday, Oct 6 at the Malakoff Home (Oak Hill)

Thursday, Oct 27 at the Albert Home (Alexandria)

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

Welcome the New Baby!

When you get a chance, come into the Beit Midrash and welcome the new baby- a baby grand piano donated to the school by alumni Gesher grandparents, Dr. Carol Bender and Harold Kessler.  We are looking forward to making beautiful music together!

Back To School with SCRIP!

Many of you at Back-to-School Night expressed a great interest in the Scrip program, and at the same time were a little confused about how it works. New committee chairs Alison Wilks and Wendy Fischer hope to help you understand and utilize this easy way to support Gesher, at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you!!  We earn up to 5% by just having you do your regular grocery shopping!!

The school office holds the scrip cards (or, gift cards-used same as cash) for these area grocery stores:

Safeway

Shoppers

Giant

KosherMart

and new this year, Whole Foods!!

(We will soon offer additional retail scrip cards for more merchants -- coming soon!)

The program is very basic and you can purchase one of two ways:

(1) "Buy on the fly" and stop at the office when you need to buy. Pay by check to Meredith and away you go. Get the form here  https://www.gesher-jds.org/groceryform.pdf  or at the office.

(2)  Set up a monthly auto-debit to your checking account and just come to pick up cards at the office when they arrive. The form needed to set up the debit process is:  https://www.gesher-jds.org/groceryform.pdf  and in the office.

Don't confuse the SCRIP program with the grocery bonus or reward cards.  SCRIP is like cash. Bonus cards are simply extra savings or add-up rewards at your store while you shop.  We do, however, encourage you to register your bonus cards, as this gives back to Gesher too! Some stores, like Giant Food, require you to sign up each fall. See the stores and codes here:   https://www.gesher-jds.org/giving/scrip.php    

That's it! Buy some soon to do your Rosh Hashanah and Break-Fast shopping!! Keep looking for additional information about the SCRIP program coming soon!!

In honor of Charlie's Ninth Birthday

            Laura and Michael Williams

In memory of Richard Brian Glass

            Michelle and Steven Stravitz

In memory of Isaac Taubman

            Michelle and Steven Stravitz

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

Join Boy Scouts   

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.