On The Bridge October 6, 2011
Gesher Jewish Day School 8 Tishrei, 5772
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Greetings! | |
At this solemn time of year between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, known as the Ten Days of Repentence, the chutzpah of our liturgy is somewhat extraordinary. As we plead with G-d to "remember us for life" and to "write us in the Book of Life" we sort of stack the deck by declaring for all to hear that G-d is a "melech chafetz be'chayim" - "a ruler who delights in life." After this kind of intro, what else can G-d really do but show His mercy?
Delighting in life is a well recommended attitude. To delight in life surpasses mere enjoyment or appreciation. It is a fully felt passion- a kind of exhilaration embracing all that which is active, growing, changing, dynamic. To imagine G-d in this way is to see each moment we exist as a moment celebrated on high. It elevates the solemnity of the Days of Awe by casting the occasion in a favorable people-friendly aura.
May we all be inscribed favorably in the Book of Life! Shabbat Shalom and Gmar Chatimah Tovah!
Dr. Zvi Schoenburg Head of School |
| Upcoming Events |
See our full calendar of events!
October 7 - Noon Dismissal- Erev Kol Nidre
October 12- Noon Dismissal- Erev Sukkot
October 13-14- No School- Sukkot (Yom Tov)
October 16- PTO Sukkah Party- 10-11:30am
October 19- Noon Dismissal- Erev Shmini Atzeret
October 20-21- No School- Shmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
|
|
|
|
|
School News
| |
Thursday MAP classes
The Fall classes that occur on Tuesdays are well underway. But the Thursday classes won't begin until after Simchat Torah on Oct. 27. And this is the excellent line-up of classes!
- Tzedakah Superheroes (K-3) Mrs. Cohen will show our youngest students how to do acts of tzedakah (charitable good deads). From making cards for patients in nursing homes to preparing food for the homeless, children will learn how good it feels to do nice things for others.
- Bringing Puppets to Life (K-3) Sandy Feulner of Puppets and More is returning to teach the children how to make puppets and how to perform with them. Sandy has been a professional puppeteer for over 25 years.
- Intro to Dance (K-3) Gesher's own Dana Schwartz will lead this class. It will include sessions in ballet, tap, jazz, and more. Mrs. Schwartz has been dancing since she was the age of these students!
- Mad Science (K-4)This is a nationally franchised program that gets children doing experiments and thinking scientifically. Each week the children also get something to experiment with at home. The theme for this session is "Funky Forces".
- Sports Spectacular (K-4)Overtime Sports is back to lead this popular class. Students will play different games each week. Children will also work on teamwork, sportsmanship and fitness. They always leave sweating and smiling!
- Karate (K-6) Coach Chris from Kaizen Karate will continue teaching this popular martial arts discipline. Along with kicks and punches, he teaches respect, motivation and self-confidence. New and returning students welcome.
- Pottery (2-6) Jimmy of Jimmy Potter's Workshop will show the children how to make lovely creations from clay. They will learn several different techniques. He brings all the materials.
- Competitive Robotics (3-6) Fairfax Collegiate teaches children to make robots from Legos. Then they learn to program computers to make their creations move. Activities include races, obstacle courses, mazes and combat. No experience necessary! Note: this class lasts 90 minutes
Many classes have size limits, so if your child is interested, please let us know now.
Yasher Koach to our New 2011-12 Student Council Officers!
President- Sam R.
Vice President- Miryam M.
Secretary- Molly G.
Treasurer- Sam L.
Communications Officer- Josh R.
We look forward to all the fun events they will be planning and can't wait to see the spirit week they create in school. Based on the platform our President and Vice president created, we know the school will contribute significantly to Alyn, a hospital for children with disabilities in Israel. Congratulations again to all who ran!
Pictures of the Week:
 | |
Kitah Hay students search for artifacts in their archeological dig.
|
 | |
7th and 8th grade students participate in an international web vigil for Gilad Shalit.
|
 | |
Gan students enjoy a visit from Zero the Hero!
|
 | |
Bryn G. enjoys apples dipped in honey for Rosh Hashana, sponsored by the PTO.
|
|
Gesher Green
| |
New Recycling opportunity
Do you and your children use glue and glue sticks? Do you hate throwing all that plastic in the trash when the glue is used up? Well, Gesher Green is here to the rescue! We have found a place to recycle both glue and glue sticks. And not only will the Elmer's Glue Company take them back, they will pay us two cents for each empty container. It's not often you can both help save the planet AND raise money for Gesher at the same time! So please send in all the empty glue containers and glue sticks. Mrs. Leckert will collect them in her classroom.
Sustainability Committee
Gesher has a Sustainability Committee, made up of teachers, parents, and administrators. Together we are working on ways to make our Gesher building as "green" as we can. We are analyzing our energy use, our water use, the heating and air conditioning, and other aspects of the running of the school, and trying to find ways to do them more efficiently. We are looking for a few more parents who might be willing to join. We meet no more than once a month to work on these issues. You can RSVP to Kevin Moss [kevin@mossdomain.com] or show up at our first meeting, this Monday, Oct 17 at 8:30 AM, right after drop-off.
|
| Admissions | |
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 Admissions Fall calendar in full swing. Lots going on at Gesher and beyond!
Oct 6 Gesher Parlor Meeting in Oak Hill - Hosted by the Malakoffs
Oct 10 Admissions Open House
Oct 17 Gesher Green preschool program - Hosting NVHC preschool and RUJEC preschool (Sha'are Shalom)
Oct 17 Olam Tikvah Preschool Sukkah Dinner - Craft Table
Oct 18 Gesher Green preschool program - Hosting Agudas Achim preschool
Oct 27 Gesher Parlor Meeting in Alexandria - Hosted by the Alberts
Nov 6 Gesher Parlor Meeting in Fairfax - Hosted by the Schwartz Rosens
Nov 6 Gesher co-sponsors Character Breakfast at the JCCNV
Nov 7 Alexandria Preschool Fair
Nov 9 Admissions Open House
We need volunteers to assist at many of the above outreach activities. Please contact Debra soon if you can help - dmendelson@gesher-jds.org.
|
| PTO |
Thanks a Million...to the many volunteers who helped prepare and distribute the delicious apples and honey for Rosh Hashana last week. The PTO would like to thank: Melissa Goldberg, David Golden, Micky Litman, Michelle Nash, Cynthia Rutzick, Elizabeth Whisnant, Chirs Matricciani, and Naomi Hutchins.
It's party time... Get ready to hop on over to the Gesher Sukkah on Sunday, October 16 from 10-11:30. Please mark your calendars for this fun event.
Keep sending in those Box Tops!
|
| Development and Fundraising | |
Have you received the Summer Gesher Gazette? If not, please email Rebekah and we'll be sure to mail one to you.
Gesher Fleece Jackets Special 30th anniversary purple Gesher fleeces are now for sale for only $25!! Limited quantity and sizes available on a first come first serve basis! Please see Rebekah Dickinson for more information or email rdickinson@gesher-jds.org. Update on Gesher SCRIP! Place your orders for scrip! A new array of merchant scrip is now available in the office! Plus you can always shop for more online and still give Gesher credit. To get started, go to create account. You'll need the following code to designate Gesher as the associated account: 1E9L8BCD9484. Once that's done, you can place your order at www.shopwithscrip.com and bring your check for payment to the office. We now have the following cards in stock: -Giant Food -Whole Foods -Safeway -Shoppers -KosherMart -Starbucks -Bed Bath & Beyond -Barnes & Noble -iTunes -Macy's -LLBean Place monthly orders by the 10th of each month for both in-stock scrip and for orders you place online (order dates may later change due to holidays, but we'll let you know) and we'll notify you when they arrive in the Gesher office. Thank you for your support!! 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!! |
| Mitzvah Coupon Donations |
Mitzvah Coupon donations can now be made on-line through our secure website, www.gesher-jds.org. Simply log in and click on the Donate link at the top of our homepage.
In memory of Sandy Rabinowitz, z"l, wife of Cantor Sidney Rabinowitz, and mother of Alissa Locke Gesher Faculty and Staff Ilana and Gary Gamerman Miriam and Jeffrey Berkowitz Ingrid and Zvi Schoenburg Meredith Parnes Michelle and Steven Stravitz Rebekah and Clay Dickinson Sherri and Howard Kohr In Honor of Michelle M.'s Bat Mitzvah Michelle and Steven Stravitz In honor of Talia B.'s Bat Mitzvah Michelle and Paul Nash In honor of Michelle Stravitz for being a wonderful sister, aunt and example Karen Robinson In honor of the Avia P.'s Bat Mitzvah Michelle and Paul Nash Thank you Gesher JDS Students, Faculty and Staff for being there for me to say Kaddish for my mom Elyssa Brecher |
| Caring Community | |
Condolences to Hazzan Sidney Rabinowitz on the loss of his wife, Sandy, Mother of Alissa Locke, grandmother of Sam L.
Visit Jconnect.org!
Jconnect.org is the one place where you can go to find information on everything Jewish in the Greater Washington community. This new community site features a robust community calendar that's easy to navigate for both posters and users. Please check the website often as the site is ever-changing!
 |
| Community Announcements | |
Please click on the links below to view each flyer.
The Washington Jewish Week is now available for purchase from the newsstand in the office for $1
JCC's BASE newsletter for October
The Fairfax Kollel offers a new session of classes
Open Door: India.Arie and Idan Raichel Presented by Strathmore
Join Boy Scouts
Create for a Cure with Gary Rosenthal Glass Projects
Israeli Fold Dance Workshop and Marathon
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.
|
|
|
We welcome your inquiries. To schedule a tour, or for more information about admissions or making a donation to Gesher Jewish Day School, please contact us at (703)978-9789.
Sincerely,
|
Gesher Jewish Day School
4800 Mattie Moore Court
Fairfax, VA 22030
phone: (703) 978-9789
fax: (703)978-2668
|
|
|
Address or Email Changes
If you have changes to your email or mailing address, please send them to mparnes@gesher-jds.org so we can update your information. If you wish to be removed from the "On the Bridge" e-letter distribution list, please do not use the "SafeUnsubscribe" link below unless you wish to be removed from all email correspondence from Gesher Jewish Day School.
| |
|
|
