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THIS WEEK AT TVT
OCTOBER 12
BLOOD DRIVE
MS FLAG
FOOTBALL
MS GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL
OCTOBER 13
SPEAKER:
RABBI BRANDER
MS/US
PARENT MEETING
SAT PREP CLASS
OCTOBER 14
K-12
PTSO MEETING
PSAT EXAM
COLLEGE VISIT -
BOSTON COLLEGE
OCTOBER 15
CALIFORNIA
SHAKEOUT
LS MAKE-UP
PHOTO DAY
PROSPECTIVE
PARENT TOUR
POLAND/ISRAEL ORIENTATION
OCTOBER 16
COLLEGE VISIT -
PITZER COLLEGE
KABBALAT SHABBAT
OCTOBER 18
SAT EXAM
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SUKKOT & THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT |
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First came the tsunami in the South Pacific, then, less than 24 hours later, the earthquake in Sumatra, claiming hundreds of victims. The scenes have been devastating, of shattered buildings and broken lives. And our thoughts and prayers must be with the people of Samoa and Tonga and Padang as they struggle to come to terms with tragedy and loss.
This latest series of natural disasters has reminded us yet again of how small we are in the face of the elemental forces of nature. All our illusions of security can be shattered in a moment by the shifting of the earth's tectonic plates, and people can find themselves vulnerable and homeless.
And in a strange way that is the message of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, tabernacles, that we have been celebrating for the past week. For the week we left the security of our homes (classrooms, at school) to live in huts in memory of the forty year journey of the Israelites in the days of Moses, through the Sinai desert on their way to the promised land.
Sukkot is a strange festival. It celebrates no miracle, like the crossing of the Red Sea or the revelation at Mount Sinai. It's about homelessness and vulnerability, something Jews have known about for much of their four thousand year history. Wherever they were, however seemingly secure, they knew that tomorrow all that could disappear in a wave of persecution or a decree of expulsion.
And as we sit in the sukkah, with only leaves for a roof, exposed to the wind, the rain and the cold, we feel in our very bones the raw edge of reality and know, in the words of one of our mystics, that life is a narrow bridge across the abyss, swaying in the wind.
Sukkot is a festival about the human condition as it is, not as we would like it to be. It offers no easy answers to hard questions, like why do the innocent suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? Sukkot is about faith as persistence, the strength not to be defeated by tragedy, and the courage to begin again after you've lost all you had.
Sukkot is about the resilience of the human spirit. It's not about God the strategic intervener who, like superman, rescues us from harm. It's about the breath of God within us that helps broken hearts to heal, broken lives to be rebuilt. May God be with the people of Sumatra, and may we be with them too, in our aid and in our prayers.
Chief Rabbi of England, Sir Jonathan Sacks |
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THE CUBS' ROAR! |
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| The Lower School Cubs' Roar publication is now part of this Shabbat Shalom e-mail from Mr. Derek Gavshon, TVT's Acting Head of School!
Stay informed of all of the exciting events happening in TVT's Lower School by coming right here. You can click on this Cubs' Roar link or in this email's Quick Links Section above on the left. |
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TVT BASKETBALL - LIVE AT THE STAPLES CENTER! |
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Exhibition Game to Support Migdal Ohr Orphanage
Coach Patrick Roberts and TVT Lions,
Jared Neutel, Aryeh Kashdan & David Bruss
On Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 7:30pm, Staples Center will host a historic exhibition game between the LA Clippers and Isreal's premier basketball team, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in support of Migdal Ohr orphanage in Israel www.migdalohrusa.org.
To view a promotional video for the game, use this link
Support TVT Boys Basketball vs. Shalhevet at 3pm
As part of this amazing event, the TVT Boys Basketball team has been invited to play at the Staples Center at 3pm against Shalhevet, a K-12 Jewish Day School in Los Angeles.
Students attending the 3pm game will receive an excused absence to board the 1pm bus to the Staples Center (if we get enough interest). Following the TVT game, students can either hang out at the Staples Center, have dinner and enjoy the Clippers-Maccabi game (Kosher pizza will be available for purchase) or return to TVT on the bus that will leave the Staples Center around 4:30pm. Fans who choose to stay for the Clippers-Maccabi game will need to arrange their own transportation home.
Tickets
One low ticket price of $25 lets you enjoy both games.
To purchase tickets online, go to the Basketball Logo on the TVT website or click here. The $25 tickets are located in upper terrace levels, behind the basket. Premium seats are available at an additional cost. Please contact staplesgame@tarbut.com for more information on premium seat availability and pricing. For questions and information call Linsey Savage at
Deadline for ordering tickets and reserving a spot on the TVT Bus is Wednesday, October 14th.
Support TVT Boys Basketball and Migdal Ohr Orphanage! Purchase your tickets today! |
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YOUR SCHOOL " TO DO" LIST |
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Hot Lunch Program Open for November & December Orders:
Access the menus online through the Parent website at www.tarbut.com. You must have a credit card on file at the school for access. Questions or concerns? Email lunches@tarbut.com.
Parent Password to Reset 10/22/09
Your new password should arrive this week - please check your mailbox for updates! |
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MS HOMEWORK SURVEY |
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In order to provide your child with the best education possible we would like to conduct a survey of how much homework TVT students are doing. Please click on the Homework link below and use the log to track the amount of time your child spends on each subject every night for a two week period beginning Monday, October 12th. Include all time spent reading and studying for tests and quizzes. Thank you for participating. Please return your results to the Upper School office, attention: John Fowler. Homework |
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CONNECTING WITH OUR CHILDREN |
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Don't miss noted educator and speaker, Rabbi Asher Brander of the Westwood Kehillah, at Tarbut V'Torah on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30pm, in the Upper School Lecture Hall. His topic will be "Connecting with our Children". Rabbi Brander came to Beth Jacob last year and shared some meaningful and useful insights. He is an excellent speaker on a timely subject. Please join us! RSVP to Keren Wolf at kwolf@tarbut.com, or (949) 509-9500, ext. 3031 |
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"MEET THE SCIENTIST" A HUGE SUCCESS! |
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The Meet-a-Scientist Program last Thursday was a huge success! More than 130 students came and even though the official time of the program was 6:30 - 8:00, most of them stayed until almost 9:00. Guests' presentations were outstanding. They shared information about their own careers and research experience, brought posters and brochures; answered students' questions and, generally, have set up a really high level of expectations for TVT students!
Our students came to school the next day inspired by our guests' professionalism and enthusiasm - and many of them plan to start working on their own research projects soon.
Please, remind your students to submit their Letters of Intent to participate in the Annual Academic Research Conference by October 21st. If they need help finding a mentor or research topic - please ask them to see Ms. Korinevskaya. |
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DID YOU KNOW? |
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Middle and Upper School Students explored the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe/High Holidays in a variety of ways:
The 6th and 7th grade students recently participated in their annual Tashlich, Casting Off Service. Even though this service is traditionally conducted during the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, TVT views the students' program as an educational opportunity. This year the students went to William Mason Regional Park. Each class took an active role in the program. While several classes led the short service, other classes prepared presentations on different aspects of the High Holidays.
The Upper School students planned and participated in their very own High Holiday Learning Centers. The Student Holiday Committee created a variety of interactive experiences including Shofar making, Tashlich self -reflections, Tzedakah giving and "bobbing for apples!" They explored topics of interest to them in very creative ways.
In addition, the students have had classroom discussions with their teachers about many significant aspects of the Yamim Noraim/High Holidays. From 6-12th grade the students discussed at age and developmentally appropriate ways challenging ideas about Teshuvah and what it really means to seek forgiveness, forgive, and turn over a "new leaf." They studied traditional texts from Jonah to Maimonides in order to discover what Jewish tradition has to say and had wonderful conversations about what it all means to us as modern American Jews.
Holiday of Sukkot
The Sukkah represent the sense of belonging, that we are a part of something greater than just the walls of our homes. Jews leave their homes to dwell in the fragility of the Sukkah, in order to discover themselves further. One of the most important teachings on Sukkot rests in our ability to expand our identity through our community.Our students learned about the holiday by having a class and eating in the school Sukkah and celebrating their community and sense of belonging.
We look forward to a year of exploration and meaning. |
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12th GRADE HONORS HEBREW TACKLES THE TOUGH ISSUES |
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Mrs. Nirit Bracha is very excited about the high level in-depth conversations she is having with her 12th grade Honors Hebrew class. Currently the main theme they are exploring is Herut, Freedom. The class has talked about religious, political and individual freedoms. They have also explored freedom from different points of view. The students read the work of individuals who wrote about different ideas about freedom, such as Ahad HaAm and Natan Sharansky.
Most engaging of all is that the class is following the "real life" situation of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was abducted at an Israeli border crossing and has been held hostage in Gaza since 2006. The class has discussed all the complex political and security issues related to Israel's efforts to obtain Shalit's release, as well as the personal reactions of Shalit's family and friends.
Not only are these conversations exciting and engaging, Ms. Bracha proudly shares, but they are also conducted almost entirely in Hebrew!
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UC COURSE APPROVALS |
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Attaining the approval of the University of California system assures our students that the courses they take will earn them credits that meet the requirements to qualify for admission to the UC's, which is used by most universities as the standard for admission requirements.
Innovative Course Garners UC Approval
Congratulations to Mr. Simon Fellowes,
US History and Mock Trial teacher, and to both the History and Judaic Studies Department! Our new course, The Middle East Conflict, has been approved by the UC system.
Kol HaKavod!
New AP Course - with UC Approval
Congratulations to Mr. James Lincoln, Upper School science teacher and Cross Country team coach! Not only is the cross country team off to a great start this season, but his new Advanced Placement course, Environmental Science, has been approved by both the AP Course Audit and the UC system. Well done! |
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MS FACULTY MEMBER PUBLISHED |
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| Recently, Ms. Leighann Pennington, Middle School history teacher, published an article in the 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, a national newsletter geared toward parents and teachers of gifted students with special learning needs. The article is called "Making Friends with Reading and Writing." Interviews with TVT's eighth graders inspired much of her insight. This article (on pages 19-23) will interest teachers, parents, and anyone who wants advice on how to become a more effective reader. For more information on this newsletter, see: http://www.2enewsletter.com/ |
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ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES |
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Alternative Processes: Art Opening Friday, October 9, 5-8pm.
Mr. Edward Heyman, former president of the TVT Board of Directors and parent of alumni Jordana '02 and Ben '05, will open an exhibit of his artwork tonight from 5-8pm at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. The opening will focus on the way Sabattier, cyanotype, cross-processing, chemical painting, toning, encaustic, Polaroid lifts, infra-red, and pinhole cameras change the way we look at the world, and the way the world looks to us. For more information visit www.IrvineFineArts.org.
Alternative Processes Photo Show
Irvine Fine Arts Center
14321 Yale Avenue
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 724-6880
October 9-28, 2009
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CORRECTION!
SAVE THIS DATE
TVT ANNUAL GALA |
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TVT's Annual Gala February 27, 2010 
2009 Seniors at Gala Honoring Mr. Irving Gelman | |
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