31 Nadolny Sachs Pr.
613-722-0020
www.hillelacademy.ca
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October 16, 2009
Volume 2, Issue 35
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In this issue ...
- Grade 8 to CBB
- Math Workshops
- Kippot fundraiser
- UJA telethon
- We are looking for...
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Coming Up ...
- Hot Lunches start next week.
- Pumpkin Run for grades 2-6, Tuesday, Oct 20.
- Photo retake, Monday, Oct 26.
- Grade 7&8s to LaFleche Caves, Friday, Oct. 30.
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From the Administration
It was quiet around Hillel this week, as our 8th grade students were at Camp B'nai Brith on Tuesday and Wednesday with teachers Brian Lamb, Heather Graham and Eileen Gallant, one of our retired teachers.
The students participated in two days filled with team-building and leadership exercises. It has always been a priority here at Hillel to develop students with leadership abilities. We have the older students leading clubs and acting as lunch monitors for the younger grades.
In 8th grade, the students take on even more. At CBB, they elected the Presidents of the Student Council (congratulations to Dayna and Allec!), so look for the Student Council to really get underway. They also chose yearbook editors to create the Hillel yearbook.
We expect a lot of our 8th graders, and they live up to our expectations and more. They volunteer at Hillel Lodge and head up tikkun olum projects. We are particularly proud this week of Caleb, Shira, Bram, Corey, Alexa and Dayna, who have volunteered to make fund-raising calls during the UJA telethon this weekend. Making
phone calls during a telethon is a daunting task, and we are very proud
that our students are willing to take the challenge. So please, when
they call you, listen to what they have to say. They are the future leaders of this community.
Shabbat Shalom,
- Donna Palmer-Dodds and Wendy Waxman
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 Grade 8 Visits Camp B'nai Brith
It
was
a busy trip, with lots of fun, team-building exercises, and camaraderie.
(Right, Noam's team-mates use the rope to which he is harnessed to stop him from falling as he climbs.)
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Above, Cassandra, Elana, Mirren, Danielle and Lauren work together to make a representation of what the trip was about, using wooden blocks (then they got to knock them over.) Below, Alexa, Sabrina and Racheli have fun at karaoke night. For more photos from CBB, as well as other pictures from the week, check out our photo gallery.
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Photos by Emma Hamer.
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Some Important NotesPlease take note of the following:
- Hillel will be offering a Friday aftercare program when the Friday dismissals become earlier (starting November 6). Please watch for more information about registration coming soon.
- If you wish to have your child's photo retaken on Photo Retake day, you must return the pictures to the office with the word 'retake' on the form.
- Please remember that no dogs are allowed on school grounds.
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Math for Mom and DadThe parents got down and dirty with math tools Wednesday and Thursday evening, learning how their children are understanding math. Beata Myhill, our Math Resource teacher, has been visiting all the classrooms every week, bringing to them different ways of learning math. The children are having a wonderful time (we swear it - ask them!) learning how to problem solve with numbers. Mrs. Myhill uses a wide variety of hands-on tools to help the children problem solve to grasp the math concepts they need to know.
Mrs. Myhill taught the parents in attendance how their children are learning to problem solve by using some of the same tools, such as the abacus the parents are using in the photo below. If you missed her very useful and interesting discussion, you can still go to our web site for dates of the next workshops and to download the rubric and an example of tools you can use at home to support your child's math learning.
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 Tandia
checks out Ben's strategies in grade 1 math. (They are actually
encouraged to discuss their problem-solving with each other!)
Right, Nava's dad works with Shira's mom to solve a problem in the Math Workshop.
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Hot Lunches Update
 The students were delighted to get hot dogs on Thursday, but Hot Lunches are really getting underway next week. Life is full of challenges, and our Hot Lunch program is facing its first challenge next week. The Pumpkin Run is taking place next Tuesday, and most of the students will be out of the school on what was supposed to be the first Hot Lunch day.
Therefore, we have changed next week around a little. We will be moving the falafel day from Thursday to Wednesday and the chicken that was supposed to be on Tuesday to Thursday. Our week will now look like this:
Tuesday: no hot lunch.
Wednesday: falafel
Thursday: chicken lunch.
We have a couple of other notes. In November the spaghetti will be offered in a meatless tomato sauce as an option. If you already ordered meat sauce and would like to switch, please contact Jennifer Glassman. And the deadline for ordering for November's meals is coming up quickly. You need to get your orders, with cheques, into the PTA box by Thursday, October 22. Also, please note that due to the necessity of pre-ordering ingredients, this is a firm deadline.
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Introducing Shoshi Zin
 Hillel is happy to welcome a new counselor. Stacey Young isn't going anywhere, but Shoshi will be helping out as well.
Shoshi has lived in Israel and London, England, where she got her Masters in Family Therapy at the Institute of Psychiatry. She moved with her family to Ottawa 3 years ago.
She will be here after school on Wednesday and before school on Thursday, and welcomes parents and students to come and talk to her any time.
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Shannon Eddy Smith works with the soloists for the Hanukkah presentation; Hanukkah Celebration Around the World. (Save the date! Wednesday, December 16)
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H1N1 Information
Several parents have sent us the link to a website Canada's Public Health agency has created to explain all the issues around the H1N1 virus and vaccine.
It is called the H1N1 Preparedness Guide, and you can find it here.
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 Kippot Fundraiser 
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 UJA Telethon
As mentioned last week, two Hillel parents, Rena Kimia and Mitchell Sabloff, are chairs of the UJA telethon campaign this year.
They aren't the only ones who are willing to help, though. Besides other parents who have offered to volunteer, several 8th students offered to make some calls. Caleb and Shira (pictured) will be joined by Corey, Dayna, Bram and Alexa this weekend to make calls on behalf of UJA. Funds raised go not only to Hillel and YRHS, but many significant member agencies.
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D'var Torah
This
week, we begin reading the creation account in chapter one of Genesis. The
Ramban indicates that it is impossible for any one individual to understand the
intricacies of creation, as they are beyond the capacity of the human being to
absorb. While the Ramban adheres vociferously to the concept of six days of
creation, culminating with the Shabbat, I do not believe he would reject the
role of science in enlightening us with details about this most wondrous event
in the history of the universe.
In
Hillel Academy and Yitzhak Rabin High School, we feel that there is no debate
between the biblical and scientific accounts of creation, and that both
approaches provide us with an acute awareness of G-d's awesome power in
enabling our universe to come into existence. The combination of Torah and Mada
(science) knowledge create the opportunity we have at YRHS to develop the
well-rounded student adept and literate in the wisdom of our ancient texts as
well as proficient in modern tools of investigation provided by secular
sources.
- Rabbi Howard Finkelstein
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We Are Looking For
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An Oven
We know it is a big request, but the PTA would love to accept any old ovens with a stove top. If you happen to be redoing your kitchen, please think of us!
Old Greeting Cards
Don't throw out those lovely Rosh Hoshanah cards you received in September! Morah Ann-Lynn in ADK wants them. She'd also like old birthday cards, bat or bar mitzvah or any other kind of card. They'll recycle the pictures on the front to make new art.
Children who are missing pieces of their uniform
In the main office, there are unlabelled pieces of the uniform. Please, please put your child's name in their uniform pieces and if they have lost something that was not labelled, please send them to Ellie or Eslyn.
Exercise Balls and Stands
Thanks to the family who donated what we need!
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ADK brought their Shabbat program to Hillel Lodge last week. (photo: Marilyn Adler)
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