ONE WEEK LEFT TO RE-ENROLL FOR 2014-15
Avoid the late fee and submit your online re-enrollment by the Friday, March 14th deadline
1. Log on to enroll.talmudtorah.com
2. Friday, March 14th is the deadline to apply (without penalty)
3. Friday, March 28th is the deadline to submit all applications and documentation for tuition assistance.
An enrollment is considered COMPLETE when the following criteria have been met by Friday, March 14, 2014:
- A family has completed all steps in the online enrollment;
- A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per child (or adjusted) has been paid by cheque or credit card (2% charge);
- Post-dated tuition cheques have been submitted (or a credit card to charge tuition);
- $300 PPP cheque has been submitted (post-dated for June 26, 2015 and payable to VTT);
- For students whose parents are not born in Canada, updated immigration documentation must be submitted for students and parents (even if students are born in Canada).
Questions about documentation?
Contact Tammy Kalvari
|
GRADE 1-7 STUDENTS: JOIN US AT OUR 1st ANNUAL (PURIM) SOCK HOP
On Friday, March 14th, as part of the Purim carnival, Grade 7 students will be running and DJ'ing a sock hop dance for our primary and intermediate students. No dance partner required and students can come in their Purim costumes. This is a fundraiser for Strathcona--the outdoor education program that culminates a VTT student's career at our school. Admission is by donation (though no one will be refused entry). Your support is much appreciated! |
WEEKLY TORAH PORTION WITH RABBI MATTHEW BELLAS
Shabbat Parashat VaYikra Mark Your Words
This week, we begin the reading of the third book of the Torah: Sefer VaYikra/The Book of Leviticus. As its Greek name implies, it contains the detailed laws concerning the Levite service in the Mishkan/ Desert Tabernacle, which would serve as the foundation for the laws of their later service in the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem. On the surface, the content of this book is dry, detailed, complex, and difficult to connect to a modern Jewish life in the modern world. However, one of the many over-arching themes to this material is being diligent to maintain spiritual connectedness to and readiness for God. This is a theme that is deeply meaningful in a world in which it is often difficult to find spirituality and easy to slip into behaviors that push us further away from our spiritual pursuits. There is a wealth of material to provide us with guidance in this week's Torah reading. However, I will focus on only one in this week's column.
Shabbat Shalom!
|
TALMUD TORAH DOMINATES AT 26th ANNUAL PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST
Talmud Torah students dazzled and impressed at last night's 26th Annual Public Speaking Contest, presented by Jewish Federation and State of Israel Bonds. Fourth through seventh graders presented on topics as diverse as the potential death of the Yiddish language (see grade 4 student Alex Ritch's excerpt below) to Israeli dance, Theodore Herzl, the value of a Jewish education, how actions make a Jewish home, and why
Tzedakah is such an important Jewish value.
"Did you know that the word glitch, which actually is a Yiddish word, means a problem or error, but in Yiddish, it means to slip or fall? Klutz, another Yiddish word, we use in English every day. It means a clumsy, dense person. Another word, mentch we use a lot. It means a tremendously generous person."--excerpted from Alex Ritch's speech, "What the Loss of Yiddish Means to the Jews and If We Should Care."
| Mazal tov to the following students:
|
Grade 4, Group 1:
Ava Abramowich, 1st
Asher Teperson, 2nd
Alex Zychlinski, 3rd
|
Grade 4, Group 2:
Shoshana Pollock, 1st
Ben Gutman, 2nd
Zach Bunim, 3rd
| Grade 4, Group 3:
Rubi Katz, 1st
Alex Ritch, 2nd
Dahlia Levitt, 3rd
|
Grade 5, Group 1:
Jasmine Layton, 2nd
Jonah Ezekiel, 3rd
| Grade 5, Group 2:
Ilana Guez, 1st
Maya McNamara, 2nd
Prielle Laniado, 3rd
|
Grade 5, Group 3:
Kalev Adler, 1st
Isabel Wiseman, 2nd
Oliver Munt, 3rd
| Grade 6:
Eva Dobrovolska, 1st
Avrel Festinger, 2nd
|
Hebrew:
Dan Elizur, 2nd
Edan Litvak, 3rd
|
|
INTRODUCING "VTT READS!"
MONDAY, MAR 10-FRIDAY, MAR 28
We are excited to introduce "VTT Reads," loosely modelled after CBC Radio's "Canada Reads." VTT Reads is a literacy initiative aimed at encouraging our students to become avid readers and develop reading preferences. Students are asked to recommend one book out of four exemplary titles that they would recommend to their peers. Between Monday, March 10 and Friday, March 28, all the books will be displayed in the school's front foyer with ballots and ballot boxes for each grade grouping to cast their votes. Students can even do a video endorsement which will be displayed on the school's internal plasma screen. For each book on display, there are at least three more copies in the library for students to borrow. Encourage your children to borrow them; if unavailable, try the Vancouver Public Library or Kidsbooks. The winning books will be announced at an assembly on Friday, March 28. Sixteen students will also win copies of the books (by draw) and three $25 gift certificates to Kidsbooks will be won by random draw as well. |
|
|
NEED TO REACH THE OFFICE TEAM IN A JIFFY?
| Send an email to office@talmudtorah.com to reach Debbie, Lihe, Natalie and Tammy in one fell swoop. Use this email for late notes, absent notes, bus requests, etc.
| |
DATES TO REMEMBER
| |
Light Shabbat candles
5:46p.m.
Shabbat ends 6:53 p.m.
|
Annie Rehearsal
Sunday, March 9, 11-3
Daylight Savings Time Begins! (MORE SUNLIGHT!)
Sunday, March 9, 2 a.m.
Move your clocks one hour AHEAD
Purim Pack-a-Thon at KDHS (Grade 6 students)
Monday, March 10
Purim Carnival--11:25 a.m. dismissal
Friday, March 14
Deadline to re-enroll for the 2014-15 school year (without penalty)
Friday, March 14
Erev Purim
Saturday, March 15
Purim
Sunday, March 16
|
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
PPP HOURS REDUCTION (TO 10)
| |
This year we have seen a reduction in the amount of volunteers needed by our school. We recognize that many of the volunteer hours typically available to our parent body were not available this year and that, as a result, many people may find it difficult to complete their 12 hour requirement. With this in mind, the P.P.P. volunteer requirement for the 2013/ 2014 school year has been reduced from 12 to 10 hours.
|
DOES YOUR CHILD VISIT THE LEARNING COMMONS AFTER SCHOOL?
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday:
Open until 4:30 p.m.
Friday: CLOSED
| |
Please pick up your children on time
|
| Every time we have student or class photos we depend on the speedy efficiency of two dedicated parent volunteers: Alisa Korbin-DeLisle and Alex Moses. This complicated and exhausting task would be much more challenging without their invaluable help. Todah Rabah!
|
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
|
|
Families and the Law: FREE parent talkWednesday, Mar 5, 7:30 JCC Learn how the new family laws affect families and relationships PJ Library Presents a Pre-Purim Extravaganza with Elizabeth Kushner, author of Purim Superhero Sunday, March 9, 11 am JCC Ovarian Cancer & Jewish Genetics Talk with VTT parent, Ginaya Peters March 12, 7 p.m., JCC JCC Camp Shalom Registration opens Feb 21 Early bird discounts until March 14 Purim at the CarnivalSunday, March 16, 12-2:30 Kosher for Passover Chocolate Sale (nut free)Deadline to order is Mar 18 Click here for detailsEveryday Pesach Cooking & More with celebrated chef Bonnie SternSunday, Mar 30, 7:30 p.m. JCC Wosk Auditorium Melanie Phillips, British Journalist, Author and Columnist will be speaking about Terror and Secularism: How the West Lost the Cultural PlotTuesday, April 1, 7 p.m. Schara Tzedeck Richmond Country Club Passover CampApril 14-18 Ages 5-12
|
SHONOT/ODDS 'N ENDS
|
OUR LOST & FOUND IS OVERFLOWING! LOTS OF SWEATERS TO BE CLAIMED!
Rose Dupaya works hard every day to fold and organize the hundreds of items that make their way to the lost and found. Please claim what's yours! Unclaimed items will be donated at the end of March.  | | Dr Goof Li 2014 |
Grade 2 students performed their Dr. Goof Li "nutritional musical" earlier this week. Perhaps Dr. Goof Li's lessons will translate into healthier food choices. . . (with a little chocolate thrown in for good measure).
|
|
MISSION STATEMENT
|
Vancouver Talmud Torah is a traditional Jewish community day school dedicated to excellence in an engaging and respectful learning environment in which Jewish children can become proud, caring, responsible, and dedicated members of the Jewish people and Canadian society.
|
|
|
|
