REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AND DOWNLOAD FROM 3:30 PM TODAY
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ANNIE: SEE THE PHOTOS! ORDER THE DVD!
For those familiar with the experience viewing our outstanding spring musicals, we utter the same statement annually: "It can't get any better than this!" Yet each year we are again blown away by the student talent, attention to detail, brilliant set design, dazzling costumes, and wonderful energy in the audience. We are most grateful to the dynamic trio of Keri Smith, Elana Jacobson and Melissa Anders for making Annie a memorable experience for all! Do you really think they can top it next year??? The closing night performance included a surprise act by some of our daring faculty. See the photos here (apologies in advance for the less than stellar quality due to dim light conditions).
 Not ready to say goodbye to "Annie?"
Order the DVD, professionally recorded and edited by Shutterhouse Films
$20 cash or $21 via PayPal 
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WEEKLY TORAH PORTION WITH RABBI BELLAS
Shabbat Parashat Aharei Mot/Shabbat Hagadol
The GREAT Shabbat
Why is the Shabbat immediately before Passover called Shabbat Hagadol? For centuries, it was - and continues to be in some communities - a tradition for the Rabbi to speak only on two Shabbatot each year, delivering long descriptions and explanations of Jewish law. The first was the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (Shabbat Shuva) on the laws of repentance. The other was the Shabbat before Pesah on the laws of preparing for and observing the strict rules of this festival. Since the rules are so numerous and specific, the teaching would be extremely long or "gadol," thus, Shabbat Hagadol.
Attached to the Hadashot this week is VTT's Guide to Passover. We hope that you find its content helpful as we join together to celebrate the Festival of Spring, Freedom, Matza and Pesah. Our Rabbis teach, "Behold it is praiseworthy for anyone who elongates his/her discussions on the [themes and texts of Passover]." May you take the opportunity during your celebration of the festival to reflect on its themes and make personal connections to their meanings. I look forward to hearing stories of how our students celebrated this one of the three biblical pilgrimage festivals upon their return to school in two weeks, refreshed for the final two months of the school year. Shabbat Shalom, and Hag Kasheir v'Samei'ah,
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CHAG PESAH SAMEI'ACH! GET OUR PASSOVER GUIDE HERE! |
SCHOOL NEWS
Todah Rabah to all the parents and community members who came out to support us in our first-ever Pesach Vehicle Vac last Sunday. Our Grade 7s raised $800 towards their outdoor education trip to Strathcona Park in June. Special thanks to our faculty organizers, Marina Steeves and Meghan Davey, who had enough energy and motivation for all. We would also like to thank our neighbourhood Safeway for donating Starbucks Coffee and brownie bites for the early birds. See all the photos here. Some VTT traditions never get tired! Our preschoolers and kindergarteners LOVE their annual visit to the Chabad matzah bake. In the photo above, a student turns matzah into flour. Our preschool 4 students took the job of cleaning their classroom for Passover extremely seriously. Not a surface was left untouched! The McNamara family recently returned from a family trip to Israel to celebrate oldest son Noah's Bar Mitzvah. While in the holy land, the family visited our sister school, Alei Givah, in Israel's Upper Galilee Panhandle. Read fifth grade student Maya's email to her teachers and classmates in Grade 5 about her experience visiting the school below.  I want to tell you about my amazing experience at Alley Givah. The first thing I did was sit in the office of the two teachers that came to Vancouver during Hanukkah. They were so nice and loving and we were all talking about our trip, Talmud Torah and Israel. They were so happy to see us which was very special. I gave them all the letters and candy you sent and then we went on a gigantic tour of the entire school. Their school is very different than ours. For example, there is a petting zoo inside the property. It is an outdoor school so every 2-3 classes get their own little building which makes the entire place feel like a little village. The science class doubles up as the bomb shelter which is amazing to me. The interesting thing that Tali, their principal, said is that they do it on purpose so that the kids are not scared to go into a room they are not used to in case there is an emergency. I thought that was really smart. The other really cool thing is that every graduating class (grade 6 in their case) leaves a present to the school so as we walked around the school they pointed out art projects, a pond, and other special things that each grade 6 worked on during their final year and now the school can remember them by. I wonder if that is something that we would want to do at VTT because I think it's so special. It was one of the highlights of my trip to go to the school and meet some of the grade 5s (they are very tall!). Over all I had a great experience at the school. |
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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.
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DATES TO REMEMBER
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Light Shabbat candles
7:40 p.m.
Shabbat ends 8:49 p.m.
Erev Pesach
Monday, April 14
Light candles at 7:45 p.m.
Second Day of Passover
Tuesday, April 15
Light candles after 8:54 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16
Holiday ends at 8:56 p.m.
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Jewcy Cuisine website open for orders for Term III
Deadline to order: Sunday, April 28 at 11 p.m. Late orders will be charged a $10 late fee ( proceeds will support the VTT Family Fund)
www.jewcycuisine.com
Term III Report Cards Available through Parent Portal
Friday, April 11, 3:30 p.m.
School Resumes After Passover Break
Monday, April 28
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
PPP HOURS REDUCTION (TO 10)
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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.
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DOES YOUR CHILD VISIT THE LEARNING COMMONS AFTER SCHOOL?
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday:
Open until 4:30 p.m.
Friday: CLOSED
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Please pick up your children on time
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| We apologize for accidentally omitting Jordana Dodek's name in last week's Hadashot as the new co-chair of Passover (along with Shannon Ezekiel) beginning in 2015.
We also want to thank all the parents and community members who helped us stage Annie. There are too many to list individually, but the help was beyond necessary and appreciated! These performances depend on the goodwill of so many of you. We could not achieve what we do every single year without your kindness and willingness to help.
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Get ready for Passover with help from Shalhevet High SchoolPurchase aluminum platters, head scarves and junee shell tops Click here for more infoFamily Concert featuring 2014 Vancouver-born Grammy winner, Jennifer GasoiSaturday, April 12 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit Children's Hearing and Speech Centre of BC
Schara Tzedeck presents: Pre-Seder Italian Family Dinner BuffetSunday, April 13, 5 or 7:30 Richmond Country Club Passover CampApril 14-18 Ages 5-12 Congregation Beth Israel presents Pesach Brunch in the Sinaiat 6-Pack Indoor Beach Sunday, April 20 10:30-12:30 YOM HA'SHOAH Commemorative Eveningfeaturing eyewitness account from Mariette Doduck, hidden child survivor from Belgium Monday, April 28, 7 pm, JCC NEW! Family Camp at Camp Miriam in the serene setting of Gabriola Island. Long weekend of May 16-18. For details please contact camp.miriam@gmail.com or call 604.266.2825
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SHONOT/ODDS 'N ENDS
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Did you read about VTT parent Dr. Neil Pollock's efforts to teach infant circumcision techniques to physicians in Haiti, which can reduce AIDS transmission by 60%. Neil is trying to raise $25K for this effort. Read the article hereContact Neil here
| Our Running Club will be participating in BC Children's Hospital's ChildRun on Sunday, June 1st. How about you! Come support Team Celia!
Click this link to sign up.
Looking for dairy items that are kosher for Passover?
Happy Days Dairy, a local KosherCheck certified dairy, will be running cholov yisroel production; beginning with a special production for Passover milk, yogurts and dairy products. Available at Sabra's, Kosher Food Warehouse and other locations.
Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation is hiring an Assistant Director of Development!
Read the job posting here
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MISSION STATEMENT
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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.
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