Dear VTT Families,
Last week we shared photos of the gym being demolished. Today, I would like to share a photo of the demolition site which has been cleared of all debris and is now being prepped for the next stage of development: installing fencing around the construction zone to ensure a secure area for our students to play and a sealed area for the crews to do their work. New fencing is also being installed around the perimeter of the school which will also accommodate a new secured entrance (from 27th). This entrance will be adjacent to the parkade and will be used during peak morning drop-off and afternoon pick up hours.
And the little fire engine survives the demolition . . .
Parkade Update
The joint VTT-BI parkade will be made available to our community over the coming weeks in coordinated stages to ensure smooth traffic flow and safe entry and exit points. The first week of school, faculty and staff will begin to park in their designated area. The second week of school, we will open the parkade from Preschool to Grade 3 families. A week later, the entire school will be encouraged to use the parkade. More details will be forthcoming next week in a dedicated Traffic & Parking communication.
VTT School Bus
Bus registrations are coming in at a a very busy pace (Tuesdays and Wednesdays are close to full!). If you intend to sign up your child for the bus, please do so by Wednesday, August 26th. A bus registration will only be considered complete when all forms have been correctly filled out and full payment has been received. To clarify: single trips are $1 each; monthly one-way fare is $15; and monthly round trip fare is $25. Moran Nir, taking over from Debbie Broadley for the next several months, is the office contact for the bus. She can be reached at mnir@talmudtorah.com.
Staffing Update
We are pleased to welcome the following new faculty and staff to the VTT team:
Lindsay Abrams, Grade 2, General Studies
Melody Gibson, Grade 3, General Studies
Rachel Berko-Gabay, Grade 3, Judaic Studies
Jessie Claudio, Grades 4, General Studies
Kim Fisher, Grade 6, Humanities
Art Zhang, Music Specialist
Moran Nir, Office Team
We would also like to welcome Shoshana Burton as our Interim Director of Jewish Life & Programming.
Shoshana ("Shoshi") Burton, our Interim Director of Jewish Life and Programming, has been teaching in Vancouver's Jewish day school community since 1992 having instructed Hebrew and Judaic studies at VTT, RJDS and King David High School. In addition to her school-wide Jewish programming responsibilities in coordination with our faculty, Mrs. Burton will be teaching Grade 7 Tikkun Olam with Ms. Leisen and Rabbinics with Rabbi Infeld.
Born in Israel and educated at Haifa University (where she met her future Canadian husband), Shoshi is passionate about students and loves collaborating with them to implement bold educational projects tied to the Jewish values of chesed (kindness), tzedekah (charity) and gemilut chasadim (benevolence). She draws inspiration in her quietest moments and then presents them to her students where their ideas and enthusiasm consistently surprise and delight her.
Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Jewish Education at Hebrew College's Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education, Shoshi sums up her motivation to work in Jewish education this way:
"I believe that a meaningful Jewish education no longer occurs solely between the four walls of the classroom. Jews no longer live in ghettos; we are dispersed and no longer surrounded by Jewish neighbours and neighborhoods with relatives and teachers. Jewish schools with a strong sense of community replace the traditional ghetto and become a centre of life and a place of daily interaction with Jewish people. In Judaism, community is a vehicle to perfecting the world and through which individuals grow and become more fully themselves. I believe that giving Tikun Olam (repair of the world) a place of high priority in Jewish schools nurtures confident students with strong self-awareness and social-awareness. I believe that now, more than ever, with the rapid changes of our world, innovative practices and creating meaningful social experiences will help shape the evolving identity and build a community that ensures continuity."
A proud mother of three Vancouver Talmud Torah graduates, Shoshi looks forward to welcoming and getting to know our VTT community.
Jewcy Cuisine Hot Lunch Website Open for Orders
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| Click on this image to access Jewcy Cuisine site |
Jewcy Cuisine is ready to accept orders for September and October. There are between 9 to 10 meal choices every day!
For those new to our hot lunch program, a couple of pointers:
1. Ordering is done in two month blocks (e.g., September & October)
2. You can choose to order hot lunch one to five days per week
3. No refunds are issued for missed lunches; cancellations (via email to info@talmudtorah.com) must be received by 10 a.m. that morning and a credit will be issued
4. The deadline to order hot lunch is Sunday, September 7th at 11 p.m.; late orders will be charged an additional $10 which will support the VTT Family Fund.
After School Programming Update
Our after school sports programming is attracting a lot of interest. On offer at the JCC is floor hockey and soccer (run by VTT Phys Ed Specialists Mr. Noel and Mr. Lotzkar) as well as RBL Basketball, various arts programs, and a health, nutrition and fitness program for pre-teens aged 9-12. Click this link to register for any of these programs. Avoid disappointment and sign up soon.
We are pleased that Elana Epstein will continue to run yoga classes at VTT (Grades 4-7) on Tuesdays. We also have chess club with Toni Deline on Tuesdays and Mad Science on Wednesdays. Registration is open for these programs. Click this link to download all the registration forms.
Information about our Band program, glee club, and show choir will be available the first week of school.
Lunch time Israeli dance for students in Grades 1-7 will again be offered this year. Registration must be done through the JCC. Classes begin the week of October 27th.
Don't forget to join us for the "Back to School Coffee" in the lower gym right after drop off on the first day of school. Come say hello to old friends and help greet our many new families! Preschool and Kindergarten parents are warmly encouraged to attend as well!
Shabbat Shalom,
Cathy Lowenstein, M.Ed.
Head of School
P.S. If you ordered a 2013-14 yearbook, they have arrived!!! Please go to Jennifer's office to pick up your copy.
