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PICTURE OF THE WEEK

 

Wednesday, September 16: Tzom Gedalyah- 1:45 Dismissal - no busing

Tuesday - Wednesday, September 22-23: Yom Kippur - no school

Friday - September 25: SCHOOL CLOSED DUE TO PAPAL VISIT

 

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

In an essay in for the National Association of Independent Schools, Todd Nelson wrote:

An experienced and wise school head once exclaimed to his teachers during a faculty meeting: "I wish we could put a sign out front of the building saying 'Only a School."

Intended as humor, his lament nonetheless contained an ironic truth. Any group of teachers can sympathize with this exasperation at the web of pressures teachers feel to play roles other than educator. Add to these pressures our society's condescension towards the teaching profession. Even great teachers catch themselves occasionally thinking, "I'm only a teacher."

The work of teachers needs constant defending. Whether in their third or 33rd year of teaching, they have experienced the pressure to play several or all of the following roles simultaneously: curriculum expert, scholar, psychologist, disciplinarian, traffic cop, marriage counselor, lawyer, minister or priest, mother, father; coach, offensive and defensive coordinator; referee; judge and jury, babysitter, chaperone, sage, bottle washer. Multitasking was invented by teachers. Sometimes we don't even realize the roles we ask of teachers; and often the request is inappropriate or manipulative. Only rarely is it honorific. Do most parents know how often teachers lament, "I wish I could just teach"? They yearn for the clarity and singular purpose implied in working at "only a school." But one should never settle for being only a teacher. Too much is at stake.

We all know that, at the present time, our society is not going to allow us that simplicity. As critic David Denby points out in a New Yorker article, the culture is too busy assuring that its children "are shaped by the media as consumers before they've had a chance to develop their souls." And Juliet Schor notes in an article in Hope magazine, "Dematerializing Our Kids," "We have pretty much offered up our kids as a market to be exploited, with virtually no discussion, much less opposition."

In this week's Parsha, the Jewish People form a covenant with G-d. Many commentaries ask why another covenant was needed after one was already forged at Sinai.

The Shem M'Shmuel quotes the Ba'al Ha'tanya (The first Lubavitcher Rebbe) as saying that a covenant is never for the "here and now". Two loving parties that care deeply about each other at the moment don't need a pact! A covenant is needed for the future, when the love suffers the ravages of time. Then the covenant holds the relationship fast. The Jews formed a Brit with Hashem at this point in the desert, when miracles happened daily, because they knew it would maintain the bond with Hashem, through the best, and the worst, of times.

 

At the Torah Academy, we educate our students with a passion for  Torah, Mitzvot, academic success, Derech Eretz and Eretz Yisrael. The love for these ideals that are developed within the confines of our school are not just for the years that a student remains in our school --- they are life lessons, and life-long ideals. They stand to help him or her make real decisions that face we face daily in real life.

 

Our teachers then, do not only teach --- they prepare each child for a complex world of very difficult decisions --- moral, ethical and academic. But they need your help. A school as unique as ours must work in tandem with parents to mold the next, greatest generation that our children promise to become.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Isaac Entin

RABBI ENTIN'S RECOMMENDED READING

 

I am so excited to be teaching 5th grade at Torah Academy this year! This will be my fourth year teaching 5th grade, but my first year at TA. This fifth grade year will be filled with many opportunities for exploration and creativity.

This year Reading will focus on reading comprehension of fiction and non-fiction texts. While students are working on their reading comprehension in small groups, the class will be moving through weekly centers that focus on Grammar, Figurative Language, Creative Writing, Poetry, and Vocabulary. Students will also be utilizing the Writing Process while creating narrative, expository, and persuasive writing pieces. A special piece that the students get to work on is the "There Ought to be a Law" essay, where students get to create their own law and enter a state competition!

Math has a lot in store for our the 5th graders this year. By the end of the year they will know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with decimals. They will also be taking a closer look at fractions, and how to compare decimals, fractions, and percentages. We will end the year with a unit on geometry, which will include a project where the students get a chance to become architects and design their own home!

The 5th grade students were very excited to learn that we will be doing a few new and exciting topics in Science this year. We are going to be starting off the year learning about the Scientific Process and the students will have the chance to make their own science fair projects. We will also be learning about Chemistry later in the year; the 5th graders will learn about mixtures and solutions, as well as saturation and chemical reactions. In Social Studies we will begin with the explorers and the influence of Jamestown, and we will end the year by taking a look at the first colonies. Students will participate in Colonial Days at the end of the year, where they will be able to show off their knowledge to their peers, parents, and teachers!

I have received such a warm welcome by the staff, students, and families at TA, and I anticipate a great year ahead!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Hayes

טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ;

"You're standing firmly today, all of you, before Hashem, heads of the shevet, elders, police officers, every Jewish person, young children, women, converts, wood cutters, and water carriers.

This Pasuk mentions many different types of Jews standing before Hashem on that day.

This parsha is always read before Rosh Hashanah. What's the connection between this Parsha and Rosh Hashanah?

In the tefilla of Rosh Hashanah we say זה היום תחילת מעשך

היום- today is referring to Rosh Hashanah.

On Rosh Hashanah, we crown Hashem king and we can only crown Hashem king when we are all together.

We can learn from the opening of this week's Parsha that when we come together we are stronger. On Rosh Hashanah, we shouldn't only daven for ourselves we should daven for our friends and family too.

I learn from this that we all need to be a united nation! We are stronger when we are like one. Hashem enjoys hearing our תפילות when we are all together. This Rosh Hashanah we should think about a few friends and family who could use our תפילות and we should daven for them.

Have a great Yom Tov!

SHOFAR WORKSHOP

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS ROSH HASHANAH PROGRAM

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Dear Parents,

 

We are excited to announce the first session of after school activities at Torah Academy.  Due to some of the technical problems we encountered with the on-line registrations, we ask that you fill the form below or e-mail Rabbi Silver at ASilver@TAPhila.org with your child(ren)'s name, grade and contact information, along with each program you are registering him/her for.

 

A letter with this information will also be sent home with your children and you can complete the form and return to the school's Education Office.

 

As many of the clubs will be starting the first week after Sukkot break, please try to send in the forms prior to Sukkot vacation.

 

 Thank you in advance.

 

Rabbi Silver

PTO HAPPENINGS

BULLETIN BOARD OF THE WEEK

TA FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

  

TA SNAPSHOTS

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