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Learn more about Weizmann Day School!!
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Holiday Happenings
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This week and next week we are celebrating Tu B'Shevat at school!
The Talmud teaches us that the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Shevat is the "New Year of/for the trees". This specific date was decided because the trees in Israel were mature enough so that their fruit could be harvested, and the annual tithe on fruit trees could be collected. (A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government). The tithe was based on the age of a tree, as was the ability to eat of its fruit. According to Leviticus 19:23-25, no fruits are to be eaten in the first three years after a tree's planting. So, Tu B'Shevat became the marker of a tree's "birthday". By then the early winter rains were mostly over and the period of budding had begun.
As a school we will visit the Arcadia Arboretum on Tuesday, January 29th! We will spend the day enjoying nature, going for hikes and learning about our environment. We will also enjoy snacking on the three categories of fruits for the holiday:
- Fruits with a peel or shell that cannot be eaten
- Fruits with pits or seeds that cannot be eaten
- Fruits that are edible both inside and out
Students have been learning about the Seven Species. The Seven Species (Shivat Haminim) are the seven types of fruits and grains named in the Torah (Deuteronomy 8:8) as the main produce of the land of Israel. In ancient times these foods were staples of the Israelite diet. They are grapes, pomegranates, olives, dates, figs, barley and wheat. You can find many of these species growing in our garden at school!
We extend our gratitude and thanks to all of our parent drivers!
Look out for more Holiday Happenings about our Purim celebrations here at Weizmann!
Hag Samayah!
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| Important Dates: | |
January 24: Martin Luther King, Jr. program, 4th-8th, 1:45-3:15pm
January 29: Tu B'Shevat field trip K-8, to the Arboretum; leaving at 10:00am and returning at 2:00pm. IN THE EVENT OF RAIN THE TRIP IS CANCELLED.
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Did You Know.........?
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What Middle School found interesting at the Fowler Museum of Art's exhibit on the Jews of Iran.
Karen: Persian children often married early (even in infancy) so that they could not marry a Muslim.
Nicole: Persian lanterns could fold up into compact lamps.
McKenzie: The Persian Jews wore protective amulets.
Hagar: We made amulets out of pie tins; some people made hamsah.
Nelson: Crypto-Hebrew was made so some people could not read it.
Ben: The mini-t'fillin were worn under hats and wraps so no one knew they were Jews.
Eitan: The cylinder of Cyrus was covered with cuneiform.
Matthew: The rug we saw at the beginning of our tour was covered with stories from the Torah, including the 12 tribes and lots of Hebrew.
Samantha: Metal earrings had an interesting design.
Zoe: Our docent went to UCLA.
Omer: Necklaces with mezuzah were unusual.
AMAZING TIME AT AN AMAZING CAMP WITH AMAZING KIDS!
The 5th graders returned yesterday from an incredible 3 days at Astrocamp high in the mountains in Idylwild! The experiences and memories they left the camp with will be with them for life! When not chilling in the Cedar dorms, the 5th grade class was having the times of their life from sun up to sun down! We jumped on a giant glow in the dark wall, wrote our names with purple lasers, played with highlighters under a UV light, and played music with a laser in Lights and Lasers class! We went on a night hike around camp using only the moon as our light to guide us and explored Polaris, Orion, and Jupiter with the various telescopes Astrocamp has! We used antigravity training just like NASA astronauts do in the heated indoor pool to build underwater satellites! We explored camp and found micrometeorites that we got to take home! We went on a scavenger hunt around camp using GPS satellites! We blew things up in Atmosphere and Gases! We designed our own space mission in Mission to Mars! We conquered our fears of the dark as we conquered the dark maze! We (ALL...every single 5th grader) conquered our fears of heights as we climbed a 40 foot tree and walked 20 feet along a log high in the sky on the Cat Walk! And the epic conclusion to this year's Astrocamp....swinging 40 feet in the air back and forth on Sky Coaster! The Weizmann Day School Astrocamp trip for 2013 was nothing short of incredible amazingly fanatically awesomely epic and mindblowing......and we didn't want to leave and really want to go back! START GETTING EXCITED 4TH GRADE!!! YOUR COUNTDOWN TO ASTROCAMP HAS ALREADY BEGUN!
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Todah Rabbah
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Thank you to Becky, Annette and Yaron for driving middle school to the Fowler Museum.
Thank you to Elena and Lawrence for donating brand new recorders and a new listening station.
Thank you to Katharine for donating Disney books to Afterschool Adventures and carpet pieces for craft projects.
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Protect Yourself and Others This Cold and Flu Season
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You can keep yourself healthy by practicing a little proactive prevention.
1. Wash your hands often.
2. Use hand sanitizer.
3. Keep your face hands-free.
4. Get your flu vaccine.
If you get sick, be kind to yourself and others.
1. Stay home and rest.
2. Drink lots of fluids.
3. Treat your aches and fever.
4. Cover your sneeze and cough.
With so many students and staff out sick we are conscious of keeping everyone at school healthy. Remember, if your child has a fever, they may not return to school until they are fever free for 24 hours.
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| Community News |
Jewish Federation 18th Annual Meeting Sunday, January 27, 2013, 9:30am at 550 S. Second Avenue, Arcadia. Keynote speaker Phil Blazer, President Blazer Media Group. In addition, the Jewish Federation's Officers and Board of Governors are installed: Dr. Stuart Miller (PJTC) as President, Shelley Freedenthal (Temple Sinai) as the Vice President, and David Levy (Temple Sinai) as a Governor. Catered Brunch Reception $30.00 per person. Please RSVP by January 23.
The Community Purim Carnival sponsored by Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, and Temple Beth David will be held on Sunday, February 24, 12:00-3:00. We are looking for volunteers. If you would like to help, (which we hope you do!), please call PJTC at 626-798-1161. Click here for the flyer. Community Purim Carnival
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