 | |
During Friday's water fight, B'not Sherut Esty and Zahava get doused by Tomer. |
|
 | |
Mazal tov, Akiba-Schechter Class of 2013! |
|
I always feel as though the last week of school is like running a marathon, each teacher determined to bring closure to his or her curriculum and never having enough time. On Monday the 8th graders returned from Israel and on Wednesday they returned for their last day at school. It was touching to see how excited the rest of the students were to greet them - from their 1st and 2nd grade buddies to their fellow middle school friends. I especially loved seeing the 8th graders share their Israel experience.
The momentum continued Thursday night at the 8th grade graduation. As is tradition at Akiba, each graduate addressed the audience. I love hearing the graduates share their stories, but what I really love is that they share them with total strangers. By the end of the evening, those strangers actually know who these extraordinary young men and women are. As their words showed, they are all individuals and valued as such.
It is also tradition that the graduates come to school on the last day of school, and today was no exception. Students enjoyed the annual water fight, as well as photo montages of the year prepared by Rabbi Holman and the B'not Sherut. They also enjoyed roasting their teachers in a performance whose hilarity was rivaled only by teachers' roast of them!
The last day of school is always bittersweet - it's the nature of growing and changing. Ultimately, it was a perfect ending to wonderful year. Have a great summer! Shabbat Shalom!
 | | The 5th, 6th and 7th graders sing Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" as a surprise song for the 8th graders. |
|
|
by Sara Price
 | | Team Greece in the Off-Year Olympics |
The theme of this year's Field Day was "the Off-Year Olympics." Each group represented a different nation, and many got into the spirit, dressing in their nation's colors. The nations participating in our field day events were : the USA, Israel, Greece, Great Britain, Russia, India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Canada, and Japan. It was great seeing the Indian team with their bindis, and the Ethiopians with their yellow scarves! Every team was so spirited!
Each station represented an Olympic sport. While they weren't exactly the sport, we got close enough. Swimming was represented by a relay race with flippers and floating rings. The "athletes" raced on scooter board kayaks with foam paddles, the fencers tried to pop their opponent's balloons, and the sharpshooters fired water pistols. Some of the track and field events were pretty close to the actual Olympic event. Students ran hurdles, competed in the high jump, and hurled frisbees for the discus and softballs for the shot put. Other events were just silly fun. Pinky wrestling and tricycle racing didn't accurately represent their Olympic sport, but Akiba students definitely represented the best of the Olympic spirit today.
 | | Field Day Tricycle Race |
My favorite part of Field Day is watching the 6th and 7th graders grow into their roles as the future leaders of Akiba-Schechter. Pairs of 6th/7th grade students organized and ran each station, showing real leadership qualities, creativity, flexibility, and warmth as they adapted their events to the skill levels of their athletes. I am so proud of next year's 7th/8th grade class! |
 | | Shaya visiting the building he researched. |
Ms. Gorosh's 3rd/4th grade class rounded out the year with a fabulous architecture unit. The students picked a famous Chicago building, researched it, took notes, learned about different styles of architecture, created a Powerpoint project, and after all of that, they got to visit their building! They had a wonderful day last Friday traveling around the city and learning about each of their buildings. What a special way to end such a special year. These 3rd/4th graders are about to rock 4th/5th grade!
Ms. Gorosh's 6th grade Language Arts class finished the year with a unit on the play 12 Angry Men. Joining forces with Mrs. Willner-Schreiber's class, the students analyzed the play and each juror. They then got to act out the play and really made it come to life. To culminate the unit, they watched the movie and had a meaningful discussion on the play's themes. What a great year. Good luck in 7th grade!
Ms. Gorosh's 5th grade Language Arts class rounded out the year with a creative short story unit. Each student created a plot, characters, setting, and theme based on a photograph. They were hard at work on these stories, and the class couldn't wait to see the final product. Great job, 5th graders! |
|
with Debbie Lekousis
 1st and 2nd grade artists enjoyed an art class of "open workshop;" they explored art through art-related games, puzzles, origami, sketching from step-by-step drawing books with tracing paper and colored pencils, reading biographies and cartoons about favorite artists, and making fun and fascinating designs on etch-a-sketches. The kids moved freely from activity to activity, working on picture puzzles or figuring out and folding origami from diagrams together. It was exciting and fun.
 | | Chaya's cityscape with busy rooftops! |
3rd grade artists added details and colored their 2-point perspective cityscapes. These fantastic drawings will be on display for the summer, so that visitors to the school will have something bright and beautiful to admire.
4th grade artists brightened the buildings and other foreground objects in their 1-point perspective landscape studies; they colored and finished the backgrounds--solving problems along the way--to heighten the illusion of depth. These lovely studies will be displayed for the viewing pleasure of all who visit the school over summer break.
 | | Display of 4th graders one-point perspective drawings |
|
|
by Sara Price
 | |
Fencing tournament winners:
Rivka (1st place), Yannay (2nd) and Elie (3rd) |
On Sunday, June 2, eight members of the Akiba-Schechter Fencing Club competed in the Spring championships in Loeb Hall. They first fenced seven 5-touch bouts to determine their placement in the direct elimination bracket. Rivka, Yannay, Elie, and Gabe dominated the quarterfinals, defeating newcomers Eliyahu, Alex, Aaron, and Rebeca in some very exciting and hard fought bouts. In the finals Rivka finished the day undefeated, taking home the first place prize. Yannay ended up in second place, and Elie won a really intense and close bout against Gabe to finish in third. All of the fencers fought hard and demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship, cheering on their teammates, and thanking their opponents for great bouts. All in all, it was a fun (and exhausting) way to end the year. Congratulations, Akiba fencers! |
|
| Issue Number | |
June 7, 2013
Volume 9, Issue 34
Candlelighting: 8:03 p.m.
Parasha: Korach |
|
Have a Great Summer! |  |
|
Dates to Remember | |
Sunday, August 4
Ice Cream Social for New Families
Grades K-8
Thursday, August 22
Orientation
For incoming 5th graders and students new to Akiba-Schechter's Middle School
Monday, August 26
First Day of Classes
Grades 1-8
Monday, August 26
Kids' Club Begins
Grades 1-4
3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 29
Preschool Meet & Greet
For New Families
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, September 2
Labor Day
No Classes
Wednesday, September 4
Erev Rosh Hashana
No Classes
Thursday & Friday,
September 5 & 6
Rosh Hashana
No Classes
Monday, September 9
First Day of Kindergarten
Preschool Visitation Day
After-School Programming Begins for Grades K-8
Tuesday, September 10
First Full Day of Preschool
Late-Pick Up Begins
Click here for the full tentative
|
| Dvar Torah |
Pirkei Avot - Chapters of our Sages
by Rabbi Holman
(1:15) Shammai was the chief justice of the Sanhedrin and counterpart to Hillel's leadership. A more stern personality, Shammai insisted on respect for the Torah and logical precision. In this Mishna, Shammai famously declares, "Make your Torah learning fixed." Some explain this as setting fixed times in one's schedule for study, while others see this aphorism as a more general world view of priorities in life. As we break for the summer, we should recall Shammai's dictum and use our time for both rest and rejuvenation. With a more relaxed approach to Jewish learning guiding our summer reading list, may we all make the most of our summer vacation! Shabbat Shalom! |
| Refuah Shlema |
...to Marcie Burstyn, mother of Danielle (7th), who is recovering from a car accident. |
| Thank You |
...to everyone who helped out with lunches this year.
And thanks to our June volunteers Heidi, Dana Gersten, Dena Levy, Miri Lowey and Dolores Erlbacher.
A special thank you to Mordy and Estie Spero who cooked every Wednesday meal this year.
Look for an email in August about signing up to volunteer for next year! |
| Thank You |
...to Carole Groover and Elliot Cohen for all their help over the course of the year in producing the Kibitzer.
|
|
Lost & Found |
Missing something? Please check our lost & found tables in the day school hallway by Friday, June 14. After that, items left in the school will be donated.
For next year, please make sure to label all of your children's items brought to school so that owners can easily be identified! |
| A Kiddush in Honor of Akiba-Schechter |
Young Israel of West Rogers Park
(2706 W. Touhy Avenue)
Invites the entire
Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School Family
to a Special Shabbat Kiddush in your honor.
Shabbat Parashat Chukat
June 15, 2013
Shacharit begins at 9:00 a.m.
Kiddush approx. 11:45 a.m.
Speaker: ASJDS Board Member Dr. Avy Dachman
No RSVP is required
Your hosts: Havah Hope, Lisa Liel, Joel and Wendy Malkin, and Mara and Richard Stein
For more information call Havah Hope at 773-593-9317
or
Richard Stein at 773-415-2980
To host an out of town family or to be hosted by a West Rogers Park family, please call Wendy Malkin at (773) 505-5191.
|
|
What Forrest Gump and Moses Have in Common | |
|
|
Oakton Water Park
Women & Girls Swim |
organized by the Kehillah Fund
Wednesdays
6/19
7/3
7/17
7/24
8/7
8:30 - 10:00 p.m.
$8 per person
Oakton & Skokie Blvd. in Skokie
for mre info call (773) 262-3936
|
|
School Bus Registration is Now Past Due |
If you require bus service next school year and have not submitted your registration yet, please do so immediately at Agudah Israel:
Please contact Elliot Cohen with any questions. |
| Bring in your Box Tops | |
We continue to collect Box Tops for Education throughout the summer. Please continue to bring in your Box Tops (found on all General Mills products and many others). It does make a difference!
Collection boxes are found in the school offices on Elisa's and Millie's desks. |
|
