Kibitzer header 
The 3rd/4th graders went on a field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry to participate solving a "crime" set up just for them in the forensics lab.
 
This Week

by Miriam Schiller

This week we were thrilled to welcome two new staff members to the Akiba-Schechter community: Deborah Schneider, our new Director of Development; and Rachel Slutsky, a social worker. Deborah, who takes up Angie Day's former position, has many years of fundraising and event planning experience-including at the University of Chicago Lab Schools and Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. She has already jumped right into planning for the Annual Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction, our major fundraiser of the year.

 

Rachel has experience in schools as a teacher and social worker. She will be here on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and is initially just observing in classes and getting to know the students over lunch. As we grow in enrollment, we remain as committed as ever to meeting individual students' needs. Many of the positions we added this year, namely Staff Development Coordinator (Miriam Kass), Learning Specialist (Heather Waitzman), Preschool Social Worker (Danya Maloon), are part of that commitment. I know both Rachel and Debbie will help us to honor that as well.

 

I look forward to seeing all of you at conferences today and tomorrow.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Preschool Update
Masa inspects fall leaves on the light box in the Yellow Room.
 
Ready! Set! Go! has been reading the book A Fish Out Of Water by P.D. Eastman. The children all loved the book so much, that they read it every day, acted the story out, and made a colorful fish at the art table. They even made orange-colored play dough. Soon the holiday of Chanukah will be here, and Beth has begun teaching the class a few songs for the holiday about latkes and dreidels.  
KDGYou're invited, and please invite friends and neighbors!
Grades 1-8 Update
Ms. Kaz and Kita Alef proudly show off their "dag" and "dagig" puppets.

Ms. Kaz's Kitah Alef is excited to announce that their second skit is now available for online for viewing, titled "The fish, the fishy and Ariot." It is not to be missed! The students have also mastered basic Hebrew vocabulary related to days of the week, the weather and objects in the class. They are now learning their 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet with accompanying vocabulary. One of their favorite activities is hunting for the letter they are studying, around the room, on various pictures and bulletin boards; then they write down those words and decorate the page. At the end of the year they will compile all of these into their very own Aleph-Bet dictionary.

 Sara demonstrates the use of kohl as part of studying the use of makeup in Ancient Egypt in Ms. Schiller's 5th/6th History class.
Ms. Schiller's 5th/6th History class just finished creating and performing commercials to sell cosmetic items to an audience of Ancient Egypt. To do this, they had to research the ways Egyptians used cosmetics and what role they played in religion, status, and daily life. They were surprised to discover just how advanced Egyptians were for their time. Now, they have begun looking at hieroglyphics, the Rosetta Stone, and the role written language plays in the transmission of history. First the students played a few rounds of "Telephone," which quickly brought home the problems with oral transmission. From there they looked at the question of which kind of alphabet is better: phonetic or pictogram? To do this, they paired up into partners and each partnership was given a message to "translate." One student had to use a pictogram code; the other, a phonetic code. They raced to see who could translate the message faster. 
  
Ms. Schiller's 7th/8th English class has just finished reading and acting out "Our Town" and are now in the midst of some excellent discussions about theme. So far, they have identified three themes in this text: universality of life, the power of simplicity, and the impermanence of life. Students have argued back and forth about whether it's really possible to appreciate life if we want to live in the moment, and whether a life that's "slow" enough to appreciate is really worth living. What fun to watch them sink their teeth into these questions! One of the buildings in Grovers Corners, NH, the town in which this play is set, includes a cornerstone. Students brainstormed about what one might place into a cornerstone. Which items capture the essence of America? What about a cornerstone specifically for Akiba-Schechter? Their ideas were both hilarious and fascinating.
 
ear demo clip
5th/6th graders demonstrate how the ear works in Mr. Landers Science class.
Mr. Landers's 5th/6th grade Science class has been learning about the ear and hearing. In class this week, they discussed some of the finer points of the ear, then they joined forces in order to act out the operations of the ear as a class. Each of them had a role, and working together they made a "functioning" ear that processed sound waves (see video clip above). They also tested the integrity of their cochleas by listening to high pitches. Mr. Landers stopped hearing the pitches at only 16,000 Hz, but the students could hear up to 19,000 Hz and beyond! If you get the chance, feel free to ask a 5th/6th grader to explain why they can hear such high pitches but adults cannot.
  
Ella and Sydney prepare fruit salad in Mrs. Brackman's class.
Mrs. Brackman and Mrs. Gold's 7/8th grade Chumash classes are learning the story of the rebellion of Korach. They discussed the ideas of bad influences and standing strong during tough times. They bring the Chumash stories to life and try to find the relevant lessons and apply them to their lives.
  
Mrs. Brackman's 5th graders completed Parshat Beshalach and celebrated with a healthy, delicious fruit salad "Siyum" (completion party).
It was so much fun! Next they will be focusing on Parshat Yitro, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the holiday of Chanukah. Stay tuned for their special "Thanksgivukkah Menorah."
  
  

Fundraiser for 8th Grade Israel Trip: Stunning Calendar of Israel

A Jewish Calendar is for sale to raise funds for the 8th grade trip to Israel.

Photographer Jodi Sugar has generously offered a calendar of her stunning photos of Israel as a fundraiser for the 8th grade trip to Israel. Please check it out, buy a calendar, and spread the word! If you buy online, please indicate on paypal the 8th grader who should receive credit for your purchase. The 8th graders accept cash and check as well.

P.E. Update

by Sara Price

 

This week in Physical Education 1st and 2nd graders finished the throwing, catching and kicking portion of their manipulatives unit. They are taking these crucial sport skills and applying them to the game of kickball. It is a wonderful way to take the many skills they've been working on and apply them in a "real world" sport situation. I love starting with kickball because it does allow our young athletes to show off their new skills. It is also a great introduction to team sports because the roles of offense and defense are so different that the concepts become easier to grasp. The 1st and 2nd graders began kickball this week by learning to run bases and fielding 101. Next week they'll put it all together and play some games! 

Putting those newfound basketball skills to use!

3rd through 8th graders finished up the second unit of the year: basketball. This week classes were split and played a series of games. Students often wonder why we spend so much time doing drills and learning fundamental skills; but watching students who begin the basketball unit reluctantly go out and play with confidence makes it clear. Children who feel good about their ability to dribble, pass, and shoot, feel more competent and are willing to  take more risks on the court. I saw that this week when all of the students came off the court sweaty and tired. I am especially proud of my more experienced players who could have easily dominated the games, but instead chose to give their classmates more opportunities to contribute. I saw students passing to their friends, encouraging them, and even setting screens for them! More important than learning to play sports, is learning to play fair. Our students give us a lot to be proud of!

Issue Number
November 8, 2013
Volume 10, Issue 9
Candlelighting: 4:17 p.m.
Parasha: Vayetze
In This Issue
Preschool Update
Grades 1-8 Update
P.E.Update
Dates to Remember
Dvar Torah
Quick Links

Parent Portal

 School Calendar 

 

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Dates to Remember
Wednesday, November 13
Spaghetti Dinner
for Grades 1-4 Families
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Organized by the Parent Network, more info here
 
Thursday, November 14
for current & prospective families
Tours at 6:45 p.m.
Presentations at 7:30 p.m.
 
Friday, November 15
Early Friday Bus Dismissal Begins
2:00 p.m. (for Rogers Park and Skokie buses only)
 
Wednesday, November 27
Thanksgiving Feasts - Preschool
12:00 p.m. Dismissal for Preschool & Kindergarten
3:30 p.m. Dismissal for Grades 1-8; No After-School Programs; No Late Bus
 
Thursday, November 28
First Day of Chanukah
Thanksgiving
No Classes
 
Friday, November 29
Thanksgiving Break
No Classes
 
Wednesday, December 4
Chanukah Assembly
9:15 a.m. Preschool & KDG
10:15 a.m. Grades 1-8
Dvar Torah
Parashat Vayetze
by Rabbi Holman
  
Each of our forefathers and foremothers contributed a unique quality to our moral heritage. Avraham and Sarah championed compassion for others. Rivka excelled in kindness, while Yitzchak solidified his father's tradition.  Yaakov was known as the "man of truth." 
What were the contributions of Rachel and Leah? How did they merit being the mothers of our nation? The Midrash tells us that Yaakov was wise to Lavan's deceptive tricks. In anticipation that Lavan might give Yaakov a wife other than Rachel, Yaakov gave Rachel a secret code to say from under the veil so he could identify her. When Lavan  eventually did insert Leah in Rachel's place, Rachel revealed her secret code to Leah. What was her rationale? Rather than allow her sister to become embarrassed in front of the wedding party, Rachel gave away the code and with it, her husband. This sensitivity to others, at the cost of self-sacrifice, earned Rachel an everlasting merit. What was Leah's merit? Later in the Parasha, Leah realizes that she had given birth to six tribes, while Rachel had given birth to none. Leah prays that she should have no more tribes and that her sister should have at least two - at least as many as each of the maids. This selfless concern for another's self-respect is the heritage of our foremothers. 
Shabbat Shalom!
Refuah Shleima
 ...to Judaics teacher Rabbi Baron, who is recovering from recent surgery.
 

Lost & Found

Lost and found
When you're at school for parent/teacher conferences, please remember to look through the lost and found items, which are on display in 1st floor hallway. On Friday afternoon (November 8), once parent/teacher conferences are over, left-over items will be bagged and donated to a local charity. 

Middot!

  This month's Middah is Hakarat Hatov (meaning Gratitude and Appreciation), chosen by the 7th/8th graders who felt this was appropriate to go along with Thanksgiving and Chanukah.
  
This week's observed Middah:
Rachel was seen showing Hakarat Hatov by saying "thank you" to her sister.
  

Thank You

Lunch Volunteers!

  hot lunch
  Volunteers are still needed for
dates:
11/13, 11/19, 11/20, 11/26, 11/27, 12/3, 12/4, 12/10, 12/11, 12/17 and 12/18.
Please contact Havah Hope, if 
you can volunteer for an entire shift or part of one. We would love to have you. 
Tuesday volunteer hours are 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Wednesday's hours are 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m
By volunteering you help us to serve healthy, fresh, nutritious food that is still cost effective.
 

  Spaghetti Dinner

spaghetti dinner 
for Grades 1-4 Families
Wednesday, November 13
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
@ Akiba-Schechter
featuring
Beatbox performer (and Akiba parent) Yuri Lane
Cost: $10 per person
RSVP to the Parent Network by Sunday, November 10!
 Parking
parking sign 
Please note that cars parked in our lot for an extended period of time without displaying an Akiba-Schechter parking sticker may be towed.
 
Chanukah Fair
 Chanukah Menorah
hosted by the Rodfei Zedek
Sisterhood
Sunday, November 24, 2013
10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
5200 S. Hyde Park Blvd.
  
 Yossi Klein Halevi
 is Scholar-in-Residence
at Anshe Emet
speaking on
 
Like Dreamers: How the Paratroopers Changed Israel
  
Friday, November 15
6:00 p.m. service
7:00 p.m. dinner
8:00 p.m. lecture
  

 Kehillah Korner

Kehillah Fund logo
   

Our Partnership with

Kehillah Jewish Education Fund

 

Akiba-Schechter receives $4,000 each month that helps us offer enrichment, programming, and scholarships.

 

We salute our leadership and parents who contribute to the fund. Kehillah Fund represents the broad Jewish community and advocates for day school support.

 

We endorse the Kehillah Fund and are proud of our partnership. Over 1400 community members participate in the recurring donor program in support of day school education.  To date, Kehillah Fund allocations to schools across Chicagoland have reached $5.5 million.

 

Kehillah Fund

8180 McCormick Blvd.

Skokie, IL 60076

(847) 745-1668 [email protected]
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