Tfillot
Yasher Koach to all students who led the Tfillot this past two week:
Chazzanim/Chazzaniot: Sophie Sorkin, Ethan Katz, Judith Roisman, Hayden Deutsch, Rachel Gittleman, Grace Gotesky, Kate Greenberg, Micah Guttman.
Torah readers: (winter break)
Aliyot: (winter break)
Gabbaim : (winter break)
Kabbalat Shabbat
Yasher Koach to our Kabbalat Shabbat leaders on Friday:
Elan Goetz, Reuben Kessler, Maya Malev, Layla Muelller, Miles Silver.
*To follow our services schedule and assigned leaders please go to http://byds.org/academics/jewish-community-highlights/judaic-studies
Mensch of the Week
We continue our character education program which includes a monthly value that will be discussed during the school day and during services. Our January theme is Hayea Mishpacha (Life of the Family)חיי משפחה , and we emphasize the importance of Shlom Bayit (peaceful home), respect our siblings, and assume family responsibilities.
Number of the students presented high values of kindness and entered the Mensch Box (which is located in the Administration lobby):
Alex Kuperman, 5th, being respectful to his teacher and classmates and always acting with tremendous derech eretz!
Adam Katz, 2nd, helping clean up trash from the lunchroom.
Jacob Trachtenbert, 5th, noticed a classmate sitting alone at lunch. Invited him to join and made room at the table.
Abby Cowan, 3rd, giving tzedakah to Red Cross to go to Sandy Hook Elementary.
Noa Strauss, 3rd, giving tzedakah to the Red Cross to go to Sandy Hook Elementary.
Rachel Rosenberg, 2nd, helping clean up the lunchroom after lunch.
Dylan Kessler, 2nd, helping push all the chairs in.
Reuben Kessler, 2nd, bringing a chair to a teacher at lunch.
Ari Strauss, 2nd, being an amazing and helpful mentor to a new student (Walter) at our school.
Tzedakah
Thanks for the wonderful participation this past week. 100% Tzedakah was collected by all classes grades K-5!
Thanks to Eliana Roisman and Sara Abreu for coordinating this weeks' project. We continue to collect coins every week and we are very excited to see such an overwhelming participation. The students will decide be the end of the semester where these monies should go to.
Kufsat Shabbat
Please follow our updated Kufsat Shabbat schedule (Shabbat box) as it appears on our website at http://byds.org/academics/jewish-community-highlights/judaic-studies
Please summarize your Shabbat experience with your child and return it with the Shabbat box.
BYDS will be presenting the Elementary School curriculum highlights at the Prospective Parent Night on Tuesday, Jan 15 at 7pm. All BYDS families, especially Early Childhood families, are invited to attend to learn more about the Elementary School. Head of School Tom Elieff will be discussing school program strengths gleaned from school surveys since 2009, as well as present ERB data over the last three years. Elementary School Principal Mindy Rosenthal will focus on the curricular side of the program, and the feature of the evening will be testimonies from two BYDS alumni-Halle Brazda, who is a ninth grader at St. John's School, and Margeaux Epner, who is a first year student at Rice University. Both alums will present their reflections on the BYDS impact on their lives. 
This morning our Second Grade students received a full Israeli Dance workout in Reiches that was lively and exciting for all. The program was brought to BYDS by the BJE and the ERJCC by Maxine Silberstein. The instructor you see in the pictures is David Dassa, from Los Angeles, who teaches dance to all ages out in LA. David is in town as part of the 33rd annual Dance Month at the Kaplan Theater at ERJCC, which runs through February 9. Both local and international dance companies, including works by several Israeli choreographers, will be showcased over the next four weeks at the ERJCC. For more details, contact Maxine Silberstein at 
We are thrilled to welcome a new class of our CDO students. On Tuesday, January 8, five CDO children came to school for the very first time and began transitioning to their school day. They sang songs, ate snacks, read books and got to know their new friends. Two more children will be joining them on Monday, making our additional class full for the Monday-Wednesday-Friday section. Check out some of our new BYDS students pictured here (the Challah sure made the transition great!)-We are happy to welcome our newest students and their families to our BYDS family! 
