Fourth Grade Nearing Completion of Texas Hero Project

The essays have been drafted; the posters are getting their final touches--Now it's time for the Fourth Grade Texas Hero Project to go live!

The annual project is a big rite of passage for our Fourth Grade students, involving a full suite of research and learning skills-and the happiest boast that all of our Fourth Graders can make is this: "Mom and Dad didn't help me with this!" The project is an all-at-school affair, although there is the ritual acquisition of materials provided from home. The Fourth Grade students have been ready for a long time to apply their skills-much work and practice with five paragraph essays; going through the library and the internet to learn about historical information and sources; working with layout and design to best showcase their projects. 

And soon the posters will be up on display in our school-before the big Texas Hero Project Exhibition on Thursday, February 14, from 8:45-9:45am in Stein Hall, the posters will be on display earlier next week in Reiches Hall, among other locations. Y'all come on by next Thursday and Celebrate Texas and the Fourth Grade students with us!

BYDS 100th Day

 BYDS Parties for 100^th Day Celebration

There were songs, amplified music, lots of counting, and the much-anticipated Cup Pyramid Championships. The 100^th Day celebration is always a lively and jubilant day for BYDS Kindergarten students and First Graders.

This year's real Day 100 will be on Monday, February 11; however, the ISAS Visiting Team will be on campus for the school's ten year accreditation process, and the school is required to conduct standard school days without any school-wide special events during the official visit and observation period. That's how this day,  February 8, became the celebration date.

With Day 100 behind us, BYDS looks forward to Celebrate Texas next Thursday, February 14, followed by Grand Friends Day on Monday, February 25 as our next big chance to showcase school community spirit. We look forward to seeing our families and grandparents here at BYDS very soon!

BYDS ISAS

BYDS Ready for ISAS Visiting Team

After an eighteen month preparation period, BYDS faculty and staff are ready and eager to meet the eight educators who will be serving on the ISAS Visiting Team in their accreditation visit beginning this Sunday, February 10 and going through next Wednesday, February 13. It has been a long, but successful ordeal for staff and admin members who have been working on documentation, policies, curriculum, exhibits and reports to fulfill the every-ten-years accreditation process.

BYDS greets the Visiting Team beginning Sunday afternoon at an all-staff and Board reception in Reiches Hall, followed by a formal dinner in Stein Hall for school officials and visiting team members. Meetings and classroom observations and documentation checks will absorb most of their time at BYDS from Monday through Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon at 3:30pm in Freedman-Levit, Visiting Team Chair Chuck Raymer, Head of School at the Montessori School of San Antonio, will be presenting the major commendations and recommendations to the entire BYDS staff and Board. Formal re-accreditation will take place in June with a vote from the Accreditation Committee, just prior to the ISAS School Heads Meeting, which BYDS Head of School Tom Elieff will attend and will be the first to learn of the re-accreditation outcome.

It has been a very long process, and we take this opportunity to thank Cathryn Mellon, who co-chaired the Self Study Report process with Mr. E, and who put together and published the school's Self Study Report, and Katherine Berban, who has devoted countless hours collecting, organizing, and monitoring the entire Documentation of Adherence to Standards process, perhaps the most significant facet of the school's accreditation requirements. Finally, we thank Mireille Chait, who has served this past year as the Visiting Team Coordinator, making all the travel arrangements and handling all the school-based details in support of the visiting team members and ISAS officials.

1. The raffle for the Annual Giving Fund 365 day parking spot will be held next Thursday. Everyone who has given will be entered, and we will announce the winner in next week's Express.

FEBRUARY

Monday, 11^th - ES 3rd Grade Rosh Chodesh Service 8am,  Visited by the ISAS ASccreditaion Team - Dress Uniform Required for entire school.

Thursday, 14^th - Celebrate Texas Day, Western Wear Allowed

Friday, 15^th - 5^th Grade Field Trip (Dress Uniform Required), Spirit Dress for K thru 4th Grade

Monday, 18^th - President's Day, NO BYDS/EDC/ASA

Thursday, 21^st - 4th Grade Field Trip, Report Cards go home, Free Dress Day

Friday, 22^th - Purim Dress Up Day, Early Dismissal, NO EDC/ASA

Monday, 25^th - EC/ES Grandfriends Day

Tuesday, 26^th - ES 1st Grade Hagigat HaSiddur 5pm

Wednesday, 27^th - $ Free Dress

Thursday, 28^th - Parent Education Meeting #4, 9am

• Tfillot

Yasher Koach to all students who led the Tfillot this past two week:

Chazzanim/Chazzaniot: Garret Kaplan, Elan Goetz, Maxey Levinton, Micah Weinstock, Elizabeth Katz, Rachel Rosenberg, Layla Mueller, Maya Malev,

Torah readers: Leor Belleli, Jessica Epstein, and Josh Blum.

Aliyot: Sara Wolf, Alex Wigder, Micah Weinstock

Gabbaim : Ava Trachtenberg, Hannah Stein

• Kabbalat Shabbat

Yasher Koach to our Kabbalat Shabbat leaders on Friday:

Byer Swartz, Raya Sulman, David Osorio, Hayley Selchen, Jeffrey Sorkin

*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 February theme is

Ahavat Halimud   אהבת הלימוד (Love of learning) when we emphasize the value of studying, growing with all the aspects of school, and being a lifelong learners.

• Number of the students presented high values of kindness and entered the Mensch Box (which is located in the Administration lobby):

Hannah Swartz(1^st)-helping her friend with the Accelerated Reader Program.

Reuben Kessler(2^nd)-helping his friends put away their supplies without even being asked to.

Dylan Kessler(2nd)-helping other student to finish up their work.

Isaac Fein(2nd)-help a student to catch up with a lesson he missed.

Adam Katz(2nd)-helping his classmates to finish up their work.

Aaron Stein(3^rd)-standing by a student and showing kindness by being his friend.

Carly Schneider(4^th) - acting like a true mensch to everyone around her! She exemplifies true Derech Eretz by being respectful and kind to all around her.

Elijah Costa(4^th)-showing excellent improvement in his behavior and acting with Derech Eretz to his teacher and classmates.

Alex Plotkin (4^th)-acting with wonderful Derech Eretz and being kind and respectful to his teacher and classmates.

Eliana Roisman(5^th)-acting with Derech Eretz and being kind and respectful to her classmates and teacher.

• Tzedakah

Thanks for the wonderful participation this past week. 100% Tzedakah was collected by all classes grades K-5!

Thanks to Samantha Sorkin and Jordan Sheldon 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.

Special thanks to the 3's of Mrs. Monique and Mrs. Michelle who added a special tzedakah collection this week.

• 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

This is our last Shabbat Box weekend, as all students completed their Shabbat Box experience this year.

Please summarize your Shabbat experience with your child and return it with the Shabbat box.