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One Commerce Way • Norwood, MA 02062 • (781) 769-5555 • FAX (781) 769-5553

Email: office@sassds.org • website: www.sassds.org

November 20, 2009

Shabbat 11/20/09 03 Kislev 5770 Candlelighting: 4:00 PM Tol’dot Shabbat 11/27/09 10 Kislev 5770 Candlelighting: 3:56 PM Vayetze

November 25 Thanksgiving Assembly NOON DISMISSAL: Thanksgiving November 26 & 27 NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving November 30 – December 3 Grade 7: ERB’s Grade 6: TEVA December 04 Grade 6: NO SCHOOL December 09 NO SCHOOL: Staff Day December 11 Hanukkah Assembly December 14 Haunkkah Ha’bayit December 16 Board of Directors Meeting 7:30 PM December 18 Rosh Chodesh Live December 24 – January 03 NO SCHOOL: Winter Vacation January 04 School Resumes January 05 Executive Committee Meeting 7:30 PM January 13 Arbeiter Gallery Program January 15 Martin Luther King Assembly 8:30 AM January 18 NO SCHOOL: Martin Luther King Day

If you have any news to share please email Sue Shulman at sshulman@sassds.org. Thank you!

� Mazal Tov to the Friedman family on the upcoming Bat Mitzvah of their daughters, Ariel & Mia � Todah Rabah to the Waxman-Taliano family for delivering our monthly Family Table donation � Refuah Sheleymah to Hilary Mofsowitz, our Kindergarten teacher � Refuah Sheleymah to Mark Grossmann (Grade 3 teacher Lisa’s husband) � Refuah Sheleymah to David Okun (father of alumnus Adam)

Fieldtrips There are certain forms for parents to complete prior to class fieldtrips. They can be found under the ‘Business’

section of the school’s website. These are: A. Field Trip Authorization Form B. Volunteer Driver Form C. CORI Parents are asked to complete the Volunteer Driver and CORI forms now, if they haven’t already, since they take time to process.

Morning Drop-Off • Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

• When pulling up to drop-off line please drive to end near outdoor basketball courts before stopping

and letting children out. This will help eliminate back-ups and blockages.

We are blogging!

Check out our blog at

www.sassds.org/blog!!

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Message from the Head of SchoolMessage from the Head of SchoolMessage from the Head of SchoolMessage from the Head of School

GOD CREATED ME WITH A PURE HEART

I have always believed that a great deal of education comes through role modeling. How we behave, how we treat others, how we practice Judaism, how we react to difficult situations, are all ways that children learn. What may seem insignificant to us, could have huge impact on a child. If you have been reading my articles for a while, this theme is one that keeps reemerging. Last Sunday, we had our fall event and as part of the shopping spree, we had a program. As part of that program, I volunteered to box with my personal trainer. I did it to help promote his business and to add excitement to the event, but as the date got closer, I was very nervous. I was not worried about the boxing. I box all the time. I was nervous about being the center of attention in a way in which people are not used to seeing me. I boxed. Twice. I had people watching. I saw them but was busy concentrating on my boxing. I heard the kids cheering, “Go Mrs. Cohen” but I thought it was all part of the game we were playing. When we finished, I walked off the stage and everywhere I went, people commented on my boxing. The comments were so positive and seemed to be about the essence of what I did, not the boxing itself. That night, amidst a series of emails and Facebook conversations, a teacher in the school wrote me that I had done something amazing for the girls in the school. Amazing? I speak about role modeling almost every day of my life and it never occurred to me that I was role modeling by boxing in front of a few hundred people. It never occurred to me that I was showing the students that strength of character does not replace personal strength and that moving away from how students usually see women, how students see teachers, how students see Heads of School, all had an impact. I am curious about the ways we have impact on children. I still think about it with my own children and I always think about it with the children in school. I wish I could decide which actions I take, which words I use, which ways I behave are the ones that children will remember and learn from, but life is not like that. I am writing about this because I am curious about how much time others spend thinking about role modeling and the responsibilities we have towards our children. Do you have particular stories that surprised you or excited you of times that your children learned something through your actions? Believe me, I did not write this to write about boxing. I did not even write this to write about me. I am hoping to provoke some thinking about our day to day lives that goes deeper than how we thought before. I was recently asked which quote from any liturgy stands out for me. I used the quote

לב טהור ברא לי אלוקיםGod created me with a pure heart.

It is with a pure heart that we become teachers and parents. It is with a pure heart that we ask ourselves what impact we are having. It is a celebration of God to do so.

Jane T. Cohen Head of School

Any comments regarding Mrs. Cohen’s articles are we lcome at jcohen@sassds.org .

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Message from the Associate Head of SchoolMessage from the Associate Head of SchoolMessage from the Associate Head of SchoolMessage from the Associate Head of School

It’s hard to believe we had an entire month without holidays! Having just celebrated Rosh Hodesh Kislev, we now turn our attention towards two great holidays: Hanukkah and one that is an integral part of our lives as Americans—Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for—I am blessed with a great family, a wonderful home, and a great community in which to work and to live. And if I could always keep my perspective and focus on the big things in my life that would be incredible! Unfortunately at times, there is a reality that takes over and we experience a day-to-day life that has bumps in the road and makes for some trying times. The truth is that it’s all a matter of perspective. Some days are short, others are long. Some weeks go by fast; some just don’t seem to move. Two of us can participate in a similar experience yet we will probably each describe it differently—in a way that most represents our perspective on life. Where does a person’s perspective come from? Can it change over time? If so, how can it change? My question for all of us is how do we teach ourselves and our children about perspective, about keeping our eye on the big picture, on that which is most important to us while still dealing with the bumps in the road? Is it realistic to say it’s really all a matter of perspective? If so, how can we help ourselves and in turn help our children to gain and maintain a healthy perspective on life? The day of Thanksgiving resonates with me as an American and as a Jew. Not only does it feel right to stop for a moment and be thankful, as this is what so much of our prayer liturgy does for me each day, but it is a time when everyone around us is generally in a “feel good” space, and for a moment, however brief in time, the bumps in the journey of life seem to go away. As we look forward to a few days with family and friends to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to think about how you teach your children about creating perspective—I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Marc Medwed Associate Head of School

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TOL'DOT November 20, 2009

Our father Yitzhak does not closely resemble his father Avraham. From the minute the text introduces Avraham to us, he is a man on the move. He already has acquired a wife and great wealth; he has a nephew, Lot, that he looks after; he has large flocks and herds to attend to. He makes treaties and rights wrongs. He opens his tent in welcome to all; he argues with God...the list could go on. Likewise, Yitzhak is different from the son that he fathers. Ya’akov is smart and clever. After acquiring his older brother’s birthright and blessing, he goes on to acquire four wives, twelve sons (and a daughter), and his own numerous flocks and herds. He wrestles with an angel, reconciles with his brother, makes his own parenting mistakes...and these are only a fraction of his accomplishments. What then can be said of Yitzhak? As a boy, he is led to the akedah by his father and never questions his father’s intent, even when he sees there is no animal at hand to be sacrificed. He is passive while his wife is chosen for him by his father’s servant, and then he waits in a field for her to be brought to him. Mostly blind in his old age, he is tricked into mistaking one son for the other and bestows his blessing on the wrong son. It is only in this week’s parshah, Tol’dot, that Yitzhak seems to take some action. Wedged in between the complementary stories of the lentils/birthright exchange on one side and the Esav/Ya’akov blessing switch on the other are a few stories of Yitzhak repeating some actions already taken by his father before him. He travels to Philistine territory and passes his wife off as his sister as Avraham did twice before him. He acquires flocks and herds and a great household, like his father before him and his son after him. He digs anew all the wells that

his father has dug and, after some disputes, makes a treaty like his father did to protect his wells. More interesting, however, are the differences between Yitzhak and the other members of his family. Caught up in a famine as his father was before him and as his son would be after him, Yitzhak starts traveling to Egypt, where the food is always more plentiful. God tells Yitzhak, “Do not go down into Egypt; stay in the land which I point out to you.” Yitzhak follows God’s direction and, as a result, he does something that his relatives did not do: he becomes a farmer and grows rich from the earth’s bounty. By staying in one place for a longer period of time, he develops a more profound relationship with the land than either his father or his son does. Although Yitzhak lacked the breadth of Avraham and Ya’akov, he was able to make up for it with his greater depth. If there is one thing that I’ve learned over the years, it is that there is not just one way of being in this world. Some people cut a broad swath through life. Their knowledge and their influence are felt by large numbers of people. Others have a narrower reach, but their contribution is often just as rich. The role of a teacher is to identify the strengths that a student has and to guide each individual student in the direction that is right for him or her. The lesson of Tol’dot is a lesson that I live every day as a teacher in SASSDS. Like Yitzhak, our students thrive and grow rich by being taught based on their own unique characteristics.

Maureen J. Mintz 8th grade Tanakh teacher

Director of Professional Development and

Coaching

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CLASS NOTES

GAN BET – Hilary, Alicia & Sarah It is hard to believe that we are in the month of November with Thanksgiving just around the corner. The kindergarteners are truly happy and are growing and changing as quickly as the days are flying by. It was wonderful speaking with you all at conferences. Thank you for coming and please feel free to contact us at any time. Our classrooms have been filled with learning, beginning with our weekly Torah parasha. We began the story of our Jewish family with Bereshit which the children translated into a beautiful wall mural. We then explored the world of Noah and learned the meaning of keeping promises and how to count by two. Our next parasha Lech Lecha introduced Avram and Sarai, whose names were changed by G-d to Avraham and Sara. We also learned of G-d’s promise to Avraham and what this promise means for us today. In Vayera we learned the importance of “Hachnasat Orhim” and the mitzvah of being hospitable, as Avraham welcomed his three guests. In Chayai Sara, Eliezer is sent back to Haran to look for a wife for Yitzchak and has the difficult task of knowing who to choose. This week in Toldot, the children heard how Yacov tricked his brother Esav into giving him his birthright. This led onto some very interesting reasoning as we discussed the ethical implications of Yacov’s methods. In math we continue with our daily calendar and counting the days we are at school. We also continue to count in groups of ten and explore patterns as we become very aware of all the different patterns around us. We have practiced simple addition by playing grab and count and other math “games.” We also have learned about what it means to be “equal” and how to create “equivalent sets.” In Language arts the children are learning to write using their “best guess” spelling and are enjoying the challenge of sounding out the words for themselves. This can certainly be encouraged at home as this fosters independence as well as giving the children an added outlet for self-expression. We have been very “hands-on” in learning our letters with a new letter being taught each week, most recently the letter “R.” We look for the letter in any reading we do, find as many words as we can beginning with the letter, trace the letter in sand, salt or even rice, and of course use our “best guess” spelling to write the words. In our weekly book club we have been focusing on Audrey Wood books. This week we explored The Napping House through art, song, discussion, and outdoor exploration and games. Hebrew is an ongoing adventure for the kindergarteners. As Stella walks into the room they break into song and every second of their time together is productive and enjoyable. They have learned so much and speak beautifully in their Israeli accents. All-in-all, life in the kindergarten room is very exciting! We want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time together with your families. GRADE 4 - Sharon My heart was bursting with joy this morning while watching and listening to each of your wonderful children discuss the following verse from the Torah “Yitzchak loved Esav because he (Yitzchak) liked hunting meat (Esav was a hunter) and Rivka loved Ya’akov.” Chapter 25 verse 28. The class had been given about 10 minutes to write their opinion about why there is no explanation as to Rivka’s reason for loving Ya’akov.

I really wish I had had a video tape or tape recorder going to capture the thoughtful comments, attention everyone gave to each speaker, and the comments that started with, “I agree with “so & so” but I also think...” and “I thought this at the beginning but now I see it in a different way after hearing others.” Even those who were not sure they had an opinion or were initially reluctant to contribute their thoughts ended up getting actively involved in the discussion. It was simply precious.

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And this was just the beginning of our chumash lesson today! We took a break and then quickly discussed a homework question: Was it fair for Ya’akov to make a deal with Esav when Esav was so hungry? Had the birthright for a bowl of soup and bread been a fair trade? Again, the comments were thoughtful and the children listened with interest and respect toward one another.

During the last part of the lesson, we moved on to a new text in which Yitzchak, old and going blind, asks Esav to go hunt some meat, cook it, and bring it to his father so that he, who didn’t know how much longer he’d live, could bless his eldest son. As we worked through the first five verses the children made great use of their growing Torah sleuthing skills to figure out what Yitzchak was asking Esav to do. The children showed their understanding of the fact that receiving this blessing was a big deal and that Yitzchak’s plan was not what God had told Rivka would happen. When we got to the verse which tells us that “Rivka listened to what Yitzchak said to his son and Esav went out to hunt” there was an audible communal gasp and shouts of “It says his son ? Isn’t Esav their son?” She’s listening and she’s going to tell Ya’akov about it!” “Oh my goodness! He’s trying to bless his favorite son without Rivka knowing!”

All I can say is thank you for sending your children to South Area Solomon Schechter Day School. They are a joy to teach. Each of your children contributes to the wonderful atmosphere and learning that is happening.

Yes, I’m emphasizing Humash in this week’s letter because it was so special. As you can see, it included writing, too. In other writing the children are summing up their learning about plants by writing a persuasive essay. The task of each child is to convince Mrs. Cohen and Mr. Medwed that we should add a daily prayer thanking God for plant life. The easy part was thinking up reasons to be thankful for plant life. The real challenge here is to organize the ideas, support them with examples or details and then add voice so that it sounds like that child and not a text book.

In other news, we started a new book in our literature study. It is called Because of Winn Dixie. It’s an award winning book that I use for a study of characterization in literature. This will come in handy as we continue to study our ancestors Ya’akov and Yosef, later in the year. We have begun the Native American unit. Since our brassica plants aren’t ready to be harvested yet, we’ll be moving on and will return to them to complete this important work in a week or two.

SCIENCE K-1-2-3 – Mrs. Jacobs

Kindergarten Gan Aleph has been learning about the properties of water and how it changes at different temperatures. Comparing volume as they pour water into containers of different shapes and sizes is another feature of their studies. We will be examining the properties of other liquids and comparing them to what we’ve observed with water. Gan Bet will be learning about Sight as they continue to learn about their 5 Senses. We will play I Spy and some sight memory games. The children will also learn about some of the ways that blind people navigate their world by doing activities such as guiding each other through obstacle courses, touching Braille signs around the school, and writing their names in Braille. As we learn about how optics affect how we see things, each child will use a magnifying lens, binoculars, a telescope and colored lenses and 3-D glasses to observe things.

1st Grade The children have learned about their digestive and circulatory systems, and will now be learning about the respiratory system as they continue their Human Body Unit. They start each system study by looking at diagrams of the system. We then do investigations that demonstrate how the system works. For the respiratory system we will displace water in a jar by bubbling our breath into the space. We will also look again at our human body model to see the lungs and at our skeleton model to understand how our skeleton protects our heart and lungs. The children will also do deep breathing, with an awareness of the action of their diaphragm and chest muscles. We do our other investigations in much the same way, providing a visual for the way that each system works.

2nd Grade The children have been learning about the concept of a system and how two or more objects work together to do a job. We are currently doing investigations of bromothymol blue (a testing agent for acids and bases) and breath. The children observed that the chemical changed from blue to green when they bubbled breath through it. They are now using the inquiry method to establish which factor actually caused the change, and will create experiments to test their theories. They will then continue exploring the concepts of Evidence of Interaction and systems by creating and observing Gear Systems and Gear and Pulley systems. By comparing and contrasting the functions of these systems, they learn about simple machines and how a system changes the way that it functions as its structure is altered. They children will work individually and in small groups to solve problems by building systems that worked in specific ways.

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3rd Grade The children continued to work on their Planet Earth and Our Solar System unit. Our studies have included the latest planet definitions, which were established at the 2006 meeting of the International Astronomical Union. They began by reading about the solar system, and then proceeded to learn specifically about Planet Earth. After doing a series of hands-on activities to reinforce the concepts that they read about, they will be reviewing, then taking their first unit wrap-up. They have also begun to keep their Nightgazer Journals. They will be making bi-monthly observations of the night sky from November through March, and recording them in their journals. They will use sky maps to aide them in locating planets and constellations. I hope that they get to share this experience with their families!

6th Grade Language Arts, Richard Brancato

We finished The Jungle Book on Monday. We concluded our novel by discussing and taking notes on the cyclical movement of the novel from the Jungle world to the world of man and then back to the Jungle. One key idea that students should remember is that when Mowgli decides to return to the Jungle at the end of the book, he is on the verge of adulthood; he reenters the Jungle on his own terms and does not need to be "accepted" by anyone. This contrasts with his previous entry into the Jungle and the man-world, which required acceptance from authority figures.

A second key idea we discussed is the theme of identity. At the end of the book, Mowgli decides to leave the man-world where he has been rejected and returns to the Jungle -- the place that initially rejected him. The book ends at this point, but it is clear that Mowgli is torn between the two worlds.

On Thursday students spent both periods taking The Jungle Book exam, which assessed the active reading skills we have emphasized while reading:

• Identifying the main ideas in a text and using them as the basis for interpretation • Identifying, analyzing, and applying knowledge of the characteristics of different genres • Identifying and analyzing how an author’s words appeal to the senses, create imagery, and suggest mood. • Providing evidence from the text to support their understanding. • Analyzing how a work is constructed and explaining the effects inclusion or exclusion of certain elements has

on the reader in terms of message or theme.

7th Grade Language Arts, Orah Minder For the past two weeks, the seventh graders have been working on their second essays on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. We have also continued to read the novel and have arrived at the climax of the story. In the weeks to come, we will hold a debate, arguing the question of whether or not Tom matures throughout the text. The next text we will be reading is Sherman Alexi’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. 8th Grade Humanities, Moreh Shem This week we make the huge leap from ancient history and literature for a short stop in 18th and 19th century London through the graphic storytelling of William Hogarth {The Harlot’s Progress} and William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience. We have had the great privilege of studying ancient history from our origins as a species through the first great civilizations, doing Lord of the Flies with prehistory, the epic of Gilgamesh with Mesopotamia, and Homer’s Odyssey, and Sophocles’ Antigone for Ancient Greece. By the end of this week, we will be discussing the Eugenics Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as we begin engaging the Holocaust. 8th Grade Humanities, Lori Novick We are just about halfway through A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi. In addition to reading this text, students have become historians of the Salem witch hysteria: they have investigated historical documents and read and acted out actual trial transcripts, while drawing conclusions about what happened in Salem in 1962. Was it bystander apathy? Moral hysteria? A struggle for power and control of land? Young girls’ desperate attempt to break from the repressive Puritan Code? Could it have been poison? Our class has explored these critical questions and have reflected on their relevance in our world today: What happens when a group or society blindly follows authority without questioning? Why do people become bystanders in the face of horrific violence? Where do our values and beliefs come from, and how are they influenced by those with power over us? In the next few weeks, students will look at modern day witch hunts and apply the lessons of Salem to our own historic moment.

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Book Talk From The School Library - Carol Bell, SAS SDS Library Teacher

Book Fair, Class Notes, and the latest Rabbi Rocketpower book The Barnes & Noble Book Fair was a great success. Thanks to your support, I will be able to purchase many new books for our library. The parents and children were thrilled to see the staff recommendations, especially from the administrators! Our school art work looked wonderful on display in the children’s department, and the Jazz Band played beautifully on Thursday. Gan Aleph students have been listening to stories in their classroom, and learning related songs. Gan Bet, First Grade, and Second Grade have been listening to Thanksgiving stories, along with newly published books that have just arrived in the library. Third Graders are listening to the second book in the series about Humphrey the classroom hamster. Fourth Graders are enjoying listening to one of my favorite books- The Year of Miss Agnes, about a teacher in an Alaskan school in the 1940’s. Fifth Graders have been busy in the library, completing their Egyptian Fact Pyramid, which is now on display outside the fifth grade classroom. Students used books, reference materials, and selected sites on the Internet to gather facts about many different topics related to Ancient Egypt. Exciting news about the newest book in the Rabbi Rocketpower series! Last year’s Fourth Grade read an advance copy, and sent suggestions to the author. Our school is thanked on the acknowledgement page of the latest book, Rabbi Rock etpower and the Half-Baked Matzah Mystery- A Particularly Peculiar Passover. You can view and purchase all three books (Rabbi Rocketpower and the Mystery of the Missing Menorahs- A Hanukkah Humdinger and Rabbi Rocketpower in Who Hogged the Hallah? - A Shabbat Shabang) on the web site www.rabbirocketpower.com, or if you send your orders to me, you will receive personally autographed copies. The Hanukkah and Shabbat books are $10.50 each, and the Passover book is $12.50. You can get all three for $31.50. All checks should be made out to “Rabbi Rocketpower” and sent to school to my attent ion. Please let me know who will be receiving the book, in order for the autograph to be personal ized.

FAMILY TABLE UPDATE Third grade did a wonderful job with a lot of support from their great teachers! Gan Aleph and Second

grade are next up for collecting kosher soup and canned vegetables. Look out for more information about this month’s collection.

Thank you to all of you who have already volunteered to transport our monthly collections and to purchase our monthly quota of shampoo to Family Table in Waltham. We are fortunate that so many families volunteered.

Please make sure that your items donated to Family Table are marked kosher. Following are the most common kosher symbols:

A hearty Todah Rabah to all the families who volunteered to drive our monthly collections to Family Table in Waltham:

DELIVERY DATE

FAMILY ASSIGNMENT

SHAMPOO CONTRIBUTION

December 13 Foreman Lieberman January 10 Rubenstein Rubenstein February 07 Stollman Fellman

March 14 SASSDS

Distribution Day

Butler/Kriegel Frank

Grassi/Pressman Greene

Katz Lieberman

Sperber

Katz

April 11 Hersh Frank May 16 Kipnes-Bailen Waxman-Taliano June 13 Smirnov Bell

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Look for details about this event right after

Thanksgiving!

We are looking for host families from all around our many communities to host 4-5 other SASSDS families for a fun evening to celebrate Hanukkah. Approximate timing will be 5:30-7:30 (it can be changed for your family needs), and I will provide themed activities and delicious goodies. In the past, this has been a great opportunity to build community and to share our Jewish values. Please contact Marla Olsberg, Family Educator, if you are willing to share your home to celebrate molsberg@sassds.org.

Family Education Committee Forming

NOW!! Family Education needs your help…we will be planning events

throughout the school year. If you are interested in social

action, holiday events, adult learning, or Israel, please contact

Marla Olsberg, our Family Educator, at molsberg@sassds.org.

You are invited to a fun filled evening!! Havdalah/Israeli Dance Night Led by Bonnie Rubenstein & TI Israeli Dance Team Saturday, November 21 st ~ 6:45 pm – 9:30 pm Temple Israel ~ 125 Pond Street Sharon, MA $5/person ~ $10/family RSVP: Marcie Lipsey brumar99@comcast.net Susan Cetlin scetlin@comcast.net

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~ SUPPORT OUR ONLINE AUCTIONSUPPORT OUR ONLINE AUCTIONSUPPORT OUR ONLINE AUCTIONSUPPORT OUR ONLINE AUCTION ~ Please make sure to check out our online auction by visiting www.sassds.org and click on the Shop, Raffle and Roll logo. Some exciting items listed in our auction are: Autographed football by Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, Beautiful ruby earrings, Birthday party for 12 at KINGS Dedham (includes pizza & soda), 1 week vacation anywhere of your choice, Red Sox tickets for next season, and many more! Items are added on a regular basis so be sure to make this site a favorite in your browser. Auction runs through December 20, 2009. For more information, contact Sara at sgoodwin@sassds.org. Thank you.

JF&CS Family Table Turkey Tzedakah Drive

Give Another Family Something to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving As November approaches, we traditionally begin to think about preparing for our own

meaningful family Thanksgiving celebrations, which include a table full of food, laughter, and warmth.

At JF&CS Family Table, we are also starting to think about Thanksgiving for our "family," the

almost 500 struggling individuals we serve through our kosher food pantry. Imagine what it must be like

for a parent to have to choose between paying the rent and buying holiday food. We experienced a 50% increase over the past year and are reaching more families than ever

who need your support. Please help us provide a meaningful Thanksgiving for a family in need by

making a donation today. Each gift of $25 will cover the cost of one kosher turkey. Visit jfcsboston.org to make your donation online. You can also make a donation by sending a check to:

JF&CS Family Table 1430 Main Street

Waltham, MA 02451

Thank you in advance for your support to brighten another family's Thanksgiving.

SASSDS Cub Scout pack A number of families have expressed interest in having a Jewish Cub Scout pack chartered through SASSDS and

affiliated with the National Jewish Committee on Scouting

(http://www.jewishscouting.org/regions/northeast/). Having a local Jewish Boy Scouting group would help

eliminate problems with Shabbat, holiday, and kashrut observance that can limit participation in currently

available local organizations. If anyone is interested in Cub Scouting (grades 1 to 5), Boy Scouting (ages 10 and

older), or interested in helping establish and organize the pack, please contact Mike Holloway

at mike_holloway@hotmail.com.

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Are you looking for a place to enjoy reading with your younger child(ren)?

Would you like to check out books for Family Shabbat reading?

FRIDAYS 8:00 -8:45 AM &1:00-2:00 PM

Parents and Siblings are invited to the SASSDS library

to enjoy reading together.

No RSVP Necessary - Just stop by for as long as you wish Don’t forget to browse through our parenting shelf!

Target’s Take Charge of Education

You shop and your favorite school benefits! It's that simple. And your REDcardSM makes it possible. They’ll

track purchases made by participating REDcard holders, then send a no-strings-attached donation check directly to the

school principal.

Here's how to participate:

Apply and get approved for a REDcard.

1. Enroll in Take Charge of Education and choose a school. OR

2. If you already have a REDcard click on the link below and enroll our school

https://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-005158

We’re doing great! We have collected over $110 at this point! Please send your BOXTOPS to school before February vacation in order to be counted for the next SPO check. The SPO received $270 last year from General Mills, and we can beat that this year! SEND US YOUR BOXTOPS!! Every one counts; if you only have a few, send them in! If each student sends in only 5 per month, we’ll reach our goal of $500. SEND US YOUR BOXTOPS!! Check out www.boxtops4education.com for more info. SEND US YOUR BOXTOPS!

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“What Interfaith Understanding Means To Me”

Jerusalem The Holy City

By

Ilana Sawyer 6th Grade Student (2006 – 2007)

South Area Solomon Schechter Day School

All rights served© South Area Solomon Schechter Day School

3 easy ways to make a difference! It’s easy to earn cash for our school. Go to btfe.com and sign up today!

Clip Box Tops Find Box Tops coupons on hundreds of your favorite products. Each Box Top coupon is worth10¢ for our school. Send Box Tops to School Turn in your Box Tops coupons.Our school will collect the Box Tops and send them to Box Tops for Education. Our School Earns Cash Twice each year, Box Tops will send a check to our school

for each Box Tops coupon redeemed, up to $20,000 each year. Sign Up Online Sign up at the Box Tops website (btfe.com) to support our school and see where to shop at over 70 retail stores who help support us! Shop Online

Shop online at the Box TopsMarketplaceSM. Choose from quality stores such as JCPenney, Lands’ End and OfficeMax. Our School Earns Cash Up to 8% of your purchase will be automatically donated back to our school, up to $20,000 each year, with no additional cost to you.

Take advantage of the bonus opportunities each mont h in the Bonus Box Tops section of the website and in stores in your area, to earn extra Box Tops and earnings for our s chool.

Earn cash for our school every time you clip Box Tops coupons, shop online at the Box Tops MarketplaceSM or order books through the Box Tops Reading Room.SM Log in to Begin Shopping Log on to btfe.com/readingroom to begin shopping. Click on the “Shop Now” button to go to barnsandnoble.com. Purchase Books Select your items and follow the standard Barnes & Noble checkout process. Our School Earns Cash Our school automatically earns 6% on new book purchases and 3% on all other online purchases.

Shop Amazon.com and help us earn money back on your purchases! Simply go to our website at www.sassds.org and click on the link.

SASSDS NOTE CARD DESIGN PROMOTES INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING HALLMARK watch out! A colorful watercolor, “Jerusalem, The Holy City,” by Norwood’s South Area Solomon Schechter School (SASSDS) graduate Ilana Sawyer of Stoughton , is the design for all-occasion note cards now available from the school. Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah – or just to say ‘Hello / Shalom!’ Ilana’s painting, an aerial view of Jerusalem and three of the world’s most revered religious sites, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock, was the First Place winner in our interdenominational art contest, “What Interfaith Understanding Means to Me,” which helped to launch the school’s Israel Arbeiter Gallery of Interfaith Understanding. The art contest judging panel consisted of internationally-acclaimed artist Samuel Bak, known for his works that illustrate the dehumanization of the Holocaust taken from his childhood memories; award-winning photographer Marion Mayer Katz, known for her sensitive portraits, photo essays and inspiring landscapes; and artist/art collector Arthur Goldberg . The prize-winning artwork by students of St. John the Evangelist School in Canton and SASSDS is on permanent display in the Gallery. Note cards are available as follows: 5 cards with envelopes - $36.00/ 10 cards with envelopes - $72.00. The price includes a donation to SASSDS’ Scholarship Fund. Cards may be picked up at the Development Office or shipped at no extra charge. To order contact Diane Joiner at 781-769-9400, or email djoiner@sassds.org. Checks should be made payable to: Development Office, South Area Schechter School, One Commerce Way, Norwood, MA 02062.

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Camp Ramah Boston Area Day School Incentive Program

Camp Ramah in New England, located in Palmer, Massachusetts, announces its new Boston Area Day School Incentive Program – a $1,200 incentive to any first time Ramah New England camper who registers for our 4 or 8 week program. At its improved facility just over an hour from Norwood, Camp Ramah offers great sports, creative arts, exciting outdoor adventures, and expert instruction in a whole range of electives and just plain off-the-wall fun, wrapped into an experience of Jewish living that is relevant and real to our campers. To learn more about the incentive program and all that Camp Ramah has to offer, please contact Davey Rosen, Assistant Director, at 781.702.5290 x232 or daveyr@campramahne.org.

Rabbi Eliav Bock is starting Ramah Outdoor Aventure in Colorado this summer. (www.ramahoutdoors.org) The

camp is for campers in grades 6-10. When it opens, it will be the only Jewish outdoor camp in the country.

The goal of this camp is to put the camping back into camp! It is ideal for kids who are looking for an

opportunity to engage in outdoor adventure experiences in a supportive Jewish community. Based at 8000 feet and regularly taking kids above 10,000 feet, this will be one of the highest Jewish camps in the

country!

Eliav will be in Newton on Thursday, November 19th, and will be leading an information session for an hour

or so, beginning at 7.30 pm. Please join us if you’d like to learn more about the camp. The meeting will be

located at 181 Gibbs Street, Newton. If you have questions about the camp, please email Eliav at info@ramahoutdoors.org.

Try overnight camp this summer at JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood in Bridgton, Maine!

Day/Overnight Camp Experience Spend a minimum of two weeks each at JCC Grossman Camp and Kingswood and enjoy special rates! First-time campers only Gesher Program (4 days, 3 nights) Children entering grades 2 to 5 August 23-26, 2010 • $450 Intro to Camping (2 weeks) -- $50 off before Dec. 31, 2009 Children entering grades 3-5 June 30-July 13, 2010 • $2,000 July 26-August 8, 2010 • $2,000 Transportation provided to and from Newton, MA Camperships (first-time overnight campers) and scholarship assistance available Open Houses (2-4 pm) JCC All Camp Fair (2-4pm) December 6, 2009 • March 7, 2010 February 7, 2010

At the Leventhal-Sidman JCC, Newton To learn more, call 617-558-6528 or email info@kingswood.org

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SCHECHTER DEVELOPMENT CORNER

ATTENTION

Be on the lookout for information on how to make your

GIVE or GET

easier than ever!

In the meantime…

Everybody has to shop for food, but what if food shopping meant you could also help raise money for our school?

Well you can with Shaw’s Community Rewards Program!

Join Today! It’s simple.

Go to www.shaws.com

Click on Community Rewards

Click on the Shoppers login or Register with your Shaws Rewards Card link

Once you’ve logged in, click Sign Me Up

Use your Shaws Rewards Card to sign up for the program

Enter Community Rewards Organization ID# 49001020306

It’s that easy!

Simple Ways to Earn Money & Help Keep Our Tuition

15

SASSDS TRIBUTE CARD ORDER FORM

The South Area Solomon Schechter Day School is now offering a way to commemorate an important event such as a birthday, Bar Mitzvah, congratulations, get well, birth, sympathy, wedding, anniversary…you can even personalize your own message. There is a minimum donation of $10.00 per card (amount will not be divulged). All proceeds from card sales go to the SASSDS annual campaign. Please return this completed form to Diane Joiner at SASSDS One Commerce Way Norwood, MA 02062.

For more information please call Diane at (781) 769-5555. YOUR NAME: _________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER: _______________________________________________________ _______ I would like to have a tribute card sent to the following: NAME: _________________________________________________________________ First Last ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ MESSAGE TO READ: ____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Enclose is my donation of $________ ($10.00 minimum donation) for _______ cards ______ for additional cards please use reverse side