Erev Shabbos Erev, Erev, Erev, Erev, Erev, Erev Rosh HaShanah Parashiyos Nitzavim-VaYeilech September 23, 2011 Licht Bentchen: 6:45 P.M. Volume XVIII, Issue 4

“Post”ing the Washington R Rosh HaShanah Lighting

“Times”

Wednesday, September 28 – 6:37 P.M. Thursday, September 29 – after 7:43 P.M.

Friday, September 30 – 6:34 P.M.

DON’T FORGET EIRUV TAVSHILIN

Dear Parents, With our eyes and ears upon the U.N., we have

said extra Tehillim and learned Torah in the Zechus

of Eretz Yisrael. In all our Tefillos, we must maintain

the focus that these are personal prayers. The fate of Eretz Yisrael is the fate of our people, as a whole,

and ourselves as individuals. May the new year of 5772 bring about the Geulah Shelaimah and, with it,

everlasting peace.

Something Outstanding Thursday A.M. began for me on an amazing and beautiful note. Someone had accidentally spilled

liquid on the floor in the front hall, and, with our daily 8:00 mass invasion, it presented a slippery

danger. I did not immediately find a mop (in the place where it usually is kept) and opted for paper towels (not necessarily the Good Housekeeping

approved method). Tuvia Moses came in and asked if I needed help. Whereupon, he and Dovid

Shinensky (both of Second Grade fame) proceeded to get the job done. I don’t necessarily like to start

my morning with a mess, but these two boys really made my day!! Then, I asked two Fifth Grade boys to help with something, and (as soon as their

internal GPS’s got straightened out) they were very

happy to be of assistance. Thank you for your very special children!!

Mid-Week Semi Kiddush

Yesterday, Rabbi Samberg provided a “Kiddush”

(sans the requisite drinks) to celebrate and express his

gratitude to Hashem for his recovery. We are ALL

truly grateful!!

Chumashim Available

In case anyone needs a Chumash

Bereishees or Shemos to have at

home, just ask. We have a number of such volumes in good shape

which are not being used in classrooms any more – because we’ve upgraded over the years.

Notice to All Prospective TSGW Parents:

Over the past few weeks, the 2017-2018

Kindergarten class has begun to take shape.

Registration forms are now being accepted.

Coming Up in the Next

Couple of Weeks Very early Sunday A.M., September 25 – Selichos begin

for Ashkenazim. Sefaradim have

been rising early for Selichos since the beginning of

Elul.

Sunday September 25 – 5th/6th Shiurim -10:00-11:30.

Late start due to Selichos.

Tuesday, September 27 – Full post-3:30 line-up.

Wednesday, September 28 – Erev Rosh HaShanah –

No Classes.

Thursday and Friday, September 29 and 30 – Rosh

HaShanah.

Sunday, October 2 – � Fast of Gedaliah.

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� 5th/6th Shiurim – 10:00-11:30. Late start due to

Selichos.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, October 4, 5, and 6 – Full post-3:30 schedule.

Friday, October 7 – Erev Yom HaKippurim – No

School.

Shabbos, October 8 – Yom HaKippurim.

Sunday, October 9 – 5th/6th Shiurim – 9:30-11:30.

Tuesday, October 11 – � Last day of classes before Succos.

� No post-3:30 Shiurim.

� No P.M. Day Care.

Sunday, December 4 –

17th Annual TSGW Dinner

Honoring Rabbi Raphael and Mrs. Chani

Mendlowitz

and

Mrs. Dorit Kasierer

Reserve the Date.

Sunday, February 12 – 9th Annual TSGW Chinese

Auction.

APB Looking for volunteers to make phone calls to and collect

prizes from local businesses for the TSGW 9th Annual Chinese Auction.

Please call our office to volunteer.

Today’s AttachmentsToday’s AttachmentsToday’s AttachmentsToday’s Attachments � First Classroom Close-ups of

2011-2012 – by Mrs. Jeanne Jones. � Ooroo LaTefillah.

� Flyer about the Mrs. Aviva Werner Creative Writing Workshops for 4th-6th Grades. Enrollment is limited to ten students for each of

the two groups. First enrolled, first accepted. � Flyer about Rabbi Samberg’s post-Succos Sunday

Chumash Skills classes for adults.

� Flyer about Rabbi Frand’s Derashas Teshuvah.

We wish a Refuah Shelaimah to: � Noach Shmuel Solomson � Rena Milgraum. � Mrs. Elaine Feldman.

We wish a heartfelt Mazel Tov to: ☺ Eli Newman and family, upon his becoming a Bar Mitzvah.

☺ Rabbi Eliezer and Mrs. Leah Fink and family, upon

the birth of a boy. ☺ Mayer and Ruchel Green and family, upon the birth

of a boy. ☺ Ori Bernstein and family, upon his becoming a Bar

Mitzvah.

☺ The Sambergs, upon the marriage of Mrs. Samberg’s brother.

May they all continue to be blessed with Simachos.

We extend condolences to Zev Teichman, upon the passing of his mother, Z’L. May Hashem comfort the

entire family among the mourners of Tziyon and

Yerushalayim.

HaKaras HaTov Dept.HaKaras HaTov Dept.HaKaras HaTov Dept.HaKaras HaTov Dept. We profusely thank: � Rachel and Michael Ravin, for hosting our New

Parent Reception on Monday night. � Becky Langer and Julie Vogel, for making all the

arrangements for the New Parent Reception. � Rabbi Beitsh, for coming to 3B to show various Shofaros and to demonstrate how the horns of animals

are actually made into usable Shofaros.

� Becky (and Yedidyah) Langer for making the

Costco pick-up (pick-up is meant literally), as well as doing other shopping, for Rosh HaShanah Greetings.

� Becky Langer, Sarrit Kovacs, Yael Azran, Mindy Kotek, and Galit Kushnier for assembling Rosh

HaShanah Greetings baskets. (They will be distributed

at the end of the school day on Monday.)

What’s Doin’? � 4B/G celebrated National Punctuation Day with a story, a rap

song, hats, and lots of ,;!?:. � Monday’s 5B/G Project Ascent experience was just that – an exhilarating experience. The kids had

great times climbing and participating in a plethora of activities. More significant than the “good time had by

all” were the teambuilding skills they began to acquire. They learned, from their personal involvement and

observations, how much more can be accomplished when planning and working as a unit, rather than as

individuals. We will continue to reinforce these lessons with in-school follow-up and two

upcoming Project Ascent visits to our campus. The people who run Project Ascent told us how

unusually cooperative and receptive these groups were.

� Yesterday, both Kindergartens went apple-picking and had hayrides at Homestead Farms.

Before we left, we had another in our long history of drawn-out bus

transportation saga delays, but, B’H, we made it there and back in semi-timely (the

same day) fashion. � Obviously, Rosh HaShanah is the topic du jour,

with its many Halachos and Minhagim. You should

have coming to your doorsteps next week myriad Yom Tov projects.

Included in these final products will be “fruit of the kiln,” compliments of

Mrs. Shinensky’s Art classes. � On Monday and Tuesday, we will

have special pre-holiday assemblies for all classes. � As has been the case for a few thousand years,

the Mitzvah of Teshuvah is found in the Parasha just

preceding Rosh HaShanah. As such, your progeny

may come home with additional details of and

thoughts about repentance. � Our Second Grades have

really taken to Parashas Noach

and are “flying” in their skill

building. � We’ve also been into

Gemarrah, Navi, Ivrit, Tefillah, Chumash, Dikduk,

Mishnah, maps, sequencing, the Idea trait, states,

countries, lunch, hemispheres, continents, heavy-

duty writing, skip counting, adjectives, computers, snacks, smart boards, Simanim for Yom Tov meals,

environments, themes of geography, phonemic awareness, phonemic isolation, graphs, addition,

subraction, multiplication, addition, fractions, patterns, the five senses, eating snack, recess,

eating lunch, eating snack, recess, order of operations, “ologies,” distributive property, DOL, DOM, journals, centers, autobiographies,

comparing and contrasting, learning, analyzing, word problems, all sorts of problems, similes,

recess, commas, flashcards, latitude, longitude, place volume, “egg-ceptional” students, problem

solving, problem creating, mean, median, mode, sleeping, explorers, and, in general, have kept busy.

Finally, on behalf of our Board of Directors, our

staff, our students, Rochel, my entire family, and myself, I wish you a Kesivah VaChasimah Tova. We

pray for a new year of peace, health, success, and positive answers to all our Tefillos – for ourselves, for

Eretz Yisrael, and for the entire world. May we all have

Nachas Shel Torah from our children and Hatzlacha in

our growth in Avodas Hashem.

Have a Good Shabbos and Yom

Tov!

!%%%% """"&&&&)))) %%%%////****;;;;((((&&&& %%%%""""****;;;;,,,,

Rabbi Yitzchak Charner

Headmaster

September 23, 2011

Classroom Closeups

By Ms. Jeanne Jones

Volume VIII Issue 1

My daughter and son get into the car at the end of a school day. I ask them how

their day was. They say, “Fine.” I try to be more specific with my questions. I ask,

“What was the funniest thing that happened?” or “What is one new thing you know now

that you didn’t know this morning?” In a desperate grasp for any information, I’m

sometimes reduced to, “Who did you sit with at lunch?”

I am not deluded that my students are any more forthcoming with their parents.

As much as I would like to imagine a third grade girl getting into her car at 3:30 and

saying, “You know, a great pre-reading strategy is to preview the text and look for any

interesting or challenging words you might come across,” I think a monosyllabic answer

is probably more common.

From one parent to another, I’d like to help with this information extraction.

Since we’ve only been in school 12 days as I write this Closeup, I would like to give you

12 specific highlights, one from each of our first 12 days of school.

Day 1: As I come from 5 years of teaching third grade boys, the most remarkable thing

about this day is the silence. I know that everyone is nervous and trying to get

comfortable with a new group and a new classroom, but I have never encountered such

silence. At one point, as I am trying to demonstrate how my “Give-Me-Five” technique

works for getting the class’s attention, I ask the students to talk for 30 seconds. “Talk

about anything. Talk about your summer. Talk about vacation. Just talk!” I didn’t think

it was possible for the class to be any quieter, but I think I hear a teacher drop a pin at the

end of the hall.

Day 2:

On this day, we are doing a project that requires the girls to describe themselves.

We write poems about ourselves and hang them around the room as kites to remind us all

year of what a wonderful class we have. I love to read the descriptions the girls have

written: “Enthusiastic reader,” “creative,” “funny,” “growing,” “careful,” “sweet,”

“serious writer,” “artistic,” “helpful,” “friendly,” “sensitive daughter.” What a wonderful

group of girls I get to teach!

Day 3: I’d like the girls to be able to work with different partners on different projects. I

give them a sheet of paper divided into four squares and ask them to go around the room

in the next minute or so and find a different girl for each square – a quadrant partner. In

one minute, each girl will have four different quadrant partners with whom to work.

What could be easier?! I imagine anyone with a background in teaching girls could

probably think of many things that are easier. Forty-eight different partner groupings in

about 48 seconds was my plan. When a think about it now, it didn’t even look right on

paper. (Because this group is so easy to work with, we eventually got it worked out by

the third try.)

Day 4: We play a game called, “Compass Rose” to help us learn the directions. It calls

for closing eyes and running around the room. It could be a disaster. The girls do it

flawlessly and silently. It goes so well that we play it again and again. Even though we

know our directions now, we’ll probably keep playing this one.

Day 5: To help us learn place value, we play a math game that calls for four spinners to

be going at once. This class is small enough that everyone gets a chance to spin the

spinners, participate in the game, and there is still time to do a worksheet.

Day 6:

We have a place value race – the girls writing numbers in expanded form vs. me

writing in word form. The girls win - by a landslide.

Day 7: We are categorizing continents – by size, population. The girls come up with

unique ways to think about the continents – by Jewish population, by year of discovery

(that’s a challenging one), by number of countries. Their ways are much more

interesting.

Day 8: We have an assembly and don’t have enough time to cover both Grammar and

Social Studies. We take a vote. Grammar loses. It’s always Grammar that loses. I’m

going to try to make Grammar a winner by year’s end. Wish me luck.

Day 9:

One of the girls takes a rubric we learned about in our Writing unit and uses it to

evaluate a story in our Reading class. I didn’t even realize she was doing it – she had to

remind me that she was using the rubric. It’s nice when they make the connections on

their own!

Day 10: We brainstorm topics for our personal narratives in writing. Nearly half the class

has stories about their fathers. They’re walking 9 hours to get home for Shabbos, they’re

telling stories around the Shabbos table, they’re barking like dogs to get rid of cats.

Although I have to remind the girls to write from their own perspective, I have to admit

that they have some great stories to share.

Day 11: The great results from our Geography quiz reveals why Geography beat Grammar

on Day 8. They appear to love it. Still, I’m not giving up on Grammar.

Day 12:

Our class reader reads our objective for Reading through a voice-changer that

makes her sound terrifying. Everyone laughs. The class is no longer silent. We are

having fun this year.

I guess I’m lucky I get to write my Classroom Closeup after only 12 days. I think

160 highlights might be more than anyone really wants when they ask, “How was your

day?” Still, if you ever want to hear something a little more specific about a day in 3G,

you can always give me a call. I love to be specific.

����

���� �� ������ ����������������������������������������������� �� ���������������

� Have you had the burning desire to study Chumash independently?

� Have your kids’ Hebrew skills become stronger than your own?

� Have you wish there was a class that you could learn the same skills

your children are learning?

If you answered yes to one of those questions,

the Torah School has the answer for you.

Join us for:

Basic Chumash Skills For Basic Chumash Skills For Basic Chumash Skills For Basic Chumash Skills For Moms and DadsMoms and DadsMoms and DadsMoms and Dads Instructor: Rabbi Samberg

Time: 10:15 – 11:15

Days: Sundays

Place: Torah School of Greater Washington

Beginning: After Succos, Sunday, October 3rd

Cost: Your weekly commitment, and the value gained is priceless

Benefit: Nachas for your children

Please print name/s below.

____________________________________ __________________________________