Erev Shabbos Parashiyos Acharei-Mos- Kedoshim 22nd Day of Sefiras HaOmer 3rd Perek of Pirkei Avos May 1, 2009 Licht Bentchen: 7:43 Volume XV, Issue 32 Dear Parents, The ubiquitous news item of the week has obviously been Swine Influenza, its spread, its dangers, and how it affects us. (Attached today is basic info from the CDC about this issue.) We’ve emphasized to our teachers and students the necessity for taking the following very basic precautions (which should really be done 365¼/12/7/24):

• Washing hands with soap frequently. In particular, we should wash hands with soap before and after eating – whether it is a snack or lunch. After a child sneezes or coughs, he/she should also be asked to go out to wash hands. Obviously, this is also required following use of the bathroom.

• Covering mouth and nose (preferably, with a tissue or sleeve) while sneezing or coughing and properly disposing of tissues.

• Drinking sufficient liquids. • Absolutely no sharing of food.

Thanks to Marion Miller, laminated signs describing proper hand washing procedures are posted all over the building. Todah also to Dr. Caroline Namrow for coming yesterday to emphasize all this to our Talmidim.

Also of great importance: If your son or daughter exhibit flu-like

symptoms (fever, headaches, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, diarrhea, vomiting, especially with a sudden onset), please keep him/her home and inform us. Seeing a doctor ASAP is crucial.

If your child has been exposed to someone with these symptoms, please keep your progeny home until the situation is clarified.

We will have to be even more diligent about sending home children who come to school when sick.

Obviously, we are not in control of the onset of the flu. However, BE’H, we can prevent its spread to others. Therefore, we must follow all the above at home and in school. As always, we must recognize that everything is in the hands of the Ribbono Shel Olam and turn to him in our prophylactic Tefillos. This might even be a great time to focus on the Beracha of Asher Yatzar.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Our headline event of the week was

yesterday’s exhibits of the Yom HaAtzmaut projects worked on by our youngsters. Classes had learned about our special relationship to Eretz Yisrael, about the sanctity of Israel, about the burning desire of K’lal Yisrael, in general, and Gedolei Yisrael, in particular, to live in Artzeinu HaKedoshah, and about the privilege we have today to have such easy access to this land. (It is interesting to note the following contrast: In former centuries, the trip to Eretz Yisrael was so difficult, long, and arduous that families who made this trek were virtually committed to remaining there, with certain Halachic ramifications. Today, on the other hand, people fly to Israel with their newborn sons to have the Bris performed there.) We are taught that Eretz Yisrael was created by Hashem as THE place for doing ALL Mitzvos. In fact, Ramban (Nachmanides) says (in

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Parashas Acharei Mos) that even commandments that are not land-related can only be properly, fully, and completely fulfilled in Israel. Also emphasized was the special Hashgacha Peratis, divine providence and intervention, we have in our lives and which is outstandingly evident to those who reside in Israel. Additionally,

6B/G had a special geography unit about Eretz Yisrael. Then, as our pièce de résistance, every

class had the perfect combination for any in-school (or out-of-school) activity. They learned a great deal, had lots of fun, got the opportunity to express their creativity, and, most importantly, elevated their appreciation for and understanding of the importance of Eretz Yisrael to us as Am Yisrael. Each grade studied a Mitzvah or a group of related Mitzvos which are Te’lu’yos BaAretz, are performed only in Israel. The children then designed displays of those commandments about which they had studied. The following masterpieces were viewed yesterday by our classes:

Kindergarten - Bi’cu’rim, bringing the “first fruits” of the seven species to Yerushalayim. We saw a replica of the beautifully decorated baskets in which these crops were carried and a Kohein who was ready to accept these items in the Bais HaMikdash. The Temple Mount was built up from sand, taken from sandbags in front of the Charner house. These bags were originally placed around the perimeter of the Charner house to prevent flooding into the basement during heavy rainstorms. (The problem no longer exists, so, if you need a few hundred pounds of sand, please call 301-593-7487.) First Grade Girls - Aliyah LaRegel, going to the Beis HaMikdash on Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos. Here, Hashem guaranteed that no neighboring countries would come to ransack our homes while they were deserted during these Re’ga’lim (even without installation of home security systems).

First Grade Boys - Sa’ere LaA’za’zel, the “scapegoat” that was, as part of the special Yom HaKippurim service (found in Acharei Mos – tomorrow’s Torah reading), was thrown over a mountain.

Second Grade Girls – Leket, Shich’chah, and Pei’ah, parts of crops which are left in fields for the poor. Second Grade Boys – Machatzis HaShekel, the process of collecting the half Shekalim for communal sacrifices. We saw, among other details, the money changing tables as described in Maseches Shekalim. Third Grade Girls – Tza’ra’as HaBayis, how it looks and what happens when Tza’ra’as contaminates a house. Although Tza’ra’as on clothes or on a person can occur outside of Eretz Yisrael, these girls gave detailed descriptions and depictions of the various types of Tza’ra’as in all these situations. They also wrote very creative original stories about people who spoke Lashon HaRah and got Tza’ra’as. The cure was, obviously, Teshuvah! Third Grade Boys – Korbanos, sacrifices, in general. We saw a Mitzbei’ach and a well-dressed (8-garmented) Kohein Gadol. Fourth Grade Girls – A’rei Miklat, cities of refuge, for those who killed without intent. We even had signs (and footprints) directing people to the “city”. There was also a tree with the axe which flew onto the unsuspecting victim.

Fourth Grade Boys – Parah Adumah, the red heifer used to purify those who were Te’mei’im from contact with a dead person.

Fifth Grade Girls – Pesach Sheini, the second-chance Mitzvah, on the 14th of Iyar, for those who didn’t/couldn’t bring this sacrifice in Nissan. We even had an adorable made-from-cotton lamb.

Fifth Grade Boys – Korban Pesach, sacrificing and eating the Pascal lamb. Today, we eat the Afikomen to commemorate this commandment. Sixth Grade Girls – Bigdei Kehuna, the special garments of the Kohein Gaddol and the regular Kohanim. These young ladies did a beautiful job describing and making all items. They even had a special hanging closet for the clothes. Sixth Grade Boys – Korban HaOmer, brought on Day 2 of Pesach. This allowed the eating of new grains, known as Chodosh. After this sacrifice, all these grains became Yoshon. Sixth Grade Boys - Hak’hel (Mitzvah #612), the obligation for the Melech to read, in the courtyard of the Temple, parts of Sefer Devarim to all men, women, and children. This occurred on the second day of Succos in the year following Shemittah. The children’s products were outstanding, and, hopefully, the lessons learned are indelibly imprinted in their minds. We thank all teachers and students for a terrific learning and fun-filled activity.

Calendarial Anticipations Sunday, May 3

5th/6th Shiruim. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 5, 6, and 7

Full post-3:30 line-up. Wednesday, May 6

Pizza. Todah for this week to many staff members.

Thursday, May 7 1G (A.M.) and 1B (P.M.) to Audubon

Society. Evening Masmid Govoha Banquet for

qualifying Sixth Grade Boys in Baltimore. Rabbi Biberfeld will be driving. Invitations were already sent home, and you’ll receive on Monday, BE’H, a letter with more details.

Friday, May 8 2B to Brookside Gardens.

Tuesday, May 12 2G to Brookside Gardens.

Thursday, May 14

First Day of Picture Art to snap individual and class pictures.

5B/G to Mt. Vernon. Friday, May 15

First Annual TSGW Grandparents’ Day from 9:30-12:00.

P.M. completion of Picture Art pictures. Week of May 18

Standardized Testing for 3rd and 5th. Monday, May 18

Chemdas point accumulation deadline. Wednesday, May 20

4B/4G to Historic St. Mary’s City, as a culmination of their year-long Maryland unit. Kids should Daven at home. 8:00 Departure 5:00 Return

Thursday, May 21

Annual Mishmar attendees trip to Baysox game after Mishmar. This includes all members of the male gender in Grades 4-6 and those 4th-6th young ladies who stay on Tuesday and/or Thursday for Rabbi Samberg’s class. As in past years, our PTA will sponsor a deli supper (following Mishmar) and the bus to transport us back and forth. Admission is $4.50 per child. We do need adult chaperones and a few vans to handle our overflow SRO crowd. Please let us know if you can come. If your son/daughter will be coming and/or if you can join us with a van, please fill out the form below. Details: 4:45 – Supper. 5:30 - Leave for game from school. 9:45- Estimated time of return to school. Call school voice mail (301-962-8003 ext. 2) after 9:00 to find out more exact timing. Important Notice: The stadium does NOT allow anyone to bring in food.

Friday, May 22 Yom Yerushalayim.

Thursday, June 4 Chemdas Jr. Trip.

Sunday, June 7

HOLD THE DATE Come One, Come All

5:15-7:15 End of the Year PTA BBQ

for all TSGW families. Details will follow.

Volunteers, especially grillers, should call Aviva Rosen – 301- 299-6668 or

Julie Vogel – 301-326-4826

Monday, June 8 6G and Girls’ Choir Annual End-of-Year

Program. Location: 2010 Linden Lane. Tuesday, June 9

Chemdas Sr. Trip. Wednesday, September 2

First day of 2009-2010 school year.

Absolute last call for returning magnets. Orders have been placed. Payment is due to

Original Works.

Ongoing Middah News

As we continued with Chesed, we focused on: Constantly giving to and sharing with others

increases your love for them. When pouring yourself a drink at meals or eating snack at recess, offer some to others.

Today’s Attachments: Classroom Close-ups by Mrs. Aliza

Scher. Chosen Words. Ooroo LaTefillah.

HaKaras HaTov Dept. We profusely thank:

Simmy Pollock, for covering the front desk on Sunday.

Robin Niman, Cindy Ruchelman, and Lisa Solomson for driving and chaperoning during yesterday’s 6G trip to the Smithsonian.

Mrs. Garfield for going to the Smithsonian on Sunday to “scout out” all details of the girls’ visit. She then prepared materials and worksheets to guide the tour.

The last day we will be selling

scrip for the 2008-2009 school year, is

Tuesday, June 9.

We wish a heartfelt Mazel Tov to Sharon and Ivan Graff, Sarah, Tzivya, Shimon, Yitzchak, and Chana, upon the birth of a girl. May the entire family continue to be blessed with Simachos.

In and Out of Classrooms

3B are into poetry – couplets, cinquains, haikus, limericks. You can see their contributions to these genres on the bulletin board outside Room 170. They’re also learning about air, wind, atmosphere, the water cycle, and desalination in science, besides delving into division in math. Ask them about their newly created and named countries.

K/K used a special recipe (bread and cinnamon) for cinnamon toast in honor of the Beracha of HaMotzi. They’ve also done sequencing activities, worked on time concepts, written about their Yomim Tovim, read about animals, studied plants and seeds, learned about Rabbi Akiva and his students, and are using the Omer to improve interpersonal relationships.

1B/G are into money skills in Math, protecting our “green” earth in Science, practicing for a mini-play (girls), and discovering the uniqueness of each person’s fingerprints (boys).

1G are, in conjunction with Sefiras HaOmer, into Hebrew #’s up to 100 and excited about beginning their Pirkei Avos packets.

1B learned about choosing good over evil, as they “met” the Nachash in Chumash.

2G have reviewed, in Ivrit, colors and learned words for silverware. For practice and review, they set tables, played “I spy,” and answered riddles.

3G are studying Mexican history and Spanish, but not importing anything at all from that country. They have also discovered examples of colloquial expressions, created objects using geometric shapes, and had a terrific party using their script writing skills.

4B are delving (in Mishnah) into the laws of forming a Mezuman, enjoying Yosef HaTzaddik’s emotional reunion with his

brothers, and learning about farms and plantations in Maryland.

4G have covered line segments, rays, lines, angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines, are reading about forest fires, are researching the various parts of a Md. Tobacco plantation, and, in writing, are focusing on good word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice. (I wonder if they know about run-on-sentences. See immediately above for an example.)

6B are dividing by decimals and getting “blown over” by waves, currents, and tides. In Gemarrah, they’ve analyzed what types of weights and amounts are valid identifying signs. In Chumash, they’ve learned that we are responsible for damage done by our property (e.g. our animals).

6G had a wonderful trip to the Smithsonian as a culmination of their unit on oceans. In particular, the Imax movie was terrific.

5B/G are studying, in Chumash, the details of Pesach in Mitzrayim. The connecting theme between many of the Halachos is that we are royalty and have to act that way. The girls have completed their Makkos notebooks – to be used at 5770 Sedarim. They’re also learning about the Constitutional Convention and reading “Katie’s Trunk” – a short book with great depth about the American Revolution.

Good Shabbos!

Sincerely,

Rabbi Yitzchak Charner

Headmaster

Dear Parents of Mishmar Attendees, Please fill out the permission slip below and return to school A.S.A.P.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mishmar Trip Permission Slip

I hereby give permission to my child/children, _________________________, to go on the Mishmar trip to the Bowie Baysox game on Thursday, May 21.

Enclosed is $4.50 to cover the cost of the ticket. I can come. I can drive and take ___ children, with seatbelts for all of

them. _________________ Date _________________ Phone # _________________ Parent's Signature

May 1, 1009 

Classroom Close‐ups  

by 

Mrs. Aliza Scher 

Volume V, Issue 20 

It is infecting our whole room! The boys are all getting it!  It is unstoppable!  Luckily, I am not talking about lice or the flu.  I am referring to the fun and excitement of learning. 

It is not uncommon to walk into my fourth grade and see every hand up to volunteer for a particular activity.  Often, my students can hardly contain their comments because they are so excited to share their ideas with the rest of the class.  They are practically jumping out of their seats, eager to get the correct answer.  Whether they are counting cubes in math, involved in an animated discussion about our reading material, or creating a project about Maryland, you will always see them learning and enjoying what they are doing. 

  This “infection” goes well beyond the classroom.  My students are interested in learning even outside of school.  Some even get excited when a book report is coming up.  They eagerly ask me, “When are we having another book report?”   If I tell them that we will be having one soon, their reply is, “Yes!”  

When we were working on our creative writing, which was published in the book that our class created, many boys did not want to put their work away when it was time for a break.  They would ask, “May I continue to write while I have my snack?”   

Obviously, I have an exceptional group that loves to learn.  It is refreshing and inspirational to come to school and witness my students’ love of learning.  When I give them an assignment, they often go above and beyond my expectations.   One example of this was our Native American Celebration.  As soon as we scheduled it, all the boys excitedly anticipated the day.  We even changed the date to make sure everyone would be there because no one wanted 

to miss presenting his research and hearing what others had discovered.  After the boys finished their assigned topics, they began to create things for everyone to enjoy at this event.  Two students created a “bonfire” for the center of our circle.  Another made “deerskin” mats upon which each person would sit.   On the day of the celebration, some boys brought their re‐creations of Native American life and others “became” Native Americans.  I told the boys that we would act as Native Americans and try not to come out of character.  To enhance the celebration, everyone agreed that we would applaud in Native American style by clapping our hands over our mouths as we called out our approval.  As each student shared his research and project, the class “applauded” in the way we discussed.  It was great fun!  As the boys sat around the “bonfire” on their “deerskin” mats, they enjoyed succotash, sunflower seeds and “pop”corn.  Every single student was involved and each was proud of what he learned and presented to the class. 

 Afterwards, we discussed what they liked about the day.  Many expressed how they wished they would have made this or that for the celebration.  This further solidified for me how much the boys wanted to contribute to their learning and go above and beyond my expectations.  I told the boys, jokingly, that, if they wanted, I could hold them back so they could repeat fourth grade.  They all cheered, “Yeah!”  I assured them that they would not really want me to do that.   

Teaching fourth grade is truly special for me.  I get to see the boys inspired, and I, too, am affected by their inspiration.  I love what I do because it keeps me young and also gives me the opportunity to beat my students at knock‐out! 

 

 

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vk̈h ¦p §T©k UrUgVolume II May 1, 2009Issue 23

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vk̈h ¦p §T©k UrUgVolume II May 1, 2009Issue 23 (continued)

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