October 11, 2013
7 Cheshvan, 5774
Lighting: 6:03 PM
Shabbat Parshat Lech LechaCandleHavdala:
7:01 PM
From the Desk of the Principal
Dear Parents:
We join Am Yisrael in mourning the passing this week of Rav
Ovadia Yosef z"l. Rav Ovadia's influence was felt for many
decades in the areas of Halacha, Politics, and Community. His
funeral was attended by close to one million people, or one in
six Israelis, reflecting the broad community he touched. I
encourage you to spend some time on Shabbat making
mention of Rav Ovadia and learning about his achievements
and influence. For a brief biography and
description, see http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/734/feature
s/rav-ovadia/
Yehi Zichro Baruch.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss
What’s Inside:
Kavod: Theme of the Year . . . Page 2
Grade spotlights . . . Pages 3-5
New books in the library . . . Page 6
Student submissions . . . Page 7
Community news . . . Pages 8-9
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 2
School wide News
INTRODUCING THE THEME OF THE YEAR: KAVOD!
Last Friday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, the entire school gathered on the steps to introduce
the Academy’s theme of the year – kavod. Rabbi Krauss addressed students and faculty, and
a short video, produced by students Zach Bernstein and Ravi Schwartz, was shown. After
some song and dance, students went back to their respective grades to participate in kavodthemed activities. Students explored different meanings of the word (does it mean honor?
Respect? Dignity? Is it a verb or a noun?) and discussed different scenarios in which kavod
can be applied. We look forward to a great year filled with the study and practice of kavod!
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 3
This Week In the Early Learning Center
N-4: Fall is finally here! The weather on Wednesday was cool
and beautiful, so we decided to take a nature walk. We set out
for our walk and followed a path in the woods near SAR that
weaves its way down the Henry Hudson River. While in the
forest we looked at the trunks of trees and tried to determine
if the trees were young or old by looking at how fat or skinny
the trunks were. The fatter the trunk, the older the tree! We
observed the changes that have occurred over the past few
weeks. As we walked, the leaves were raining down on us. We
collected leaves, acorns, and pinecones. The children’s senses
were so alert and they could barely contain their excitement
as we came upon each new discovery. We found the remains
of a campfire fireplace, many fallen
trees, berries, mushrooms, and two trees that were leaning on
other trees to form the letter “x.” We also met three dogs
named Zero, Okee, and Willow, and waved at the three trains
that passed us by. What a great way for N4 to welcome in the
fall!
K-4: What a perfect time of year to head to the Greenburg Nature
Center! K-4 spent the morning under a canopy of colorful leaves
and branches. As we hiked through the woods, we focused on the
different kinds of plants and trees that we could identify. We then
spent time searching for the different forms of seeds that these
plants grow from. We found tiny brown
seeds, pinecones, acorns, seeds that look like cotton, and many
more. We used all of our senses to identify and investigate these
findings. We smelled roots that smelled like root beer and felt pine
needles that made a soft blanket on the floor. We collected many
specimens throughout the morning and turned them into a
beautiful collage that we can’t wait to hang in our classroom!
K-5: This was a very busy week for Gan Hey. In addition
to being introduced to Avraham and Sarah in Parshat
Lech Lecha, we had a wonderful fall excursion to the
Greenberg Nature Center, explored the concept of
sameness in math, and continued our learning about
Parshat Noach with a visit from the petting zoo.
Last week Gan Hey began a unit of study on nursery
rhymes. This week, we continued this unit of study as we
learned the story of Humpty Dumpty. Nursery rhymes
are an excellent vehicle for practicing early reading
strategies such as rhyming, pointing to words as we
read, sequencing, and identifying high frequency words.
A highlight of the week was our science experiment
centered around Humpty Dumpty. We placed Humpty
Dumpty (a real hard-boiled egg) onto a "wall" of blocks
and watched in delight (or sometimes dismay!) as he fell
off of the wall onto various surfaces including bubble
wrap, cotton batting, fabric, and the hard floor. The children recorded their predictions ahead of time and then noted if
their predictions were accurate. We had a stimulating discussion on how the different surfaces affected the fate of Humpty
Dumpty. The children were delighted to see how the soft surfaces saved their friend!
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 4
This Week In the Lower School
First grade: First Grade is immersed in an
author study of Kevin Henkes. We have
been exploring the theme of "Classroom
Community" by reading various books by
this prolific author/illustrator. This
week, we read Lilly's Purple Plastic
Purse, which led to a discussion about class
rules. We generated two basic goals for
Class 1Z. Firstly, we will stay seated while
working at our desks or sitting in our
listening circle on the rug. Secondly, we will
raise our hands and wait our turn to
speak. Our goals are very much aligned
with the school-wide theme of the
year, “Kavod” or "Respect."
The students of Class 1Z were inspired to write this
acrostic poem on the subject:
Respect
Each other!
S/A/R's theme of the year
People should be polite
Every day!
Class rules are important
To us!
Kita Aleph had a very exciting week! On Friday we
baked delicious challot to celebrate our very first
Rosh Chodesh in school. We also started learning
about our theme of the year, kavod. To learn more
about kavod, we are focusing on respectful words.
This week's words are "todah" ("thank you") and
"bevakasha" ("please"). Don't be surprised if you
start to hear these words all over the school and
even at home! Kita Aleph also discussed how to
show kavod in our classrooms and to our
teachers, by taking care of our supplies, and by
sitting in our seats and raising our hands to speak.
Second grade: It has been great having two full weeks of school. Second grade has been quite busy concluding
our shell unit. The students got to choose one of three activities to present the knowledge they had learned.
Some children wrote Haiku poems focusing on syllabication and different characteristics of shells. Other
students created mini fact books about shells, focusing on their uses, while some children wrote “postcards”
from a shell’s perspective. Enjoy looking through the children’s “shell folders” and learning all about shells!
Fourth grade: This week the students in 4Z started working on their first book report. The children read a fiction
book of their choice. To report on the book, they were given a "sandwich" format. First, they had to write the
"lettuce" and summarize the important details of the story. The students worked on formulating topic
sentences and adding in details about the story to round out the paragraph. We are going to continue working
on the report, which includes writing about the "meat" (qualities of the main character), the part of the book
that made you say (soy) "cheese," and the "onions" (or part that made you cry). Come to our area to check out
our interesting and informative sandwiches in the next coming weeks.
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 5
This Week In the Lower/Middle School
Fifth grade: As 5th grade finished learning Perek Alef in Sefer Shemot, we have spent some time delving
deeper into the different meanings of suffixes and prefixes in Hebrew words in Tanach. In order to reinforce
this idea, we made bookmarks for our Chumashim which have all the prefixes and suffixes listed and
translated. The students were very invested in this project as they get to bring this bookmark to their tests
and quizzes along with their Chumash! This bookmark will also help the students understand and learn
different pesukim independently, which is a skill that the fifth graders will develop and work on throughout
the year.
Sixth grade: Believe it or not, our students have finally received their very first copy of the Gemara.
After spending several weeks delving into the history of Torah she b’al peh and development of the
Gemara, the sixth grade is ready to move on. We are in the midst of learning to navigate the daf
itself. The students are learning how to properly identify each section as well as understand how each
commentary and tool can enhance their learning. Students are beginning to use their iPads to identify
and label each section on their virtual Gemara.
Gemara in the Junior High: Over the last few weeks we have been completing the introduction to Junior
High Gemara. The students have been spending time discussing what exactly is Torah shebe’al peh and
from where did it originate. We have been exploring Jewish history, seeking further understanding of why
the Mishnah had to be written down. In addition to understanding the function and origin of the
Gemara, we have been familiarizing ourselves with the tzurat hadaf, mapping the actual daf of the
Gemara. We hope that each Jr. High student will be able to identify the daf, perek, masechet, and seder he
or she is learning. We are all excited as we begin learning the first mishnayot of the year in what we hope
will become an exciting journey into the development of Torah shebe’al peh.
Seventh Grade Science
By Coby Kranz (7W) and Shoshana Berger (7Y)
In seventh grade Life Science, we have been learning amazing
things about organisms. We kicked off the year learning about the
characteristics all living things share and the four basic needs that
all organisms must satisfy in order to survive. We also learned
about spontaneous generation, controlled experiments, and
manipulated variables. In order to tie all of this together, we did an
experiment in class to observe how moisture affects the growth of
mold on bread. We are comparing the rate of mold growth on wet
versus dry bread. As we collect data on a daily basis, we are able to
watch the mold grow. David Dinkevich, 7W, said, “It is pretty
gross.” However, Jonathan Haims thought that although it is very
disgusting, "at the same time it is very cool.” Since it was given
good living conditions, the mold on the wet bread was able to
thrive and reproduce. The mold has food (the bread), a warm
temperature (85 degrees fahrenheit) and a dark place to live (our
very own incubator). The dry breads generally have less mold
since they are missing the moisture necessary for survival. It is also
interesting to see which color mold is more likely to grow on the
dry bread versus the wet bread. We are looking forward to our
future seventh grade laboratory experiments!
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 6
From the Shelves: New and Recommended Books in the SAR Library
Beth Braunstein, Librarian
The library is filled with many exciting and interesting new books. Below are reviews of some outstanding books for
different ages which are all available in the SAR library.
All ELC classes and grades one and two visit the library weekly. Beginning with the Pre-K, students may borrow one
book at a time. When it is returned, they may select a new one. Grades 3 and 4 have library time every other week.
Other grades visit by appointment. Please check which day your child has library so you can encourage them to return
their book promptly.
Brothers At Bat: The True Story of an Amazing
All -Brother Baseball Team. Vernick, Audrey.
Salerno, Steven., ill. Grades 1-4. A true and
heartwarming story of the 16 Acerra brothers
of New Jersey who comprised a successful
family baseball team in the 1930’s.
Capture the Flag. Messner, Kate.
Zagarenski, Pamela, ill. Grades 4-8. The
adventures of seventh graders pursuing
suspects who stole the original American flag
from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington
D.C.
Sleep Like a Tiger. Logue, Mary. Grades 1-2. A
creatively illustrated story about a
child’s inquiry about how different animals sleep.
Out of My Mind. Draper, Sharon. Grades 4-6. Ten year old Melody is born with cerebral palsy. Though she cannot
speak, she has a photographic memory and a brilliant mind. Melody reveals in this story the strength and
determination it takes to overcome disabilities. Highly recommended.
Who Says Women Can’t Be doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell. Stone, Tanya Lee. Priceman, Marjorie, ill.
Grades 2-4. A lively and attractively illustrated story of a brave and curious girl who battled to become the first
woman doctor and paved the way for other women.
Grandma Rose’s Magic. Marshall, Linda Elvowitz. Jatkowitz, Ag, ill. Grades 1-2.
Every day, Grandma Rosie sews for her friends and neighbors and puts away the money she earns, saving for a set of
dishes just like her grandmother’s shabbat dishes. This story demonstrates characteristics of sharing, caring and
generosity in a Jewish setting.
Did you hear the news? The 3rd &
4th Grade Enrichment Cluster
Semester is starting next week!
(This photo of our Photojournalism Cluster was taken
by the Riverdale Press when we visited their office.)
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 7
Student Submissions
Faculty Spotlight: Meet Dr. Aliza Davis!
By Arianne Roshwalb, 6th grade
Dr. Aliza Davis is a wonderful guidance
counselor who teaches in the 6th grade.
This is her first year at S.A.R., after
working last year at the Mental Health
Association of Westchester. She explains
that her job is to meet students and staff
and make sure the 6th grade experience is
enjoyable and healthy for everyone. She
notes that “one of the many things that
makes S.A.R. unique is that there are no
walls.” She adds that the stairs offer her
exercise. Overall, she has loved working
with the grade, and she says that her
favorite part of the school is the students!
Question of the Week: What’s Your Favorite Lunch?
By Sima Yarsky, 6th grade
Many people in S.A.R. like different lunches, so I went around to ask different people about
what lunches they like best. The majority of students prefer tacos, though various students
offered some different responses. Elie Fenster (K4) likes chicken best, and his older brother
Ari Fenster (3W) likes brunch for lunch. What’s your favorite S.A.R. lunch?
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Tacos
Pizza
Brunch Chicken Friday
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 8
Community News
Grade 2 Parents: "Shabbat Sparks Workshop"
Maximize & beautify your family time on shabbat with Morah Sarah Richer, Motzaei Shabbat, October 12 at 8:30
pm. Go to saracademy.org to RSVP and for more details.
Ramah Day Camp in Nyack: A magical Jewish experience for children in Pre-K-7th grade. For additional information
or to schedule a camp tour: 212-678-8884 www.ramahnyack.org
The Westchester Klezmer Program: Weekend performances at libraries, nursing homes, holiday celebrations, festivals
and parades. All instruments and experience levels are welcome!
- Students can choose to rehearse in Scarsdale, Tarrytown, or Bedford/Mount Kisco.
- There are 14 weeknight rehearsals throughout the school year.
- There is no minimum age, however, at least one year of musical experience is required and musicians must be able to read
music.
- Youth Band (grades 5-8) rehearsals begin the first week of October.
- High School/Adult Band rehearsals begin the second week of October.
- Registration can be completed on our website: www.westchesterklez.org
JBL is back! Jewish Basketball League!
**JBL 2013-14 SEASON – Registration is now open!!**
Instructional clinics & Competitive games, depending on age
Girls: Kindergarten-6th grade; Boys: Kindergarten-4th grade
New enhancements to the program!
For more info or to register, please visit www.jblhoops.org
or contact [email protected]
SEASON BEGINS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17th
4 DIVISIONS:
KINDERGARTEN - BOYS & GIRLS- 9:30-10:30am
3RD-6TH GRADERS – GIRLS – 10:30-11:30am
ST
1 & 2ND GRADERS - BOYS & GIRLS – Noon-1pm
3RD & 4TH GRADERS – BOYS – 1-2pm
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change*
Young Israel Ohab Zedek North Riverdale/Yonkers, a warm, vibrant, community synagogue located 10 minutes from
Manhattan, is currently looking for a part-time youth director for our growing youth population. Responsibilities
include supervising teen leaders, coordinating Shabbat morning
groups, as well as holiday and recreational activities for our youth department.
We are also looking for a Teacher to run the preschool Shabbat & holiday group on a weekly basis.
Interested individuals should contact Lauren Shinar: [email protected]
Six Days, Five Nights December Break Family Ski Trip in Mt Snow, Vermont!
Tuesday - Sunday, Dec 24-29
Organized by an SAR HS teacher!
You are invited to join an amazing ski trip get away this December break, being organized through the non-profit Jewish
Outdoors Club (our 16th such trip!). This year's trip, like last year's, is being geared toward families. The trip is fully catered, and
we are taking over an entire inn with 15-20 families. Prices are very reasonable. Last year's trip was amazing. We hope you can
join us this year!
All details on lodging, pricing as well as registration, are located at : www.jocskitrip2013.eventbrite.com
Or email Alon Krausz at [email protected] for a more complete email with detailed information.
Please be advised that a new Gemach has been established to serve residents of the Riverdale community. The Gemach of
Riverdale is a non-profit organization providing interest-free loans to those with short-term cash flow challenges, in a manner
of dignity and respect. For further information, please contact Rabbi Moshe Drelich at 917-4083035 or [email protected]. Questions can also be directed to David Tesler ([email protected]), who is serving as
Gemach liaison to YIOZ and SAR.
Pink Day is right around the corner! On October 24th we'll be spreading Breast Cancer awareness around
the school. Please look out for further notices.
If you’d like to see your news here, please feel free to send submissions to
[email protected]
THE SAR ACADEMY CHADASHOT
Page 9
Community News
New book launch: "Educating in the Divine Image: Gender Issues in Orthodox Jewish Day Schools" (The
Hadassah Brandeis Institute 2013). Discussion with authors Dr Chaya Gorsetman & Dr Elana
Sztokman, moderated by Rabbi Jeffrey Fox, October 13th, 7:30pm at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.
For more details contact Elana at [email protected]. The book is available on Amazon.com.
“Calling All Art Lovers! – Volunteer for Learning to Look”: The Learning to Look art program is a unique
opportunity for parents and grandparents to be involved in the classroom through 5 teaching sessions during
the year. No prior art history or teaching experience is necessary – only a love of art and a desire to instill it in
our children. Before each class there is a lecture to aid volunteers in teaching the selected material. Volunteers
may request a day of the week and time that they prefer to teach and then work in teams of two with the same
class throughout the year.
This year children in Kindergarten through 5th Grade will study Impressionist and Post-Impressionist
Art, including Manet, Monet, Cassatt, Pissarro, Seurat and Degas.
If you are interested in learning more about this program and volunteering please contact Sarah Zitter Milstein
(917-445-8757 /[email protected]) or Rachel Parker Jetter (917-2072219/[email protected])
3rd Annual Lemonade Stand: All of the money will be donated to Gilda's Club Chai Lifeline and cancer
care, in memory of David Jasper Brody.
Sunday October 13th 2013, 12:00-5:00, on the corner of Independence Ave and 236th Street.
Any baked good donations for selling will be appreciated!
For more information contact Michelle Jasper Brody at [email protected] or call at (917)250-8943
If you’d like to see your news here, please feel free to send submissions to
[email protected]