6 Tevet 5776
Shabbat Parshat Vayigash
Candle Lighting 4:11 PM
Havdalah 5:12 PM
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Mitzvah Cards:
If you would like to send a mitzvah card please contact Shani at
x10 or
[email protected]
6th Grade Girls Matan Session #1
Sunday (12/20)
9:30AM: Second Grade Mesibat Chumash
(live stream viewing on the BPY App)
Monday (12/21)
8PM: Dr. Yocheved Debow:
You Want Me To Say What!? Talking to Our Kids About Sexuality: A Halachic Approach
Tuesday (12/22)
Asarah B'Tevet
2PM Dismissal, Regular Aftercare
Thursday (12/24)
12-2PM Junior High Grandparents and Special Visitors Day
3:30PM Dismissal
Friday (12/25)
Early Childhood (10:30-11:45AM) and Elementary School (8:30-10AM) Grandparents and Special Visitors Day
Regular Junior High Classes
Thursday (12/31)
Junior High Discovery Learning Day (new date)
Friday (1/1)
No Sessions
Save the Dates:
Monday (1/4)
Afternoon Adventures Trimester II Begins
Friday-Shabbat (1/15-16)
Junior High Shabbaton and Bowling Night
Sunday (1/17)
First Grade Mesibat Siddur
Thursday-Friday (1/21-29)
Winter Break
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Parshat Hashavua Winner
Kol hakavod to this week's parshat hashavua winner for collecting the most signed parshat hashavua sheets!
THIS WEEK'S WINNING CLASS IS...
3B!!!!
Kol Hakavod!
We can't wait to see who next week's winner will be....
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Dedicated Days of Learning
Tuesday's learning was dedicated by Ruth and Philip Roth to commemorate the
yahrzeit of their son, Jonathan Roth z"l, Yonatan Aryeh ben Yitzchak Shraga v' Rochel Reizel. Always in our thoughts. Yehi zichro baruch and may his
neshama have an
aliya.
Tuesday's learning was also dedicated by Ronnie Caplan, Alex Izso and Ilana Weitzner Izso, and David Izso in memory of Jonathan Roth z"l on his
yahrzeit.
Friday's learning was dedicated by
Jan Silberstein
to commemorate the second yahrzeit of
אברהם בן דב בר
, Ted Mirkhani z"l.
If you would like to dedicate a day or week of learning, please contact Rachel at x35 or [email protected]
Sponsorships begin at $180
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Thank you to everyone who
has already joined our
ACHDUT ANNUAL CAMPAIGN!
Your generosity is essential to BPY's continued ability to provide innovative and enriching educational experiences for our nearly 500 students each day.
MAKE YOUR ONE TIME OR RECURRING GIFT TODAY AT:
**All recurring, automatic monthly donations are now being matched, dollar for dollar! Any new $10,000 gift will be matched at 50 cents to the dollar.**
To discuss a pledge or gift, inquire about sponsorship opportunities, or volunteer to help with the campaign, please contact Rachel Weiss, BPY's Director of Development
(201-845-5007 x35,
[email protected]) or Josh Drazen, Achdut Annual Campaign Chair (
[email protected]).
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Scan to download the NEW BPY APP!
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The NEW BPY App is now available for free download on Google Play and the App Store. Download it today for instant access to pictures/videos, the school calendar, lunch calendar, classroom blogs, daily homework, and more!
Available for iPhone and Android!
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If you love us, why not "like" us (on Facebook)?
Don't miss out!
Facebook friends...
- get all of our videos first
- see daily photos and updates about exciting school activities
- connect with other BPY families
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The BPY Store
Stay Warm This Winter With BPY Winter Gear!
- BPY pullover hoodie sweatshirt (navy with BPY on the sleeve in green): $25
- BPY Bling logo zip-up sweatshirt: $35
- BPY Logo zip-up hoodie sweatshirt: $30
- BPY Sweatpants: $20
- BPY Legwarmers: $15
- BPY Pajama Pants: $25
- BPY Winter Hat: $15
Show Your BPY Pride Any Time:
- BPY Polo Shirts: $15
- BPY Glitter Headbands: $8
- BPY Bling Headbands: $10
- BPY Phone Case: $5
Email [email protected] to order your BPY gear today!
$10 each
felt, corduroy, t-shirt, mesh
to order
The 2015-16 / 5776 BPY Discount Card is here!
Only $60 for 2 cards gets you great discounts at many area stores - this card will pay for itself!
Buy yours in the BPY office.
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CAMP KEF/
CAMP MA'ALOT
to register for CAMP KEF
to register for
CAMP MA'ALOT
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BPY Women's Book Club
NEW BOOK AND NEW DATE!
The next book selection for the BPY Women's Book Club is
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Meeting and discus
sion at the home of Rebecca Lopkin
314 Vandelinda Avenue in Teaneck
Saturday, January 2 at 8 PM
New (and old!) members are warmly invited to attend!
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Community Events and Announcements
Community event listings are included in this newsletter as a service to the community and to our BPY families. Inclusion of community events in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by Ben Porat Yosef.
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Shabbat Shalom
From Rav Tomer Ronen
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During Kabbalat Shabbat this morning, the students and I discussed how lucky we are to be able to live and learn in an environment that makes our Jewish practice relatively easy. Within the walls of Ben Porat Yosef, and even within our Bergen County Jewish community, our students don't have to make a lot of hard choices when it comes to their religious observance. Tefillah, Shabbat, and chagim are part of their
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regular schedules, kosher food options are plentiful, and their parents and school support them in their religious growth and development.
Even though this is a very comfortable way to live and be Jewish, as a community, we don't believe that we should cloister ourselves away from the outside world. Rather, it is a strongly held value that we should engage with the world and function as part of it, all while maintaining and strengthening our identity as Torah Jews.
This is the example we see from Yosef in this week's parsha, Vayigash, and this is the reason he is celebrated with the moniker "tzaddik." As a child, Yosef had a very comfortable life as the favored child in his family, with all of his needs provided for. However, when he was ripped out of that easy existence, torn from his family and his home, and placed in a foreign land with different customs and values, we see that he still maintained his core values and his close relationship with Hashem. A tzaddik is a person whose does not abandon his or her righteous values and closeness to Hashem, despite challenges and tests of faith and environment. This is exactly what we see with Yosef.
There is much beauty and value to be found in the world outside our community but there is still a balance that we all must maintain. As our students grow older, they will experience more of the challenges that come along with our Torah v'avodah approach and I reminded them of the importance of always maintaining their identity and staying true to those principles, even as they encounter different value systems and behavioral norms.
One thing that we should all be very proud of is the frequency with which people recognize the fine middot of our BPY students, which is evident in how they conduct themselves both inside and outside our school building. Educators, parents, and community members approach me frequently to compliment the sensitivity, behavior, and conduct of the BPY students they encounter. Together, we pray that the strong foundation we are building together during these essential years will stay with our children as they continue to grow and develop as Torah Jews who are also citizens of the world, just like Yosef HaTzaddik.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rav Tomer Ronen
Rosh HaYeshiva
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THIS SUNDAY: Second Grade Mesibat Chumash
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Many thanks to Inna and Howie Siegel for dedicating this year's Mesibat Chumash in loving memory of their parents, Sarah bat Moshe Chaim, Yisrael ben Yosef, and Binyamin ben Avraham.
To dedicate one or more chumashim for a donation of $36 each, please visit
www.benporatyosef.org/annualcampaign. (Includes a customized dedication bookplate in each Chumash you dedicate.)
We will be live-streaming this event so that family members who aren't able to attend in person can view it online. Simply go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ben-porat-yosef-nj on your computer or click on the "Live Stream" icon on the BPY App (available for free download through Google Play and the App Store).
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Thank You To Our Growing List of Achdut Annual Campaign Donors!
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A huge thank you to the parents, grandparents, staff, and friends who have already contributed to the 2015-2016 Achdut Annual Campaign. We are off to a great start and hope you'll help us reach our goal of 100% community participation!
before December 31, 2015 to receive a
*2015 TAX DEDUCTION*
and be included in our End Of Year Scroll of Honor!
Increase the IMPACT of your gift with TWO MATCHING PROGRAMS:
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH:
Matmid Society: Recurring, monthly donations at any amount matched dollar for dollar
50% MATCH:
All new pledges/gifts of $10,000 will be matched 50%
Contact Rachel Weiss at [email protected] or 201-845-5007 x35 for more information or to discuss your gift.
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Kol hakavod
to BPY graduates Odelia Fried '14 and Joey Yudelson '14, both students at SAR High School, on receiving the "Best Poet" and "Runner Up Best Poet" awards at the Kushner High School Poetry Slam!
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| Early Childhood Chanukah Videos! |
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Chanukah in BPY's early childhood program was filled with
interdisciplinary experiences including science experiments, art projects, music & movement, drama, literacy, math, engineering, and more....all in celebration of the holiday of light! Play the videos below to catch a glimpse of what our youngest students experienced during the
chag.
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| Early Childhood Chanukah at BPY |
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When the students of 3C
told Morah Jean that they wanted to learn more about the solar system, she got them some books and helped them research the topic. They ended up creating their own (incredible!) model in the Discovery Room, complete with informational labels, an asteroid belt, and the correct number of moons and rings for the various planets that have them. As they learn more, they are expanding on and improving the model. This week, they started adding constellations. Stop by to see it in person next time you are at BPY!
Third graders also studied lunar crater formation and modeled the process using a box of sand and a ball. Their results showed that the rays get longer with an increase in asteroid size and speed. Click below to see their model in action:
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Wednesday was picture day! Stay tuned for an email letting you know how to view and purchase your child's school pictures.
The day was especially meaningful for our eighth graders who took their yearbook photos!
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Afternoon Adventures Trimester I Comes to a Close
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Afternoon Adventures Trimester I ended this week and we can't wait for Trimester II to begin on January 4. Participating students enjoyed a wide range of extra-curricular classes after school including Zumba, chess, drama, baking, and more!
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Teaching Social Skills for Life
by Stanley Fischman
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Is there a connection between people who demonstrate effective social skills and their future success? While many might answer in the affirmative, the extent of the impact is actually more striking than one might expect.
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In a study conducted in the early 1990s, author David Borenstein* reported that kindergarten teachers were asked to rate 750 students in social and communication skills. Some of the categories included, "cooperates with peers without prompting," "is helpful to others," "is very good at understanding feelings," and "resolves problems on own." Recently, these same students were evaluated 13 to 19 years later. Taking into account such factors as poverty and race, a major finding was that the children who scored high on social skills in kindergarten were four times as likely to graduate from college as those with low scores....
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| Grandparents and Special Visitors Day Programs! |
Grandparents and Special Visitors Day is next week and we can't wait!
If you will be attending and have not yet RSVPed, please do so now by CLICKING HERE
Please note that there are NO BUSES on Friday, December 25. Therefore, please expect longer than normal carpool lines for drop off and pick up.
Junior High Program: THURSDAY, December 24 from 12-2PM
(RSVPs required, lunch will be provided for all junior high students and guests).
Junior high students will have regular classes on Friday, December 25 with dismissal at 12PM.
Elementary School Program: FRIDAY, December 25 from 8:30AM-10AM
Regular classes from 10AM - 12PM, dismissal at 12PM.
Early Childhood Program: FRIDAY, December 25 from 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Dismissal at 11:45 AM.
**ACTION ITEM FOR BPY PARENTS**
We must have WRITTEN instructions from a parent regarding dismissal for each child on December 25:
- Early Childhood and Elementary School Parents (Grades T-5): email your child's dismissal plans to his/her ENGLISH teacher by Wednesday, December 23
- Junior High Parents (Grades 6-8): email [email protected] your child's dismissal plans by Wednesday, December 23
- We will not be able to send a child home with a visitor/special guest without prior written authorization from a parent.
A few additional important notes:
ARRIVAL ON DECEMBER 25:
- There will be NO EARLY DROP OFF on December 25.
- All students in grades 1-8 should arrive at school by 8:20AM. Early childhood and elementary school students should go to their classrooms. Junior high students should go to the cafeteria for tefillah.
- Guests will be asked to check in upon arrival and will be directed to the appropriate location. Guests who have pre-registered will have an expedited check-in process.
LUNCH:
- There will be NO LUNCH on Friday, December 25
PARKING:
- JUNIOR HIGH PROGRAM ON DECEMBER 24: Visitors should park in the BPY lot or in the old Staples lot at the top of Frisch Court only. Parking is NOT PERMITTED in the lot next to BPY on December 24. Cars parked in that lot may be towed.
- ELEMENTARY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGAMS ON DECEMBER 25: Parking will be permitted in all the lots surrounding BPY on December 25 ONLY. We recommend that guests avoid parking in the BPY lot so that they don't get caught in the carpool line.
VOLUNTEERS:
We need some addition parent volunteers to help with check-in, photography, and directing guests on December 25. If you can help, please email Tova Small at [email protected].
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Toddler Shape Scavenger Hunt
Gan Parparim went on a shape scavenger hunt around their classroom to see how many shapes they could find. They had so much searching out all the circles, triangles and squares!
First Graders Learn About Place Values
First graders were introduced to the concept of place value using base ten blocks and place value charts. Students worked with manipulatives to represent numbers up to twenty with tens and ones. Place value is central to the study of mathematics, and by using the concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning, our first graders are well on their way to developing a strong conceptual foundation!
Second Graders Publish Personal Narratives
Second graders celebrated the
publication
of their personal narratives! Everyone enjoyed reading published stories from their friends in other classes, learning more about their experiences and memories, and leaving written compliments for the authors.
Eighth Grade Studies Skeletal System
As part of their study of the skeletal system, eighth graders looked for differences between a skeleton decoration and an anatomically correct 3D model of a skeleton on the iPad. The students were challenged to determine why there were so many differences. They figured out that many were structural additions so that the decorative skeleton would be more durable.
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You Want Me to Say What!?
Talking to Our Children About Sexuality: A Halachic Approach with Dr. Yocheved Debow |
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Help a neighbor stay warm this winter!
Drop off your gently used winter coats outside the BPY office for the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey's Winter Coat Drive.
We will be collecting coats through the end of the month.
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| Volunteer Opportunities for Parents and Grandparents |
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If you can help with registration, photography, or directing guests at Grandparents and Special Visitors Day on Friday, December 25, please email Tova Small at [email protected]
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To get involved in BPY's 14th Annual Auction, please email Deborah Blaiberg at [email protected]
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Advertise and Support Our School!
Contact Shoshi at [email protected]
for more details.
Inclusion of any ads in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by Ben Porat Yosef. Ben Porat Yosef accepts no liability in connection with the use of any product, service, or technique advertised.
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