Solomon Schechter Day School of 
Greater Hartford Newsletter
In This Issue
A Message from Andrea
Grandparents'/Special Friends ReLiSH
8th Grade Debates Hot Topics
7th Graders Compete in Greek Olympics
Great Bananagram Challenge in Grades 3, 4, and 5
Do Raisins Float?
Shavua Tov...Wishing you a good week!
Seder Plate Basketball Tournament
Mishloach Manot - Purim Basket Fundraiser
Parent Association (PA)
For Your Calendar

Friday, March 11
8:30 am
Grandparent Relish

Friday, March 11
Last 2:30 dismissal this year

Friday, March 18
3:30 dismissal resumes

Sunday, March 20
PJ, Pancakes, and Purim 
at the Hoffman Summerwood Community

Monday, March 21
7:30 pm
PA Evening Coffee Talk with Andrea Kasper

Thursday, March 24
Purim celebrated in school

Friday, March 25
No Classes
School Closed

Wednesday, March 30
Parent-Teacher Conferences
No Classes

Thursday, March 31
Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences

Friday, April 8
Schechter Shabbat Share

Saturday, April 9
JCC Film Festival: Schechter Parent/Staff Outing

Quick Links
Join Our List

Would you like a grandparent, relative, or friend to receive the Schechter newsletter?
Email  LLakenbach@ssds-hartford.org  and include the name, email address, and relationship to Schechter 
and we will add them to our list!

 Community Events

Friday, March 4
5:30 pm
Shabbat Across America
Beth El Temple
Thousands of Jews across America will come together to pray, eat, drink, relax, dance, and celebrate. The evening begins with hors d'oeuvres and candle lighting followed by two services - the regular Kabbalat Shabbat service and our monthly Family Service.  A delicious home-cooked Shabbat dinner follows at 7:00 pm for those who have made advance  reservations.
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Sunday, March 6
2:00-4:00 pm
Loaves of Love: a mega challah bake at the Benet Rothstein Chabad Jewish Center in Glastonbury. For more information contact Yehudis at (860) 659-2422, click here, or www.ChabadER.com
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The Making of a Mensch
PJ Library Parents Leaning Night
Wednesday, March 9   7:00 pm Mandell JCC Valley with Rabbi Howard Herman
Wednesday, March 16  7:00 pm Congregation Kol Haverim with Rabbi Craig Marantz
Contact Jane Pasternak at (860) 231-6342,  click here, or jpasternak@mandelljcc.org.
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Offerings from Chabad
Friday, March 11
Shabbat in Persia Dinner
Tuesday, March 15
Chavrusa Night Learning
Click herefor more information
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Friday, March 11
6:00 pm
Shabbat WOKS!
Community-Wide Teen Shabbat Dinner and Program
At The Emanuel Synagogue
Click here for more information
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Saturday, March 12
7:30 pm
JT Connect Fundraiser at
Congregation Beth Israel
Worries Go Down Better with Chicken Soup : Stories about being Jewish. A n evening of diverse group of local storytellers sharing true stories about funny, joyous, soulful, and significant Jewish  moments in their lives, 
featuring Matthew Dicks. 
Click here for more information.
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Sunday, March 13
1:00-3:00 pm
S'mores and Tours - 
Camp Laurelwood Information Session.  Click here for more information and additional dates
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Sunday, March 13
2:00-4:00 pm
B'nai Tikvoh Sholom, Bloomfield
Invites you to Community Interfaith Seder, led by Rabbi Debra Cantor. Click here for more information.
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Sunday, March 13
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
JTCares About LGBTQ Issues
lunch, learn & community service project  at Congregation Kol Haverim,  Glastonbury
Teens giving back and making a difference! Click here for more information. 
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Wednesday, March 23
6:30 pm
Beth David Synagogue
Bollywood Purim- Indian Buffet, Rides, Games and Music
Click here for details.
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Saturday, March 26
8:15 pm
Emanuel Synagogue
Cabaret  Night - We've Got Talent 
The Emanuel Synagogue Sisterhood presents a lively cabaret evening with singers, dancers, pianists, guitarists and comedians hosted by special guest and MC Max Reiss. In addition to the variety of talent, there will be wine tasting and elegant desserts.  Click here for more information.   
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Sunday, March 27
2:00 pm
Solomon Schechter Day School
Hear About the Camp Zeke ExperienceJoin us for some fun Krav Maga and to learn all about Camp Zeke, a Jewish overnight camp.  For more inforamtion call 212-913-9783 or email campzeke.orgClick here for more information
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Friendship Circle of Greater Hartford. For more information and a calendar of events contact Shayna Gopin
(860) 833-4035
Photo Gallery








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Backtotop
Shabbat Shalom
Parashat Vayakhel
Candlelighting 5:27 pm
March 4, 2016
24 Adar I 5776

A Message from Andrea
Trending: #SchechterStudents #BirthdayPartyDonations

There is a growing trend among Schechter students celebrating their birthdays, and as a community we could not be prouder. Birthday party invitations arrive in the mail or online inviting friends to attend a  lovely party along with with a very powerful line: In lieu of gifts ...

Many students in the lower school are opting to collect donations for those in need instead of receiving birthday presents from their peers. They are collecting for the Children's Hospital, the Kosher Food Pantry, South Park Inn, and organizations that  protect endangered species - and this is only the beginning. With more and more students choosing to participate in this form of social action, it will soon hit a tipping point and truly become a trend.

What better reflection of the good heartedness of our students?
What better reflection of the work the faculty and staff do daily?
What better reflection of the values of our families?

Our students will change this world.

Trend on and Shabbat Shalom,
Andrea
 

Grandparents'/Special Friends
 ReLiSH Shabbat
You're invited to  
Grandparents'/Special Friends
 Relish Shabbat
 
Friday, March 11 at 8:30 am
in the Schechter Beit Tefilah

What is ReLiSH?
Schechter has a wonderful new tradition - ReLiSH - Ruach l'chavod Shabbat (Spirit in honor of Shabbat). Every Friday morning, the Schechter school community, joined by parents, community members, and leaders, comes together to celebrate the anticipation of Shabbat. As the students  enter the building they are greeted by live music played by Schechter Musician-in-Residence, Mr. D. Next, everyone gathers in the Beit Tefillah to sing, pray, hear stories, and dance. It is a cherished moment in the week. We look forward to sharing it with you. 
 
ReLiSH will be followed by a Coffee Meet & Greet with our
Head of School, Andrea Kasper
 
RSVP to   rsvp@ssds-hartford.org

The Great Debate - 8th Graders Debate Hot Topics
By: Dani Medvedovski and June Laub

This past Wednesday, the eighth grade class held its long-awaited debate day. Social studies teacher Susan Kurtis accommodated the students' request to debate interesting issues and led the students through the process.

The first step was selecting issues to debate. Students researched some possible topics and voted on two debatable statements: "The right to bear arms is a necessary constitutional amendment" and "Racial profiling should be allowed."  The class was evenly split into two groups and within those groups, they split into "pro" and "con" teams. Everyone worked hard to research and prepare for the the debate.  

As one group debated their issue, the rest of the class watched and listened, taking into account the points given by each side. Opening statements were given by team captains from each side, followed by each team member stating a point that was questioned and rebutted by the other team. To draw the debate to a close, a team member gave a concluding statement, summarizing all of their information. This was a great way for students to learn about issues that are relevant in society today. The students hope to have more debates in the future and use this experience to improve their overall skills of persuasion for the real world.

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7th Graders Compete in Greek Olympics
By Sari Eisen

For many months, Mrs . Kurtis' seventh grade social studies class has been studying ancient Greece. Students learned about the achievements and accomplishments of the a ncient Greeks, and completed a research project. Students chose two topics to research,  including ancient Greek food, music, theater, medicine, mathematics, science, dance, sports, fashion, family life, and more.  They wrote a paper about each topic they chose and creatively presented their topics for the class.

Last week, the seventh graders participated in their own Greek Olympics. The class competed in their polis (city-state) groups of Sparta, Athens, and Corinth. The competion included activities such as shot put, discus, wheelbarrow races, and relay races. Students wore their chitons (ancient Greek clothing) while competing. 

Since Sparta was known in ancient Greece for its physical strength and strong army, the seventh grade Spartans won the gold medal. Athens took the silver medal and Corinth the bronze. 


Great Bananagram Challenge in Grades 3, 4, 5 
Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 have been participating in the Great Bananagrams Challenge. Bananagrams is a fast-paced competitive word game that requires no pencil, paper, board, or waiting for turns. Up to eight people can play at once and each player races to build their own word grid at the same time as their opponent, using a random selection of letter tiles.The challenge provides an interactive way to develop word skills. 

Fifth grader Elliot Shani is the Schechter winner and now bears the title Best of the Bunch. He will represent Solomon Schechter Day School as he goes on to play in an online challenge round. On Monday, March 21, the top 12 online finalists will be announced. The Grand Finale event will be held in Providence, Rhode Island at the beginning of April. Best of luck to Elliot.  

Educational benefits of Bananagrams include visual processing, sorting and classification, sequential thought, letter and word recognition and FUN.


If I had a Hammer - EC 4 Experiences Tool Time
This week, Dan Emrick (Evan's dad) arrived with a toolbox filled with a variety of tools for the children to view and touch. Students in Early Childhood 4 have been conducting research about building. They learned that there are different tools for different types of jobs. The students asked Dan many questions.  Sarah Nair asked "Where do you start when building a house?"  Micah Patt wanted to know "Do you ever fall or get hurt on the ground if it is bumpy?" 

After the tool presentation, Dan assisted each child in building a wooden car in the wood working studio. After building the cars, several students playing in the block corner decided to build roads for the cars. " It was awesome watching the children absorb the knowledge of how to use the tools and then apply it so well. If only adults could learn that easily. It would be wonderful!" said Dan Emrick.

Do Raisins Float?
On Friday, the first  grade class, together with their eighth grade buddies, conducted a science experiment about density. The students compared what happens when raisins are placed in carbonated water as opposed to plain water. "The raisins were too heavy for the plain water but the bubbles made the carbonated water heavier so the raisins went up and down," said first grader Noam Berkowitz.

Shavua Tov...Wishing you a good week!
Every Monday morning, students in grades 3-5 gather in the Beit Tefillah for a beautiful havdallah service, marking the separation between Shabbat and the work week. Students have learned that  it is permissible to recite havdallah through Tuesday, the first half of the new week.

They begin each M onday morning with joy, filling the Beit Tefillah with their enthusiastic recitation of the ancient words of havdallah, savor the fragrant spices designed to carry the beauty of Shabbat into the new week, and take special note of their classmates faces, reflected in the bright flame of the  havdallah candle.

With such a meaningful beginning,  Monday mornings indeed set them on the path for a shavua tov, a good week!


Seder Plate Basketball Tournament
This past weekend, the Schechter Scorpions finished in 2nd Place finish in the annual Seder Plate 
basketball tournament held at Carmel Academy in Greenwich, CT. Both boys' and girls' teams from area day schools compete in this tournament. The teams play in a round-robin format. The Schechter girls' team fought through two hard games, one defensive battle with Carmel Academy, where they were victorious and one offensive battle with Bi-Cultural Day School, which they lost by one point. Eighth grader  Maia Chameides earned tournament MVP for the Scorpions as the leading scorer and best example of sportsmanship on and off the court. Fourth grader Pauline Golder made crucial defensive steals, leading to offensive points. It was a great ending to a very exciting eighth grade season for Ruth Nawy and Maia Chameides


Mishloach Manot - Purim Basket Fundraiser 
Purim is just 3 weeks away and the PA needs your help. The Purim basket fundraiser is the Schechter PA's only fundraiser for this school year and we look forward to having 100% parent participation. Students (youngest child in the family) will bring home their baskets on Thursday, March 24. This is a great opportunity to volunteer at the school and help the Schechter community. T here are multiple ways you can support and be involved:
  • Only 2 weeks are left to participate and send Purim greetings to friends, teachers, and others in the Schechter school community. The deadline to place orders is Friday March 18.
  • Help pack Purim baskets on Tuesday, March 22 in the auditorium. Packing 450 baskets is easy when there is a large turnout of volunteers. We start at 8:30 am and usually end by 11:30 am, so any amount of time you can help during those hours is great.
  • Deliver baskets to community members outside the school. Routes will be delivered on Thursday, March 24 and usually consist of 10-12 houses that are in close proximity. They can be delivered anytime during the day, at your convenience, and baskets can be picked up from school Wednesday afternoon, March 23 or Thursday morning, March 24 by 10:00 am.
  • Contact Leah Berson at ohboyz@comcast.net and let her know how you can help. 

This is a wonderful project and a great opportunity to volunteer. All money raised from this fundraiser will be used for enrichment programs, supplies, and projects that will directly benefit Schechter students!

News from the Parent Association
Monday, March 21 - PA Coffee Talk:  7:30 pm. "An Educational Philosophy Overview - How education has changed," f acilitated by Head of School  Andrea Kasper.

Friday, April 8 - Schechter Shabbat Share:  Last Schechter Shabbat Dinner for this school year. Kosher Chinese themed menu!

Saturday, April 9 - JCC Film Festival : W e are organizing a Schechter parent and staff outing to the screening of Rock in the Red Zone . This award winning Israeli documentary is a "raw and heartbreaking tale of rhythm, rockets and romance on the front lines and is ultimately hopeful. Despite living in the bomb shelter capital of the world, Sderot's people persevere under fire through music."  Reduced rate g roup tickets for Rock in the Red Zone are $9 per ticket (see attached Flyer). The evening includes a reception at 8:00 pm followed by the movie at 9:00 pm in the Herbert Gilman Theater, Mandell JCC.  RSVP by March 6 to eleshem@comcast.net to reserve your discounted tickets.

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Spread the word!



Susan Kurtis, Editor
Lara Lakenbach and Audrey Sobel, Asst. Editors
Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford