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Grandparents and Special Friends Day
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I would like to begin by congratulating Akiba parent Alex Turik, who was honored last night at the JUF Russian Jewish Division GALA. Among many things, Alex is the Chair of the Russian Jewish Division Advisory Board and does terrific work for the Russian-speaking Jewish community. It was an honor to attend the gala with David Lowenthal, listen to the fantastic stories of our Russian brothers and sisters, the Chicago Jewish community's herculean efforts in freeing Russian Jewry in the '80s, and the inspiring words of the great Natan Sharansky. However, above all, I was proud to know we have parents like Alex at Akiba, who make a significant difference in the world. Congratulations, Alex!
Another highlight for me this week was walking a visitor around the school on Tuesday. As we entered Mr. Esse's math class, our guest was struck by how focused each student was. However, there was no teacher at the front of the class lecturing; instead, Mr. Esse was moving around, working with students as needed. Each student appeared to be working on different things, and in fact, they were. One was practicing times tables, another multiple digit multiplication, while another was taking an assessment on adding fractions. There was not one student doing the same thing, frankly because no one student is the same. At Akiba, we pride ourselves on being guided by the principle that we teach children, not subjects, and it was beautiful to see that in action. What is even more beautiful is that I never have to give teachers a heads up when we have a visitor. I am confident that when I walk them around, who we are and what we believe will be evident in everything our fantastic staff does.
Lastly, our wonderful Preschool Grandparents and Special Friends Day will likely stay with me for a while. As with last week's Grade School Grandparents and Special Friends Day, I was struck by the love and warmth of the families in our students' lives. The support that our families give to their children and to our school is appreciated, and we couldn't be Akiba-Schechter without them. So, this Shabbat, I will be singing Shabbat tunes in a "Texan" style as performed on Monday, feeling appreciative of our unique school community.
Shabbat Shalom!
Dr. Eliezer Jones
Head of School
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6th grader Jo-Jo Vadnai reads his poem "The Reading Trouble," recently published in Treasured
, an anthology by the American Library of Poetry.
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The Reading Trouble
by Joseph Vadnai (6th grade)
As I tried to escape from the uproar of sound
I tried to read however letters flit and float before my eye
Though when my mind engulfs the book
Gradually the letters come to a halt.
However as the letters come to a halt what it says comes to life in my head.
In spite of that I love to read.
Though why does this happen?
This happens because I am disleksick.
Published in
Treasured, an anthology by the American Library of Poetry
More about Jo-Jo and how he came to write poetry
here...
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by Miriam Kass
Interim Principal
Participating in discussions about goals for the future and strategies for getting there is fun. Navigating the unpredictable micro-crises of students keeps me on my toes and provides opportunities for growth every day. Being a sounding board for teachers as they plan curricula and find ways to reach every student is enjoyable. But the very best part of being the Interim Principal is the chance it affords me to
visit classrooms and experience the inspired teaching and learning that happens throughout our buildings.
Last week, I had the privilege to visit all three Humanities classrooms and observe the 7th/8th graders engaged in an informed and thoughtful
Socratic conversation as they were trying to answer the essential question of their most recent unit: Was the Civil War a moral war? With ease, they toggled among many primary source documents, statistics, and their notes on
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacob's
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to supply evidence for their arguments. I was proud to see our students graciously invite one another into the conversation and respond to each other with respect rather than just speak to be heard.
Just yesterday, I entered a classroom to speak with a student about one of those mundane micro-crises, but immediately sensed that I had entered a sacred environment. From a reading about the ancient Sumerians relationship with their gods, the class discussion took a turn to the thorny question many of us revisit often:
Why do bad things happen to good people? A personal and deep exchange of questions ensued, answers and more questions followed in which the students and teacher struggled openly to find more understanding. I was moved to hear students draw on stories and learning from Chumash and Midrashim, and to see, again, how respectful they were of one another as they wrestled with this age-old question.
And those are just two vignettes from many. Shabbat Shalom!
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The Parent/Tot class has been putting their new projectors (purchased with funds from a JUF grant) to good use for projecting Judaic images for the holidays. Yesterday they began making their Chanukiot and enjoyed a beautiful slideshow of images of Chanukiot from around the world.
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| In Ready!Set!Go! Kavi and Gavin try talking into a giant tube. Emmy listens, too! |
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The Purple Room kids were fortunate to spend two days with some of their family members - at their Thanksgiving Feast they gathered for child-authored stories, songs and a snack of homemade muffins. On Grandparents and Special Friends Day they once again wrote stories with their visitors, played indoors and outside, and wrapped up the morning singing in Loeb Hall - a wonderful time was had by all!
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Grandparents and Special Friends Day in Mr. Salk's class
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| 7th/8th grade Humanities students are now reading Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. They will write personal narratives, make art, and write stories in order find meaning in Huck and Jim's journey down the Mississippi River. Here they are jotting down adjectives to describe the book. |
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Ms. Levine's 3rd/4th grade class turned into a card factory assembly line to simulate the working conditions of immigrants who came to America. Each child had a specialized task. At the end of the assembly line, Ms. Rodin proofed the final product: pop-up Thanksgiving cards, which were then sent to a Jewish elderly care facility.
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A glimpse at our Creative Writers Cafe that meets on Thursdays in the library during lunch.
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| Congratulations to the Chidon class on passing and doing well on their first regional Chidon HaTanach (National Bible Test). They worked very hard. They learned many Perakim from the Book of Bereshit and remembered all the material in minute detail. We found out that the national average on this test was 18 out of 30; our students got 28, 29 and 30! Yasher Koach and Behatzlacha on the next round! |
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| Mrs. Gold's 5th/6th grade Tanach class really enjoyed welcoming their special guests this past week. Students taught their special friends an important idea from Rashi that they had just learned. After learning the Rashi together, the students and guests chose from an array of exciting materials and created something that explained this Rashi commentary. |
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| In Ms. Rotfeld's Science class, the 7th/8th graders have been building and lighting up doll houses as they are learning about electricity. |
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| Morah Dorit's 7th/8th grade Hebrew class practiced directions in Hebrew in the park, working in three groups. Each group had one blind-folded student whom the others directed in Hebrew towards a goal. The group that managed to do so first and in Hebrew only won. |
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| Our girls basketball team has been going strong and trying hard! Here they huddle at their game versus Baker. Cheer on the Wolves by coming to one of the upcoming games. |
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Middle School artists search for color in magazines and catalogs to create collage-color wheels with primary, secondary and tertiary colors.
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Special Visitors during Lunch this Thursday!
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Welcome back to longtime Akiba mom and volunteer Karen Black-Williams (middle), who was in town for a visit and stopped by to serve lunch with Heidi and Millie.
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Alumna Leah Basa stopped by to visit and have lunch with mom Rhea Basa before she heads back to Israel where she begins basic training in the IDF next week.
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The Kitah Alef class played with a great big parachute in physical education class. They had so much fun, they didn't even realize they were exercising and learning about teamwork!
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Spread the Light! 
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Please join us for this celebration of Chanukah through art, music, and light! There will be a student art exhibit, light-themed activities, a LED Light Dance Show, delicious Chanukah treats and much more.
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Thank You to our Spread the Light Sponsors:
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Spread the Light is Sponsored in Loving Memory of Arleen Schwartz, z"l by the Schwartz/Faier Family
In addition, we thank the following sponsors:
Ruslana and Felix Friedman - Oil Level ($180)
Larry White - Sufganiyot Level ($72)
Nathan Wallen and Kristy Obuchowski Wallen
- Latke Level ($36)
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Spaghetti Dinner Postponed
Because this is such a busy time of the year, we decided to postpone the Lower School Spaghetti Dinner originally scheduled for next week.The Spaghetti Dinner has historically been a wonderful evening created, planned and run by our parent body. We would very much like to see that happen again this year. We are asking any parents that would like to get involved in planning and running this fun evening to let us know by contacting
Kelli Harris
. Let her know how much you love spaghetti! Even if you don't love the delicious wheat noodle, but love making awesome things happen at Akiba, we would love to have you involved!
Meals for Heather
Mazal tov again to Heather Waitzman on the birth of her twin boys - if you'd like to join in sending meals to her very busy family, please click
here.
Thanks!
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Dates to Remember
Monday, December 4
Professional Development Day
12:00 noon Dismissal for Preschool and Grades 1-8
Pick up kids at noon or have them stay
for Akiba-coordinated programming/child care until their regular dismissal time.
Buses will run at 3:30 and 4:30 PM
After-school programming as usual.
Sunday, December 17
3:00 - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, December 20
Chanukah Assemblies
9:00 - 9:30 AM Preschool & Kindergarten
10:00 - 11:15 AM Grades 1-8
Monday, December 25
Winter Break Begins
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December 1, 2017
Volume 14, Issue 7
Candle Lighting:
4:00 PM
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JUF Chanukah Coat Club
Help JUF raise funds to keep kids in need warm this winter. More info and donate
here.
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The 31st Annual Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial Parenting Lecture
Saturday, December 2, 2017, 8:00 pm
Associated Talmud Torahs ICJA Entrance
8233 Central Park Avenue, Skokie
Topic: "Discipline By Way of Connection," presented by Rabbi Tani Prero.
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Affiliated with the Associated Talmud Torahs and supported by the Kehillah Jewish Education Fund
773-493-8880
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