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For Your Calendar
Schechter School Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8am
- 4 pm
Sept. 5:
Labor Day, School Closed
Tuesday,
Sept. 6:
Early Childhood Curriculum Night
Middle School Curriculum Night
Wednesday, Sept. 7:
Lower School Curriculum Night
Monday, Sept. 12:
7:30 pm
Restorative Practice Night for Parents
Wednesday, Sept. 14:
8:30 am
Parent Association Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 15: Picture Day
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Join Our List
Would you like a grandparent, relative, or friend to receive the Schechter newsletter?
Email
[email protected] and include the name, email address, and relationship to Schechter
and we will add them to our list!
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Day School offers our heartfelt condolences to...
Vanessa Segal and Gary
Segal
and their children, Jenna and Josh on the loss of their beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather.
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Community Events
5pm - 7 pm
Beth David Membership Picnic
For more information see the ad in our newsletter or contact
Drina at 860-236-1241
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Our First RELISH!
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Shabbat Shalom
Parashat Re'eh
Candlelighting 7:04 pm |
September 2, 2016
29 Av 5776
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A Message from Andrea |
A New Year, A New Start
This has been an incredible first week of school. It was wonderful to welcome back students and their families, as well as welcome new students and families to this special Schechter community. Each student contributes unique gifts and perspectives, each faculty and staff member brings unique experiences and every family brings unique hopes and dreams for their children. Together, we make a diverse tapestry of life experiences, languages, nationalities, and Jewish engagement.
After a transformative and powerful professional development week with a focus on Restorative Practices, the school year opened with a systemic approach to community building and collaborative creation of class social contracts.
"The fundamental premise of restorative practices is that people are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them."
All you have to do is walk into our building to already feel the difference. The first week of school is one of transition, excitement and emotion; the feeling here has also been one of ease, openness, and support. The wisdom and good heartedness of this practice has aligned our understanding of emotional and social learning with Schechter's educational philosophy, and while we are all in the process of learning we feel more complete than ever before.
We can't wait to welcome each of you.
Please join us any Friday for RELISH with our new Musician-in-Residence, Cantor Scott Harris, and bring a friend. Tours are available Monday-Thursday to see this extraordinary place.
Shabbat Shalom and welcome back!
Andrea
Schechter families please remember the following important dates:
Curriculum nights:
Early Childhood and Middle School is Tuesday, September 6th at 7pm
Lower School is Wednesday, September 7th at 7pm
Restorative Practice Parent Evening is Monday, September 12
th
at 7pm, with Jo Ann Freiberg, PhD
-Andrea
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8th and 1st Grade Students Paired as Reading Buddies |
Reading Buddies has been a tradition for almost two decades at Solomon Schechter Day School, allowing for friendships to develop between our oldest students and those much younger. Year after year, both grades look forward to this special relationship.
The 8th graders get a chance to interact and empathize with
younger learners, and first graders have an opportunity to develop a close relationship with these wonderful role models. The excitement is at its highest when the 8th graders return from Israel and are rushed by the first graders jumping in for hugs.
Throughout the school year, the eighth graders visit the first grade classroom to read to their buddies from books that the first
graders choose. On other weeks, the first graders read to their buddies as they develop their own reading skills. After reading, they always engage in a collaborative, creative project.
This Monday morning, the entire school gathered in the auditorium to kick off the new year. Once everyone was seated, the first graders were welcomed into the auditorium as the rest of the school community sang "Heveinu Shalom Aleichem." The 8th Graders were already on the stage, ready to be paired with their buddies for the year.
Cantor Scott, Schechter's new Musician-in-Residence, got everyone singing and excited for the beginning of school. It was truly a special Schechter gathering.
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Picture Day is Coming!!!! |
Picture Day is September 15th!
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Overheard at Schechter
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- "There is no reason to cry here" - 3 year old
- "Best first day transition ever" - Parent
- "I love you" - 3 year old to teacher
- "In music you get to learn about the instrument you want" - third grader
- "That was the best first day of school in all my years of teaching" - teacher
- "When we did the social contract everyone participated and said what was important" - 7th grader
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EC3 Starting the Year with Classroom Circles
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It has been a wonderful first week in the EC3 Kochavim (Stars) class! The children enjoyed reuniting with friends and exploring their environment; they are nicely transitioning into a new routine. We
have been gett
ing to know one another and connecting through "circles."
Each morning we sit together and ask a simple question
s
uch as, "how old are you?" " what is your favorite color?" and "what did you
eat for breakfast?" Passing a soft stuffed animal around the circle e
ncourages each child to have to have a voice, develop relationships and disc
over commonalities to build community. It is really amazing to observe how our "morning circle" has begun to set a supportive tone in our classroom!
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Schechter Staff Spotlight |
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Kate Poltorak, Second Grade Teacher
Q: What has been a highlight of your first week at Schechter?
The highlight of my week so far has been working in circles to get to know my students better, and when we made posters to talk about what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. The students worked so well together, and I loved the team effort that they put in when it came to presenting their poster.
Q: Now that you have met the second grade what are you excited about doing with them?
I'm excited to have a class that loves to move. I am planning ways to get the kids moving while they are learning and for quick brain breaks. I think their enthusiasm will also bring a lot of creativity their work.
Q: On a typical day what would we hear and see in your classroom?
Laughter, music, dancing, singing, and the students working in collaborative groups and asking questions.
Q: How long have you liv
ed in
West Hartford?
22 years
Q: What's the first Hebrew word you h
ave learned?
"Boker Tov." I love hearing it every morning when I'm sitting in my classroom and I can hear people passing by and greeting each other.
Q: What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Oreo!
Q: What's your favorite quote?
I love these two quotes because I think that they can, at times, go hand in hand.
- "I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams." -Doctor Who
and
"In 900 years of time and space I've never met anyone, who wasn't important." -Doctor Who
Q: What's your favorite song?
-"Blame It On Me" by George Ezra really anything by George Ezra!
Q: What word comes to mind when you think of Schechter?
Family
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Middle School Students Run Circles Around Building Community |
This past
Monday
, the Rogow Middle School at Schechter welcomed its students. There is a new vibe in the air, noticed already in several students' comments, with our commitment to the philosophy of Restorative Practice, whose basic premise is that people "are happier and more likely to make positive changes when those in authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them."
Pursuan
t to this, the staff and students did
a tremendous amount of work in circles, the major mode used in a Restorative Practice framework
.
Each gra
de generated its own Social Contract (proudly on display in variou
s middle school rooms).
Having already been in the Middle School
wing for 5th Grade Science (with Ms. Barker) and for "Ask the Rabbi" in Rabbi C
hatinover's room, the newly-minted 6th graders transitioned smoothly. In order to assist them, and with an eye to helping them develop organizational skills, the middle team, under the leadership of Mrs. Kurtis began a new system with two notebooks (one to remain in the locker; one to accompany them to class and home) and color-coded folders for each subject.
It's a new year of change; one which bodes well for our students as learners and as positive members of our community.
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5th Graders Problem Solve Together |
Before setting up the social contract in fifth grade, the students took part in a team building activity. The students worked in teams of four to solve a cup challenge. They were given 6 drinking cups, 1 rubber band and 4 strings. Each string was tied to a part of the rubber band. Each student held on to one of the strings and worked together to manipulate the rubber band to grasp and move a cup. The students had to move the cups from the beginning structure to make a pyramid with three cups on the bottom, then two in the middle and one on top. It took lots of concentration, listening, and working together to accomplish the goal. Once the activity was completed, the students gathered in a circle to discuss what they thought made the activity successful for their group. Ava Leshem said that it helped that no one in the group argued about silly things and many classmates agreed.
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Beth David Synagogue Fall Membership Picnic |
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Audrey Sobel and Rhiannon Van Bindsbergen, Co-Editors
Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford |
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