| Reminders |
Tuesday, Sept. 20: Curriculum Experience Night
7:15 p.m.
Please check the Lost and Found
table and coat rack outside the Elementary School office if you are looking for a missing item.
For the boys: Every day during davening we say the bracha for tzitzit, please make sure your son wears or keeps in his backpack a pair of tzitzit and a kippah.
If you have any recyclable materials, please send them in for our classes to use. Examples are:
-Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
-Paint color samples
-Scraps of contact paper, wallpaper, or cloth
-Small pieces of tile
-Any other crafty loose parts!
Please send in dress-up clothes, especially authentic doctor clothes and supplies. Thank you!
Whether you are a parent, alumni or faculty member, your Maimo Moments are welcomed and appreciated.
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How To Subscribe to the Calendar
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For step-by-step instructions for subscribing to the Maimonides Early Childhood Center calendar on your mobile device or computer,
CLICK HERE.
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From Robin Meyerowitz
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Dear Parents,
We have finished our first full week of school! It was so exciting to get to know your precious children. I can't wait to watch them grow, play, and learn this year.
We are really looking forward to sharing our educational philosophy and multi-sensory approach with you at Curriculum Experience Night on Tuesday night at 7:15pm.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Enjoy our first weekly newsletter of the year.
Shabbat Shalom!
Robin
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| Dvar Torah - Helping Your Brother |
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
Two of the mitzvot described in this week's parasha have a number of similarities. These mitzvot are also written back-to-back. See if you can find the similarities and congruent ideas in these two mitzvot:
לֹא תִרְאֶה אֶת שׁוֹר אָחִיךָ אוֹ אֶת שֵׂיוֹ נִדָּחִים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֵם לְאָחִיךָ:
לֹא תִרְאֶה אֶת חֲמוֹר אָחִיךָ אוֹ שׁוֹרוֹ נֹפְלִים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם הָקֵם תָּקִים עִמּוֹ:
You shall not see your brother's ox or sheep straying, and ignore them. [Rather,] you shall return them to your brother.
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen [under its load] on the road, and ignore them. [Rather,] you shall pick up [the load] with him.
How many of these similarities did you notice?
● Both are about seeing an animal.
● Both are about the animal of your brother.
● Both are about finding the animal in difficult situations.
● In both, you are not permitted to pretend you didn't see it.
● In both, you are commanded to take action (return or assist the animal).
One other significant similarity exists in both commands. In discussing the mitzvah to return a lost item, the Torah states:
וְאִם לֹא קָרוֹב אָחִיךָ אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתּוֹ וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ אֶל תּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָיָה עִמְּךָ עַד דְּרשׁ אָחִיךָ אֹתוֹ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתוֹ לוֹ:
But if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, you shall bring it into your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it out, whereupon you shall return it to him.
Regarding the command to return a lost item, the finder is obligated to return the item, and the one who lost the item is obligated to seek it out. Similarly, regarding the mitzvah to assist a laden animal, the finder must help take off the burden along with the owner of the animal. In both mitzvot, each person is actively helping the other. Each one is responsible for helping their brother. The finder of the lost animal is responsible for returning the item, and the one who finds a laden animal is responsible for easing the burden of the animal. Both are taking part in the performance of a command. At the same time, the owner of the animal is required to help the performer of the mitzvah accomplish his goal; he needs to either search out the finder so the item can be returned, or assist with easing the burden of the animal. When two people each act in the best interest of the other, this is areyvut - taking responsibility for another "brother."
By recognizing that I am responsible for helping you take care of your property, and that you are responsible for ensuring that I perform this mitzvah, we are demonstrating and fulfilling the concept of areyvut. We will discuss this idea further in future weeks.
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Thoughts of the Rav: Devekut
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by Rabbi Dov Huff
As we enter the month of Elul, characterized as a time of
ani l'dodi v'dodi li - "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me" - let us take the opportunity over the next few weeks to explore the philosophy of the Rav as it pertains to
devekut, cleaving to Hashem. The Rav describes the experience of
devekut as one which starts with with both love and fear, and then transforms to a pure love which overtakes the dread. "The man of G-d begins with duality and ends with unity... he looks with amazed eyes, full of fear and astonishment, until his gaze encounters the smile of the Shekhina."
According to the Rav, the purpose of redemption is "[not to] enslave or frighten man but to redeem him." The act of cleaving to G-d and following halacha is in fact liberating, rather than restricting.
The Rav z"l writes that cleaving is different than uniting since in the process of unification, the different components lose a part of what makes them unique - uniting with the divine would, the mystics believed, come at the cost of our own individuality. Uniting is found in solitude and seclusion, in retreating from worldly pursuits rather than sanctifying them.
Not so with cleaving. The pursuit of devekut is man's attempt to cleave to Hashem "[not by] denying his actual essence, but, on the contrary, by affirming his own essence. The actual muticolored human personality becomes closer to G-d when the individual lives his own variegated, original life, filled with goals, initiative, and activity."
For the Rav, the medium through which man accomplishes this devekut is halacha. We connect not by giving up parts of ourselves, but by focusing our thoughts and practice towards Hashem through our mutual connection to halacha. In essence, we attempt to "know" Hashem by learning and actualizing His revelatory halachic commands.
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Fabulous First Day
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The new school year is off to a fabulous start! Click below
to watch a short video.
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First Day of School 2016-17 -- Maimonides School
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2-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Here we are one week into our new adventure of learning and fun! As with most new things, it takes time to get adjusted and to feel comfortable. That's our goal: to help your children understand that the classroom is really their room, a place to feel relaxed and happy, ready to play and learn. We are happy to have Morah Marggie joining us while your children make this adjustment.
Occasional tears are to be expected and a part of life. In our classroom we learn that no matter how sad we feel sometimes, it's okay. We cry when we are sad, and laugh when we are happy.
We love the children already, each one of them is so unique and beautiful!
See below for a few pictures from this week, some of which you may have already seen. We hope you enjoy them!
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Tzipi and Morah Laura
Hanging out on the playground!
Baruch and Avishai playing trucks together
!
Julia tuning our class guitar!
Fingerpainting!!
Music class with Morah Linda is so much fun!
Our first Shabbat party together!
Ellie helps with the brachot
"Lighting" the Shabbat candles!
Taking a turn to "light" the Shabbat candles!
Benni leads hamotzi at our Shabbat party!
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3-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Dear Parents,
It has been a great first full week of school! The students have made new friends and are becoming more familiar with the classroom routines and surroundings. When the students come into the room, they begin exploring the provocations set out for them. They were very busy painting pictures using cardboard tubes, discovering what magnets attach to, creating a picture on paper taped underneath a table, and building boats using aluminum foil. The students especially loved sailing their new boats in the water table.
Being part of a classroom means being in a community. We discussed that in order for our community to run smoothly, each person has a special job to do each day. We have a job chart hanging in our room with the students' pictures next to each job. Some jobs they do are watering the plants, cleaning the tables after snack and lunch, ringing the cleanup bell, checking to make sure the toys are put back in the correct baskets, being our chazan/chazanit, putting the date on our class calendar, and so many more. The students are very excited to hear what their jobs are each day!
During
ma'agal
(circle), we daven each day. We discuss how this is a special time for us to talk to Hashem. We start by counting to ten in Hebrew and English. Then we sing a Boker Tov song, say "
Modeh Ani
," sing "When I Wake Up in the Morning," pass around a Torah while singing "Torah, Torah," and add the date onto our class calendar. We will continue to add more
tefillot
as the year progresses
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On Tuesday, we enjoyed the beautiful weather outside and went on a nature walk. The students found leaves, sticks, rocks, and acorns. We used the sticks they collected later in the week as provocations, using scissors to cut colored tape and decorate the sticks.
Just a few reminders:
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Please make sure your son comes to school with a kippah and tzitzit. He can wear them or you can send them in his backpack. Let us know if you want us to keep them in his cubby.
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The ECC is a nut-free school. Please make sure your child's lunch does not contain anything with nuts.
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On Wednesday and Thursday the hot lunch meals are meat. These days, it is O.K. to send your child with a meat lunch. On Monday, Tuesday, and Friday please send a dairy or pareve lunch. Also, if you send your child meat, please indicate that the lunch is meat. You can put a note in the lunchbox or use a labeled container. This way, your child will be seated at the meat table.
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If you have not already done so, please send in a family picture, rain boots, a smock, and a change of clothes (both for the fall and winter). All items must be labeled with the student's name.
Shabbat Shalom,
Morot Leisa, Shayna, and Tanya
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Simcha, Sheva, Ella, Gavriella, and Ezra H. exploring how to cut tape during our provocation time
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Amelie, Avital, and Jonah having fun in the kitchen
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Ayelet and Charlie finding rocks outside
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Hillel and Leah finding twigs on our nature walk
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Gavriella, Leah, and Leo coloring under the table
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Yosef and Charlie channeling their inner carpenters
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| Sam having a great time creating things with tape and twigs! |
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Liam, Liat, Ari, and Ezra A. making corks float in the water table
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| Yuval and Gavriella having tea time! |
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| Ella, Gavriella, and Dov creating masterpieces |
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4-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Dear Parents,
We have had a great first week! It has been wonderful getting to know all the students in our classroom.
This week we started to make the classroom ours by hanging up pictures of ourselves and our families. Together, the Morot and the children came up with some rules for our class that will let us have fun and be safe!
We also decided that our class really needed to have a name besides "the four-year-olds." So Morah asked us for some suggestions of names, we voted, and by majority vote we decided on ... The Superheroes!
We learned that in this week's parasha, Parashat Ki Teitzei, Hashem gives us many mitzvot. One very important mitzvah is Hashavat Aveidah, which means returning what is lost. We practiced returning toys to where they belong in the classroom, as well as returning belongings to friends. We also had many special activities this week. We had Music and Movement, Cooking, Music, Art, Science, and Yoga.
On Friday, we had a Shabbat party and a birthday party! Happy birthday, Noémie! Thank you for bringing a Shabbat treat. Please look for an email soon with our Shabbat party policies and a schedule for each child's chance to be Shabbat Ima or Abba.
Shabbat Shalom!
Morot Irit, Mimi, and Chava
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Yonathan, Avigayil, Jacob, Dalia, and Aviya painting the branches that will decorate our Art center
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Naftali, Yehuda R., Adir and Ezra L. playing with playdough
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The "Superheroes" having fun with Morah Linda in music class!
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Cooking class - making applesauce muffins, yummy!
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Ezra L., Esther, Dalia and Yehuda S. checking who has the longest name
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| Lior, Nessim, Yonathan and Adir using loose parts to make an art project! |
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Esther, Ezra L., Harel, Lior and Noémie davening enthusiastically!
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| Acting out one of the class rules - raise your hand if you want to speak. |
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| Eli, Yehuda R. and Avigayil acting out the class rules - how to help a friend who got hurt |
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| Saying "Boker Tov" in a funny way! |
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| Naomi, Aviya, Naava, Lior and Dalia sorting Cuisenaire rods. |
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| Ezra A., Yehuda R., Harel, Naftali, and Jonathan working together to organize the peg board |
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| The children found a bumble bee on the playground! |
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| Science Thursday with Morah Laura - The magic of color mixing! |
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"Areyvut" (Responsibility) Theme of the Year
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by Benji Hain
I am incredibly excited to join the Maimonides team as
Director of Student Life in the Middle School and with schoolwide (ECC - grade 12) responsibility for experiential learning. This year, a major focus for all of our students will be on our schoolwide theme of the year, "
Areyvut,
" or responsibility - toward each other at school, to our local community, to the Jewish people, and to all humanity. As the Rav zt"l taught: Just as Hashem "assumed responsibility for whatever and whomever He created," so must we feel a sense of responsibility for the plight of others.
We will explore the theme of Areyvut through experiential learning, text-based study, drama, music, art, chesed projects, Shabbatonim, and so much more. Stay tuned!
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PTA Schach Sale
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Order fresh-cut cedar s'chach for your Sukkah from the Maimonides School PTA! For details and to place an order, click here.
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Printable and Electronic Calendars Online
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The printable school calendar for this year is now online at
The electronic calendar for 2016-17 is also online. You can visit
maimonidescalendar.org/calendar
throughout the year for the most up-to-date information on everything that's happening, both throughout the school and in each individual division.
The online calendar can be customized to show only the divisions and events you wish to see. See maimonidescalendar.org/calendar-instructions for more detailed information on how to use the calendar.
In addition, you will be able to subscribe so that school events and alerts will appear on your personal calendar. More information will follow soon.
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Vehicle Policies and Procedures
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Please see this link for current information on the school's parking policies, as well as updated drop-off and pick-up procedures.
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Volunteer for Yom Chesed
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Yom Chesed is December 4 -- would you like to get involved?
Our third
Yom
Chesed is scheduled for
Sunday morning,
December 4, 2016.
Yom
Chesed is an all-ages community service initiative for our entire Maimonides community. Our past
Yom
Chesed events have each involved over 500 participants helping a broad range of community organizations.
Registration will begin later in the fall, but in the meantime, we are looking for volunteers to help with this event. Even if you can't attend
Yom
Chesed, we would love your help prior to the event with planning and coordinating activities, shopping for supplies, or making phone calls.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, please join us on
Thursday, September 22 at 8:15 a.m. in the conference room in the Saval building (34 Philbrick Road).
It is not necessary to attend this meeting to help out with Yom Chesed. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact one of our parent coordinators --
Risa Gewurz,
[email protected],
Stef Mishkin,
[email protected], or Alissa Muzin, [email protected]
-- to learn how to get involved.
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Handbook Online
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Username is: maimoparents
Password is: horim
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Follow Maimo on Instagram
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 We're expanding our social media network! Please follow us on Instagram at @Maimobrookline. If you're new to our community, note that we're also on Facebook (Maimonides School, Maimonides Early Childhood Center) and Twitter (@kolrambam). You'll find all the latest news and activities from school posted on our social media outlets.
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See what's happening in other divisions
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 Lots of wonderful things are happening at Maimonides School!
If you'd like to take a peek at the other divisions' newsletters, please click here.
If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails:
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Check us out on Facebook
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Let's be friends...on Facebook!
Fans of our
Maimonides School Facebook page get an insider's view of all that's going on at Maimo, with the latest photos taken in the classrooms, on the playgrounds, and all around the Brener and Saval campuses. If you'd like to be in the know,
just
click here
t
o "like" us on Facebook.
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