Kibitzer December 14, 2018

At the Chanukah Assembly (see more images on our Facebook page)

#akibacommUNITY

"Let me tell you something..." would often be followed by advice and wisdom you received from Millie Miller Z'L. Last Friday we shared other "Millieisms" and learned together about this great woman at the first annual Millie Miller Z'L Day held a year after her passing.

In my opening remarks, I mentioned how rare it is for individuals to get a day put aside each year to celebrate them, but, as many of us know, Millie was rare. Carla Goldberg, our Early Childhood Director, spoke about Millie's uniqueness and announced that that very morning, a tree was planted in her honor at Promontory Point that will grow for generations to come. We were inspired by Millie's story shared by her son, Glenn. Then, as we did when she was with us, we learned from Millie.

Millie's son Glenn reviews "Millieisms" with Mrs. Gold and students on Millie Miller Day.

The students, teachers, and guests were introduced to some "Millieisms" and Torah sources that represented them. Together we all learned, discussed and thought critically about what these beloved sayings meant to us and in what ways we do and can live up to them in our lives. This is why Millie is worthy of her own day.

When a person lives a life that is full, focused on helping and supporting others, and serves as a role model in so many ways, they live on. They not only live on in our memory, their example becomes part of who we are. Our students for many years experienced the example of Millie. It became part of who they are. Now it will live on in them and ultimately in those that will see them lead by example. With Millie Miller Day we will make sure we continue to integrate what she lived for and how she lived into the fabric of who we are as a school for generations to come. May her memory be a blessing, and her example continue to inspire us.

Shabbat Shalom!

Dr. Eliezer Jones

Head of School

The planting of Millie's tree at Promontory Point on Friday morning, December 7 (= Millie Miller Day)

Words of Inspiration from Rabbi Cohen

Give It All You've Got!

From the Preschool

Spread-the-Light Continues in Classrooms

by Carla Goldberg, Preschool Director

It has been such a busy time at Akiba! From the Thanksgiving Feasts we went straight into Grandparent/Special Friends' Day, followed closely by Chanukah!

You would think that the Monday after our "Spread-the-Light" event (click here for a montage of the event), our teachers would be exhausted and burnt out. Instead I opened the door to the Yellow Room and walked into a glow-in-the-dark dance party inspired by Spread-the-Light.

Glow-in-the-Dark dancing at our Spread-the-Light Chanukah Event last Sunday - more event photos on our Facebook page

Our teachers continued the thread of the activities and excitement of our Chanukah event in their classrooms this week. Other classes enjoyed glow-in-the-dark dancing in the Yellow Room. The teachers projected interesting images onto large paper on the walls that the children then used as backdrops to paint on. The children's creativity and excitement truly made the room glow!

Glow-in-the-dark drawing in the Yellow Room

One of the activities in the Makerspace during Spread-the-Light was to program Ozbots to follow the shape of a dreidel drawn on paper. The Afternoon Explorers took this idea to their classroom and were working on coding this week. In the hallway, a child-sized "map" was placed on the floor with the codes used in the program for the ozbots. The children were able to walk through this map themselves and follows the codes. For example there were four colored lines (red, green, red, green) that meant to turn in a circle and then other codes that meant to walk two steps backward. The children experienced what it felt like to be the robot and actually move through the prompts and directions. Then they went inside the classroom and worked on making their own map and using these codes themselves with the ozbots.

It was truly incredible to watch how the teachers took these ideas, unpacked them with the children, differentiated so that the concepts could be learned in different ways, and were successful in teaching this to the Afternoon Explorer students. Every day I am amazed by what is happening at Akiba, and this week it was truly remarkable to see all this 21st century learning happening at our Spread-the-Light event and then continuing in our classrooms.

I hope that everyone has a safe and relaxing winter vacation. I also hope that when we return from winter vacation, you are able to join us at Coffee and Kindergarten on January 15, from 8:45-9:45 AM. This event is for all of our families who have Kindergarten on their mind and want to learn about our exemplary Kindergarten program.

Preschool

As an extension to the Kindergarten's rainforest exploration, Oren's mom, Elizabeth Bartom, visited the class and shared Oren's family's adventure in the rainforest in Costa Rica, as well as the parents' trip to Hawaii. The children loved locating the rainforest on the globe and seeing the real life pictures of the animals. Thank you, Elizabeth for taking the time to partner with us in the children's education!

2nd grader Ron Lev came to read to the children in the Green Room. He read Pete the Cat, an excellent choice!

Grades 1-8

Kitah Alef and Kitah Bet got together for an epic dreidel tournament. It spanned two days of Chanukah!

Mrs. Brackman and Mrs. Gold's Jewish Thought classes completed a unit on heroism, connected to Chanukah. As a final project, students researched a young hero under the age of 16 that did something extra inspirational or heroic.

As part of their learning about the American government, the 7th and 8th grade Humanities classes formed their own Congress. They debated, amended, passed, and then reconciled a bill involving weekend homework. Here the Senate (Ms. Chipman_s class) led by the President of the Senate Rafi, is debating an amendment to the bill. Simultaneously the House of Representatives (Mr. Seigle's class) was making its own amendments. The new law has already taken effect in the classes.

8 Questions for an 8th Grader: Merav Price

Merav Price at school

We continue our series of featuring an 8th grader in each Kibitzer; today it's Merav Price, who gave us great insight on life as an 8th grader at Akiba:

Since when have you been at Akiba?
I have been at Akiba since half-way through PreK.
What neighborhood are you from? I moved to Skokie from West Rogers Park a bit over a year ago.
Is being an 8th grader different from your previous grades at Akiba? I hope to make sure that even when I leave, that I will stay friends, and stay in touch with, everyone that I am currently friends with. Being an eighth grader is different because we are at the top of the school. Eighth graders have so much more responsibility, to be leaders of the school, and to be role models for Akiba. Eighth graders also have so much more privileges, such as leading the Chanukah Assembly. I also feel like being in eighth grade gives students a chance to give a guiding hand, or be a mentor to the younger students. Since we are students as well, however, we are closer to them, and understand their situation better. We also grow closer to the amazing administration and staff, so it is like we are in both worlds at the same time, really best of both worlds!
What is your favorite subject at Akiba and why?
I honestly can't say I have a favorite subject. My classes are all so amazing in separate ways, and it's really hard to compare them. Every time I think about how great one teacher is, I think about how great another is.

In Mr. Amiel's class, with only three students, we have been able to move so quickly, but efficiently this year, but the class is still always fun. Mrs. Chipman is someone whom I totally adore. She always makes sure I do my best work and push myself; I am so lucky to have had her for both seventh and eighth grade. Mrs. Rotfeld always makes sure students are able to learn how they learn, in terms of what's best for them; she knows all of her students so incredibly well. Morah Dorit makes sure we are always challenging ourselves, and pushes us to be our best; she really doesn't let us give up. Mrs. Brackman is able to make us thoroughly understand her material, even though it can be really foreign to us since it is ancient Hebrew from a completely different time. Mrs. Gold is really incredible at connecting what we learn in our class to our lives, applying Judaism to the modern world, which is such an invaluable skill. Seriously, I could go on and on about each and every one of my teachers, I cannot stress how amazing they all are, and how lucky I have been to have all of them.
What do you think is special about Akiba?

What is so special about Akiba is how exciting it is. One thing Mrs. Brackman and Mrs. Gold always stress is that we can always disagree with each other, which is something really different about Akiba. For example, although we are all Jewish, there are so many different types of Jews here, who observe in so many different ways, which isn't something that really happens at any other Jewish schools.

I love Akiba's sense of community, how close everyone is. Years ago, I remember someone in their graduation speech describing Akiba not as a school (because in many schools students don't know many people), but as a family. At Akiba we all know each other well and are so close with each other, and that has always stuck with me. At Akiba, even new students and administration members fit into the community right away, like they were just meant to be here. Even the newest member of my grade, Mayrav Bader, I feel like I've known her my whole life. I now consider her one of my closest friends in the whole world, and I couldn't even begin to picture an Akiba without her. I love all the opportunities we have, from me being able to give a D'var Torah at a Chanukah buddy activity, to the amazing Ruach committee, to our upcoming faux Supreme Court trial.
What did you learn from recently having your Bar Mitzvah?
I had my Bat Mitzvah two summers ago in Israel. I learned so much from that incredible experience, from speech writing to learning that my life is mine, and no one can take that away from me. I studied some incredible women in Tanach for my Bat Mitzvah, and what inspired me about them is that they wouldn't let anyone give them grief. They took their lives into their own hands, and all made such big impacts on the Jewish community, which I hope to do someday. I also learned to appreciate the smaller moments, the small things that make up life, rather than the bigger and flashier things.
When you're not at school or doing homework, what do you like to do?
I just finished a jazz fusion dance class, which was a mix of jazz and hip-hop, and I'll be taking the jazz fusion class along with ballet for the next dance semester. I was able to dance with one of my best friends, Naomi C, whom I've known since I was one. Our mothers are also best friends, and being able to spend so much time with her, since she goes to a different school, has been great. I take a sewing class on Sundays, and I read a lot of books and watch Netflix as well. School takes up most of my time, though. Shabbat is really great for me. I am Shomer Shabbat, so I spend Shabbat hanging out with my friends, resting, or reading. I also really love reading magazines, such as The Atlantic, which I read a lot on Shabbat when I'm just staying at home.
Do you have any idea yet of what you want to be when you grow up?
It's really a hodge-podge of things I want to be when I grow up. My interests are all really varied, but I would love to work in S.T.E.M. fields. Math is really one of my strong suits, and I also think I'm pretty good at science, and I really enjoy learning both of them. In science, I have become an anatomy geek. Anatomy has been my favorite thing to learn in science, ever, and this year has also been my best year in math. I also would like to be a politician, ask anyone in my grade. I'm super opinionated and would really love to be able to make a positive impact on America. I also would like to be a lawyer or judge. (I know. It's a lot.) In Humanities, we've been learning about the different branches of the government, Judicial, Legislative, and Executive, and as I've said, I really want to make a positive impact on the world, and learning about the different branches of government has been so fascinating to me. I'd love to be a part of that process in any way I can.

Art with Debbie

3rd and 4th grade artists created beautiful Chanukah cards. They folded origami dreidels--then used other square sheets of paper to add color, contrast, and geometric symmetry to their overall design. They had fun and made such gorgeous cards!

Upcoming #akibacommUNITY Events

RSVP for Coffee & Kindergarten here.

Thank You, Spread-the-Light Event Sponsors!

SUFGANIYOT - $36

Allender Family
Anonymous (3)
Ben-Shahar Family
Boshes Family
Evans/Boxerman Family
Lowenthal Family
Nagorsky Family
Nuer Family
Rosenbaum-Vogel Family
Sorkin Family
Allan and Bryna Towb
Waitzman Family
Wallen Family
Zeffren Family

LATKE - $72

Aronsohn Family
Golden Family
Nunn Family
Schinasi Family
Szmulewitz Family

OLIVE OIL - $180

Roberta Evans

Eliezer and Cori Jones

Mia, Gary and Golda Rubenstein

Shamesh - $360

Douglas Glick & Jennifer Uson
Daniel and Lisa Golden

MACCABEE - $1,800

Reed Singer and Stina Fish

Friedman Family

FULL EVENT SPONSOR - $3,600

Schwartz/Faier Family (sponsored in loving memory of Arleen Schwartz, z'l)

Refuah Shleima

...to Barb Simon's husband Skeeter Simon, who is recovering from surgery.

...to Thea Crook's husband David Crook, who is recovering from surgery.

Toy and Winter Clothes Drives

The Chesed Club is holding two collection drives that are running until Martin Luther King Day. Bins are in the atrium:

Toys for Chai Lifeline: Please bring new and unwrapped toys.
Winter clothes drive run by the Chicago Bears: coats, snow pants, thermal underwear, gloves, boots, hats, mittens, thermal socks, hand/ toes warmers, and anything else for inclement weather. Items need to be in good to great condition.

Dates to Remember

Monday, December 24 - Sunday, January 6

Winter Break

No School

Monday, January 7

First Day of School after Winter Break

Tuesday, January 15

Coffee & Kindergarten

8:45 - 9:45 AM

in the Kindergarten classroom

Thursday, January 17

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Cohen

Details to follow

Contact Rabbi Cohen to sign up.

Monday, January 21

Martin Luther King Day

Tu B'Shvat

No School

Wednesday, January 23

Will You Be My Neighbor?

6:30 - 9:00 PM

Movie Presentation and Panel Discussion on "How to talk to children in 2019," led by Dr. Jones, Miriam Kass, Carla Goldberg and Ann Luben, Social Worker from JCFS

@ Congregation Anshe Emet in Lakeview

RSVP here.

MORE

CALENDAR

December 14, 2018

Volume 15, Issue 8

Candle Lighting: 4:00 PM

Parasha: Vayigash

The Kehillah Fund (or Community Fund) was created to unite the Chicagoland Jewish community in funding its day schools to raise the bar in Jewish day school education. To date, the Kehillah Fund has distributed more than $11 million dollars since 2004.

In that time, Akiba-Schechter has graciously received $640,505, an average over $45,000/ year. At this time, we would like to thank the current Akiba families listed below, who have invested in the Kehillah fund and Jewish education in Chicagoland. We would like to encourage our families to express their gratitude to the Kehillah Fund by making a contribution of any amount at www.kehillahfund.org.