SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Friday, October 18, 2019

19 Tishrei 5780



Message from Heather Moore, Head of School
Dear Parents,
 
I hope you all had a festive Sukkot despite the soggy weather! We have had so many wonderful programs and more coming up that I'd like to highlight. We have been focusing on community including our family community, our student community and our teacher community.

In honor of the upcoming holiday of Simchat Torah and Hoshanna Rabbah, we had a celebration this morning with our Early Years friends who made flags and danced around the Torah. This afternoon our Primary Years friends also celebrated by dancing with the Torah, decorating candy flags and writing about how the Torah is special! A special thank you to Rabbi Brashevitzky for joining us as the Torah Mascot for our celebration!

Coming up Next Week!

Falling into Shabbat : We are so excited for our upcoming “Falling into Shabbat” for our littlest SIA friends in our Infant and Toddler Classes on Friday, October 25, 2019 from 9:00am -1:00pm outside by the playground. We will have pumpkin painting, hay rides and a fall sensory area. We will end the festival by bringing in Shabbat together!


PJ Library Mommy and Me is hosting their first Mommy and Me of the year at the Simon Family JCC for babies ages 6 weeks-18 months. The program is being held on October 24 at 12:45pm. To RSVP, email Carly Glikman .


JCC Yoga Classes for Children
The JCC is starting Children's Yoga Classes with SIA Parent and Yogi,
Brigitte Gottlieb.
Please call the JCC to sign up or email Yolanda Muhammed .
Primary Years Yoga Classes - Wednesdays starting October 23, 3:45pm
Early Years Yoga Classes - Thursdays starting October 24, 12:30pm
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Please note:  There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, October 21, 2019 and Tuesday, October 22, 2019 for Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Fullcare is open both days.

Below you will see some reminders for next week.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays)!

Heather Moore
Head of School


10/21, NO SCHOOL, Fullcare Open, Shmini Atzeret

10/22 NO SCHOOL, Fullcare Open, Simchat Torah

10/25, Falling into Shabbat for Infants and Toddlers, 9am

11/5, Early Years Evening Conferences, 4pm - 7pm

11/8, 8:30am PVO Meeting
All School Family Shabbat Singalong, 9am

11/11 NO SCHOOL, FULLCARE CLOSED; Veteran's Day; Primary Years IB Collaboration Professional Development

11/12 Early Years Conference, 4pm -11pm

11/15 Beyond Preschool, 8:30am - All Early Years Parents are invited to learn more about the Primary Years Program

11/27 Grandparents' Day; Noon Dismissal, Fullcare Closes at Noon
To order lunch: orgsonline.com
School code: 432HAOTVA
(for first time sign-ups)
Menu will show when you are assigned a school.

To cancel lunch:
If you have a scheduled lunch and your child will not be in school, you must cancel by 9:30 a.m. that day and email Benita Watts at  ops@ujft.org  or call Linda Bridges at 424-4327 to make sure the lunch is cancelled - credit will be applied to your account. If you don't cancel the lunch, you will be charged.

Lunches:
$3.30 for Early Years (EY 2-EY 4)
$5.50 for Primary Years (K-5)
Celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah at SIA
By Rashi Brashevitzky, Judaic Studies Director
Having celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we are now in the midst of celebrating Sukkot , also known as a festival of joy. We celebrate Sukkot to commemorate G-d’s protection of the Jewish nation as they traveled through the desert on their way from Egypt to Israel. Here at SIA our students have been preparing for and celebrating Sukkot in many ways. Primary years students got together last week to create Sukkah decorations for the Sandler Family Campus Sukkah . Our students collaborated with one another and created beautiful decorations which are now hanging in the Sukkah. Our students have had the opportunity to learn about the traditions of Sukkot, heard stories of Sukkot around the world, and even make model Sukkahs using cardboard boxes, or in the case of the fifth graders, yummy treats! SIA students have the opportunity to eat lunch in the Sukkah and recite the appropriate blessing. Each of our students has been able to shake the Lulav & Etrog (4 species including palm branch, citron, willow branches and myrtle branches) during class time. 

We wrap up this string of Jewish holidays with the celebration of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah which begin on Sunday and Monday night respectively. On Simchat Torah we are filled with joy and dance with the Torah while celebrating this beautiful gift we have been given. SIA students made candy filled flags for which to use during the traditional “ hakafot ” (dancing with the Torah), the candy to remind us of the sweetness of the Torah. A GIANT dancing Torah (special thank you to Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky of Chabad of Tidewater for bringing in his giant Torah costume) came to lead our students in a practice round of dancing this afternoon - SIA students are all set to celebrate the end of Sukkot and Simchat Torah. May the love and joy we feel during these holidays carry us through the rest of the year!
Making Decorations for the Sukkah
Lunch in the Sukkah
Kehilla, Learning and Joy in the Sukkah
By Lorna Orleans, Director of the Early Years Program
Dear Families,

Did you know that teachers never stop learning? It's true. Every day our students teach us so much, but we also learn from each other. Lisa Rosenbach, our Judaic Resource teacher in Early Years, had the idea of coming together in the Sukkah this year for a time of kehilla (community), learning and fun! It is actually a commandment and a mitzvah to celebrate the joy of life on Sukkot.

So, on Thursday evening the EY teachers and staff came together for a dinner in the sukkah. Lisa shared a D'var Torah about the importance of celebrating the joyousness of Sukkot after the solemnity of the High Holidays. We shared music, good conversation and a time of community while learning about the value of creating joyful experiences. It was a beautiful evening with soft breezes and a lot of ambiance. We took a "time out" to slow down, breathe and end the day on a relaxing note.

Chag Sameach to everyone as Sukkot draws to a close and we celebrate the upcoming holiday of Simchat Torah when we rejoice in the Torah!

Shabbat Shalom,

Lorna Orleans
Director, Early Years
Ways to Support SIA
In the Community
PJ Library is hosting their first Mommy and Me of the year at the Simon Family JCC for babies ages 6 weeks-18 months. Coffee and muffins will be served. Please bring a blanket for baby.
 
Meet Our Special Guest!
Sharon Serbin has entertained children and adults of all ages as a Professional Storyteller for over 30 years. Growing up with a gradual hearing loss and becoming fully deaf at age 18, Sharon learned American Sign Language and fell in love with it. She combines storytelling, sign language, creative movement, drama, and interactive play, to bring traditional or original stories to life. Sharon's energy and warmth as a Creative Specialist encourage the children to become part of the story.