SIA School Newsletter


November 16, 2022

Dear Parents,


The Strelitz International Academy is partnering with Jewish Family Services annual Chanukah Gift Project for local Jewish children and teens in need again this year. Each Chanukah, JFS reaches out to local Jewish families with children who struggle with finances to provide gifts during the holiday. Parent letters, gift tags, and teacher instructions will be given to each class so that every student can be sent home with a gift tag listing one suggested item to buy. These items will be from local Jewish children’s wish lists and are written on the gift tags in order to help you decide what to buy. Please note that the gift tags contain a “suggested gift” item. Parents should feel free, however, to purchase any age-appropriate gift or gift card if they are not able to purchase or locate the specific item on the gift tag that their child brings home. Linda Bridges will have extra tags and parent letters in the front office. Additional information can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Please bring in all donations by Monday, December 5, 2022, and JFS will come to the school to collect the gifts. It's always a very meaningful project for our students.


Please join us for our Primary Years Preview, this Friday, November 18, 2022 at 8:30am to learn more about Kindergarten through Fifth grade at SIA!  For more information, please see ParentSquare or email Carin Simon..


Mark your calendars, SIA Primary Years has a Family Shabbat Celebration this Friday, November 18, 2022 at 1:30pm in the Multipurpose room. We hope to see you there!


We are so excited for Grandparents Day at SIA sponsored by the Beth Sholom Home on November 23, 2022 from 10:00-11:30am. More information and to RSVP for your child's Grandparents, please do so on ParentSquare. We look forward to seeing all of our SIA Grandparents!



Below you will see some reminders for the week ahead. 

 

Heather Moore

Head of School

Thank you SIA Veterans!

SIA is proud to honor all of the wonderful Veterans who have served and are currently serving. Thank you to all of our families who sent in photos for their loved ones for our Veterans Day display.

Morah Chrystal's EY3 Class

The class is working hard during manipulative play when children are enhancing fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and visual discrimination. In this case we are also patterning. Patterns are not only fun to make but they help children learn to make predictions, to understand what comes next, to make logical connections, and to use reasoning skills. Some children followed patterns they made with crayons or matching up the toys with the colors they wrote out. 

Fourth Grade Learns about the Age of Exploration

After researching important players and events in the Age of Exploration, the fourth grade students turned their research into a skit as their action project for their Sharing the Planet IB Unit of Inquiry.

FIfth Grade Helps Create Empatico Video

SIA's fifth grade students contributed video clips to help Empatico create a video for World Kindness Week. Yael's clip was chosen to be featured in the video! IB Students are caring to themselves, others and the planet. Check out how Yael talks about being kind to herself during soccer (1:30): https://vimeo.com/767835144

Upcoming Dates:

November


11/18 Primary Years Preview for EY Parents, 8:30am - 10am

     SIA PY Family Shabbat Celebration, 1:30pm


11/23 Grandparents' Day/ Noon Dismissal/ EY Fullcare and PY Sundown Closed.


11/24 - 11/25 Thanksgiving Holiday/ No School/ EY Fullcare Closed/ PY Camp JCC SDO Closed


11/30 SGA Twin Day - Dress as a twin with a friend!


12/9 First Grade Preview, 8:15am - 9:15am


12/19 - 12/30 Winter Break/ No School


12/19 - 12/23 Winter Break/ EY Fullcare Winter Session 1/ PY Camp JCC SDO Open


12/26 No Fullcare/ PY Camp JCC SDO Closed


12/27 - 12/30 Winter Break/ EY Fullcare Winter Session 2/ PY Camp JCC SDO Open


1/2 New Years Day Observed/ No School/ NO Fullcare or Camp JCC SDO


1/3 School Resumes

Primary Years Preview for EY Parents

Please RSVP on ParentsSquare by clicking here.

Grandparent's Day at SIA

SIA Winter Pop Up Shop

The online SIA Winter Swag Shop is now open until November 23 to order your SIA winter gear. 


Click here to access the school store!


Order anytime between now and November 23, 2022.


All items will be shipped at once to the school. Orders will be delivered and sent home with students the week before Winter Break. Please check the sizes carefully before ordering.  All items are nonrefundable after November 23. If you don't see a size or color you need, please reach out to Carin Simon. 


***Strelitz Sweatshirts make great Hanukkah Gifts!***

Annual Chanukah Gift Project for JFS

Now in its thirtieth year, JFS reaches out during Chanukah to local Jewish families with children and teens whose families are struggling with finances. JFS will again be partnering with Strelitz International Academy for this annual gift drive for Chanukah 2022. Students from every class will be asked to help with this Tzedakah project.

 

On November 14, packets with parent letters, gift tags, and teacher instructions will be given to each class so that every student can be sent home with a gift tag listing one suggested item to buy. These items will be from local Jewish children’s wish lists and are written on the gift tags in order to help you decide what to buy. Please note that the gift tags contain a “suggested gift” item. Parents should feel free, however, to purchase any age-appropriate gift or gift card if they are not able to purchase or locate the specific item on the gift tag that their child brings home. Linda Bridges will have extra tags and parent letters in the front office.

 

All gifts are due back in school on Monday, December 5, 2022. JFS will then come to each class during the morning of Wednesday, December 7, 2022 to collect gifts, thank students and their teachers, and take classroom pictures with the collected gifts. We hope to able to count on SGA Officers to help us gather gifts and take them back to JFS.  

 

Although JFS knows that Chanukah may or may not be a time where gifts are exchanged in every family, JFS hopes that students and their families will want to support this annual gift drive and reach out to those in need. Please call Debbie Mayer or Maryann Kettyle at JFS with any questions: (757) 459-4640.

Thank you to everyone for their help with this project! 

SIA Student Hanukkah Shop

EY2 - Grade 5 Participating

How the Hanukkah Shop Works:

SIA Families donate items for the Hanukkah Shop (details below)

Students visit the Hanukkah Shop with their class.

Students purchase items for $1 each to give to their loved ones. 

Proceeds benefit the Parent Volunteer Organization


Donations for SIA Hanukkah Shop:

Please send in New or “Like New” Items for the Chanukah store starting November 28 until December 4. Donation bins will be clearly labeled near the Fullcare board in the Strelitz hallway. Please make sure items are clean and in good condition. We need items for Kids, Moms, Dads, Grandparents & older siblings. 

 

Suggested donations:

Toys, Jewelry, ties, books, unused journals, small household items, any gifts you’ve never used! *For sanitary reasons NO STUFFED ANIMALS. We also need gift bags!


Please click here to sign up to volunteer in the Chanukah Shop.

Lost and Found

Check out our Lost and Found for missing items.

Celebrating Birthdays

Invitations to out of school parties may not be handed out on school property. Please refrain from scheduling parties on Shabbat or Jewish holidays in order to be inclusive of all classmates who may observe Shabbat. 

happy_birthday_cupcakes.jpg

Due to allergies and dietary restrictions, SIA does not allow outside food and treats to be brought in to school for birthdays. We encourage families to order cupcakes or cookies through the Campus Cardo Cafe


1) PLEASE ORDER ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.

2) Confirm the treat date and time with your child's teacher. 

3) Complete the form and payment and give to Linda in the front office.

4) Linda Bridges will deliver the order to your child's classroom at the arranged date and time. 

In the Community

JCC YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Wednesdays and Sundays • 11/30/2022 – 3/5/2023

Required Players’ Draft Day Wednesday, 11/30/2022, Jaffe Gym

  • Grades K-2 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
  • Grades 3-5 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Practices on Wednesdays in Jaffe Gym • 12/7/2022 – 3/1/2023 (No practice 12/28)

  • Grades K-2 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
  • Grades 3-5 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Games on Sundays in the Jaffe Gym • 1/8/2023 – 3/5/2023 (No games 1/15 and 2/19) • start at 1:00 pm


Registration deadline November 28, 2022. Open to boys and girls of all faiths from grades K-5. This program will instill a fundamentally sound approach to the game while appropriately balancing participation and competition. Skill development, teamwork, and sportsmanship are the goals of providing a fun and rewarding youth basketball program. Teams will practice for several weeks before the regular season games, ending with Championship Day on 3/5/2023. Basketball jersey included for each player.


All League-registered K-5 players may attend the preseason clinics for FREE!

$115 members | $150 non-members

Volunteer coaches are needed. Coaches clinic on 11/29/2022, 5:30pm.

Contact the JCC Front Desk at 757-321-2338 if you have questions. 


Click here to register.


>>> Preseason Clinic •

Wednesdays 11/9 & 11/16 • same times as practice above • $40 members/$80 non-members, Free for those registered for the JCC Youth Basketball League <<<

JCC Fall Afterschool Classes

For all questions related to JCC Afterschool Activities,

please contact Sarah Cooper, scooper@ujft.org/ 757.321.2306


Israel Club

The Simon Family JCC is thrilled to present the ISRAEL CLUB! This super fun group is for Kindergarten – Grade 2 children who want to learn and experience what everyday life is like for kids and families in Israel! Led by Nofar Trem (PJ Library program manager) and fellow Israeli’s Aya and Alma (visiting Tidewater shinshinim), kids will prepare and eat foods from Israel; they will learn about wildlife that roams Israel and the Mediterranean region; they’ll learn about Israeli culture, holidays & celebrations, and more! This is a fun environment for an hour of after-school hanging out with our Israeli community! Visit JewishVA.org/KIDS for more info or to sign up. $55 for members covers food and supplies for the 4-week session.


  • Grades: Kindergarten - 2nd
  • Time: Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30
  • Dates: November 21-Dec. 12 (4 Weeks)
  • Location: The Zone-JCC
  • Registration: Front Desk or call 757-321-2338
  • Pricing: $55 Members/ $70 Potential Members