SIHA Weekly for February 12

by admin | Feb 12, 2021 | Newsletter

Dvar Torah

There is a famous story in the Gmara where a non Jew came to one of the great Torah leaders of that era, Shamai, and requested of him “teach me the whole Torah on one foot”, Shamai realized that his request was ridiculous, because it takes a lifetime to learn the whole Torah. Shamai sent him on his way.
He then came to Hillel, the other Torah giant of that time and said “teach me the entire Torah on one foot”.
Hillel told him “love your friend like yourself”!
The Gemara explains; how does one accomplish “loving his friend like himself”? The answer is; what you don’t like, don’t do to your friend!
This encompasses all the Mitzvot Bein Adam L’chaveiro [between man and his friend].

This week’s Parsha has many many Mitzvot Bein Adam Lechavero.
The Talmud has volumes based on this week’s Parsha!
This week’s Parsha gives us the laws about an Eved Ivri [a Hebrew-Jewish slave]. The Torah tells us that we must treat him very well. If, for example, there is only one pillow to sleep on, the master must give it to the slave.

The Parasha tells us what our responsibility is as;

• a paid watchman
• an unpaid watchman
• a renter
• a borrower.

The Torah gives us many details of these laws.
Why?
Because we have to know that, just as we would want our property watched/guarded properly, so too we must do so for our friend.
The Torah gives us laws regarding our property i.e. our animals, pets, livestock, etc., that damages another person’s property.
Why?
For the same reason. We must always know that we must be careful to treat each other as we would want to be treated and not do to another as we would not want to be done to us.
Therefore we can not steal, hurt, damage etc.
ALL of these laws are part of V’ahavta L’reiacha Kamocha-Love your friend as yourself.
As Jews, we must always bear this in mind. We really must try to study all the laws in order to properly fulfill this Mitzvah. The least we can do is to always keep in mind “would I want that to be done to me? Would I want to be treated like that? Would I want to be spoken to like that? Would I want my snack or toy taken from me? Would I want to be chosen last in a game?”
By being cognizant of each other’s feelings we will be on our way to “loving your friend as yourself” and keeping a major part of our holy Torah.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Y.S.Kuritsky

Special Announcement!

PURIM IS ALMOST HERE!

Dear Parents and Teachers,

One of the mitzvot of Purim is sending gifts of food, called Mishloach Manot (literally, “the sending of portions”) to acquaintances. Purim is a time to reflect on our friendship and achdut “unity” and come together as one nation. SIHA families are invited and encouraged to participate in this special mitzvah by joining our annual Purim tradition of sending Mishloach Manot to the SIHA community. When we are united, we merit Gd’s blessing and salvation. We give gifts of food on Purim to strengthen our bonds of friendship with our fellow Jews. We are looking forward to sharing the mitzvot of Purim with you.

Please click HERE to go to the SIHA Mishloach Manot Order Form!

ALL ORDERS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FEB 15, 2021.

Thanks,
SIHA PTA

A great big SIHA congratulations to Students of the Month!

• Kindergarten – Ilan Kadymir
• First Grade – Joseph Cohen
• Second Grade – Daniella Usubov
• Third Grade – Mia Factor
• 4A – Diane Ashraf
• 4B – Shalom Danziger
• Fifth Grade – Joshua Gluck
• Middle School – Noam Tisona
• Middle School Judaics – Joshua Yarden-Kushel

Programming News

Students just finished up a Brachot Contest! This contest was created to get the students excited about making the proper Brachot every time they eat. The students learned which Brachot to make in their Judaics classes. In addition to this, we put up posters reminding the students of the various Brachot to make on the foods they eat and we encouraged them to encourage each other to say the Brachot! 

Everyone did an awesome job and Ms. Dershowitz and Ms. Esti are so proud of all the students who made Brachot this month. The winners of the Brachot contest over vacation are Mikai Oz from 6th Grade and Ethan Shenkman from 4B! 

In other news, today is Rosh Chodes Adar! In Rosh Chodes Adar, everyone is trying to lift everyone’s spirits and be happy, smiling and positive to their friends. On February 23, we will have a contest in honor of Purim. Everyone is going to dress up and have a great time! 

Judaics

Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a great week in Kindergarten and First Grade Judaics. In Kindergarten we have moved on to the next letter Ayin! Ayin says ah, just like Aleph! We know that Ayin has two straight arms up with eyes on top! In First Grade, we have moved on to our next nekuda, kubutz! We only have one more nekuda left and then we will be able to read everything in hebrew! This week we started our Purim preparations! We are learning so much and are so excited to make fun projects! Shabbat Shalom

Second Grade
We had another wonderful week practicing our reading skills and gaining speed and accuracy. We learn in this weeks Torah reading, Parsha Mishpatim that meat and milk cannot be cooked or eaten together and that we must return lost objects and cannot lie. We are learning about Purim and can’t believe this happy holiday is only two weeks ago. We had a special treat in honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar and Shabbat Party. Shabbat Shalom

Third Grade

How exciting it was to see the students live after 2 weeks! And we loved hearing the amazing story of Purim with the puppet show. We can’t wait to hear the end of the story!.

Fourth Grade
4A
There is nothing like a live class, what can I say! We cracked open our brand new. fresh smelling handwriting workbooks and got to work learning/ reviewing how to write the holy letters. We learnt that there are two Aleph Bet fonts, one which we use to read and one which we use to write. The prayer of “Elokay Neshamah” is becoming more and more fluent to us as we discuss the meaning of each word and review it in song form. This week’s Parshah, Parshat Mishpatim discusses 53 of the 613 Torah commandments. One which we discussed in depth is the commandment of giving an extra dose of kindness to a convert (to Judiasm), widow and orphan. Yedidot Klaliot has us singing and memorizing the 10 commandments that we received on the Luchot at Har Sinai. The week ended of course, in its usual blast of Shabbat spirit, but this week in a blast of something else too- Rosh Chodesh/ beginning of the month of Adar!! Adar is the month of happiness, the month in which Purim, when we celebrate our miraculous defeat against evil Haman, falls out . We enjoyed our happiness song and smiley classroom décor. Happy Rosh Chodesh Adar and Shabbat Shalom!

4B
This week we finished learning the information for the Bracha of Hamotzi. We also began learning the Jewish History time line from Creation until now. This will help us get a better idea to know in contex when the Miracle of Purim took place. We can not wait to learn all about Purim next week IY”H. We are reviewing every day all the facts for our upcoming Yediot Klaliot test next week IYH. We even played “around the classroom” review game. Morah was extremely proud of all the students! Keep it up.

5th and 6th grade Boys

This week in Mishnayot we learned about different ways one would be exempt from sitting in a Sukkah. We also learned in the parsha this week, about the Eved Ivri.  Ask your son!
We also started to learn the story of Purim from the Megillah.

7th and 8th Girls
We had another wonderful week here, oh we did. We covered quite some Chumash ground, discussing the famous first dialogue piece that Moshe had with Hashem regarding his mission to free the Jews from Egypt. We practiced our Hebrew reading together in partners, which gives us the chance to couch each other, which we do so finely. For around an hour one day, my seventh grade girls took me over. They came up one by one and received “the mike” and a Torah topic. And they spoke. The things that we’re coming out of their mouths were so beautiful, so precious and showed how much clarity they have. For example, Yaffa Bareket shared with us that the sweat that a woman sweats as a result of covering up in a modest style in the heat is something that is so valued and treasured in heaven. We enjoyed this weeks’ Parshah too, of course, which is about various Torah laws. Celebrating Rosh Chodesh Adar on Friday couldn’t not be the most joyous thing, as joy is a big Adar theme! We are thankful for having had another, literal and figurative, picture perfect week. Shabbat Shalom everyone!

7th and 8th Boys

Boys in 7th and 8th grade worked for weeks on the Mishnah in Perek Hakoness, the sixth Perek in Baba Kama.
They read and studied with Chavrusot-partners . They did many worksheets to solidify the information.
They were rewarded by Rabbi Kuritsky with a trip to Dairy Palace! The boys enjoyed; pizza, fries, drinks “Chicago’s” etc.
We look forward to more such accomplishments and rewards.

Elementary School

Kindergarten
This week kindergarten became the King of ING! They practiced reading and spelling many words by adding s or ing to the end of words and they made king of ing crowns. They also read a nonfiction story about a fox and a kit at the zoo. In math they finished making their addition book and they made a book all about the different strategies they can use to add. They began making a subtraction book and played games to practice subtraction. They also learned a cool trick to add any number to the number 9 using mental math. In social studies they learned about folktales from other countries. They listened to a folktale from Ghana about a spider called Anansi and they compared it to a folktale about a spider from America. In science they had so much fun reviewing about force, speed, and direction by building ramps. They worked together to build ramps and then they tested their ramps to see which ramp made the car go the greatest distance.

First Grade

This week our fabulous first graders explored the parts of soil through an experiment. We placed soil in a bottle with water to see what would happen. 
We observed that after a night of standing, the soil separated into three basic components: rock, humus, and minerals. 
Also, the first graders created beautiful works of art using a blotting method. We love our colorful “LOVE” paintings.

4B
4B is excited to be back in the building after a long break from in person learning! We wrote persuasive essays later in the week, after a grammar test on verbs earlier in the week. In math, we are diving deeper into fractions. We are learning how to subtract mixed numbers! Shalev Danziger received student of the month for January! I have noticed an improvement in his behavior and academics, which motivated me to choose him for the honor!

In Social Studies the 5th grade finished learning about the Olmec civilization and began to learn about the mysterious city of Teotihuacan.
They also made some wonderful Purim cards!

5th Grade learned how to calculate area and perimeter of new quadrilaterals. They are also learning how to do area and perimeter of composite shapes. Next week, we are learning whether or not to subtract the figure.
6th grade spent the week reviewing the unit on proportions, tax, discount, and challenging word problems. They took a test on their unit and they all worked very hard!

Middle School

Middle School ELA and Social Studies

6th Grade had a busy week!
In reading, we continued our novel study of Bud, not Buddy. We discussed the time period of the Great Depression and some period-specific vocabulary that our main character uses. We also looked at pictures of the era, and had awesome class discussions. In grammar, we reviewed common and proper nouns. In writing, we focused on how word choice shows the author’s tone.

Mrs. Hazen would like to commend Asher Hecht for being all-round awesome and earning honor roll last semester! 

Greetings!
This week has been an interesting week for the 6th grade in social studies. We continued our journey through ancient China. The class learned about the Shang dynasty in particular. They learned about how the Shang kings sought wisdom, the ancient Chinese writing style, and how the Shang made bronze, porcelain, and silk. The kids were particularly fascinated by the silk making process.
The 6th grade also made some amazing Purim cards!
Ms. Tatic

7th Grade had a good week!
In reading, we continued our novel study of Farewell to Manzanar. Students had some awesome class discussions! In grammar, this week has been an annotation review week. We discussed why we annotate, and looked at different ways to annotate fiction and non-fiction. We also discussed strategies for answering multiple choice questions and practiced on fiction and non-fiction test prep questions. In writing, we focused on the importance of figurative language and how it shows the mood and tone of a story.

In social studies, the 7th grade wrapped up our study of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency by learning about the Louisiana Purchase. The class had some great discussions, took notes, and even got to practice our map skills. We also started to learn all about the war of 1812! Students took a quiz, and everyone did a great job.

8th grade had a great week!
In reading, we continued our novel study of The Outsiders. We discussed characterization and made some great predictions. In grammar, we reviewed sentence structure. In writing, this week has been all about two new kinds of figurative language: analogy and allusion. We wrote our own examples, discussed how analogies and allusions create meaning in different kinds of writing, and wrote some great paragraphs.

In Social Studies, the 8th grade learned about the United States’ entry into World War I. We read about the sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Memo, and discussed the ways our country prepared to enter the war. We looked at some primary evidence, watched videos and re-enactments, and wrote wonderful paragraphs both on these themes and on the reasons why World War I was different from previous wars.

Middle School Math

Middle School Science

7th Grade Shoutouts

Jewish History
I was thrilled to be back and see all my students in person this week. We spent the week reviewing and getting back into it as we prepare to zoom to the finish line.
7th grade impressed me with how much knowledge they retained from 2 months ago and are eager to move forward. Our next unit races through the Jewish experience in Egypt and dwells on the Jews acceptance of the Torah.
8th grade is journeying into Ancient Greece as we learn the differences between the rule of the Alexandrian, Ptolemaic, and Seleucid Greeks, and how that affected the Jewish people.

SIHA Weekly for February 5, 2021

by admin | Feb 5, 2021 | Newsletter

Dvar Torah

Parashat Yitro
This week’s Parsha depicts the most monumental occasion of all times: Matan Torah –The giving of the Torah from G-d Himself to Bnei Yisrael. It is described as happening with great fanfare, thunder so loud that it can be “seen”, lightning, and the sound of a very loud and strong Shofar. It began with Hashem Himself saying the words of the Aseret Hadibrot -The Ten Commandments. Our forefathers found this too much and too fearful to bear, and they asked Moshe to deliver the rest of the commandments.
Out of all the Mitzvot that Hashem gave us He referred to only one as a Matana Tova – A Good Gift. That is the Holy Shabbos, Shabbat.
His words were, “In My vault, I have a Good Gift. I want to give it to Bnei Yisrael. Go and inform them.”
The Chofetz Chaim explains this with a parable.
There are many types of precious gems and many are so costly that only the wealthiest can afford them. Some are so precious that only a tremendously wealthy monarch will be able to procure them.Understandably, the wealthier/more powerful the monarch/king the finer, rarer and more precious will be the gems that he can afford and acquire.
It goes without saying that, Hashem, G-d of the entire universe, has all the silver, gold, and precious gems in His vault.
Nevertheless, out of all the possible array of gifts that Hashem could bestow on us, His nation, He chose the best. He chose Shabbos, Shabbat.
It is therefore incumbent on us, His people, the recipients of His great generous gift, to cherish it and treat it properly. There are hundreds, and with Rabbinical safeguards, thousands of nuances and intricacies necessary to properly “keep Shabbat”. Let us try a little harder to learn more about this gift, cherish it, revere it and appreciate it. We will be happier and of course our Father who loves us and gave us this “good gift” will smile at us and reward us.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Y.S. Kuritsky

Judaics

Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a great week in Kindergarten Judaics! We have been reviewing the aleph bet we know and are excited to continue with a new letter next week! In First Grade Judaics, we have been reviewing the nekudot, we did reading races, reading tic tac toe, and reading I-spy. We are excited to begin a new nekuda next week! This week we learnt about Parshas Yisro, we learnt how Hashem chose Har Sinai because he was so humble and about how Hashem gave the Jewish People the Torah! We are so lucky to have the Torah, that we can learn and do mitzvot! Shabbat Shalom!

Second Grade
Hope everyone had a pleasant school break. It was wonderful seeing everyone on zoom though not the same as in person. We spent time on practicing our reading, finding specific vowels and coloring them a certain color. We enjoyed watching a video about the Purim story and learning about Parshat Bshalach and Parshat Yitro. When the Jews saw the Egyptians behind them and the Red Sea in front of them they were very scared. They prayed to Hashem for help. We learn that no matter how things look, it is important to pray to G-d and to ask Hashem for whatever we need. There have been many situations where things didn’t look promising, however with hope and prayer things turned around for the better. We learned the 10 Commandments and how fortunate we are to be the Chosen People and have the Precious Torah as our Guidebook for Life. Shabbat Shalom!

Third Grade
Although this week we were on zoom, we managed to learn so much after a refreshing break and surrounded by snow. We watched a very interesting video on the story of Purim, going all the way back to Haman (the vilain) and Mordechay (the Tzaddik) before the whole Purim saga started. They both knew each other and once when they were stranded in the desert, Haman had to sell himself as a slave to Mordechay in exchange for some water.
We practiced our Hebrew reading skills and got tested successfully. We also got tested for our general knowledge, especially on Jewish calendar subjects such as the Jewish months, days, and holidays.
Last but not least, we learnt about the Parsha from last week and this week. THis week’s Parsha is about the 10 commandments. Our daily challenge is to now learn the 10 commandments in both Hebrew and english and in correct order.

Shabbat Shalom
Mrs Ivry

5th and 6th Boys
This week was “virtually” the best we have ever had!
This week we learned about the giving of the Torah,The 10 Commandments,
and the impact they can have on our lives.
As well ,we continued our journey through the Mishna.
Ask your son if you can make a Sukkah on a camel, or a tree…..
He can tell you!
Shabbat Shalom!

7th and 8th Boys
This week the 7th and 8th grades zoomed in on zoom. One boy was actually zooming in his car! One boy zoomed in from Mexico!
We davened together, with one boy at a time taking turns to lead. We covered Parsha and learned some laws of R’chilut [similar to LashonHara]. We even had a pretty nice attendance especially considering the circumstances. it was nice to see each other. We look forward to seeing each other in person this coming Monday, G-d willing.

Elementary School

Kindergarten
Kindergarten did an amazing job on zoom this week. I am so proud of them! They read a story about a blue ox. They learned how to identify the setting of a story. They learned how to read and spell many words with S blends. In math they practiced filling in the missing parts of number bonds. They did an excellent job figuring out where each number should go in a number bond and how to solve to find the missing whole or the missing parts. They also practiced adding and subtracting with the fact family 5,3,2. In science they learned all about force and speed. They learned about push and pull and that the amount of force they use can change the speed of an object. In social studies they learned about Groundhog’s Day. They made predictions, filled in a graph, and then they watched the groundhog Phil and the groundhog Chuck emerging from their burrows to see if their predictions were correct.

In science, students learned about how fossils are formed and why paleontologists study fossils.

Third Grade
This week grade 3 students reviewed the various parts of speech we have covered this school year (thus far). During our math lessons, students continued developing abilities to decipher multi step word problems. We concentrated on how to recognize which operation would be the most appropriate (and when) to use to solve during each step of the problem before we can reach the final result. They also began to review some of the rules of multiplication. During social studies, we continued to learn about Earth’s resources and how they contribute to a community’s growth and development. During computer class, students learned of the different formats and types of programs and files available to them on a computer.

In science, students started a new chapter about Earth’s resources. They learned about the differences between rocks and minerals. An “edible soil” project was given to students as a bonus along with a soil worksheet.

Miss Sasha

Fourth Grade

This week in math we reviewed operations on fractions and prepared for the test that is coming up on Monday.
In ELA for Explanatory writing unit we created a class recipe book of favorite dishes and desserts.
Completed reading comprehension packets for our preparation for the state test.
In Social Studies we explored the geography, climate, resources and major industries of the Midwest.

In science, students learned that Earthquakes and Volcanoes can cause rapid changes to Earth’s surface. Also the process of Weathering, erosion, deposition, and mountain building change Earth’s surface.

Fifth Grade

Greetings and salutations!
This has been a rather busy week for the 5th grade.
In grammar, the students learned about adjectives! They practiced identifying adjectives and the nouns that they describe. In writing, the 5th graders learned about compare and contrast text structure and cause and effect text structure. As a result of passages in writing the students also got to learn all sorts of facts about water, corals, kelp, and even tunamis and hurricanes.
They also continued to work on their essays on the theme of Holes.

In social studies, the 5th grade began learning about the earliest people to settle the western Hemisphere. They also started to learn about the Olmec civilization in Central America. In our journey to learn about the Olmecs, the students learned that natural rubber comes from rubber trees. They were very interested!

In math, 5th reviewed the area and perimeter of rectangles and triangles. They also learned how to find the value of a missing dimension given area or perimeter of a rectangle.

Ms. Ortiz would like to commend all of 5th grade for being incredibly attentive and always following directions!

In science, students learned and described the layers of the Earth, explained how mountains were formed, what causes volcanoes and Earthquakes.
A virtual mini-lab was performed from students and Mrs. Belli during science class.

Middle School

Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade had a pretty busy week!
In ELA, we wrote our essay on conflict in Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. Students analyzed two different types of conflict in the novel and wrote a wonderful essay. Great job, everyone! We also started a new unit in vocabulary, and began our novel study of Christopher Paul Curtis’s novel, Bud, not Buddy.

Happy Friday everyone!
In social studies, the 6th grade began learning about the last of the river valley civilizations- ancient China! They learned about the geography of China. They also learned about Yu the Great and his heroic deeds. Finally, the 6th graders began learning about the Shang dynasty.
I’m looking forward to seeing the students in person and continuing this journey through the ancient world.
7th grade had a busy week as well!
In ELA, we discussed rhyme, alliteration, and repetition in both poetry and prose and how it can help with understanding the mood and meaning of fiction. Students wrote beautiful paragraphs practicing for the State Test!
We also started our next novel unit! Students are reading Jeanne Wakatsuki’s Farewell to Manzanar.
In Social Studies, we started our unit on Thomas Jefferson’s presidency and the lead-up to the War of 1812. We had a very productive class discussion on present-day mores vs. historic mores, and how our perspective can color our understanding of the past.

8th Graders had a good week!
In ELA, students reviewed different types of figurative language and their use in both poetry and prose to convey mood and theme. Students read poems, including a sonnet by Shakespeare, and wrote wonderful paragraphs discussing literary devices and mood.
We also started our next novel unit! We are reading S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. We began with a discussion of the era in which the novel was written.
In Social Studies, we learned about the causes of World War I. Through class discussion, short films, and both primary and secondary sources, students learned all about the atmosphere in Europe that led to the beginning of the war. Mrs. Hazen is particularly impressed with their hard work on our first quiz! Many students did a phenomenal job on it, especially Rachel, Taylor, Eliana, Yosi, and Orian!

Middle School Math

8th honors learned how to find the inverse of functions and execute different operations with two or more functions.

8th learned how to graph a linear equation in standard form and slope intercept form.

7th honors finished their module on experimental probability.

7th learned how to calculate the area of composite shapes.

6th finished the module on generating equivalent numerical expressions.

?Shoutouts:?

8H – Shai K. for being a very diligent worker especially while learning remotely.
8 – Rachel D. for always giving her best effort.
7H – Anna G. and Ariella S. for being very attentive while going over classwork and homework.
7 – Lana M. for showing me a different way to see a problem.
6 – Gabby F. for always logging in to my classes early.

Middle School Science

6th grade
Students learned the names and order of the layers of Earth’s atmosphere with a drawing activity. Students reviewed the different forms of energy transfer and identified the definition and diagram for each, then described or drew a real-world example of each.

SIHA Weekly for January 15, 2021

by admin | Jan 15, 2021 | Newsletter

Dvar Torah

D’var torah Parashas Va’eira
Parshas Vaeira begins “pay back time”. after Pharaoh enslaved the Jews for many years, he is now getting his punishment!
This will lead up to Y’tzias Mitzraim-the exodus of Egypt.
This is also the beginning of the birth of the Jewish nation.

We have a Mitzvah to mention Yetzias Mitzraim – the exodus from Egypt, daily!

Why is this so important that we are commanded to mention it daily?

Rabbi Tzadok Hakohen explains as follows;
The Jews at the time of Yetzias Mitzraim were on the 49th lowest level of Tumah- impurity [the lowest being the 50th level].
Nevertheless the Jews were redeemed!
Why? Answers Rav Tzadok Hakohen: it is never too late. We are never “too far gone”. We can ALWAYS do Tshuba, and Hashem will accept us.
This is such an extremely important message that we need to remind ourselves daily, hence the Mitzva to mention Yetzias Mitzraim- the exodus of Egypt, daily. He also mentions a fantastic idea. We know that Moshe Rabeinu went up to heaven and spent 40 days there with Hashem. Hashem told Moshe that there will be a man Rabbi Akiva who will be even greater than Moshe!
Rabbi Akiva reached the 50th highest level of K’dusha – Holiness . Moshe only reached the 49th level of holiness!
Why? How is this possible that Rabbi Akiva could attain a higher level of Holiness than Moshe Rabeinu?
Answers Rabbi Tzadok: because Rabbi Akiva was a Ba’al T’shuva a Chozer B’tshuva. Until he was 40 years old, he had not learned Torah, and actually DESPISED Torah scholars!
Says Rabbi Tzadok, only a Ba’al T”shuva can attain the highest level!
This, says Rabbi Tzadok, is why we MUST mention Y’tzias Mitzraim, daily. The message is so important. We can always return to Hashem and he will always accept us, as long as we do T’shuva .
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yaakov Kuritsky

Special Announcement

Dear SIHA Family,
Today was a monumental day for SIHA. Coincidentally, our new playground opening occurred simultaneously with Rosh Chodesh Shevat and great weather. Chodesh Shevat is all about seeing the potential in life. Shevat’s theme is the tree (aka tree of life, tree of knowledge, eitz chaim he – our Torah). The small bud of SIHA was really viewed as a beautiful vibrant tree today with all our classes filled with shining neshamot, smiling joyously, due to their new play hub. When this playground venture was proposed a few years ago, no one honestly fathomed its actual fruition. Only due to the dedication of three amazing parents the potential became a miraculous reality. Today we saw the fruits of that labor of what can happen when school partners with our devoted parents-true joy. This real volunteer effort took a tremendous amount of time but our exemplary parents; Norbert Shtaynberg, Yaniv Iunger, and Carmit Cohen were rewarded with the true experience of joy that emanates from seeing hard work paying off especially done voluntarily as chesed and especially for our children. Carmit specifically championed this effort with keen awareness of every detail to make sure today was a truly lasting memory. From balloons to snack gift bags and even outdoor play things given out prior to all students. Today was a nachat and kidush Hashem. My favorite part was Carmit’s reminding me of the shechiyanu bracha needed to be said. Words can never thank everyone enough; especially towards Hashem Who allowed us to get here to begin with. Actions, dedication, and Chesed initiatives, I believe, is how we can move ahead to truly show thanks and multiply the spiritual joy palpably felt today.
We entered into a new chapter today and I for one am excited to see what miracles Hashem has for us in store tomorrow, weeks, and months ahead.
Chodesh Tov SIHA!!

Dr. Chana Uzhansky

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Miss Esti wants to commend Natalie Fromchuk for doing a great job at her script alef bet work

SIHA Seniors!

EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

Programming News

Judaics

Second Grade
We had another busy week in 2nd grade. In this weeks Parsha V’airoh we studied the first 7 of the 10 plagues. The first letter in וארא is a Vav the second letter is an Aleph. In Hebrew every letter has a numerical value; Vav=6 Aleph=1. 6+1=7 There are 7 macot-plagues discussed in this weeks Parsha. We were learning all about Hacarat Hatoiv. Being grateful and appreciating what we have. The children wrote beautiful compositions which are proudly displayed on the bulletin board outside our room about what they are grateful for. Since Moshe (Moses) was saved by being put in a basket in the water which supported him when he was a baby,Hashem did not let Moshe bring the first plague of Dom-blood or the following 2 plagues, as Moshe would have to hit the sand. The earth covered the wicked Egyptian overseer whom Moshe killed. As both the earth and the river were kind to Moshe. Hashem did not want him to offend them by hitting them to bring a plague. The Torah teaches us to be grateful for every favor we receive. Hashem directed Moshe to be considerate to the water and soil, which have no feelings, in order for us to learn how we must be grateful to our parents, Hashem and our friends. We celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shevat on Thursday with Fruit Bites as a treat,as the 15th day of Shevat we celebrate Tubeshevat-new year for trees. ( this year it falls out on Jan.28 .during mid winter break) As a Shabbat treat on Friday the children all got gummy frogs.(the second plague) Shabbat Shalom!

Third Grade
Sorry for delay, if not too late here is a little synopsis of 3rd grade judaics this week:
This week had a few highlights starting with the learning of gematriot (Hebrew numerical value of each letter) and the very unique holiday of Tu Bish’vat, the birthday of the trees, in preparation to the new month of Shvat. The celebration of this New month was topped by a special Brachot party where each student ate one of each categories of food and said a bracha loud and clear. We learned the laws of Brachot, how and when to say it.
We also learnt the power of the word Amen. Using the gamatriah, we saw that amen had the same numerical value as 2 of Hashems names.
In Parshat Vaera we loved to see the story of the 10 plagues come to life with the beautiful felt board. We can wait to hear the end of the story next week.
Shabbat shalom
Mrs Ivry

Fourth Grade

Oh, what another wonderful week we had here in 4B! We bagan to discuss the various mourning days that come up on the Hebrew calender. By now we are already pretty familiar with the Chagim and when they all come up. We celebrated the first day of the new Hebrew month, the month of Shevat with a smashing
Brachot party. The goal of the party, other than ofcourse to celebrate the start of the month/ Rosh Chodesh was to practice saying our Brachot and Amens. Donuts and candy and the like definitely gave Brachot saying an exciting kick. The ten plagues that Hashem sent the evil Egyptians, which are discussed in this week’s and next week’s Parshah really came alive with the frog cupcakes and animal crackers that we munched on as we learnt about them. We learn a lesson on appreciation from Mosheh, who did not hit the Nile river in order to bring about the plagues. It was that river that saved him from death as a baby, when King Pharaoh had decreed that all baby boys must be drowned in the Nile. He let his brother Ahron do the job. If having appreciation to a river is a thing, how much more so to a live person with feelings. Special shout out to Elior Factor who found the Nile river on a map of Egypt in his secular studies history book! A moral concept that we’ve been reviewing is the concept of respecting everyone at all times regardless of whether or not we necessarily agree with their actions. Also,we had a guest speaker, Noga Sayag, one of our own beloved seventh grade students, come to speak to us on the topic of loving ourselves for who we are, as all that we are is Hashem’s brilliant will. Thank you, dear parents, thank you for sharing your precious treasures with me! Shabbat Shalom!
Morah Toba

5th and 6th Girls

Dear parents.
Mazel tov to us all for finishing Perez Aleph, the 1st perek (chapter) in Sefer (the book of) Shemot.
We are all really excitedly awaiting our Siyum on Monday!
We learned this week about the amazing everlasting reward of Shifra and Puah, the Jewish midwives, for fearing only Hashem and ignoring Pharaoh’s command to kill all the Jewish baby boys.
We also learned about Pharaoh’s decree to throw all baby boys into the Nile River because his stargazers told him that the Jewish savior was being born.
We had a great time at our Chumash review game. Congratulations Madi, Gabi Fishman, Eva and Mia on your team’s win! They won a +2 on their Chumash test.
We learned about the blessing/beracha of shehakol which we make on all food that doesn’t grow on the ground (meat, candy, drinks etc.)
We learned about how every single one of us was created perfectly, exactly the best way for us and our growth. There were no mistakes! We’ve got to appreciate that Hashem made us the way we are, which is perfect!
We learned about the Parsha, Parshat Vaeira, which talks about 7 of the 10 plagues which G-d inflicted on the Egyptians. (Blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, sickness to their animals which killed them, boils and hail)
Shabbat Shalom!
Have a great weekend.
Best regards,
Miss Dershowitz

7th and 8th Girls
How lucky were we that Rosh Chodesh, our Siyum and ofcourse Friday all fell out in the same week! Thank You , Thank you Ariella Shindelman and Rachel Dym for pulling off the most fun and informative Rosh Chodesh Shevat program. About the siyum, every teacher should have the joy of riding with her students in her car! We had an awesome time chilling at the Dairy Palace. Yes, yes most of them got ice cream even though due to covid 19 we had to sit outside mid- January. The girls earned this trip by putting their all into preparing for the Chumash test which they had taken the day before and did beautifully on. We are now continuing our Chumash journey in Parshat Shemot, we are up to the magnificent scene of Hashem appearing to Moshe for the first time in a burning thorn bush. Rashi explains that Hashem chose a thorn bush in particular because he felt the pain of His nation who we’re being enslaved and tortured, it was a sign of sympathy. We earned some candy bricks during our review of the translation of Al Hamichya, the after Brachah for food made of grain. We are “building” translation of prayer knowledge, one phrase at a time. Ofcourse, the week totally can’t be without the Shabbat party at the end. Thank you Hashem for another great week and thank you parents for sharing your diamonds with me. Shabbat Shalom!
Morah Toba

7th and 8th Boys
7th and 8th grade wonderful boys accomplishments

This week we started off with Parsha at the beginning of the week in order to really be able to have time to learn and review before Shabbat.
We had a fun time learning Gmara with Chavrusas [literally “friends”, referring to study partners]. Boys were challenged to think, remember and share information with their partner.
The boys accepted the challenge and enjoyed the feeling of success. We look forward to more of this type of learning in the coming weeks.
We are davening in SIHA’s shul and boys are getting better at being the Chazan. This is in addition to our daily Minyan for Mincha, prior to lunch.
We celebrated Rosh Chodesh with a party which was also a practice in reciting the correct Brachos. We all enjoyed it.
Thank you to our “program manager, miss Dershowitz and Miss Weitzner

Congratulations to Josh Dinar for winning our daily Mincha raffle for two days in a row!

Elementary School

Kindergarten
This week kindergarten took their first spelling, decoding, and comprehension test! They did amazing! They read a story about a Pig in a Wig and they sorted pictures to help them retell the story in sequential order. Then, they wrote all about what happened to the pig in a wig using the time order words first, next, and last. In math they learned how to find the missing parts of a number bond. They practiced adding by playing games such as shake, spill, add, a board game where they had to add 2 dice, dominoes, and games with pennies. They are so good at memorizing math facts that they learned two math facts higher than 10! In science they sorted the 3 states of matter. In social studies they learned about diversity and how our differences are important because they are what makes everyone special. They also began learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Kindergarten was so excited to play on the new playground and they had so much fun!

First Grade
This week our fabulous first graders have been engaged in many pursuits. They have completed the Reading Unit about characters and setting. Students wrote letters about a special day. However, the highlight of the week was studying measurements in Mathematics. The first graders really enjoyed measuring length and width of objects around the room using non-standard units. We used paper clips, hands, and even string. It was a fun time exploring.

Second Grade
This week, in math, the second graders finished their mini-unit on word problems. In ELA, the students worked on identifying problems and solutions in stories and using text evidence to predict what will happen next. In social studies, the students reviewed culture, different types of holidays, and reading a timeline. We also had some students present their wonderful “My Culture” projects. On Thursday, the students had a blast at the grand opening party for the new playground!

In science, students finished chapter 5 “Weather and other earth changes”.
Students learned about Erosion, Volcanoes and Earthquakes that shape the Earth’s surface.
Amazing projects about Erosion were drawn during the art class.

In science, students learned and explored how bird’s beaks are adapted to eating different kinds of food. Described adaptations that protect organisms in different ecosystems.
An art/science project was displayed about animals that camouflage.

Ms. Sasha

In Science, students started a new chapter that explains forces that shape Earth’s surface.
An experiment about Volcanoes was performed during the science lesson.

Fifth Grade
This week has been a busy week!
The 5th grade learned about contractions in grammar. They practiced identifying and writing contractions to better be able to use them.
In writing the class learned about comparing chronological text structure and problem-solution text structure and how the two structures help the author’s purpose in a passage.
They are also finishing their class novel! They will be writing an essay on Theme- I can’t wait to read what the class has to write!
The class has also begun their new Independent Reading Book. I’m looking forward to their end next IR project!
In math, the class started learning about perimeter and area. The class is also practicing using graph paper when drawing shapes in order to find their area. It was a challenge at first but I am happy to say that the 5th grade is making good progress!
In social studies the class took their end of unit test on South America. I think everyone did very well! They will be finishing the unit with a map project ver the Western Hemisphere. I am excited for the new unit!
Lastly, the entire 5th grade was very happy with the new playground! They enjoyed themselves thoroughly yesterday and were able to go back for a second round of play during recess. I’m sure they will get to enjoy the new playground to their heart’s content in the future.
This week I would like to commend Josh, Alec, and Sofia for making great progress with their IR projects!

In Science, Students learned about major Biomes. Described adaptations that allow organisms to survive in salt and freshwater environments, the importance of estuaries to both land and sea.
Ms. Tatic

Middle School

Middle School ELA

6th Grade had an amazing week! In Grammar, we reviewed for our upcoming grammar test. We went over parts of a sentence, and reviewed subject, predicate, and direct object. Students played a grammar review game, and everyone did amazing! In reading, we continued our novel study of Hatchet. In writing, we wrote a long response about author’s perspective.

7th grade had a busy week! We started our grammar review for our upcoming grammar test. In reading, we continued our novel study of Milkweed. We also reviewed steps to poetry analysis by discussing structure, language, mood and meaning of lyric poems. Students also wrote wonderful paragraphs about the poems they read.

8th grade had a good week! We wrapped up our vocabulary unit with a study of common word parts. In reading, we finished off The Giver and started writing our essay. Students are writing an argumentative essay about whether or not the setting of our novel is a dystopia or a utopia.

Middle School Math

6th grade reviewed how to graph points on a line using charts solved with rates. Pictured below is Eva plotting a point on the graph. Sixth grade also started learning about converting between decimals, fractions, and percents.

7th grade reviewed perimeter and learned how to apply algebra to solve the missing side.

7th honors started their unit on statistics. They learned about populations, samples, random sampling, biased questions, and how to determine if a sample is representative of the population.

8th grade started their unit on graphing linear equations. They learned how to make a table and graph the equation.

8th honors started their unit on graphing linear equations. They learned about x and y intercepts and how to determine the values from a graph and algebraically.

In 8th grade Math B, we learned about types of angles and how to find their angles. We studied complementary, supplementary, and adjacent angles before completing a “Build a Town” project where the students had to create angles made of roads and place town items (school, shul, houses, etc) in specific angles. They did great and worked together so nicely!

Middle School Science
6th Grade
Students learned about Earth’s water. Composition and characteristics of oceans and how energy is transferred through waves.

7th Grade
7th Grade – The 7th Graders are doing fantastic in Science class. This group of students is composed of fantastic leaders, listeners and students with a spectacular work ethic. They work excellent collaboratively and always look out for each other. I am very proud of them, KEEP IT UP 7th GRADE! Now, let me please give props to Yisroel Friedman, Yisorel has been doing fabulous and his progress academically and socially has been unprecedented. Yisroel has earned the title “My Guy” from me in Homeroom and in Science. He is always willing to help out and has earned the job of being my assistant, he is reliable, follows directions and does a spectacular job at getting the job done. WAY TO GO YISROEL!!! Shout Out to Ariella, as she has been diligently working at arriving to school in a timely manner and has been successful. Great Job, keep it up!!! Also, I want to say a special thank you Sarit for all of your hard work, I couldn’t do it without you. Please enjoy the work of our 7th Grade Scholars. Students have been learning about plant and animal cells in addition, they are learning about the functions of the cell and their microscopic organelles. As they dove right into their 3D cell project, students worked together to learn and build their cells.

7th grade started Unit 3 by learning about the international impacts of the American Revolution and also took the Unit 2 exam.

8th grade discussed the decade of the 1890s, including the Spanish-American War and began the leadup to the Great War.

SIHA weekly for January 8, 2021

by admin | Jan 8, 2021 | Newsletter

Dvar Torah

Dvar Torah Parshat Sh’mos

Parshas Sh’os speeds through our suffering in Egypt under a “new Pharaoh” [One Rabbi in the Gemara says he was actually a new Pharaoh, and one Rabbi in the Gemara says he was the same pharaoh who benefited from Yosef’s amazing business acumen but chose to pretend he was someone] who did not know Yosef.
Immediately after briefly describing the suffering the Torah begins to elaborate on our redemption.

After Yosef made the Egyptian empire the wealthiest in the world, they turned against Yosef’s people and family, enslaved them and tortured them. This is similar to the holocaust; after Jews gave so much to Germany and Europe, in the areas of Science, Math, and Medicine etc. the Nazis and other European countries turned against our Jewish relatives, tortured, enslaved and murdered them.

Our Rabbis, may their remembrance be for a blessing, tells us that the Egyptians were on the lowest level of impurity. Our forefathers were almost on the same level, after living with the Egyptians for so many years. They tell us that we were exiled on the merit of a few deeds.

1. we did not change our way of dressing [we did not follow their styles]
2. we did not change our language [we spoke in Hebrew]
3. we did not change our names [we used Jewish names]

Recently I was approached by a [PTA president[ parent,and was suggested that we call our students here in SIHA by their Jewish names. As we see that this is one of the merits that we Jews on no longer enslaved by the Egyptians, we realize that this is no small deed.

One of the reasons that were mentioned to call students by their Jewish names was, so that the students do not forget their Jewish name!

I actually have a brother in law, who was “Chozer Bitshuva” [became religious after growing up as a conservative Jew]. He became religious at the age of 18 years old. For 40 years , when he was called to the Torah he was called up as Mordecai Mendel ben [Hebrew for son (of)] Simcha Tzvi Hersh. Recently, his mom found his “Bar Mitzvah certificate” which stated that his father’s name was NOT Somcha Tzvi Hersh, but Simcha Arye! Forty years of not knowing his father’s correct Jewish name! Who knows how many years his father, may he stay well, did not know his own correct Jewish name?! I also recently, at the bidding of my father, may he live long and stay healthy, attended the funeral of my father’s cousin “Billy”. At the funeral,when they wanted to say a prayer for him, the deceased, no-one , not his wife , not his children or any of his relatives attending the funeral, knew what his correct Jewish name was!
This can be preempted by using our Jewish names!
We often feel that we have to hide our “Jewishness” from non Jews. we feel that if we do so they “won’t know”, or they will accept us better. Unfortunately, history has proven the polar opposite to be true.
When a friend of mine was engaged to be married, his father Mr Yisroel Lefkowtz o.b.m., a religious Jew who was very active in the Agudath Israel of America was in Washington D.C. advocating for Jews. He decided to visit the bride’s father who was a religious Jew who served the U.S. as an attorney for the federal government. The bride’s father’s name is Mr. Moshe Simon [also a Chozer Bitshuva (he grew up irreligious, but then became religious at the age of 19)]. Mr Lefkowitz assumed that any Jew who worked in such a position in the U.S. government would be quiet about his Jewishness and use an American name as a substitute for “Moshe” i.e. Morris or Martin etc. Mr Lefkowitz went to the Washington building and asked the receptionist “do you have a Martin Simon?” She responded “no”. He then asked “do you have a Morris Simon?”. She said “no! but i do have a Moshe”! He went to the attorney’s office, not only finding him using the name “Moshe”, but dressed as a religious Jew [looking almost Chasidic (Hasidic), complete with Yarmulke [Kepa] white shirt, long black coat and black hat! An attorney for the federal government in Washington D.C.

Let us be proud to be Jews and Jewish. This is the United States of America. We are given freedom of Religion. Let proudly “flaunt” our Jewish names. We will be able to remember our Jewish names and perhaps that will be a merit to bring the Moshiach, the Messiah and the final redemption that we are anticipating!
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Kuritsky
Judaic Studies Curriculum Coordinator

Special Announcement!

Winter break is upon us!
SIHA’s winter break starts on 1/21 and continues to 1/29.
That means that last day of classes before Winter Break is Wednesday, 1/20.
Classes resume on Monday, 2/1/2021

Please note!
The week of 2/1/2021 will be a remote learning week.
From Monday, 2/1/2021 to Friday, 2/5/2021 SIHA will be learning online.

Programming News

Dear parents.
We had an amazing week, Boruch Hashem!
The students worked on speaking positively and watching their mouths from talking negatively about others.
We gave out many many treats (sour lips for watching our lips?) for all the Shemirat Halashon cards filled out!
Congratulations Sophie Dym on winning the school-wide Shemirat Halashon raffle!
We’re so proud of her and every single student who works on controlling themselves from speaking bad about others.
We all tried to wear our adorable red bracelets that remind us not to speak Lashon Hara! There are very special raffles for those who wear them every day.
This is the link to the amazing 7th and 8th grade girls’ Shemirat Halashon video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejiBzqz01qQ

Shabbat Shalom!
Have a nice weekend.
Best,
Miss Dershowitz

Judaics

Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a great week this week! In Kindergarten Judaics we learnt the letters nun and enda nun! We had a great time using blue tape to make yuds,vavs and enda nuns on the floor. In first grade we have begun level green aleph champ workbook and have learnt the nekuda chirik! This week in honor of parshas shemos we made a fun project with 6 babies, because the Jewish ladies in Mitzrayim gave birth to six babies at once. Shabbat Shalom!

Second Grade
The week flew by as we spent time reviewing Sefer Breishit(Genesis) and beginning Sefer Shimot. The second of the 5 books of the Torah. Shimot means names. We are all proud of our Jewish names. After our forefather Yaakov and his children including Yosef (Joseph) all passed away the Jews were multiplying and King Pharaoh was afraid they might eventually take over the country. They therefore issued orders to first kill all Jewish male babies and then issued orders to throw all Jewish boy babies in the Nile River. In the meantime the Egyptians made the Jews work very hard as slaves in Egypt. This week the Torah portion discusses the birth of Moshe (Moses) who would eventually became the leader of the Jewish people and lead the Jews out of Egypt. We are working on perfecting our handwriting skills as well as learning the correct Brochos we make on various foods. Shabbat Shalom!

In Kriah we reached the last exception rule and are working nicely in groups. Our goal is now to read a page in under 30 seconds and we are almost there already!
In Ivrit/ Dikduk, we learnt the last 3 prefixes, Mastered our first daily Hebrew vocabulary words and introduced the next part of Dikduk: Zachar and Nekeva (Male and female in the Hebrew language)
The third graders davening is priceless and their eagerness to give Tzedaka giving daily is inspiring. They already filled up a box of Tzedaka around Chanukah time and the box is now already almost half full!
Shabbat Shalom
Mrs Ivry

5th and 6th grade girls

Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had an amazing week!
We continued on in Chumash Shemot learning about how the Jewish midwives refused to listen to Pharaoh and kill the Jewish babies. We learned many interesting explanations of the miracles that occurred to the Jewish people in Egypt. The Egyptians tried their hardest to break us and get rid of the Jewish people but they could not succeed! Hashem destroyed their plans and made us multiply more than ever!
The girls put on an amazing skit, acting out the miracles of Egypt.
The girls are doing a great job on their Chumash slides.
We learned about the blessing we make on fruits, borei peri Haetz. The girls all helped and we made a delicious fruit salad and said our berachot out loud.
Congratulations to Gabi Mekler and Eva Leivent on winning our Halacha raffle this week. Keep up the berachot!
We learned a lot about this week’s Parsha, Parshat Shemot. We all knew so much because we’re already learning it for Chumash.
We are all trying to learn from Moshe Rabbeinu who truly felt the pain of the Jewish people’s suffering, although he was living in Pharaoh’s palace and was not a slave.
Make sure your daughters tell you some stories from the Parsha – they are pros?
Have a great weekend!
Shabbat Shalom!
Best,
Miss Dershowitz

7th and 8th Boys
7th and 8th grade this week accomplished taking and doing well on their first Gemara test.
Congratulations!
We have been studying the laws of “your $” [property i.e. your animal] that damages. What is your responsibility, and liability in different scenarios.
We also learned about the Parsha in detail.
Boys are continuing to be the “Chazan”, and are doing a great job at it.

We had fun adding up all the boys’ present in the class’ names! In the Hebrew alphabet, letters have a numerical value. We all wrote each boy’s Jewish name. We then added up [some boys used a calculator… for accuracy, I presume] the numerical value. We accomplished studying “Yedios Klalios”, math and had fun at the same time.
We had an especially terrific day on Thursday, so Rabbi Kuritsky, responding to the class vote [we do live in a democratic country after all] ran to stop and shop and purchased chips, cookies and drinks for all to celebrate. Each boy said the appropriate Bracha on each treat.

Elementary School

Kindergarten
This week kindergarten was so excited to read their first story from a first grade reader. They learned all about the CK rule and can now read and spell many words that end with the letters CK. They took their first spelling pre-test and did amazing! The class also continued to write their personal narratives and they have been working on adding details to their writing. They did a directed drawing of the cat Sam from their story of the week and then they painted their drawing. They did a fabulous job following directions and they were all so proud of their paintings when they were done. In math they practiced measuring and weighing items to prepare for their test on nonstandard tools. The entire class did excellent on their math test! They practiced adding and subtracting and they learned how to find the missing whole number in a number bond. In science they learned all about gas as a state of matter. Then, they cut, glued, and sorted the three states of matter. In social studies they continued to learn about different cultures. They learned about the different types of houses people live in and they learned about Africa.

In art class we made sock snowmen to remind us of the winter season. I think they did a phenomenal job.

4B
This week in grammar 4B is learning about verbs. We are learning about subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, main verbs, helping verbs, linking verbs, and irregular verbs. Verbs, verbs, verbs!!!! In math we are mastering our fraction skills. We learned about mixed numbers and improper fractions. In social studies we are learning about the southern region of the United States.

Fifth Grade

This week went by quickly! Nevertheless, the 5th grade was quite busy!

In ELA the students learned about linking verbs and the tricky irregular verbs. They practiced finding meanings of unknown words in writing by using context clues. The 5th grade also presented their independent book projects. The book cubes turned out amazing!

In math, the class finished their review over multiplying and dividing factions. This will mark the end of our unit on fractions. Next week, the 5th class will begin learning about perimeter and area. 

In social studies the students finished their unit on the geography of South America. They will have a unit test next Thursday. They will also begin their end of unit project next week. I look forward to seeing how amazing their projects will turn out!

Middle School

Middle School ELA
6th grade had a great week! In grammar, students learned about subject complements. We practiced finding predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives in sentences. In writing, we learned about author’s perspective. We also continued our novel study of Hatchet!

7th grade had a busy week! In grammar, we reviewed combining sentences in several different ways to create better sentence variety. In writing, we had a State Test Prep assessment week. Students read nonfiction passages, answered multiple choice, short answer, and long answer questions. We also continued our novel study of Milkweed!

8th grade had a good week! In grammar, we started our unit review. In writing, we worked on paragraph structure, and wrote some beautiful long paragraphs. Mrs. Hazen is particularly impressed with Rachel’s writing! We discussed how text structure helps authors carry their ideas across. In reading, we finished reading The Giver!

Middle School Social Studies

6th grade learned about ancient Indian empires this week and engaged in an interactive activity regarding empire building.

7th grade played the Summer of ’87 game and stepped into the shoes of the Founding Fathers to try and solve issues revolving around the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

8th grade studied for and took its Unit 2 test and also began Unit 3 with a discussion of European colonialism and imperialism in the 19th century.

Middle School Math
6th learned about proportions and how to use algebra to solve them. They also learned how to complete tables using unit rates and how to graph that on a coordinate plane. There will be a test Tuesday on modules 6 and 7.

7th learned how to calculate area of a circle and how to solve for missing dimensions when given circumference. They also know how to calculate the area of a circle given circumference. There will be a test Tuesday on module 3, 4.1 and 4.2.

7th honors completed unit 3 on geometry. They learned how to calculate surface and volume and apply the formulas to composite figures. There will be a test Tuesday on unit 3.

8th learned how to solve inequalities and graph the solution set on a number line. They also learned how to solve word problems with inequalities. There will be a test on chapter 2 Tuesday.

8th grade Math B reviewed cross sections by creating the shakes with plain and cutting them with playing cards. The visual really helped see the cross section

8th honors learned how to solve inequalities, graph the solution set on a number line, and represent the solutions in interval notation. They also learned how to solve word problems with inequalities. There will be a test on chapter 2 Tuesday.

Please meet our class sorter goblin.

7th Graders are rocking and rolling. Students have learned how to use their critical thinking skills, math skills, listening skills and apply their knowledge to an at home experiment. Students learned how to create data tables, extrapolate their data and plug into graphs. Students are now discovering the world of cells. Students are investigating through microscopes and seeing what the world looks like from a microscopic view.

8th Grade is identifying how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are inter related. Students have identified the reactants and products of biochemical processes are necessary for the proper functioning of each process. In addition, students investigated the role fermentation plays in the making of bread. They were able to explain the function of bacteria and its significance in the process.

SIHA Weekly for January 1

by admin | Jan 1, 2021 | Newsletter

Dvar Torah

Parshas Vayeche is the last Parsha in Chumash [literally “fifth’ of the Torah] Braishis.
Yaavov Aveenu is approaching death. As an aside, Yaakov Aveenu is the first person to become sick and realize that his death was approaching. Until then, people would just die, when their time came. Yaakov Aveenu utilizes this “advance notice” very wisely. For one, he blesses each of his twelve sons. Each son is blessed uniquely, according to their natural talents. His focus and goal was that each son would use his unique talent to serve Hashem, for that is the reason that Hashem gives us talents.
Let us all realize our special talent(s), and use them for our ultimate goal in our journey through this world, which is to serve Hashem, our creator.

Rabbi Kuritsky
Judaic studies coordinator
Special Announcement

A great big SIHA congratulations to our amazing students of the month!

K – Emanuella Brooks
1 – Sophie Braun
2 – Michael Groys
3 – Zohar Zadok
4-A – Ariella Khaimov
4-B – Ethan Shenkman
5 – Sofia Sandler
6 – Etai Factor
6 – Eva Leivent (Judaic Studies)

Programming News

Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had a great week! This month’s theme in coimstruction is walls. Every student received a sticky hammer to help build the walls.
We are working this month on Shemirat Halashon – watching our tongue.
Shout out to the 7th and 8th grade girls for their awesome Shemirat Halashon movie!
Contest:
Every time we want to speak bad about another person but we control ourselves, we fill out a card. Every card will earn a treat and will enter a raffle for special prizes.
Please encourage speaking nicely about others at home and in school.
Looking forward to receiving our exciting Shemirat Halashon – watch your mouth! – bracelets this week!
Happy new year!

Judaics

Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a super duper week this week in Kindergarten and First Grade Judaics! Our kindergarteners are already up to learning the letters Mem and Enda Mem! We had so much fun reading the ziggawat story about Mem and the Mitzvah Contest. We did a great job cutting, sorting and pasting the mems and tets, even though they look similar we can tell the difference! In First Grade Judaics we began learning the nekuda cholam! We know that cholam can come in two different ways, a lollipop floating in the sky, or a lollipop on a stick! We are doing such a great job with our hebrew reading we are even up to reading four letter words! This week we continued in our unit about Hashem is watching over us always and learnt about saying Shema before we go to sleep. We made beautiful shema frames to hang in our rooms and began a shema before bed contest, we are so excited to do this mitzvah! Shabbat Shalom!

Mrs Ivry

Fourth Grade
Its been so nice, diving back into things. The students greeted me with a warm, enthusiastic welcome, as I excpected. By now we are so comfortable and familiar with the Hebrew letters and there various nekudot/ vowels. Did you know that every day a star soloist is selected to come sing the Aleph Bet on the ( neon colored, plastic) mike for us? We know that each Mitzvah comes with a set of laws, and we are excited about learning the laws of making Brachot on food. For example, the food must be unwrapped/unpeeled and ready to eat before the Brachah is said. There is a super enthusiastic and earnest feel in the room as we make our Brachot on our snacks before recess. We market Trader Joe’s Takis ,as they are kosher unlike the other Takis. They are a fad, and we make sure to enjoy it within the boundaries of our law. Parshah class has us spellbound as we hear the final words of wisdom and blessings that Yaakov Avinu gives his sons before he passes on. By the way, we know the names of Yaakov’s 12 sons, the Shevatim real well. Sometimes I wonder, how do we get through so much content in just two hours a day? And the answer dawns on me real fast- it’s because these students are sponges-ready and excited to absorb each lesson, to really hear, learn, and internalize. I am a lucky Morah! Thank you for sharing your treasures! Remember to reach out to me any time with any questions, concerns, thoughts or just to say hello!
Morah Toba

5th and 6th Girls
Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had a great week!
We learned about the backbreaking labor of the Jewish people in Egypt so that Pharoah could destroy them. But instead, they multiplied more than ever!
Then, Pharaoh commanded the Jewish midwives, Shifra and Yocheved, to kill all Jewish baby boys so that the Jewish people can’t reproduce. But they were scared of Hashem, the king of all kings, more than they were scared of the ruthless Egyptian king and they DID NOT LISTEN TO PHARAOH!!
We learned about the beracha of Ha’adama – which we make on vegetables/fruit that grow on the ground. Congratulations Sophie Dym on winning our Halacha raffle!
We had a great time making popcorn for Ha’adama!
We learned about the weekly parsha portion – Parshat Vayechi. Yaakov blessed all his sons, the 12 shevatim, before he passed away at age 147.
He made Yosef promise to bury him in Israel.
Our Middot lesson focused on trying to count our blessings and look out for the good in our lives instead of complaining. Sophie gave us great examples of times when she could’ve complained, but instead focused on the blessings in her life. We’re so proud of her!
The girls will try to focus on their blessings this week and move the Middot game piece to earn very exciting rewards!
Shout out to Ziva for coming to school last Friday! Keep it up!
Happy new year!
Have a great weekend.
Best,
Miss Dershowitz

5th and 6th Boys
This week our class gets a big Mazel Tov!
We finished the first Perek/Chapter of Mishnayot Sukkah!
Accordingly we had a big Siyum celebration, which only added to the excitement.
We also began learning Pirkai Avot/Ethics of the Fathers, which will certainly widen the boys horizons.
Looking forward to a great new week.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Levy

7th and 8th Girls
Ah, it was nice to be back with my group of favorite role models. Firstly, we enjoyed the Mazal Tov party that the girls put together for me 🙂 I also enjoyed their beautiful Mazal Tov cards and earnest wishes. We began our series on the 13 Ani Maamins, which are 13 principals of faith that we are supposed to make our business to believe. The first one is the belief that Hashem created everything. To illustrate just how much it is that he created, we played a little game. Two girls exchanged ideas and items that Hashem created, one after the other. The goal of the game was to keep coming up with things, with out repeating any and without stopping to think. Some of them were really good at it, and it was amazing to stop and think that it was Hashem who created everything. There is an amazing song by Rabbi Mordechai Dubin of these 13 beliefs that has been going around. We listen and even dance to it together sometimes. In translation of Tefiillah class, we began to explore the meanings of the Bracha Acharonas, blessings after food. We discussed how every law in Judiasm holds worlds of significance, and then began to explore the laws of making Brachot properly. We are becoming pros at understanding the way Rashi, our sage who’s explanations are written all over Chumash, thinks. And by now we have memorized tens of Shorashim, roots of Hebrew words. This week’s Parshah has us nodding along as we hear about the death of our forefather Yaakov, how he asked to be sick and week for a period of time before he parted so that he can use the time to repent before entering the next world, how he blessed and advised his children before going and how his son Yosef, a king, hung his crown oh his father’s coffin to show respect. We’re thankful for having had yet another really fun and growth oriented week together, once again. Thank you Hashem!
Morah Toba

7th and 8th Boys
This week we went further and deeper in the new Limud [topic], gmara. We always start a Gmara with a Mishna. As such, we actually began learning a Mishna, as an introduction to the Gmara which G-d willing we will reach in the near future.
We learned about this week’s Parsha, Parshas Vayeche.

Leam Bilik is the winner of the Grand Mincha Prize, an ipad.

We began davening in our shul for Shacharis and Mincha, daily. The boys take turns acting as Chazan. The boys are acting really mature about this new challenge. It is our hope that they will all become “pros” at davening and be able to daven in any shul in any place and keep up.

Elementary School

Kindergarten
This week kindergarten learned how to read and spell many words with the CH sound. They are doing amazing! They began writing their personal narratives and they are doing so well working independently. In math they continued to use non standard tools to measure and weigh everything they can find in the classroom! They played a lot of fun games to review for their test they will be having next week. They also continued to practice adding 2 to a number and subtracting 2 from a number using mental math. In science they loved doing an experiment to learn which solids sink and which solids float in a liquid. They made a mess but they had a lot of fun and made some interesting and accurate conclusions. In social studies they learned about the different roles of family members, how to be responsible, and how to stay safe. They also began learning about different cultures. They were really interested in learning about Japanese clothing, traditions, and language. They wanted to hear the numbers in Japanese from 1-10 over and over again!

First Grade
Our first graders began studying about geometric solids this week. They were interested to see the difference between plane shapes and solids. We shared reports about arctic animals like the arctic fox, the polar bear, and the penguin. Students seemed fascinated by their ability to camouflage in the snow! Finally, we explored the underground home of the vole – a tiny mammal that borrows out a home in the ground. We even designed some underground homes of our own.

4B
4B had an exciting week! Thursday was New Year’s Eve, so we had a fun day! We played board games, and had some extra gym time! But it wasn’t all fun and games. We also continued learning about fractions, specifically how to add and subtract fractions. Also, Ethan Shenkman was awarded student of the month! I chose Ethan because he has improved his behavior in class, and he also had the highest grade in the class on the Math test, scoring over 100!

Fifth Grade

Fifth grade had a busy week! In grammar, we learned about helping and linking verbs. In reading, we continued our novel study of Holes. Students also finished their Independent Reading Projects! Everyone did an awesome job! Please look forward to pictures of their presentations next week! In Math, we started our unit review over multiplying and dividing fractions. Next week, we are going to take our unit test. I have faith that the class will do amazing. In social studies, we are learning about the countries of South America and rounding off our unit there. I would like to wish everyone a very happy New Year! 

Middle School

Middle School ELA
6th grade had a great week! In grammar, students learned about direct object. We also reviewed subjects and predicates. Students had a vocabulary Unit Test, and everyone did amazing! In writing, we learned about different types of text structure. We also continued our novel study of Hatchet!

7th grade had a busy week! In grammar, we reviewed combining sentences in several different ways to create better sentence variety. Students also took a vocabulary unit test, and everyone did amazing!In writing, students learned about author’s position, and wrote beautiful paragraphs. We also continued our novel study of Milkweed!

8th grade had a good week! In grammar, we reviewed three types of verbal phrases. Students practiced recognizing them in sentences, as well as writing their own. In writing, students learned about different points of view and the author’s position. We discussed how text structure helps authors carry their ideas across. In ELA, students continued their novel study of The Giver!

Middle School Math

6th grade is learning about ratios and rates. We are using unit rates to solve word problems.

7th grade has been working on circumference and area of a circle. 7th honors finished work on circumference and area. They have been working on area of composite figures.

8th grade has been working with proportions, ratios and rates in algebra word problems. We started reviewing inequalities and working on expressing them in interval notation, graphically, and as a solution set.

Middle School Social Studies
6th grade learned about early Indian civilization, including the Indus River and the Indus Valley Civilization.

7th grade started preparing to play the Summer of ’87 Reacting to the Past game. Each student was given a role to play in the game, based on a Founding Father, and has been tasked with doing research on him to find out his opinions about various issues.

8th grade discussed the U. S. national debt crisis and the stimuli that were passed this year to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!