by admin | May 27, 2022 | Newsletter
Dvar Torah
Bechakoty
By Rabbi Dr. Richard Ehrlich
This week’s parsha contains the first of the two Tochachat [Chastisements] that are present in the Torah. G-d warns us about what will be if we do not keep the Torah. The curses enumerated are very graphic – and if one, after hearing of all the terrible tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people, now has doubts about Emunah [faith (in G-d)], all he has to do is read this chapter and he will realize that everything that has been warned of in these curses has, unfortunately, been fulfilled. Unbelievable description such as women having to eat their children in order to survive are things that have, unfortunately, occurred in our own lifetime.
But, before the Tochacha begins, there is a relatively small parsha of Bracha [blessing] – what will be if we keep the mitzvos. The Torah enumerates many wonderful things. We will have plenty, there will be peace in the land, we will be able to conquer our enemies, we will become populous and prosperous – all wonderful things.
And then G-d promises us that He will live with us: “And I will place my Mishkan in your midst..” [Vayikra 26:11] (This is a blessing, that, unfortunately, after 2000 years of not having a Beit HaMikdash, we cannot even contemplate; but it is a tremendous blessing to be able to feel G-d’s holiness in our midst.) However, that same pasuk which begins by speaking of G-d placing His Mishkan in our midst, ends with the words “…and I will not detest you” (v’lo sig-al nafshi eschem.)
The commentaries are bothered by this pasuk; it does not seem to make any sense. When G-d is telling us how much He loves us and He is promising us all the Brochot, is this the place to conclude with the sentiment, “I will not despise you?”
Imagine a fellow proposes to a girl. After going out on a number of dates, he is finally ready to “pop the big question.” He begins, “I am going to love you, I am going to cherish you, I am going to take care of you..” and then he concludes, “…and I am not going to be disgusted by you either.” Imagine… How far would that get him?
That, at first glance, would seem to be what this pasuk is saying. The words, “si-al nafshi” have connotations of being nauseating and despicable! What does the pasuk mean?
I saw a beautiful insight in the Shemen HaTov, a sefer written by Rabbi Bernard Weinberger (1935 – 2010). The Shemen HaTov explains that it is a wonderful thing when two people love each other. However, unfortunately, we know that when two people have loved each other and then they fall apart, there is no greater hatred than love spurned.
In general, people who divorce are, unfortunately, the best example of people who hate each other. People who loved each other and shared everything, but Heaven Forbid get divorced, are at war with each other. Too often, they get down in the gutter and try to destroy each other. Nothing is worse than former lovers who now hate each other.
This pasuk is saying that G-d is promising he will love and cherish and take care of the Jewish people. However, G-d prophesizes that He Knows that they will not be faithful and He will have to exile them and chase them out of Eretz Yisroel. The Sages and Medrashim use the analogy of a husband and wife who have to separate to explain G-d’s need to drive the Jewish people out of their land.
G-d informs us that when He splits with us – it will not be a bitter divorce. Even then, I will never come to hate you. I will never detest you. Even when I have to send you out and we need to – so to speak – divorce, I will always love you, and I will never detest you. This is truly a great blessing.
The Gemara in Sanhedrin [7a] gives a powerful description: “When our love was strong, we could have slept on the blade of a sword, but now that our love is not strong, there is no bed in the world that is big enough to hold us both.”
G-d however, says, that is not the way it will be when He finds it necessary to discipline the Jewish people. He will never detest us. We will always be special. This is a special Bracha. That is why it appears in the Brochot and not in the Curses. Clearly, Hashem still loves us or we would not be around 2,000 years after our exile, with millions of Jews living in our Holy Land of Israel.
Special Announcement
This week, our students participated in a science fair!
Congratulations to our K-4 Science Fair Winners!
Kindergarten – Ava Schwartzman!
First Grade
First Place – Ethan Mihelson
Second Place – Aaron Elkaiev
Second Grade –
First Place – Sophie Braun
Second Place – Joseph Cohen
Third Place – Jaiden Rebibo
Third Grade
First Place – Amos Amit and Abe Grego
Second Place – Ryan Yakobzon
Third Place – Mira Elkaiev
Fourth Grade
First Place – Ben Shindelman
Second Place – Leah Amos, Zohar Zadok, Alivia Clift, and Mayaan Malka
Third Place – Ethan Elkaiev, Jacob Khaimov, and Matthew Kipnis
Please stay tuned next week for the winners of the grades 5-8.
Judaics
Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a fabulous week in kindergarten and first grade Judaics!
In kriah, the first graders are getting really good at breaking up words into syllables. The kindergartners learned the letter taf this week. Only one more letter until we know them all!
The first graders are busy practicing for their upcoming siddur play! We can’t wait! The kindergarteners are also practicing for their graduation!
We are also learning lessons from our Rabbis about the proper way to treat each other. The kindergarten is making an album with the stories and lessons learned!
Can’t wait for another great week!
Morah Chavi
Second Grade
We had a wonderful week as we reviewed the entire Book of Vayikra. Sefer Vayikra is the 3rd of the 5 Books of the Torah. In the synagogue this Shabbat we complete the entire Book as we say together Chazak,Chazak V’nischazaik. (Be strong! Be strong! And May we be strengthened!) We are working very hard preparing for our great celebration of receiving our very own Chumashim this coming Thursday. We are so excited to receive our Chumashim and study Torah as our forefathers have done for generations. We are the next link of this beautiful golden chain. Looking forward to seeing all of you there G-d willing. Shabbat Shalom!
Fourth Grade
Dear Parents,
4th Grade
What a great week we had at School. Loads of learning. Loads of fun.
Many children got many points for the Davening contest. The Davening was truly inspiring to listen to.
In our Chumash class we started the week with our weekly Quiz. The students did wonderful on the Quiz. The topic was the Brit that Avram Avinu had.
We started a major review of what we accomplished this year. We started with the beginning of the Parsha of Lech Lecha. We reviewed that Hashem told Avram to leave his land and to go to the land that Hashem will show him. The students answered the questions well and remember very well what we learnt in class.
Yes, we continued our “Kriah Pro” contest. Many children are reading much better.
Let’s keep it up.
We started this week to have the great opportunity that in class everyone wears Tzitzit. The importance of Tzitzit is so important and the Torah says, it is to remind us of the Mitzvot. Let us all try to do as many Mitzvot as we can.
Congratulations to Sarina, Jacob, Ben, and Zohar on being the “Students of the week.”
Keep up the good work.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
5th and 6th Girls
Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had a wonderful and packed week!
Over the last few weeks, the girls have been doing many many many Mitzvot. They’ve been filling out Mitzvah cards, earning scratch-off cards with exciting prizes and placing their cards in that particular Mitzvah’s raffle envelope.
The raffle envelopes were full of the girls’ Mitzvah cards and we are so so proud of them!
On Tuesday, as each girl presented their Mitzvah project, we chose the raffle winner for that Mitzvah.
Congratulations to all the raffle winners!
The girls did a spectacular job on their Mitzvah presentations.
You should have lots of nachat!
We began to learn all about the holiday of Shavuot which starts Saturday evening June 4 (The 5th and 6th of Sivan.)
We learned about the Jews receiving the Torah on Shavuot and about how lucky we are that we got the Torah.
We learned all about how happy and kind the Torah makes people who keep it properly.
We’re in middle of learning all about Megillat Rut (Megillah of Ruth) which we read in Synagogue on the 2nd day of Shavuot.
We learned all about this week’s Parsha, Parshat Bechukotai and the many blessings that Hashem blesses those who keep the Torah with enthusiasm and joy.
Most of the girls did very well on the Parsha quiz we took after class.
Shabbat Shalom U’mevorach!
Enjoy your weekend.
Best regards,
Mrs. Perlstein
5th and 6th Boys
This week we are inching ever closer to completing the first Perek-chapter of Masechet Sukkah!
We learned about a suka that had no walls and no roof !!
It is a machloket whether it will or will not be kosher. The idea is; the walls can also be the roof and the roof can also be the walls!
Some boys were able to equate this idea of a slanted roof to a previous Mishna where there was a two post bed with a canopy over it forming a tent. Rabbi Oren Yitzchok Hecht, brought these ideas together. Just as in the case of the bed in the suka, where the bed was covered by a tent shaped canopy it did not have the law of a roof and therefore was not a separation between the person and the S’chach, so to here, the slanted roof[might] would not be considered a roof.
We learned about this week’s Parasha, Parshat Bechukotai. We are told that if we learn Torah energeticallythen HAshem will give rain in the proper time etc. and vica versa.
We also learned that the best reward is Hashem’s presence dwelling amongst us.
We also learned about the important Mitzvah of giving Maaser- 1/10 of our crops, and animals etc.
We learned many intricate laws and customs related and applicable to Shavuot.
We began a new section in Halacha-Hilchot Berachot.
We are anticipating the upcoming, uplifting visit to the Yeshiva of Staten Island and meeting with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Shlit”a, on Tuesday, arranged by Rabbi Berelowitz.
Thank you, Rabbi Berelowitz
Shabbat Shalom
7th and 8th Girls
This week we completed Chapter 6 in Hilchot Berachot!
We focused on Hilchos Mezonot that changes to Hamotzi when eaten in large amounts.
We also completed Parasha t B’haalot’cha in depth. We are looking forward to a siyum celebration this coming week, after Memorial day.
We learned alot about Hilchot and Minhagei customs of Shavuot, including “why do we eat dairy on Shavuot?” and “why do we decorate our Shuls and homes with plants, grasses and flowers on Shavuot?”
We also covered many details in this week’s Parasha, Parshat Bechukotai.
Batya Visits!
Girls were entertained and inspired by a visitor from Batya. Stay tuned for more excitement.
Taylor Dinar Inspires!!!
We, the girls and I-Rabbi Kuritsky were extremely inspired by Taylor Dinar, daughter of our devoted administrator, Mrs. Ilanit Dinar, who came to our class and spoke about one of the most important Mitzvot- keeping Shabbat!
Taylor described to us her journey to keeping Shabbat and all about what it means to her and how it has lifted her spiritually and as a person in general. The girls and especially myself, were inspired. Some girls even stated that they may keep Shabbat/more than they have until now.
Thank you, Taylor Dinar!
7th and 8th Boys
What an accomplishing week we had in class.
We start off our class with the boys putting on their Tefillin and Davening. The beautiful sight of the boys Davening is something to be very proud of.
In our Pirkei Avot lessons we spoke about that the Mishna says Hillel said, the more property the more worry. We have to realize how special it is to live a simple and happy life. We spoke about the importance to know the purpose of life. Th Mishna says “Lekach Notzarta” for this reason you were created. To learn Torah.
In Halacha class we learnt about how to put away the Tefillin. We also learnt what do you do if the Minyan is starting, and you can’t get your Tefillin.
We started this week to have the great opportunity that in class everyone wears Tzitzit. The importance of Tzitzit is so important and the Torah says it is to remind us of the Mitzvot. Let us all try to do as many Mitvot as we can.
Congratulations to Doron Etai, Oren, and Asher on being the “Students of the week.”
Keep up the good work.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B
Elementary School
Kindergarten
This week kindergarten continued to learn about nonfiction books. They listened to many read alouds of non-fiction books and practiced identifying the text features. They read a nonfiction book about sharks and learned how to fill in a graphic organizer of all the different facts they learned from the book. Then, they used their graphic organizer to independently write a paragraph all about sharks. They were super excited to pick a nonfiction book about animals to read and write about. They also learned to read and spell long E vowel words. In math they took their math test on counting and identifying money. They got a 95 or above on the test. I am so proud of them! They began learning how to read an analog clock. They can now identify time to the hour. In science they presented their science fair projects. They all did an AMAZING job teaching the class about their experiment and how to stay healthy. In social studies they learned about supply and demand. Then, they watched a cartoon to review everything they have learned so far about wants, needs, saving, spending, goods, services, producers, suppy, and demand,
Second Grade
This week in math, 2nd grade finished up our unit on fractions, and started learning how to tell time. In ELA, we are learning about parts of a short story, and we began writing our own short stories! We also had the science symposium this week! 2nd grade’s projects were beautiful, and the students did a great job presenting their projects to their peers, and answering questions about their experiments.
Third Grade
This week in ELA we completed our James and the Giant Peach novel. We ended it with some fun and did a bit role playing and musical theater. Students also began a final writing piece in response to the text by telling their favorite part of the story from the perspective of another character besides the main character James.
In math, we also completed our unit on pounds and ounces. Students mastered converting pounds into ounces by using mental math strategies. They tackled tough real world problems and did fantastic on the quiz of adding and subtracting pounds and ounces.
Fourth Grade
This week in math we completed unit on bar graphs and line plots. Continued to solve multi step word problems.
In ELA we completed writing activities and identified adverbs. Worked on reading comprehension and answering long response questions.
We are continuing to memorize states and capitals and take weekly quizzes.
Fifth Grade
Greetings and Salutations!
This week, the students continued their vocabulary and root word study. In grammar, we learned about superlative and comparative adjectives, as well as proper adjectives. We finished our novels and wrote reflections on the novels we read.
In math, 5th grade is learning about quadrilaterals and angles.
Middle School
Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade
In ELA, we finished our persuasive writing unit. We also practiced being critical readers and evaluating arguments. Students continued their novel study of the Outsiders.
In social studies, this week, the 6th grade learned about the Roman Empire and the Five Good Emperors. We also learned how the Five Good Emperors helped the Roman Empire thrive. This week I would like to commend Charles for taking point in class discussions.
7th Grade
In ELA, the 7th graders continued their novel unit on The Giver. Students are doing an amazing job in class discussion, and are ready to finish the novel next week. Students practiced writing wonderful paragraphs, and learned about writing structure in class.
In Social Studies, students started our unit of the Civil War.
8th Grade
Eighth graders continued their novel study of the Book Thief. We discussed character motivation and story structure. In Social Studies, students started our unit on Imperialism.
Middle School Math
6th grade is learning about circumference and area of a circle.
7th grade is learning about systems of linear equations.
8th grade is learning about linear regression and finding the line of best fit.
Middle School Science
6th
Students started a new Unit: Energy and Motion.
Students described balanced and unbalanced forces; define acceleration; calculate net force; explained how the forces of friction, magnetism, and gravity act in our daily lives.
7th Grade Science
Students are investigating how our body systems work together to maintain homeostasis. They are currently taking a journey through the digestive system and discovering how nutrition and circulation play an important role in supplying our body with the nutrients it provides and how it actually gets through our bodies.
8th Grade Science
Students are preparing for the Living Environment Regent by taking practice exams and working through various aspects of this regent. In addition, students are investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, how biotic and abiotic factors affect those ecosystems and the importance of interdependence within each system.
Jewish History
7th grade learned about the sin of the spies and its result. We explored the concept of mob mentality and how hard it is to separate yourself from a group. We learned how a college professor successfully convinced 400 students that 2+2=5. Everyone followed along until 3 students together opposed him. One alone did not work. Even two was a challenge. Three people together were powerful enough to go against 400 other people and stand up for what they believed in. We discussed the importance of associating with good people and asking advice from the right people.
8th grade began discussing the great personalities of the 1400s and how they shaped our lives today. We also discussed the different methods of learning history and how history is defined by the people who lived through it. We also spoke about how I researched at least 5 primary sources for each person I discussed and why I chose to do so.
by admin | May 20, 2022 | Newsletter
Dvar Torah
Parshat Behar
By Rabbi Dr. Richard Ehrlich
The Torah portion of Behar introduces us to the laws of Shemittah, which this year is presently. For six years we are to work the land but on the seventh year, the Shemittah year, we are enjoined from working the land.
“And if you shall say, what will we eat in the seventh year, for we have not planted or gathered in our grain [due to the restrictions of Shemittah, I will appoint my blessing to you in the sixth year, and it will yield enough rain for the three year period [the year before the Shemittah, the Shemittah year, and the following year, until you can plant and reap the harvest]”[Vayikra 25:20-21).
Ovadya Sforno (1470-1550), writes that the nature of Hashem’s miracle varied according to the quality of bitachon (faith in Hashem) shown by the Jewish people. If their bitachon was great, the miracle was that a year’s quantity sufficed for three years. If not, they received three years quantity of grain in the sixth year. The first was a hidden miracle; the second obvious to everyone.
Why, we might wonder, did the lower level of bitachon evoke the more obvious miracle, i.e., the threefold quantity of grain?
The traditional sources explain that Hashem avoids doing open miracles. Such miracles seem to imply that the natural order Hashem created, and which He described as “very good,” is not complete and needs adjustment from time to time.
In reality, there is no difference between nature and miracles. Both are expressions of the Divine will. The Splitting of the Sea, our Rabbis/Chazal say, was already decreed from the creation of the world. It and other miracles are merely natural events which occur infrequently; nature is miraculous events which occur regularly.
From our vantage point, however, miracles appear as exceptions to the natural order. As such, they can diminish God’s honor in our eyes by implying an imperfection in His creation. Therefore, we do not pray for miracles or derive benefit from the products produced by miracles.
The hidden miracle of being satiated with smaller portions, so that one year’s yield would last for three years, however, did not serve the needs of those whose faith was weak. Seeing a normal yield in the sixth year, such a person would grow worried that his crops were insufficient for the coming years. He needed to see the grain for three years in front of him to feel secure.
And now for the amazing point: Hashem responded to that need to see the grain in front of him, and provided a threefold quantity of grain, even though the need to do so was engendered by a lack of faith and trust in Hashem. How astounding is Hashem’s kindness.
Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) once asked the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) what the Talmud means when it says that one of the attributes of Hashem is the fact that “He is somayach bechelko,” content with His portion. By definition, Hashem is complete unto Himself and needs nothing. The Gaon explained that the Jewish people are referred to as Hashem’s portion. Although he would like us to be on a higher level, nevertheless, He is content with us at whatever level He finds us.
We are enjoined to imitate G-d in all his ways, and the manner in which He relates to us contains many valuable lessons in how we should relate to one another. Many times our friends, spouses, or children are not on the level we would like them to be. We must learn from our Creator that despite our hopes for their growth, we must accept the reality of the present situation and deal with them at their present level. With ourselves, too we must not confuse our aspiration for higher levels with our present level. We must accommodate our present level and that of others, while always striving for greater and greater perfection.
Special Announcement
Mazal Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Ferber upon the birth of their baby boy!
May he grow from strength to strength and be a source of true yiddishe nachat.
Congratulations to the Green Team, our Color War Winners!
This week, SIHA hosted a special day to celebrate Lag B’Omer! Students participated in a school-wide Color War, and were divided into the Green and Blue Teams. The captains for the Blue Team were Anna Gershkovich and Doron Glickman. Blue Team General was Oren Dery. Captains for the Green Team were Noga Sayag and Noah Garber, while the Green Team general was Noam Tisona. Both teams competed in a series of challenges.
Both teams were impressively organized by their leadership!
Mrs. Hazen would like to call out the Blue Team Members, especially Elior Factor and Ariella Shindelman for showing kindness and great sportsmanship while cheering younger students on no matter what team they were on!
A special mention goes to the Green Team Cheer, which included a song and a dance that all students from grades K-8 participated in!
Finally, a big thank you to Ms. Klahr and Alex Ortiz for their time and energy in organizing and making our Color War happen despite the rain!
Judaics
Second Grade
We had a wonderful week in 2nd grade as we are are practicing our Kriya skills daily. Many of the students are now able to distinguish between a Shva Noch (quiet Shva) and Shva noh (loud Shva). We are learning the meaning of our daily morning Brochot. We are up to the brocha of “Ozer Yisroel b’gevura.” We have been discussing gevura all year. The children know gevura means having inner strength to make the right choices. Chava(Sophie), Aaron Schwartzman and other students told the class of personal experiences they were in, and rose to the challenge using their gevura muscles. Shabbat Shalom. Morah Spiegel
Fourth Grade
What a beautiful week it was in our amazing class. Each day was very exciting.
The Davening, the learning, the friendships, and the color war. It was an action-packed week.
We started our week with a quiz on what we learnt last week in Chumash. The students knew it very well. In our lessons of the week, we learnt about that Hashem told Avraham to have a Bris Mila. It was very interesting that Avraham who was an old man, Hashem made a miracle that he should have a child. We have to realize all the miracles that Hashem does for us each and every day.
In Halacha we learnt about Lag Ba’aomer. We learned that the Students of Rabbi Akiva did not get along with each other and were killed. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen, and we have to get along very well with our friends.
Color war was loads of fun. The cheering, the races, etc. it was amazing how nicely the teams performed.
Students of the week are Sarina, Ariella, and Alivia.
Let us all enjoy a beautiful Shabbat.
Keep up the good work.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
5th and 6th boys
This week, we began another new Mishna. We learned about a Suka that has 4 walls and Kosher S’chach, but the S’chach is in the center of the room and does not reach the walls. We learned that the suka will be kosher as long as there is less than 4 Amot [less than approximately 7 feet] – cubits from the S’chach to the walls.
This is based on the idea that the “wall is bent” = “Dofen Akuma”, and therefore does reach the kosher S’chach. The same would be true in other similar cases.
In Parasha, we covered many ideas;
Every 7 years is Shmita , just as every 7 days is Shabbat.
On Shabbat we do not work, so too for the entire year of Shmita, we do not work the fields in Eretz Yisrael aka Israel. This year 5782 is Shmita , in Israel, many many farmers are respecting the Torah and keeping the laws of Shmita. Jews around the globe are making it easier for them to keep Shmita by raising money for them as they may not sell/profit from this year’s crops.
We also learned that every 50 years is Yovel the Jubilee year.In our times we are not able to celebrate the Yovel.
We learned about not jipping people monetarily, and about not hurting people’s feelings. We also covered that everything that we have is from Hashem.
We are to use His gifts for what He wants us to use them for,i.e. $ for Tzedakah charity.
WAR breaks out in SIHA… color war.
Blue team versus Green team.
We enjoyed some real school spirit!.
Thank you to Miss Esther Klahr and all of our beloved generals for running such a fun program.
Refua Shleima to Gavriel ben Bilha, and Yonah Dovid.
Shabbat Shalom
7th and 8th Girls
In Parasha, we covered many ideas;
Every 7 years is Shmita , just as every 7 days is Shabbat.
On Shabbat we do not work, so too for the entire year of Shmita, we do not work the fields in Eretz Yisrael aka Israel. This year 5782 is Shmita , in Israel, many many farmers are respecting the Torah and keeping the laws of Shmita. Jews around the globe are making it easier for them to keep Shmita by raising money for them as they may not sell/profit from this year’s crops.
We also learned that every 50 years is Yovel the Jubilee year.In our times we are not able to celebrate the Yovel.
We learned about not jipping people monetarily, and about not hurting people’s feelings. We also covered that everything that we have is from Hashem.
We are to use His gifts for what He wants us to use them for,i.e. $ for Tzedakah charity.
WAR breaks out in SIHA… color war.
Blue team versus Green team.
We enjoyed some real school spirit!.
Thank you to Miss Esther Klahr and all of our beloved generals for running such a fun program.
In Halacha we really moved full speed ahead.
We covered a lot of pertinent and practical Halachot. If we change our locations this usually will require another Bracha, We also learned that if we eat a lot of Mezonot baked food, this will be treated as bread i.e. [this will not apply to cooked foods i.e. noodles.] and we would be required to wash, as we would prior to eating bread, say Hamotzi, and Birkat Hamazon.
We finished Parashat B’haalot’cha! We have been studying this Parasha, in depth, in addition to the weekly Parasha.
We look forward to celebrating this milestone!
Shabbat Shalom
7th and 8th Boys
What an accomplishing week we had in class.
We started off with the beautiful Davening. The boys put on their TefiIlin.
We learned our Pirkei Avot lessons. One of the important lessons that we learnt was that if there is no leader, you should be a leader. Everyone has the chance to be a leader and do good things.
In halacha we learnt very interesting Halachot regarding the Tefillin we are very privileged to wear. We learnt about how long the Straps of the Tefillin should be.
We watched a great video about Tefilla. Tefilla is something that we always need to work on to improve.
In Parsha class we learnt about Shimttah. It is amazing to have the beautiful Mitzvah to care about the fields that hashem gives us.
Noah, Noam, Doron, and Deri were great heads of color war. Color war was loads of fun.
Students of the week are Asher, Oren, and David.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
Elementary School
Kindergarten
This week kindergarten learned how to read and spell words with the vowel teams AY and AI. They learned all about nonfiction books. They learned about text features, read nonfiction books, and they began writing a nonfiction book about bears. In math they continued to review how to identify and count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. They also worked on adding and subtracting within 20 using different strategies to increase their speed. In science they did a fun experiment to learn about the parts of a seed. They were very excited to find a little baby inside their seed. They hung their seeds in a bag on our class window to see if they will grow. In social studies they reviewed needs and wants. They learned about saving and spending and the differences between goods and producers.
Second Grade
What an exciting week for 2nd grade! In academics, we finished up our KWL essays and our fractions unit. We also played a really fun game during math class! We opened up a 2nd grade store, where you can buy various items, like pencils and markers. Sophie Braun and Brianna Sanders were the cashiers. They had to assess their inventory and see how much money they started with. Then, each student was able to purchase things (I know the money looks real in the pictures, but it is play money, courtesy of Zachary Kipnis). In the end, Brianna and Sophie had to add up their remaining inventory and their money, and make sure their books were balanced. They did a great job, their books were balanced in the end, meaning they gave everyone the right amount of change! In other news, COLOR WAR!!!! On Thursday we had color war! 2nd grade was on the green team. In one of the the pictures below, you can see Brianna Sanders celebrating with the green team after she won the relay race! The green team won in the end! The blue team showed excellent sportsmanship, and made the contest really close! Great job everyone!
In science, students discussed specific energy types and practical energy sources. Associated hands-on activities help them identify energy types in their surroundings and enhance their understanding of the concept of energy.
Third Grade
In grade 3 math this week we used scales to weigh a variety of classroom objects. We compared different units of measure like pounds and ounces and grams and kilograms. We solved tricky multi-step word problems involving pounds and ounces by using real world connections to the problems. As a class we created a conversion chart to quickly convert pounds into ounces.
In ELA, grade 3 used RACE writing strategy to develop well structured writing pieces. We critiqued our responses by peer editing and provided each other with constructive feedback to make our writing better. We continued our shared reading of James and the Giant Peach and used quotes from the text to create illustrations rich with details and imagery.
Our Color War was a hit! Grade 3 Green Team demonstrated their school spirit by making posters to support our team. We discussed what it means to have good sportsmanship. We gave examples of how to win well and how to lose well.
In science, students reviewed chapter concepts about Cycles on Earth. Students enjoyed being a “Meteorologist” and announcing the weather prediction.
Fourth Grade
This week in math students completed unit on funding area and perimeter, worked on multiple step word problems, reviewed multiplying by two digit numbers and long division.
In ELA students worked on story writing and presented them to class.
We are continuing to read and enjoy our class chapter book, The Tales of Despereaux.
In Social Studies we read about locations of Pacific states and kids are memorizing names of States and capitals.
In science, 4th graders were so excited to learn about “Electricity”. Students learned and observed electric charges in matter; identify positive and negative charges. I can not wait for their amazing science fair projects!!
Fifth Grade
Greetings and Salutations!
This week has been busy for the 5th grade.
They continued their vocabulary and root word study. They also learned about adjectives- articles and demonstrative adjectives to be precise.
The 5th graders practiced analyzing the poem of the week. I am happy to say that this week the students found the poem quite entertaining. Lastly, they continued their novel study.
This week I would likr to send a big kudos to Izzy for his amazing sportsmanship and caring during color war.
In math, 5th grade finished learning about average, line plots, and graphs.
In science, 5th graders finished the last chapter of “Building Blocks of Matter”. They enjoyed and learned a lot about different chemical formulas, and tried to figure out different kinds of solutions using indicator strips. Way to go 5th graders!!!
Middle School
Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade
In ELA, we continued our persuasive writing unit. Students researched, created an outline and wrote drafts. They also continued their novel study of the Outsiders.
Greetings and Salutations!
This week in 6th grade we learned about the decline of the Roman Republic. The 6th graders also learned about the formation of the Roman Empire and Caesar’s role in it.
This week I would like to commend Ruti for taking point in class discussions.
7th Grade
In ELA, the 7th graders continued their novel unit on The Giver. Students are doing an amazing job in class discussion, and are ready to finish the novel next week. Students practiced writing wonderful paragraphs, and learned about writing structure in class.
In Social Studies, students learned all about the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
8th Grade
Eighth graders continued their novel study of the Book Thief. We discussed character motivation and story structure. In Social Studies, students wrapped up their lesson on the French Revolution and started learning about the Napoleonic Wars.
Middle School Math
6th grade learned about the area of polygons.
7th grade learned how to solve systems of equations with elimination, substitution, and graphing
8th grade learned about arithmetic and geometric sequences.
Middle School Science
6th
Students started a new Unit: Energy and Motion.
Students described balanced and unbalanced forces; define acceleration; calculate net force; explained how the forces of friction, magnetism, and gravity act in our daily lives.
7th Grade Science
Students are investigating how our body systems work together to maintain homeostasis. They are currently taking a journey through the digestive system and discovering how nutrition and circulation play an important role in supplying our body with the nutrients it provides and how it actually gets through our bodies.
8th Grade Science
Students are preparing for the Living Environment Regent by taking practice exams and working through various aspects of this regent. In addition, students are investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, how biotic and abiotic factors affect those ecosystems and the importance of interdependence within each system.
Jewish History
7th grade had a very eventful week. The class did beautifully on their quiz and is really demonstrating their knowledge of what we are learning. We focused on the Mishkan, how it was central to Jewish life in the desert and what it meant to the Jewish nation. We also learned how the Jews camped in the desert.
8th grade learned about the times of the Rishonim and the different customs of different groups of Jews.
by admin | May 13, 2022 | Newsletter
Dvar Torah
How to achieve holiness
In last week’s Sedrah, Kidoshim, the Torah enjoins us to be holy because G-d is holy. Again, in this week’s Sedra of Emor, the Torah discusses the need for holiness by the Kohanim. Although we all wish to attain holiness, the Torah does not present us with a definition of this nebulous commandment nor a formula with which to attain it. Practically speaking, how does one become holy in our day and age? We can gain an insight into what is required of us by reading the next few verses in Kidoshim which discuss issues requiring moral rectitude and honesty in financial dealings.
We can gain a further understanding into this issue by studying a Gemara in Tractate Pesachim (104A). The Gemara refers to Rabbi Menachem bar Simai as “a son of holy people” and then questions why he was so described. It answers, “because he was unable to look upon the form of a coin” – meaning that he had total disdain for money and wealth. In other words, Rabbi Menachem’s parents attained kidusha – holiness because they adhered to what was formulated and discussed in the last week’s Parsha, “you shall not hold back wages” etc. Specifically, in your relations with others concerning finances and day-to-day dealings you must be above reproach. This is how a Jew achieves kidusha.
Although this answers the question how “holiness” is attained, it does not answer the question why Rabbi Menachem is referred to as “the son of holy people.” Was he himself not holy?
Tesafos addresses this question and their answer teaches us a very important lesson concerning the education of our children. They explained that, certainly, Rabbi Menachem was holy but that this holiness was attained and achieved through his parents. The parents of Rabbi Menachem were successful in transmitting holiness to their son, the Gemara says, only because they were scrupulously honest in their own financial dealings.
We all subscribe to the notion that education is a partnership between the school and the home, the teachers and the parents. If parents and teachers show by their actions how to achieve holiness, how to interact with honesty, then they can hope to inculcate these ideals into their students and children. Hypocrisy is easily detected and double standards are always seen as unfair. No doubt the parents of Rabbi Menachem knew this and acted accordingly. In this way they merited to raise a son who soared even higher than they and achieved the ideal of holiness. Such is the power of proper “chinuch”/education and the example that parents and role models can set. From this story, we should learn to strive to achieve the “holiness” that the Torah demands of us and which will enhance our lives.
By Rabbi R. Ehrlich
Special Announcement
Dear SIHA family,
We would like to wish Rabbi Kuritsky and family a hearty Mazal Tov on the engagement of his daughter, Zeesy to Naftoli Tzvi Friedman.
May we continue to share in good news.
SIHA administration
Judaics
Second Grade
We had a wonderful week in 2nd grade as we are are practicing our Kriya skills daily. Many of the students are now able to distinguish between a Shva Noch (quiet Shva) and Shva noh (loud Shva). We are learning the meaning of our daily morning Brochot. We are up to the brocha of “Ozer Yisroel b’gevura.” We have been discussing gevura all year. The children know gevura means having inner strength to make the right choices. Chava(Sophie), Aaron Schwartzman and other students told the class of personal experiences they were in, and rose to the challenge using their gevura muscles. Shabbat Shalom. Morah Spiegel
Third Grade
The exciting day in our lives finally happened as Third grade received their Chumash this Tuesday. Every single one of them shined as they performed beautifully and held their Chumash proudly.
Mazel Tov! We hope you will continue to make Hashem proud!
In class we tasted the sweetness of Torah and “injected” in us the love and excitement for Torah that all Jews share. We feel proud and fortunate to be able to learn every day! That’s what keeps our world standing.
We are also trying to say Shema not only in school when we Daven, but also once before we go to sleep. We thank Hashem for giving us a wonderful day.
We are still counting every day the “Omer” the 49 days until Shavuot. We learned what is different about these days. We should all try to be extra nice to our friends.
Shabbat Shalom!
Morah Ferber
Fourth Grade
Dear Parents,
What a great week we had. It was very enjoyable.
We started our day with our beautiful Davening. The children really try hard to Daven nicely.
Following Davening we had our Kriah practice. As the days go by, the children are getting better and better. They are excited to read and say the Pesukim.
We count the days of Sefirah, as we are very excited about Lag Baomer and Shevuot which are approaching. We calculated how many days until we get the most precious gift, the Torah.
In Chumash we spoke about the story that the name of Avrum was changed to Avraham. Hashem told Avraham, you will be a father of nations.
By recess the children played very nicely. We are very proud of all that we accomplished.
Ben Shindleman was the Weekly major winner for the “Kriah Pro.”
Ariella, Sarina, and Lea were they weekly winners. Congratulations.
Keep up the good work.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
5th and 6th Boys
Wow, what a week!
In Mishna, we covered the laws of a suka that its walls did not reach all the way to the S’chach/the walls were suspended from the S’chach, but did not reach the floor. We learned that there was a Machloket=a disagreement between two Ta’na’im as to the Halacha and the requirements to make the Suka kosher. We also covered the case of where the S’chach didn’t reach the wall(s) in a 3 wall Suka.
In Parasha, we covered the laws of kohanim, in regards to which people they may/may not become Tamei [impure] to.
We learned that a Kohein may not marry certain women, i.e. a divorced woman. if the Kohein [and the woman] transgressed this law in the Torah [which is applicable in our times as well] the children of that marriage-union, are forever blemished.
We learned that an animal [mother animal] and its child may never be slaughtered on the same day. We learned that Hashem wants us to live and do even more Mitzvot. If G-d forbid we are forced to choose between our lives or to transgress a Torah law, we are supposed to transgress rather than give up our life. There are 2 exceptions; If this “test” is in front of ten Jews, this would apply to any sin,or if the sin would be to serve idols or to live with a forbidden relationship. We reviewed and were tested on the laws of Sfirat Haomer.
7th and 8th Girls
In Parasha, we covered the laws of kohanim, in regards to which people they may/may not become Tamei [impure] to.
We learned that a Kohein may not marry certain women, i.e. a divorced woman. if the Kohein [and the woman] transgressed this law in the Torah [which is applicable in our times as well] the children of that marriage-union, are forever blemished.
We learned that an animal [mother animal] and its child may never be slaughtered on the same day. We learned that Hashem wants us to live and do even more Mitzvot. If G-d forbid we are forced to choose between our lives or to transgress a Torah law, we are supposed to transgress rather than give up our life. There are 2 exceptions; If this “test” is in front of ten Jews, this would apply to any sin,or if the sin would be to serve idols or to live with a forbidden relationship.
We reviewed and were tested on the laws of Sfirat Haomer. We also reviewed the laws of Brachot. We learned that when we say a Bracha on food, we should hold the food in our right hand,except for bread which should be held in both hands with all ten fingers. We are not to talk or even make any noises or pauses after we recited a Bracha, until we swallow our food. We learned many more intricate Halachot. Ask your wonderful daughter to share with you.
We moved on in Yehoshua and the Jewish people conquering of Eretz Yisrael.
Happy birthday to Noga Sayag!
Happy birthday to Ella shalem
7th and 8th Boys
What an accomplishing week we had in class.
We started off with beautiful Davenings. The boys put on their Tefillin and were very proud of it.
Following Davening we had our “saying of Tehillim” The boys read nicely and it was great hearing the beautiful words of Nach.
We had many beautiful Lessons on Pirkei Avot. One of the things we discussed was Hillel said, don’t say I will learn when I have time because maybe you will not have time. We spoke about how learning should not be pushed off rather it has to be the priority and done right away.
We learnt great Halachot regarding the putting on Tefillin. We learnt when the Beracha is said, and how many time do you tie it.
In Parsha class we spoke about the laws of Kohanim. It was very interesting laws that we learnt and the importance of caring for others.
The students of the week are Oren Dery, Yisroel Friedman, and Doron Glickman.
Keep it up.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
Elementary School
Kindergarten
I am so proud of kindergarten and how hard they have been working on their class book! Their writing pieces and illustrations are amazing! They all really tried to do their best work. This week kindergarten learned that sometimes the letter Y can be a vowel. They learned how to read and spell words with Y as a vowel. They read a story called The Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, and the Mud. They loved learning how to read with expression as they each took turns reading as the wolf and the pigs. In math they reviewed the penny, nickel, and dime. They also learned about the quarter. They played games to practice counting and identifying each coin. In social studies they learned about the difference between needs and wants. They were shocked to learn that there are many items they want but they don’t actually need these items. In science they learned about the purpose of each part of a plant.
First Grade
The first graders continue to be amazing. This week we read “The Ugly Vegetables”. We focused on summarizing the sequence of events of this tale about a girl who was embarrassed to grow her garden of Chinese Vegetables. Students learned the importance of being proud of who you are and where you come from. In Math we reviewed time and the value of coins. Our first graders are quite adept at counting money. They also learned the faces of the US presidents on each coin.
In Social Studies the first grade discussed goods and services. We recognized various places in the community people utilize to receive goods and services. Students also recognized the value of savings. Finally, we began working on expository pieces about animals. The first graders used the internet to find information to add to their writing pieces. We also added pictures to illustrate some details. It is wonderful to see how their ELA skills have improved since September! I am so proud of their progress.
Second Grade
This week 2nd grade worked on a writing assignment which they had to do some research for. Each student picked a profession that provides a service, and completed a KWL (know, want to know, learned) chart about that service. After going online at home and finding the answers to our questions in the “want to know” section of our KWL chart, we then turned the KWL chart into an essay about that profession. We also completed a social studies test on people at work. In math we are wrapping up our unit on fractions. I’m grammar we are learning about pronouns.
In science, students learned that light is a kind of energy that lets us see.Discuss and understand that much of Earth’s light is from the Sun; learned that sound is another form of energy; how sound is made.
Amazing 2nd Graders created their own instruments using different items from home.
Ari has shown amazing improvement in his handwriting! The left side is a first draft of a writing assignment given this past week, the right side is a page from his SS notebook from October. I’m so proud of him!
Fourth Grade
This week in math we completed unit on area and perimeter of rectangles, squares and composite shapes.
In ELA we completed unit on pronouns and started working on story writing.
In Social Studies we started a new chapter Living in the West. Read, discussed and answered questions about land and climate of the Southwest.
Fifth Grade
Greeting and salutations!
This week for 5th grade has been busy.
The fifth graders continued their vocabulary study and their root word study.
They also learned all about adjectives!
In reading, we analyzed the poem Masks by Shel Silverstein and continued to read our class novels. Lastly, the 5th graders finished their theme essays and submitted them .In math, 5th grade learned about average, graphs, and plots.
Middle School
Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade
In ELA, we started learning about persuasive writing. Students read articles and debated many serious topics, such as should schools ban grades, and should cities make recycling food mandatory. Students wrote wonderful argumentative paragraphs in preparation for their persuasive essay next week.
In Social Studies, students continued learning about the Roman Republic. We also learned about the Punic Wars. We continued to discuss how the Roman Republic affected us in present day America.
7th Grade
In ELA, the 7th graders continued their novel unit on The Giver. Students are doing an amazing job in class discussion, and are ready to finish the novel next week. Students practiced writing wonderful paragraphs, and learned about writing structure in class.
In Social Studies, students learned all about the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
8th Grade
Eighth graders continued their novel study of the Book Thief. We discussed character motivation and story structure. In Social Studies, students wrapped up their lesson on the French Revolution and started learning about the Napoleonic Wars.
Middle School Math
6th grade learned about graphing and finding distance.
7th grade learned about solving systems of equations.
8th grade learned about geometric and arithmetic series.
Middle School Science
6th gr.
Students learned and classified planets according to their location in the solar system; were able to identify the inner and outer planets; compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Earth and the other inner planets; were able to recognize different types of galaxies.
7th Grade Science
Students are investigating how our body systems work together to maintain homeostasis. They are currently taking a journey through the digestive system and discovering how nutrition and circulation play an important role in supplying our body with the nutrients it provides and how it actually gets through our bodies.
8th Grade Science
Students are preparing for the Living Environment Regent by taking practice exams and working through various aspects of this regent. In addition, students are investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, how biotic and abiotic factors affect those ecosystems and the importance of interdependence within each system.
Jewish History
7th grade learned about the sin of the Golden Calf and how the sinners were punished. We learned the importance of staying away from evil people and how punishment is not always such a bad thing!
8th grade moved on to the next era in Jewish history and began to explore the tumultuous times of the Rishonim.
by admin | May 6, 2022 | Newsletter
Dvar Torah
The beginning of Parshas Kidoshim contains a pasuk which presents a very interesting juxtaposition of mitzvot: “Every man shall revere his mother and his father and you shall observe My Sabbaths I am Hashem your G_d” [Vayikra 19:3]. Rashi wonders about the connection between Shabbat observance and revering one’s parents. Rashi cites the Medrash Toras Kohanim which teaches, based on the juxtaposition in this pasuk: “Although I enjoined you about revering a parent, if your parent should say to you, ‘Desecrate the Shabbat, do not listen to them. And, so, too it is with regard to other commandments.” This is a halachic principle brought down several times in the Talmud, which is also codified in the Shulchan Aruch as well.
Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky (1891-1986) adds that the Torah is teaching us another message as well. We believe that G_d created the world in six days and that on the seventh day He rested. Prior to Creation the world did not exist and obviously people did not exist. This “Creation scenario” is not universally accepted. There are many people who, in fact, deny any role of G_d in creation. The Darwinian Theory and others posit that human beings evolved from lower species and reject the “story of Creation” as spelled out in the beginning of the Book of Bereshit/Genesis. This is a philosophical-theological dispute of how one views the world.
There is a practical difference between these two world views. The difference boils down to who needs to honor whom? Should older people need to honor younger people or should younger people need to honor older people? If one believes that man has evolved from the lower forms of life, then presumably, the further one gets away from that “original man” the higher form of life one would expect. If man evolved from a monkey, then the first generations of men were not very far removed from monkeys. Later generations have “evolved more” than earlier ones and hence the earlier generations must honor the later ones. The bottom line is that parents should honor their children. If, on the other hand, as we believe, the Almighty created the First Man, it follows that the First Man was the most perfect human being that the world has ever seen. He was without flaws because he was the handiwork of the Master of the Universe himself. No one can improve upon that! As we get further away from that First Man, man diminishes in stature. If we are going down, rather than up, it is clear that the younger generations need to honor the previous generations.
With this introduction, the pasuk is now crystal clear. “A man shall revere his mother and his father.” Why? It is because “My Sabbaths you shall keep I am Hashem your G_d.” There is a link between these two parts of the pasuk. Since there was a Creation, which you testify to by observance of Shabbat on the seventh day of the week, then parents who are a generation closer to creation and to the original man, who was created by the Almighty, need to be revered by the younger generation!
This insight of Rav Yaakov comes with a story as well. In his later years, Rav Yaakov attended a Kenesiah Gedolah (meeting of leading orthodox rabbis) in Eretz Yisrael. He was already an older man at the time and was accompanied on his travels by one of his sons. As we all know, the trip to Eretz Yisrael is a long trip and Rav Yaakov was an older man. His son waited on him hand and foot throughout the journey. There was a person on the plane sitting nearby who was astounded by the love, respect, and dedication the son was showing his father. At one point, he commented to Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, “My children do not treat me like that. What is your secret in child-raising that your son treats you like a King?”
He responded and told him the above quoted idea. We implant in our children the belief that the further we are removed from Sinai, the more one has had to endure the phenomenon of “yeridat haDorot”[lessening of the generations]. Therefore, they understand that the older generation is a “better generation” and hence they honor and respect us. “If your children do not act this way”, Rav Yaakov told the gentleman on the plane, “perhaps it is because they feel that they are more advanced than you are, and that on the contrary, you should honor them.”
Rabbi Dr. Richard Ehrlich
Special Announcement
CONGRATULATIONS to our amazing Students of the Month for April!
Kindergarten – Brittney Sanders
First Grade – Alexander Braun
Second Grade – Jaiden Rebibo
Third Grade – Noah Sharoni
Fourth Grade – Avraham Landsmen
5A – Evelina Bass
5B – Ethan Shankman
Middle School – Secular: Ilan Abramov
Middle School – Judaics: Etai Factor
A great, big, THANK YOU to the PTA for all of their hard work in setting up the Yom Haatzmaut celebration on Thursday!
The celebration was a smashing success! The students and their families enjoyed the bounce houses, face painting, and delicious food.
Special mention goes to our intrepid 8th graders who helped with managing the bounce houses, making cotton candy, and being overall helpful in setting up the celebration!
Judaics
Second Grade
B”H we had another productive week in 2nd grade. We learned about the holy city of Jerusalem and it’s history. This weeks Parsha Kidoshim is filled with many commandments such as honoring parents, loving your fellow man and not to take revenge. We discussed the mitzva of honoring parents in great detail. Tsion (Jaiden) proudly raised his hand and told the class how quiet he was in order to avoid disturbing his mother while she was resting. When discussing the mitzva of respecting elders, Esty (Sloane) told the class how her family went out for dinner and there was an old lady at the restaurant who almost fell and Esty’s father helped her. We are constantly reviewing the Hebrew prefixes and suffixes as well as daily Kriya (reading) practice. Shabbat Shalom. Morah Spiegel
Third Grade
Another great week in third grade!
On Monday was Rosh chodesh; the first day of the month. We sang beautifully together the special prayer of Hallel.
We also started another tefilla contest for when we pray. Together as a class we are trying to fill a jar with diamonds. They really pray so beautifully Hashem is so proud and is giving them real reward more precious than diamonds.
We also had lots of fun practicing for our Chumash play! We are really looking forward to this momentous occasion!
Tuesday, May 10 at 9:30 am
Remember all students should please wear a white shirt
Looking forward to seeing you!
Shabbat Shalom!
Morah Ferber
Fourth Grade
Dear Parents,
Wow!! The week went by quickly. As the saying goes “Time flies when you are having a good time.”
We learned in Chumash all about the story that Sarai did not have children. Sarai gave her Egyptian maidservant to Avram to have children. Hagar would cause pain to Sarai saying that she was greater that Sarai, being that she had a child to Avram, and Sarai did not. Really Sarai was the great one. We see from here how important it is never to make a person feel bad.
The Davening this week was just beautiful. The tunes and the words were nicely said.
In honor of the day of Yom Ha’atzmaot, many children were blue and white. We played a video of Yerushalayim in honor of the event.
The celebration at school was super. We all had a great time with the slide and jumping machine, and all the refreshments. Thank you for all the hard work the PTA put into it.
A congratulations to Tanya Shutman for being one of the School’s Kriah Pro winners.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
5th and 6th Girls
Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had an awesome week
It was so nice to see many of you at the Yom Ha’atzmaut BBQ.
We are launching a very exciting campaign in our class, the Mitzvah – A – Thon. We’ve been learning many Mitzvot this year, in our Halacha class. Each girl is presenting one Mitzvah on May 24th.
Throughout the next 2 and a half weeks, until presentations, every time the girls do one of the Mitzvot that we’ve learned, they will fill out a raffle card with their name and the details of their Mitzvah. They can also fill out a card for every time that they’ve caused another person, whether a family member or friend, to do a Mitzvah.
Each raffle card will go into the envelope for that Mitzvah.
On presentation day, we will choose a winner for each Mitzvah raffle.
Every 5 cards that the girls fill out for themselves, they will receive a scratch-off-card that they will scratch off to receive exciting prizes !!
One last thing 🙂 – The leading Mitzvah with the most raffle cards will be the winner of the Mitzvah – A – Thon. The girl who presented that Mitzvah will receive an exciting gift. Every girl should be trying to rally for their Mitzvah to acquire more cards in their envelope..
Good luck ! May the best man win.
We’ve learned this week the 4th Ani Maamin that Hashem is the first and the last. We looked at pictures of an egg and a chicken and argued for a while about what comes first. Turns out, Hashem came first and created one of them.
This week is Parshat Kedoshim. We learned that G-d is Holy, and we are supposed to emulate His beautiful ways and be holy as well.
And many more stuff
Shabbat Shalom U’mevorach!
Best Regards,
Mrs Perlstein
5th and 6th Boys
In Mishna
We learned a new Mishna about a Suka that originally had on top of it only metal poles or long wooden poles from a bed.
Both of those items constitute pasul s’chach unkosher Suka covering. The Mishna taught us that the way to correct this would be to remove a little more than 50% of those items and replace them with Kosher s’chach.
We also learned about someone who carves into a stack of grain which then develops into a suka with kosher s’chach, but nevertheless is NOT kosher.
This is because of “Ta’ase v’lo min he’asui” . We are taught that we are to “make ” a suka, but not that it should happen as a byproduct of our actions.
In Parashat Bo we learned the maka of Choshech-Darkness. We learned that the first 3 days were extremely dark, but the 2nd 3 days were not only dark, but so thick that if someone was standing they wouldn’t be able to sit and vice versa.
We covered a lot of details in the Parasha i.e. Kilayim= not mixing plant seeds to create a hybrid, and not wearing a mixture of wool and linen sown together. We also covered that the main Mitzvah in the Torah is to love your friend like yourself=do not do to him what you don’t want done to yourself.
We completed studying the laws of sefirat haomer,and will begin the laws of Shavuot in the near future.
In Tfila we are completing Shemoneh esre=amida, daily.
This Thursday we discussed laws that are specific to the land of Israel, i.e. Ma’aser, Trumah, Orla, etc. We discussed that we should not purchase fruits/vegetables from Shoprite, stop and Shop etc, if they come from Israel. This is because we can NOT be assured that the proper procedure was followed regarding these plants. The same is true when shopping in Israel.
There always is more in store.
Discuss the above with your children.
Shabbat shalom
7th and 8th Girls
This week, we completed and mastered our study of Sefirat Haomer. We were quizzed on the laws, and everyone aced the quiz!
We moved on in our in depth study of Navi Yehoshua. We learned about a bunch of kings in K’naan banding together against the Jewish people, but Yehoshua conquering them, nonetheless.
In B’haalot’cha, we covered many new ideas about the first born becoming Kohanim, then losing the privilege because of serving the Egel Hazahav.We also covered the procedure of how us Jews when we were in the Midbar, knew that it was time to travel/camp. We learned about the trumpets and their specific sounds that signified to different people to come to meet with Moshe at the Ohel Moed=Tent of Meeting [remember; in those days, there were no phones pa systems etc.]
We began studying new Halachot, this week, the Halachot of how to say a Bracha i.e. hold the food in our right hand , no talking until after we swallow our food etc. We also learned that although there is no minimum amount of food required in order to necessitate a Bracha before we eat, however there is a minimum amount and a maximum amount of time required for the consumption of the food in order to necessitate an after Bracha.
Each girl had a chance to choose a food item and look it up in Rabbi Kuritsky’s Kzayit Book = book which depicts, with photographs, many different food items and their minimum required amount to be consumed in order to necessitate the “After Bracha ”.
We also covered many pertinent Halachot from this week’s Parasha i.e.
respecting our parents, standing up for our parents, not sitting in our parents designated seat at home, in the office or in shul. We also covered that we never call our parents by their first name. As a matter of fact, we also learned that we do not even call our friend that has the same name as our parent, by his or her name in our parents’ presence!
We learned that we do not wear a mixture of wool and linen sewn together.
There is always more in store.
Speak to your offspring about our studies.
Shabbat Shalom
7th and 8th Boys
What an accomplishing week we had in class.
We started with a beautiful davening with the “Bachurim” putting on their Tefillin. Watching the boys put on their Tefillin with such excitement, was great to witness.
We had our daily reading of Tehillim. I told the boys that when we say Tehillim after Davening, it brings me back to my middle school years, being that my Rabbi said with us Tehillim after Davening.
In Pirkei Avot we learnt that a person needs to have Torah and Derech Eretz . If he has both of these things, he forgets to do sins. Torah and Derech Eretz are very important for a Jew’s life.
In Halacha we started learning about the laws of Tefillin. Boys in the class were either Bar Mitzvah or going to be Bar Mitzvah soon. There are a lot of Halachot and it was a great opportunity to know how to do the Mitzva properly.
Congratulations to David and Mark for being the “Students of the week”
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi B.
Elementary School
Kindergarten
This week kindergarten learned how to read and spell long O and long U words. They continued to work on writing and illustrating their class book. They read a story about a pig and a cat making a home for a dog so he would not get wet in the rain. In math they learned about the dime and the nickel. They learned how much each coin is worth and how to identify them. They loved playing store to practice counting money. I gave them real money so they could count out the correct amount of change to purchase erasers that they could keep. In social studies they learned about goods and services. In science they learned all about the parts of the flower and they learned a fun song to help them remember all of the parts of the flower.
First Grade
Our first graders were busy celebrating and learning this week. Thursday students prepared for the Carnival in honor of Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. Students wore blue and white representing Israel’s flag. They also wrote letters to thank those who fought and sacrificed for freedom. Students learned to tell time on an analog clock. They were delighted to state the time by the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. Students also wrote stories and practiced drawing conclusions in Reading. The first graders made beautiful projects in honor of Mother’s Day. We hope all of our 1st grade moms enjoy them.
Second Grade
2nd grade had an action packed week, both academically and socially! We had 2 tests, a math test on money, and a grammar test on helping verbs, linking verbs, and irregular verbs. In the picture, you can see Sloane Garber solving a problem on the board involving money. We also continued reading Stuart Little, while reviewing for our upcoming social studies test on people at work. In the midst of all of that, we had a celebration on Thursday to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut! There was a bouncy house, a slide, music, and food! We partied like it was 1948! (The year Israel declared its independence 😉
Third Grade
In math grade 3 started doing Number Talks this week. We used mental math strategies to solve difficult multi-step problems and we used think aloud strategies to correct our errors and analyze our mistakes.
In ELA we continued in our shared reading of James and the Giant Peach. We used context clues from the text to help us understand our vocabulary words for this week.
Fourth Grade
This week in math we started a new unit Area and Perimeter. Students found missing sides of a rectangle or square given certain clues. Found area and perimeter of rectangles, squares, and composite figures.
In ELA students identified proper agreement of subject pronouns and present tense verbs. Combined sentences by joining subject or predicate pronouns. Kids completed a few story writings and a poem.
Kids are really enjoying our last class chapter book, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo.
Fifth Grade
5A
Greetings and salutations!
This week in 5A has been busy. The students began their thematic essay over the previous novel. They also began reading their new class novel, The City of Ember.
In Grammar, students were learning about the present-progressive and past-progressive form of verbs.
This week we continued our study of root words and dipped our toes into the 6th grade vocabulary. I am happy to see that so many students rose to the challenge of the new tier of words!
5B
Greetings and salutations!
This week has been busy in 5B. The students began their thematic essay over the previous novel. They also began their new novel, Coraline. I am happy to see the students enjoying the new novel- especially our read alouds.
In Grammar, students learned about linking verbs. This week we also continued our study of root words and dipped our toes into the 6th grade vocabulary. I am happy to see that so man students rose to the new tier of words.
In math, 5th grade started learning about average and line plots.
Middle School
Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade
Greetings and salutations!
This week in SS the students worked on a mythology project. The final poster is due on Monday. I am looking forward to their presentations!
Furthermore, the students began learning about ancient Rome. We had several enjoyable discussions where we drew parallels between the Roman Republic and the present day United States. I am happy to see the students enjoying learning about Rome!
In ELA, students wrapped up our novel study of Chasing Lincoln’s Killer and wrote an essay about its main character. We learned ten new words as part of our vocabulary study unit, and in grammar, practiced using adjectives.
7th grade
In ELA, the 7th grade continued its novel study of the Giver. Students also practiced with Adjectives and learned 10 new words as part of our vocabulary study.
In social studies, we learned about the inception of our politics with America’s first two political parties. We discussed, in specific, the competing visions of Hamilton and Jefferson for America, and did a primary source discussion of George Washington’s farewell address.
8th grade
In ELA, the 8th graders started and completed our first regents-style essay. We discussed the Enduring Issues as themes, and how to write about them in essay form. In grammar, we focused on comma rules, and on writing longer sentences in our essay.
In Social Studies, we continued our unit on the French Revolution.
Middle School Math
6th grade is learning how to solve algebraic equations.
7th grade is learning how to determine the number of solutions of a system of equations.
8th grade finished chapter 8 and started learning about rational exponents.
Middle School Science
6th gr.
Students learned and classified planets according to their location in the solar system; were able to identify the inner and outer planets; compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Earth and the other inner planets; were able to recognize different types of galaxies.
7th Grade Science
Students are investigating how our body systems work together to maintain homeostasis. They are currently taking a journey through the digestive system and discovering how nutrition and circulation play an important role in supplying our body with the nutrients it provides and how it actually gets through our bodies.
8th Grade Science
Students are preparing for the Living Environment Regent by taking practice exams and working through various aspects of this regent. In addition, students are investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, how biotic and abiotic factors affect those ecosystems and the importance of interdependence within each system.
Jewish History
7th grade spent quite a bit of time exploring how Hashem gave us the Torah, how we know that the Torah is true and how we know that the Torah we have today is the same Torah Hashem gave on Har Sinai.
8th grade compared and contrasted the light of the Geonim with the darkness of the Middle Ages and learned how the Talmud was written, why it was written and why we learn it today.
by admin | Apr 29, 2022 | Newsletter
Dvar Torah
Parshat Acharay Mot
In a normal, twelve month year, the Parshiot of Acharay Mot and Kidoshim are read together. This year, because of the added month of Adar Shainy, these Parshiot are read separately, this week Acharay mot and the next week Kidoshim. There is a disagreement, however, as to which Haftorah should be read after the Torah reading each week.
Some are of the opinion that a section from Yechezkal should be read for Acharay Mot and a section from Amos should be read for Kidoshim. While others have the reverse order. Rabbi Soloveitchik disagreed with both of these opinions. He felt that the section from Amos should be read for both Parshiot and the portion from Yechezkal should never be read. He based his explanation upon the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer (Megillah 25 A) who said that we should never read the Haftorah for Acharay Mot because it only deals with the tragedy of Jersualem. That Haftorah is an indictment of the Jews of that time who callously violated the admonitions of the Torah and brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and their exile. Since it has no component of consolation it therefore cannot be read.
Now let us turn to the Haftorah from Amos. Why is that Haftorah so appropriate that Rabbi Soloveitchik felt it should be read on both weeks and what connection is there between the haftorah and the Torah readings of Acharay Mot and Kidoshim?
There is a very unique phenomenon that is revealed in these two Torah portions that, heretofore, was unknown. The fact that the Land of Israel was to be given to the Jewish people was previously promised to our forefathers many, many times. There, however, in the portions of Acharay Mot and Kidoshim, a new dimension was added; that our ability to exist and remain in the Land of Israel was made conditional upon our adherence to the Torah and its mitzvot. Our ability to retain our presence in the land was made dependent upon our commitment and allegiance to Hashem’s commandments.
In Parshat Acharay Mot (Chapter 18, Verse 28) it says for the first time, “That the land should not vomit you out when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations before you.” Again, it is reiterated in the following Parsha of Kidsohim (Chapter 20, Verse 22) “you shall keep my statues and my ordinances and do them, so that the land, that I will bring you to dwell in, should not vomit you out.” Our commentaries all explain that our eviction from the Land of Israel wasn’t a punishment for our sins. Rather, the special sanctity of the Land of Israel is such that it just cannot tolerate sin, and, eventually, vomits out those who violate its specialty. This is what was revealed in both of these Portions.
Now that the Torah has informed us that our stay is conditional on our behavior and if we violate the holiness of the land we will be exiled, it was necessary to have a Haftorah that deals with our return. As the Prophet Amos predicted long ago, “ I will return the captives of my people Israel (to the Land of Israel) and they shall rebuild the wasted cities and inhabit them, and they shall plant the vineyards and drink the wine and make ardens and eat fruit of them, And I will plant them upon their land and they shall no longer be plucked off from the land which I have given them.”
Accordingly, the reading of this Haftorah after both of these Parshiot is crucial and imperative. It reaffirms our bond with the Land of Israel irrespective of exile and “galut” and comforts and consoles the Jewish people by promising them that they will eventually return. We may be exiled for many years, even centuries, yet our ties are never severed and we will on day return. This is certainly the consolation that our Rabbis knew we ought to hear, lest we despair and give up hope.
In our time, when we have seen the realization and fulfillment of the words of the prophet Amos regarding the rebuilding of the Land of Israel, we certainly can take heart and await the realization of all the words of our Prophets and await the Messiah, who was foretold by our Prophets as well. We pray that this should occur speedily in our time.
Rabbi Dr. Richard Ehrlich
Special Announcement
Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had another wonderful week at Siha!
Next week is a very exciting week. We are starting off on Monday with an exciting Rosh Chodesh Assembly in honor of Rosh Chodesh Iyar.
Stay tuned for the amazing activity your children will be having.
Rosh Chodesh is on Sunday and Monday.
Thursday night, May 5, is the Siha Yom Haatzmaut celebration. Don’t miss it!
See the flyer for the details.
Shabbat Shalom U’mevorach!
Best regards,
Mrs Perlstein (AKA Miss Dershowitz)
Mrs Ferber
Happy birthday to our very own Ms. Ety Perez!
The 5th Grade made a surprise party for Ms. Ety on her birthday! Awesome job, 5th grade!
Judaics
Kindergarten and First Grade
We had a great week back in school!
I was so proud to hear how beautifully the children sang the ma nishtana at home and participated in their seders!
We began learning about Sefirat Ha’omer – counting the days between Pesach and Shavuot in anticipation of the holiday where we received the Torah! We make sure to count the days each day (in Hebrew!) and move the man on our Har Sinai poster.
In kriah, the first graders got right back into the swing of things! We learned how to separate a word into syllables to make it easy to read. The kindergarteners learned the letter kuf. They can read the letters like pros!
In kesiva, the first graders can write the letter lamed beautifully.
Exciting news! First grade began practicing for their SIDDUR PLAY! It is coming out beautiful! Kindergarten can’t wait to start practicing for their graduation next week!
Shabbat shalom!
Morah Chavi
Second Grade
It was wondeful being back at school this week. We learned about Sefiras Haomer. We are counting 49 days till Shavout which is the anniversary of receiving our most precious gift of the holy Torah which is our Guidebook for Life. We are learning prefixes and suffixes of the Hebrew Language and practicing our Kriya skills daily. Shabbat Shalom! Morah Spiegel
Third Grade
Welcome back! Third grade sprung back into learning this Monday excited for the last few weeks of learning. I couldn’t believe how well they remembered so much. We learned about the counting of the Omer. The 49 days we count from Pesach to Shavuot. Each day we say the number of days that have passed until we will get to day 49 which will be the holiday of Shavuot.
We finished our contest for Tefillah- our morning prayers. Third grade really davened so beautifully! We can’t wait to start the new contest on Monday!
We reviewed the Hebrew prefixes and words. We are really almost ready to start Chumash. Our Chumash play is coming up real soon. Details to come next week…!
We are practicing for a performance that the children are so excited about.
Around SIHA all students are trying to become Kriah PROS in reading Hebrew.
I’m sure you’ve guessed! Third grade has the most students who can read Hebrew beautifully!!!! Keep it up!!
On Thursday, for Yom Hashoah our class learned about a thriving city in Europe before the Holocaust. We saw how one town of Slobodka had a big Yeshiva, which from there Torah was able to continue after the war. Together we made a poster with some facts, pictures and creative artwork.
Wishing all a Shabbat Shalom!
Morah Ferber
Fourth Grade
What a terrific and enjoyable week it was for 4th grade. Welcome everyone back from the Pesach break.
We learned in Chumash the amazing story of the dream that Avrum had. His children were going to be strangers and slaved in a land that did not belong to them. After that Hashem would take them out and give the Jewish people great wealth. This is the famous story that we just discussed at the Pesach Seder.
We also went through the famous Prefixes and Suffixes of words. We discussed the “Hay or the Lamed” when it comes in front of the Shoresh, root word.
In class we discussed how many “to do” Mitzvot there are and how many “not to do Mitzvot” there are.
One of the highlights of our day was counting the Omer. We used our Math skills to figure out how many days are left to the Chag of Shavuot.
We are very excited about our new “Kriah Pro” contest. We already have a lot of children eagerly waiting to see who will be this weeks winners. We are practicing a lot of Kriah to try to read the best we can.
Jacob was our first “Kirah Pro”. We are very proud of him.
We had Yom Hasha’ah day. We spoke about cities in Europe and their influences on the Jewish nation. The children were very interested in it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Berelowitz
5th and 6th Girls
Dear parents.
Thank G-d, we had a very exciting week!
We learned about the special Mitzvot that we do to remind us that Hashem took us out of Egypt.
Mezuzah, kiddush on Shabbat, Shema prayer and shalosh regalim.
A massive Mazel tov to Victoria Kulishevsky upon her Bat Mitzvah!!
We had a spectacular party for her and we enjoyed many delicious treats and munchkins 😉
We learned a beautiful Bat Mitzvah song that taught us all about becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Every Mitzvah we do adds a special jewel to our crown and lasts forever and forever, giving us endless reward and blessing.
We then enjoyed candy jewel necklaces in honor.
On Friday, we learned about the special Mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah, which is a special woman’s Mitzvah.
We then made Challah dough together in a huge bowl. All the girls were a huge help and we had lots of fun!
We separated a piece of dough from the rest and Victoria had the merit to set it aside and make the blessing.
We all then used that special time to ask Hashem for anything we wanted. It was so amazing to watch the girls Daven to Hashem. They are all so amazing. You should be very proud.
The girls took home Challah recipe cards and Hafrashat Challah cards so they can make at home.
Shabbat shalom!
Looking forward to an amazing week.
5th and 6th Boys
Boy, did we begin covering ground!
We learned a new Mishna about what to do if someone began building his Suka with metal or wooden poles that are Pasul = not Kosher to use for S’chach = the kosher covering of a Suka. We also reviewed what we learned prior to Pesach break. We were proud of how much we learned, knew and could recall.
We studied a lot of laws of S’firat Ha’omer and the accompanying mourning laws.
We also covered this week’s Parasha, Parashat Acharei Mot, which discusses the death of 2 sons of aharon the Kohein Gadol. We learned that they entered illegally and that was [at least according to one opinion] the cause of their untimely death. We learned that on Yom Kippur, ALL Korbanot sacrifices were performed only by the Kohen Gadol. He had to dip in the Mikveh 5 times and wash his hands and feet 10 times on Yom Kippur. There were 2 goats used as sacrifices that day. The Kohen would pronounce Hashem’s name [real name. What we usually use is an acronym]. The people would respond with Boruch Shem K’vod Malchuto L’olam Vaed. We are not allowed to eat the blood of any animal [except fish]. We Jews are to have our meat and poultry properly cleaned = washed and salted in order to render it kosher for our consumption. Obviously, this will only help if it is from a kosher species and all the other kosher rituals are followed. We also learned about the Mitzvah of Kesuy Hadam = covering the blood .
This is only applicable to kosher wild animals i.e. deer, and to kosher birds.
We are a special people and not to follow/learn from the other nations.
Happy Birthday to:
Ethan Shenkman, and thanks for bringing in cupcakes, for all.
Happy birthday to:
Lenny Koza, and thanks for bringing in doughnuts.
Happy Birthday to:
Miss Etty Perez
Shabbat Shalom
7th and 8th Girls
We really came back to school [academically] rocking and rolling!
We covered a really nice amount in our Parasha, parashat B’haalot’cha. This is the Parasha that we delve into in depth and detail
We covered that; originally the first born boys would have the privilege to be the Kohain and serve in the Mishkan and later in the Beit Hamikdosh.
They attained that status and were obligated to perform the service when Hashem killed the firstborn Egyptians but spared the Jews.
Then after they served the golden calf they lost that privilege.
Since then the Leviim took over. We learned that the Leviim had to study the service for 5 years in order to be entered into the actual service. Then they were able to serve until age 50.
We also learned about Karbon Pesach, and its accompanying laws:eat it with matzah and maror and no breaking bones etc
Next we learned about Pesach Sheini. That means second Pesach. This was for people who had a good excuse. Either they had become Tamei-impure to a dead jew or they were compelled to be too far away to bring their Korban Pesach on the original date.
We also learned how the jews knew where and when it was time to camp/travel in the midbar.
We covered many laws of S’firat Haomer and the laws of the accompanying mourning due to the loss of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students during this time period.
We spent a period with the girls studying and decorating a poster in commemaration of Holocaust Memorial Day.
Stay tuned for more great lessons, next week
7th and 8th Boys
Hope everyone enjoyed their Pesach
We continued with great learning.
Being it is the time of Sefira, we started learning Perkei Avot. We learnt that a person should choose a path that is nice to the person that does it and is nice from people. We discussed the 3 ways of a person does not to come to do a sin.
In our Halacha class we spoke about topics of this time of year “Sefirat Ha’amoer”
We discussed many different scenarios that come up. We counted together in class and hung-up signs to remember which day it is.
We had an inspirational class remembering the Holocaust. We discussed much History related to that day and it was very inspiring.
Topics from the Parsha: Hashem told מֹשֶה to warn אַהַרֹן and theכֹּהַנִים never to enter the קֹדֶשׁ הַקָדָשִׁים . If they do go in they will die, just like נָדָב and אַבִיהוּ. Only on one day of the year, and only one person, was allowed to go into the קֹדֶשׁ הַקָדָשִׁים: onיוֹם כִּיפּוּר the כֹּהֵן גָדוֹל entered the קֹדֶשׁ הַקָדָשִׁים to do the special עַבוֹדָה for that day.
The כהן גדול would wear only 4 of his regular clothing – the ones without gold – when he went into the קדש הקדשים.
2 goats were brought to the כהן גדול . One was picked to be לַה’ (as a קָרְבָּן חַטָאת), and one was picked לַעַזָאזֵל – to be sent away to the desert and pushed off a high mountain.
Hashem told משה that every year, יום כיפּור – י’ תִּשְׁרֵי, is a fast day. It is a day of doingתְּשׁוּבָה so that Hashem will be מוֹחֵל us for our עַבֵירוֹת . However, not nice things that we did to our friends are not forgiven on יום כיפור, unless we ask our friends for מְחִילָה and they forgive us.
We heard the story of רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ who, as a young boy, was a robber, along with two friends. One day he met ר’ יוֹחָנָן who convinced him to us his strength and smart mind for learning Torah. His 2 friends chose not to join him and they continued doing עבירות. ריש לקיש became one of the leading teachers of the Torah in his time. He was careful to always give his money to poor people as a way of doing תּשובה for all the money that he had stolen. Hashem made it happen that he was נִפְטָר on the same day as his old 2 friends. In שָׁמַיִם his 2 friends saw all the reward that ריש לקיש was getting while they didn’t. They complained and said, “He was also a robber like us, why is he getting more reward then us?” Hashem answered them, “There is a big difference between you and him: תּשׁובה. He did תּשובה and you didn’t; now you are in – שׁמים it’s too late.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Berelowitz
Elementary School
Kindergarten
This week kindergarten became experts at reading A and I long vowel words. They loved dressing up as Bossy E and yelling at the vowels to make the vowels say their name. They read a story about children creating different masks to dress up as characters in a play. They were super excited to learn they will be making a class book that I will send out to be published into a hard copy book. They began writing their first writing piece for their class book. In math they practiced ordinal numbers and positional words for their test. Their favorite game is finding the bear that is hiding in one of the ten backpacks by guessing which place the bear is in. They also learned all about the penny. In science they learned all about what plants need in order to survive. They also did a fun experiment to learn all about how animals can use blubber to survive in cold climates. In social studies they learned all about the community helpers that work in a restaurant by making a pretend restaurant.
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First Grade
The first grade had a wonderful week exploring fantasy and reality. As we read the story of Mice and Beans students were delighted to see all of the interesting ways the mice helped Rosa Maria. In Math we completed the unit on parts of a whole. Students reviewed the map of North America and identified Canada and Mexico, our neighbors to the north and south. Finally, we made observations about speed and motion in Science. Students understand that force often determines the speed of objects. The first graders also had a great time creating ramps. They noticed the higher the incline, the further the vehicle would travel. It was great fun!
Second Grade
2nd grade had a busy week upon return from the Passover break. We are preparing for a math test on money, a grammar test on helping and linking verbs, and a social studies test on people at work. We are revising and completing our comparative essays as well. We also started a new book, Stuart Little! We are locked in and ready to work, as we approach the homestretch of the 21/22 school year! —
In science, students reviewed and were able to differentiate between a solid, liquid, and gas. Students gave examples of changes in states of matter from heating and cooling; differences between physical and chemical changes.
Mr. A. Ferrera B.S.Ed
Generalist Teacher, 2nd grade
SIHA
Third Grade
An exciting week for 3rd graders; they can’t wait to demonstrate their experiments and projects for the science fair. This week students reviewed chapter concepts about landforms, Earth’s water features, slow and fast changes on Earth’s surface. A test chapter was assigned to students.
Fourth Grade
This week we completed our Math state test and had a great party on Friday celebrating.
In math we are finishing up our unit on geometry. Measuring angles , identifying angles and triangles.
In ELA we started a unit on pronouns and story writing.
In Social Studies we reviewed for our up coming test next week on exploring the West.
In science, students modeled the water cycle and described the changes that occur; identified three states of water; described different kinds of clouds and forms of precipitation.
Fifth Grade
In grammar, 5B learned about helping verbs. They continued to work on their vocabulary study. 5B wrapped up their novel study of Lightning Thief, and completed all of their writing work about that novel.
In Grammar, 5A learned about commas and comma rules. Students also wrapped up their novel study of The Westing Game.
Both classes also completed a special project for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In science, students were able to compare a physical and chemical change; conclude that physical and chemical properties can be used to identify substances and to separate mixtures.
During science class students were able to identify different substances using strip indicators and identify acid and bases.
Special announcement to Ella Dery for such an amazing lab report about Mixtures and Solutions.
In math, 5th grade is learning about volume.
Middle School
Middle School ELA and Social Studies
6th Grade
Sixth graders wrapped up their novel study of Chasing Licoln’s Killer. In grammar, we learned about adjectives and adverbs. We also learned about connotative meaning of words, and practiced writing with them.
In social studies, sixth grade learned about Alexander the Great as well as discussed the cultural influence of the Ancient Greeks.
7th Grade
Seventh graders had a busy week. They started their novel study of the Giver. They also completed their math state tests!
In Social Studies, Seventh graders learned about the presidency of George Washington. We also learned about the beginnings of political parties in America, and the conflict between Jefferson and Hamilton.
8th Grade
Eighth graders had a busy week! We wrapped up our novel study of Fahrenheit 451. They also started their next novel: The Book Thief! Students also created presentations for Holocaust Rememberance Day and presented their research to the 7th Grade.
In Social Studies, we started our unit on the French Revolution by discussing the causes of and the initial events of the French Revolution.
Middle School Math
6th grade started their unit on algebra.
7th grade is reviewing how to solve complex algebraic equations.
8th honors is finishing up their unit on quadratics.
8th is learning about slope and linear equations.
Middle School Science
6th grade
Students learned and classified planets according to their location in the solar system; were able to identify the inner and outer planets; compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Earth and the other inner planets; were able to recognize different types of galaxies.
7th Grade Science
Students are investigating how our body systems work together to maintain homeostasis. They are currently taking a journey through the digestive system and discovering how nutrition and circulation play an important role in supplying our body with the nutrients it provides and how it actually gets through our bodies.
8th Grade Science
Students are preparing for the Living Environment Regent by taking practice exams and working through various aspects of this regent. In addition, students are investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, how biotic and abiotic factors affect those ecosystems and the importance of interdependence within each system.
Jewish History
7th grade began learning about the giving of the Torah. We learned why the Jewish people accepted the Torah and how the Torah was given in front of 3 million witnesses who all told over to their children the same course of events. Ilan and Naomi had some very good questions.
8th grade learned about the Talmud, how it was written, why it was written, and how it was structured. We also began learning about Jewish life during the times of the Geonim. The Jews were a shining light in the dark times of the middle ages.
