Bais Yaakov
e-Newsletter
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A NEW YEAR
In our Lower Elementary, we have seven separate areas for recess cordoned off by flags to enable additional safety and for each one of our classes to maintain their individual bubbles. Nursery and Prenursery students are playing beautifully in the class and masking outside of the class.
Our Kindergarten expanded to 8 classes this year so we now have KA- KH and helping reinforce everyone’s knowledge of the ABC’s.
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OUR BLOSSOMING PRESCHOOL
Our youngest students are blossoming as they come to school each day. Dipping apples in honey that tastes so sweet, blowing bubbles outside while playing with friends, creating beautiful crafts for each Yom Tov and more! The girls are getting used to wearing their masks, and proudly showing us that they are up to this task! Thank you to our tremendously dedicated moros, staff and parents for helping to start the year off so successfully! We can't wait for each new day together. We wish all of our Preschool families a happy, healthy Shana Tova uMesuka and G’mar Chasima Tova!
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HENRIETTA THE HEN VISITS BAIS YAAKOV
Henrietta the Hen came with Mrs. Liora Rosen for her annual visit to our Preschool and Elementary in preparation for Yom Kippur. Kapparos with Henrietta was held in front of the building with all our students socially distant. This tradition which has become a rite of passage for our students was started by Reb Lipa Friedman z"l over thirty years ago to teach American children how Kapporos was done in the "Alter Heim."
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JEWELS AND BAIS YAAKOV
We are excited to welcome our JEWELS students back into Bais Yaakov. This is a partnership that we look forward to seeing these young ladies derive much hatzlacha from in the months and years to come.
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TOV L'HODOS LAHASHEM
As we returned to school, Mrs. Chaya Hoffman, Limudei Kodesh Coordinator, initiated a beautiful program: Tov L’hodos LaHashem. Every one of us needs to be continually grateful to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for everything He gives us. In the unique context of Covid-19 these past few months, when we had to be distant from our school and each other, this program allows each of our talmidos and moros to reflect and express our appreciation to Hashem for the gifts He gave us. What a great way to enter the new year.
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PREPARING FOR ROSH HASHANA
One of the highlights of the year is our collaborative learning about the dinim and minhagim of Rosh Hashana in Morah Esther Feldheim’s 4th Grade. Despite needing to wear masks and remain aware of their distance, the girls traveled from station to station in their groups, learning and mastering the various elements of the Yom Tov. From tasting the simanim and learning the associated tefilos to learning about the halachos of the shofar and names of the Yom Tov, the girls really did learn a lot to start off the year!
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SPELLING WALK
You might expect to see a bee outside this time of year, but we spotted busy spelling bees! Mrs. Leah Shulman loves taking her classes outside to get fresh air and use various mediums to inculcate the skills she teaches. These girls applied their knowledge of sounds to spell all around the building. Most recently, you may find the 3rd Grade spelling lists on the sidewalks of our school as the girls practiced them in chalk. What a great way to master this critical ability of spelling.
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LOOKING FORWARD TO A WONDERFUL YEAR |
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The ruach that the Middle School is famous for is once again reverberating in the classrooms and throughout the halls. The teachers have been working tirelessly to ensure that their lessons are exciting and fun despite being behind masks. A big part of student engagement includes a weekly meaningful message from our principal, Rabbi Naftoli Hexter, as well as the various extracurricular activities that run throughout the year. Every Friday, after davening, while remaining in their classrooms, the girls watch Rabbi Hexter and G.O. or Gemach via Zoom. It is sure to be A Rainbow of Fun With G.O. ’21 run by Mrs. Miriam Mellman and her assistant Miss Rivky Weinrib, while we Picture It With Gemach run by Mrs. Shuli Frand. We can’t wait to see what else is in store!
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TEACHER ORIENTATION
Our annual teacher orientation was the start to what will be an amazing year. After a warm welcome from Rabbi Naftoli Hexter, we were privileged to hear from Rabbi Shmuel Silber, Rav of Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim who joined us on Zoom with divrei chizuk. Rabbi Silber discussed the message that Hashem wants us to live in the moment and not worry about the future, a timely message indeed! Mrs. Zahava Farbman, Associate Director of Crisis Intervention, Trauma and Bereavement Services of Chai Lifeline then spoke about teaching in our new reality. Following Mrs. Farbman was Dr. Robert Edelman, Professor Emeritus of the Center for Vaccination Development and Global Health at University of Maryland, School of Medicine, who answered questions about Covid-19 and explained in great detail the reasoning behind all of the new practices that Bais Yaakov has put in place. The highlight of the day was a fantastic video titled “New Year, New Rules” written and produced by Mrs. Rochelle Goldberg with an all-star cast and a fantastic song written by Mrs. Goldie Goldberg.
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WELCOME BACK
Students were welcomed back with a beautiful banner that included the phrase “We missed you so!”, reflecting the sincerest sentiments of the administration and faculty regarding the end of the last school year. Both faculty and students were masked and all smiles (we could see it in their eyes!) to be back together.
Zooming arrangements quickly assumed a variety of forms - individual students zooming from home, whole classes in quarantine zooming from home, and teachers zooming from home to their classes at school and home! The roller coaster of Covid-19 life, reflected in absences of individuals and grades, has presented our greatest challenge but is being met with incredible success by our amazing, dedicated IT, technology, and office staff.
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GUEST SPEAKERS
The High School has been privileged to hear from many speakers over the past few weeks. Rabbi Shaul Englesberg shared uplifting thoughts before Rosh Hashanah about the power of tefilah. Rabbi Shrage Neuberger addressed the high school on Tzom Gedaliah, expressing the importance of worrying about others. Rabbi Moshe Hauer offered divrei chizuk over Zoom during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva to the 12th Grade. Rabbi Yehoshua Shapiro addressed the school before Yom Kippur about inanyei d'yoma.
Dr. Robert Edelman, former parent and grandparent, and a top expert on diseases such as the current pandemic, with whom Bais Yaakov often consults on policy questions, offered a sweeping, insider’s view of various aspects of the current Covid-19 situation to Ninth and Eleventh Grades at school. His remarks were followed by a robust question and answer period. The Tenth and Twelfth Grades will iy"H hear from Dr. Edelman upon their return to school.
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Bais Yaakov would like to thank Mrs. Elizabeth Rothstein for her four years of service as a PTA president. We welcome Mrs. Malki Lehrfield to the committee and look forward to working with her.
Sign up for membership before Succos for a chance to win an Amazon gift card (2 winners)!
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Sept 28 Yom Kippur - School Closed
Sept 29 10 AM Late Start
Oct 1 Succos Recess - School Closed
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To sponsor a day of Davening & Learning, or contact Rabbi Gross at 443-548-7700 ext. 511 or ragross@baisyaakov.net for more information.
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