Ma Koreh
/What’s Happening?
Weekly CJDS Newsletter
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D’var Kesher from Rachel Arcus-Goldberg, CJDS Principal
October 19, 2018 / 10 Heshvan, 5779
Parashat Lech-Lecha: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
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D'VAR KESHER: A WORD OF CONNECTION
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Pictured below: A CJDS student proudly displays work that will go in to his portfolio, telling the story of his growth this trimester.
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Studying the Story of Your Child's Creation
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Greetings!
“How was your day?”
“Fine.”
“What did you learn?”
“Nothing.”
“Who did you talk to?”
“Dunno.”
When children walk into the school building, it can sometimes feel like they enter a black box. For parents, it can be frustrating or nerve-wracking to send their child to school and have nothing but these one word answers for what happens behind school doors. They do get a few windows in - a presentation from the class, some work that comes home, conferences and progress reports a couple of times per year. But often, the picture remains incomplete.
At CJDS, we try to pull back the curtains to let parents get a full and vivid view of the classroom. We invite parents to volunteer, to join us for Kabbalot Shabbat assemblies, and students are sent home with home learning. Teachers send weekly email communications called, the “
Ma Hadash?
What’s New?” In addition to key content and activities from the week, we include questions for parents to ask their child at those proverbial dinner table conversations.
This year, we also initiated “listening conversations.” Within the first weeks of school, every parent was called by one of his/her child’s classroom teachers, to listen and earn. These conversations are designed to build partnerships early and proactively in the year and to help teachers learn about each student from the experts on that child: his/her parents.
But we did not want to stop there.
We want parents to have the opportunity to take even deeper looks at their child’s learning, and see the same evidence of progress that teachers see. We want the conversations between parents and teachers about a student’s growth to be based on tangible data. For all of these reasons, we have added to progress reports, the use of Educational Portfolios.
Next week, parents will receive a link to their child’s e-portfolio. Inside, subject by subject, parents will have the opportunity to see photos, hear audio clips, watch videos and look at work that their child produced this trimester. Each piece of work will come with a specific descriptor from the teacher that provides context to the artifact and direct parents’ attention to particular details around triumphs and challenges,
in process
. Learning is not a one-shot deal; it is a process that emerges over time, in often unpredictable spurts. Portfolios allow us to tell the story of learning trajectories over time, and not merely offer static composite scores that are indirect reports about actual work. Moreover, we have scheduled conferences to be held the week after the portfolios are published. This way, parents and teachers will be able to engage in conversations about student learning with the same evidence at their fingertips.
My hope is that the portfolios will feel like that pleasant breeze that blows into a room when you open a window that has been closed for a while. School does not have to be a black box into which students disappear. We want to shed as much light as we can on their learning, and help change the conversations from
“What did you learn?” “Nothing,"
to,
“I saw your story for English class about the blue elephant. How did you think of that idea?”
and the rich, illuminating, stories that will unfold, revealing the fuller story of your child's creation.
Shabbat Shalom,
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A NOTE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
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Open House Season!
It's the time where I am often asked what distinguishes our school from other schools. I am always excited to have these conversations.
Our upcoming interactive CJDS Open House, On Sunday October 28, 10am-12pm at CJDS, is a wonderful opportunity to engage prospective families in these conversations with us. Please share
this flyer
widely, and let any families you know with kids aged 3-5 whom you think would love to learn about CJDS.
We also warmly invite parents and friends of CJDS to to serve as ambassadors of CJDS and share the stories of your child's creation with our guests. The event will be family friendly and include refreshments, model Kindergarten lessons, a visual art project created in the CJDS Art Studio and a scavenger hunt nature walk around the CJDS pond (weather permitting). Just let
Jenny Glick know you'd like to come and we will be delighted to include you.
Hope to see you there!
Dr. Z.
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OCTOBER
Friday, October 26: All School Kabbalat Shabbat 1:40 p.m.-2:20 p.m.
Sunday, October 28: CJDS OPEN HOUSE 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 30: Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Thursday, November 1: Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 9: All School Kabbalat Shabbat 1:40 p.m.-2:20 p.m.
Wednesday, November 14: Picture Retake Day Students Wear CJDS Polo
Tuesday, November 20: CJDS Community Day & Gratitude Concert 1:00 p.m.-3:20 p.m.
Wednesday, November 21: Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL
Thursday, November 22: Thanksgiving NO SCHOOL
Friday, November 23: Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL
Friday, November 30 All School Kabbalat Shabbat (5th Grade Leading) 1:40 p.m.-2:20 p.m.
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THANKSGIVING DRIVE
CJDS Tzedekah Club is Collecting Items
for the Mid Ohio Food Bank
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A half million folks in Central Ohio suffer from hunger and 180,000 of them are children.
The Mid Ohio food bank sent us a flyer
letting us know what kinds of foods would really help. They also shared that our community members have other needs that they can’t get funded from any government agency.
We were surprised to learn that
diapers
were on the top of the list of most needed items.
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The list also includes chili with beans, tuna, canned vegetables, canned meat, soup with vegetable, peanut butter, canned fruit (in light corn syrup), deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Tzedakah club members would like to ask YOU to help fill these needs. There will be boxes for your donations in the lobby and outside the Art Room (AKA Tzedakah Club House). We will be collecting from now until Community Day (November 20th). Thank you for helping us to make a difference!
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Lunch & Recess Clubs
- MONDAY RECESS: Dance Club with Ms. AG & Katie Feldstein
- TUESDAY LUNCH: Israel/Hebrew Club with Lin Raveh - Israeli Shlicha
- WEDNESDAY LUNCH: Tzedakah Club with Susan Couden & Rabbi Sharon Barr Skolnik
- THURSDAY RECESS: Journalism Club with Dr. Denae D'Arcy
- FRIDAY RECESS: Choir with Angelo Dunlap
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After School Clubs
(Click on the images below for more information, associated fees and registration forms.)
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MONDAY:
Chess & Board Game Club with Jeremy Arcus-Goldberg!
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TUESDAY:
Tennis Club (ages 10 and under) with Pam Lippy, USPTA certified teaching pro and 2009 Maccabiah Gold Medal Winner!
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WEDNESDAY:
Giving Garden with Rabbi Iah Pillsbury.
Available to 4th-6th grades only.
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THURSDAY:
Lego Robotics with Jeremy Arcus-Goldberg.
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Christian Long, master educator, design thinking expert, and Founding Partner of the school design studio
The WONDER Project, met Dr. Z at the annual Prizmah conference in Chicago two years ago. Christian was leading a Design Thinking workshop to a group of Heads of School, which was where he and Dr. Z discovered they both lived in Columbus!
During his first visit to CJDS last week, Christian offered the following reflections:
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“I am so grateful to have spent time on campus. I can't imagine any visitor not feeling affected in a similar manner. I truly appreciated learning about and seeing the incredible education offered at CJDS, getting to open up the Torah, and just feeling present in the community. As someone who helps a lot of schools strategically think through how to share the school's unique story with the world, your new branding materials are truly impressive and meaningful. Even better: they joyfully pull readers into the school's journey.
Here are two specific observations I’d like to share:
- I was immediately struck by how joyful the community was: joyful in the process of discovery and learning and (just as visible) joyful in the willingness to truly know one another for the gifts and stories that each individual brings into the fold.
- The building, spaces, and gardens are warm and inviting. Yet it is the way in which everyone greets and 'leans into' each other that really brings life and meaning to your amazing campus.
Please extend my sincere appreciation to all of your colleagues that I met. Thank you again for taking the time to host me in such a meaningful way. Working with schools all around the world, I can tell you that the entire CJDS community has much to be proud of and share!”
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HAKARAT HATOV
The Hebrew term for gratitude is הַכָּרַת הַטוֹב ( Hakarat HaTov), which means "recognizing the good."
To CJDS parent,
Gayle Kuhr for helping in the Kindergarten classroom this week and for hanging art projects on the CJDS bulletin boards.
To CJDS Maintenance Supervisor,
Ron Alderson for his tremendous support in setting up everything that we needed for our Professional Day of learning.
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LIFECYCLES In our community, at every point, our families are perpetually entering new stages in their lives. In keeping with the tradition of living Jewishly, CJDS acknowledges, honors, and celebrates these moments: Births, B’nei Mitzvah, graduations, marriages, and in moments of illness, healing and loss.
MI SH'BERACH When a member of the CJDS family is ill or in need of healing, the entire community lends its support and its prayers for a full and complete recovery.
We wish our CJDS dear friend and community volunteer,
Steve Shkolnik, a speedy recovery.
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Mazal tov again to the
Delman family
on the arrival of their new baby, Kayla! Please feel free to sign up to bring them a meal. Drop off at their home or CJDS will work.
https://mealtrain.com/947w7o
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KESHER: CJDS Parent Organization
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WE NEED MORE SERVERS...
for the coming weeks.
If it could be you, please click below.
Thank you!
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HOT LUNCH
As in the past, we are so grateful to all the help from the community members - grandparents, friends, parents, and others – on whom we rely to serve hot lunch to our students. Our volunteers bring such a warmth and love to our students and we love having all of you! In order to make this sign-up process even more smooth this year, we would love each family (any family member or friend) to sign up for two dates during the whole year to serve lunch. It can be a parent, a grandparent, a special friend - anyone who is interested in spending time with our wonderful students and serving them food.
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KESHER
CJDS is proud to have a Parent Organization called Kesher (Hebrew for "connection"). Kesher has a team of grade representatives led by a president.
Kesher is responsible for the CJDS Hot Lunch program, social gatherings outside of school, teacher appreciation, the CJDS Chesed committee and more! To get involved, please be in touch HERE.
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Hot Lunch server responsibilities include:
11:25 a.m.: Arrive at CJDS
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Set out the plates and assemble lunches
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m.: Students arrive for lunch at 12:00 p.m. and we help serve the lunch to those who have ordered.
Help with cleaning up and conclude by 1:00 p.m.
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