| Reminders |
WEDNESDAY,
OCTOBER 4, IS AN ALL-SCHOOL 12:00 PM DISMISSAL DUE TO EREV SUKKOT.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5-6, SCHOOL IS CLOSED DUE TO SUKKOT YOM TOV.
Please check the Lost and Found
table and coat rack outside the Elementary School office if you are looking for a missing item.
For the boys: Every day during davening we say the bracha for tzitzit, please make sure your son wears or keeps in his backpack a pair of tzitzit and a kippah.
If you have any recyclable materials, please send them in for our classes to use. Examples are:
-Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
-Paint color samples
-Scraps of contact paper, wallpaper, or cloth
-Small pieces of tile
-Any other crafty loose parts!
Please send in dress-up clothes, especially authentic doctor clothes and supplies. Thank you!
Whether you are a parent, alumni or faculty member, your Maimo Moments are welcomed and appreciated.
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How To Subscribe to the Calendar
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For step-by-step instructions for subscribing to the Maimonides Early Childhood Center calendar on your mobile device or computer,
CLICK HERE.
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From Robin Meyerowitz
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Dear Parents,
Shanah Tovah! We have had a wonderful start to our school year this year. We have great teachers and amazing students to fill the classes.
Thank you to all of you who came to our Curriculum Experience Night. The teachers worked extremely hard to share with you the thoughtful ways they carefully plan their curriculum to help the children experience learning and Jewish life.
We are looking forward to wonderful experiences as we celebrate Sukkot together.
G'mar chatimah tovah and
Shabbat shalom,
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Dvar Torah
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם ה' אֶקְרָ֑א הָב֥וּ גֹ֖דֶל לֵאלֹקינוּ׃
For the name of the L-RD I proclaim: Give glory to our G-d!
In the parasha last week, Moshe instructed the people to give glory to G-d when His name is proclaimed. In practical terms, this verse applies to Yom Kippur, and it is the reason we bow down during the musaf service. As Rambam writes in the Mishna Torah:
כָּל הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם הָעוֹמְדִים בָּעֲזָרָה כְּשֶׁהֵם שׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ יוֹצֵא מִפִּי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה. הָיוּ כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וְנוֹפְלִים עַל פְּנֵיהֶם וְאוֹמְרִים בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כָּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֵד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (
דבריםלבג
) "כִּי שֵׁם ה' אֶקְרָא הָבוּ גֹּדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ".
When all the priests and the people standing in the Temple Courtyard would hear G-d's explicit name recited by the High Priest in holiness and purity, they would bow, prostrate themselves, and fall on their faces, saying: "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever." The rationale is that
Deuteronomy 32:3 states: "When I call out the name of G-d, ascribe greatness to our L-rd."
We also recite this pasuk as an introduction to Shemona Esrei during mincha, musaf, and neila before we say Hashem sefati tiftach. What is the reason for opening Shemona Esrei with this sentence?
One answer suggested by Rabbi Shmuel Gelbard is:
יש להניח שהטעם שהנהיגו לומר פסוק זה לפני שמו"ע, כי מן הגמרא בכמה מקומות (ברכות כא, וכן מה) לומדים ממנו ענין הברכות בכלל, לפיכך לפני אמירתן של י"ט ברכות מצאו לנכון לאומרו.
Since many halachot concerning berachot are learned from this pasuk, it's appropriate to mention before we recite the ultimate of berachot, the Shemona Esrei.
Certainly the idea of praising G-d through our daily berachot and tefillot is learned from this verse, and we should be conscious of that idea to praise G-d before we begin.
Another possibility is extracted from the Rashbam. The Rashbam, in his chumash commentary, explains that Moshe was instructing the people as follows:
כי שם ה' אקרא - כאשר אספר לכם גבורות שעשה לכם הקב"ה והטובות שגמל לכם וגם שהוא צדיק במה שיעשה לכם, גם אתם הבו גודל לאלהינו - היו מודים על האמת.
when I will tell you about the great and wonderful things G-d has done for you, as well as that He is righteous in what He will do for you in the future, you too will want to render Him homage, proclaim His greatness, by proclaiming Him as our G-d. This will not be flattery, but recognition of what is a truth.
Using the idea of the Rashbam, perhaps the reason we begin the Amida with this verse is to remind ourselves about all the
טובות שגמל לכם
- all the wonderful things that G-d has done for us. As we prepare to recite the Shemona Esrei and ask G-d to fulfill all our wishes regarding health, sustenance, knowledge, Israel, and more, these petitions must be said in the context of recognizing all the good and benefits that Hashem has already performed for us, and that He will continue to provide whatever we need -
שהוא צדיק במה שיעשה לכם
.
On Yom Kippur we will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate our hakarat hatov to Hashem when we hear His name, by bowing during the musaf service and by reciting the verse
כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם ה' אֶקְרָ֑א הָב֥וּ גֹ֖דֶל לֵאלֹקינוּ
before Shemona Esrei.
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Thoughts of the Rav
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
In the last newsletter, we explored the concept of
mechila. Today, we will define the idea of
kapara and
slicha.
The Rav explains that when someone transgresses against Hashem, they are deserving of punishment, and mechila lessens the punishment's severity. A second deterrent which affects the transgressor is metaphysical. The person's nefesh (soul) is sullied when not following the word of G-d. A sin detaches us from our Father in heaven and places a hole in our soul.
Yom Kippur has the additional aspect of repairing our connection to G-d as He heals our spiritual wounds and brings our soul closer to being complete. As the pasuk states:
כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' תִּטְהָרוּ.
For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the L-rd.
As the pasuk states, Yom Kippur brings kapara (slicha), which spiritually purifies the transgressor. Let's pray for a complete mechila and kapara for this coming Yom Kippur.
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2-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Dear Parents,
Last week and this week, we have continued to explore our school, classroom, outside playground, and our relationships with each other.
We used magnets, wooden balls, and ramps on our magnet wall outside in the mornings, and painted in two small groups of three. We sang songs during Music class with Morah Linda on Tuesday, explored clay in Art with Ms. DiOrio on Friday morning, and stretched in Yoga on Monday afternoons with Morah Nechama.
We are learning to sit at a table during snack and lunchtime, and how it is our job to clean up after our own meals when we are done. It's amazing how much two-year-olds can do when it's encouraged and expected of them.
We did Hebrew Zumba with hula hoops and music on Wednesday, and a sink-and-float experiment on Thursday in Science. The students loved it so much that we are going to continue the theme into next week. As teachers, we take notice of what the students enjoy doing the most, so we can offer lots of opportunities for them to do what they love, as well as always offering new and unique ways of learning while having fun.
Next week for Sukkot, we will build our own sukkah!
G'mar chatimah tovah and Shabbat shalom,
Morah Tzipi and Morah Laura
After bringing in some leaves and plants from outside, we practiced our cutting skills.
Making and sharing "tea" with Chantal.
This ramp has many uses, one of which is rolling cars up and then down onto the carpet.
Another is see-sawing and balancing.
This fell from a tree. We are discovering what is inside!
Will this duckie float or sink?
Zumba fun with a hula hoop!
Morah Linda and her "I'm sorry" chicken.
What happens when we drop the balls in?
Every two-year-old goes through the ritual of painting their hands.
Using our muscles outside on the playground.
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3-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Dear Parents,
It was so nice listening to the students talk about the special things they did over Rosh Hashanah. They were excited to share that they heard the shofar, ate apples dipped in honey, and spent time with family and friends.
This week we talked about Yom Kippur, focusing on the meaning of the holiday and the traditions associated with it. We discussed that adults don't eat or drink, wear white, wear shoes that aren't leather, and daven in shul all day. The students then shared with the class the things that they are sorry for. Some of their ideas were: not sharing toys, not listening to their parents, pushing someone, and not taking turns. We talked about ways to be the best we can be this coming year. During provocation time, the students wiped their slates clean - literally! They used chalk to write on rock slates and then dipped paintbrushes in water to clean the slates.
To reinforce the concept of
mitzvot
and
aveirot
, we did a hands-on, visual activity. We told a story that included both good and bad behaviors, and put a balance scale in the middle of the circle. The students each had the opportunity to come up and put a rock on either the
mitzvot
side or the
aveirot
side, depending on what the action was. At the end, they were very excited to see that the
mitzvot
side of the scale was heavier. We also talked about how people wear white on Yom Kippur, and that the covers of the Torahs are changed to white as well. The students then made individual white collages. They enjoyed feeling the different textured pieces as they made their creations.
Over the next number of weeks, we will be doing a long-term project where the students will be designing and building models of their own homes. To introduce the topic, we put out a blueprint for the students to explore using pencils and rulers. Please send in your family picture and picture of your home if you have not already done so. We will be using them throughout this project.
Independence is a very important skill that three-year-olds are beginning to develop. One of the ways we try to encourage the students' self-help skills is by having them use pitchers to pour water into their own cups during snack and lunch. It would be better for the students if you don't send in water bottles, so they will have the opportunity to strengthen this important skill.
The students are so happy and proud to share the
mitzvot
they do in school and at home. If your child does a
mitzvah
at home, please feel free to send in a note saying what they did, and we will add it to our classroom
mitzvah
tree. We can't wait to see the leaves on our tree grow!
G'mar chatimah tovah and Shabbat shalom,
Morot Leisa, Shayna, and Sara
Trucks are just as great outside as inside!
Sweeping up the classroom together!
I see you!!!
Getting creative in the art center!
Getting familiar with our letters
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Looking in little mirrors so we can draw our self-portraits |
Using the easel outside together!
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Building a ramp system for the wooden balls on our magnet wall!
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Make way for the fire truck!
Checking out some blueprints!
Making white textured collages
The mitzvot outweigh the aveirot!
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4-Year-Old Class Newsletter
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Dear Parents,
This week we focused on learning about Yom Kippur, and solving the problems of how to first make, and then get through, a maze.
We learned about the importance of doing
mitzvot
. When we do
mitzvot
, we add to the side of the scale that weighs in our favor. We looked at pictures of classroom situations and used our observational skills to help us figure out whether it was a
mitzvah
or an
aveirah
. The students are so proud of doing
mitzvot
in school and at home. If you send in a
mitzvah
note, we will read it to the class. We also read the story of Yonah, and learned that if we do the wrong thing we can say "I'm sorry."
When we work together and share, we are doing
mitzvot
. The students worked together to get through a maze in the classroom, and to build a structure. We also used problem-solving skills to get different objects through smaller mazes. In the gym, we made a big maze that the students had to get through. Each child was cheered on by their friends to show that we all care for each other.
On Tuesday afternoon, we had students from Elementary School grades 3, 4, and 5 come and play or read with us.
We also had many celebrations this week. We started the week by celebrating Yuval's birthday, and ended the week celebrating Batsheva's and Simcha's birthdays.
On Friday, Batsheva and Simcha were our Shabbat Ima and Abba. Thank you both for the yummy challah and Shabbat and birthday treats!
G'mar chatimah tovah and Shabbat shalom!
Morot Mimi, Irit, Marggie, and Chava
P.S. Please make sure you send in tzitzit and kippot every day for your son to wear for davening.
Cutting peaches up for South American Cooking and Spanish
We worked in teams to cut them and then added whipped cream!
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Using different small loose parts to trace shapes
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We paid close attention to the number of sides and the corners.
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Using magnets to move pieces through mazes that we drew |
Creating more mazes from magnet shapes
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Working together to get through the obstacles! |
In Art class, we practiced our letters by tracing with stencils and cutting them out.
In Music class, we acted out being mad at each other and then saying sorry for Yom Kippur.
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Building a maze out of magnatiles for the toy people!
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Pushing pom poms through spiral playdough mazes using only our breath
We sang Happy Birthday to Yuval!
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Music Class Song Sheets
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Dear Parents,
Here are the song sheets for the month of Tishrei.
The children are having great fun learning about the chaggim through song.
Singing together with your child can be one of the best ways to learn about the chaggim and have fun together.
We hope you enjoy connecting with your child. We certainly did!
All the Best,
Morah Linda
Rosh Hashanah Songs
1) Dip the Apple (to "Darling Clementine")
Dip the apple in the honey, make a bracha loud and clear
Shanah tovah um'tukah
, have a happy, sweet new year.
שנה הלכה, שנה באה
אני כפי ארימה
שנה טובה לך, אבא
שנה טובה לך, אמא
שנה טובה, שנה טובה
Shanah halchah, shanah ba'ah
Ani kapai arimah;
Shanah tovah lecha, Abba,
Shanah tovah lach, Ima,
Shanah tovah, shanah tovah!
(
A year went, a year is coming
I raise my hands;
A good year to you, Dad,
A good year to you, Mom,
A good year, a good year!)
3) Avinu Malkeinu (Also for Yom Kippur! I think everyone knows this tune, let me know if you need it)
Avinu Malkeinu, choneinu va'aneinu, avinu malkeinu, choneinu va'aneinu,
Ki ein banu ma'asim
Asei imanu tzedakah vachesed, asei imanu tzedakah vachesed, v'hoshieinu.
אבינו מלכנו
חננו ועננו
אבינו מלכנו
חננו ועננו
כי אין בנו מעשים
עשה עימנו צדקה וחסד
עשה עימנו צדקה וחסד
והושיענו
(Our Father, our King, be gracious and answer us, though we have little merit.)
Yom Kippur Songs
1) I'm Sorry (to Avinu Malkeinu, above)
I'm sorry for what I did wrong, I'm sorry for what I did wrong
I'll try to do better, and better and better, I'm sorry for what I did wrong.
2) The Five Forbidden Things for Grownups
(to "Vhaviotim l'har kodshi" - tune available at this site, the first sound recording (video is harder to catch tune).
On Yom Kippur, we don't drink or eat,
We don't wear leather shoes on our feet
We don't smear lotion, that's the rule
All day long, we sit in shul
Please, Hashem, forgive me;
I'll be good, oh yes, you'll see
Please send a shanah tovah
For me and my mishpacha
3) "Let's Be Friends" Medley
Part 1 - you can listen to most of the tune here without paying, click the play button:
Let's be friends, make amends, now's the time to say I'm sorry
Let's be friends, make amends, please say you'll forgive me.
The 10 days of teshuvah, time to make up, time to pray
Shake my hand, and I'll shake yours, let's be friends for always.
Part 2: Simi Yadeich
שימי ידך בידי
אני שלך ואת שלי
חברים טובים
נהיה
חברים טובים
נהיה
Simi yadech beyadi,
ani shelach ve'at sheli.
Chaveirim tovim nih'yeh
Chaveirim tovim nih'yeh
(Put your hand in mine, we'll be good friends
).
Sukkot Songs
1) V'Samachta
ושמחת בחגך
והיית אך שמח
Vesamachta bechagecha
vehayita ach same'ach
(Thou shalt rejoice in your festival
and thou shalt be only joyous)
2) Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere (2x)
Up, up, down, down, right, left, and all around; here, there, and everywhere,
That's where He can be found (2x)
3) The Schach Goes on Top (to "Farmer in the Dell")
The schach goes on top, the schach goes on top, on our sukkah, the schach goes on top!
(Game: Teachers hold child aloft, as s/he is lying on their clasped hands, to be the top of a human sukkah.)
4) Abba Built a Sukkah
Abba built a sukkah for the family; its roof was made of schach that was cut down from a tree.
Some people hang up flowers, or a nice, long paper chain;
We say "leisheiv basukkah" and we hope it doesn't rain.
Sukkah, sukkah, we say leisheiv basukkah, and we hope it doesn't rain.
5) Patish, Masmer
פטיש, מסמר
ניקח מהר
.
סוכה לבנות,
בנים ובנות
קרשים ניקח
וענפים לסכך
קשט הגג
לכבוד החג
Patish, masmer
nikach maher.
Sukah livnot,
banim uvanot. La la la...
Krashim nikach
va'anafim lis'chach
kashet hagag
lichvod hechag.
6) Did you Ever Shake A Lulav (to "Did you Ever See a Lassie")
Did you ever shake a lulav, a lulav, a lulav,
Did you ever shake a lulav on Sukkot day?
Upward and downward, and rightward and leftward
And forward and backward!
Did you ever shake a lulav on Sukkot day!
Shanah Tovah U'Metukah!
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Directory Online
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The 2017-18 Directory with names and addresses is now online and can be accessed via the Parent Portal on our website at
http://www.maimonides.org/parents. Once you have logged in, click on "Family Directory" in the menu at left.
You will need your My BackPack information to log into the Parent Portal. If you need help, please contact
[email protected].
Individual class lists will be distributed in October.
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Social Time!
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There's so much going on here at Maimo! Be sure to check out our social media to get the inside scoop (with lots of great photos) on happenings at school.
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See what's happening in other divisions
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 Lots of wonderful things are happening at Maimonides School!
If you'd like to take a peek at the other divisions' newsletters, please click here.
If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails:
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