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Welcome!
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Dear Parents,
We had a great week at school!
Please read on for the latest Elementary School news and information about upcoming events.
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D'var Torah
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by Rabbi David Saltzman
וְהַשּׁוֹר הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם, וְקַרְנָיו מְצֻפּוֹת זָהָב, וַעֲטֶרֶת שֶׁל זַיִת בְּרֹאשׁוֹ. הֶחָלִיל מַכֶּה לִפְנֵיהֶם, עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעִים קָרוֹב לִירוּשָׁלָיִם. הִגִּיעוּ קָרוֹב לִירוּשָׁלַיִם, שָׁלְחוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם, וְעִטְּרוּ אֶת בִּכּוּרֵיהֶם. הַפַּחוֹת, הַסְּגָנִים וְהַגִּזְבָּרִים יוֹצְאִים לִקְרָאתָם. לְפִי כְבוֹד הַנִּכְנָסִים הָיוּ יוֹצְאִים. וְכָל בַּעֲלֵי אֻמָּנִיּוֹת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם עוֹמְדִים לִפְנֵיהֶם וְשׁוֹאֲלִין בִּשְׁלוֹמָם, אַחֵינוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, בָּאתֶם לְשָׁלוֹם:
A bull would go before them and its horns would be plated with gold and it would have an olive wreath around its head. The flute would play before them until they got close to Jerusalem. Once they got close to Jerusalem, they would send ahead of them [a messenger] and adorned their bikkurim. The overseers and the officers and the treasurers would go out to greet them; in accordance with the stature of those coming in would they go out. All the artisans of Jerusalem would stand before them and greet them, "Our brothers from so-and-so, come in peace!
The mishnah in Mesechet Bikurim describes the ascent to Yerushalayim for Shavuot, with the people bringing bikurim fruit baskets to present to G-d. The baskets were adorned, music was played, animals accompanied the large pilgrimage procession, and the parade was happily greeted by the people who lived in Yerushalayim.
Why all the embellishment for this mitzvah of bikurim?
Upon reaching their destination the bikurim bearers would recite the pesukim found in Ki Tavo (which we also recite at the Pesach seder). One of the the pesukim found in this section is:
וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת־רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתָּה לִּי ה'
וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקיךָ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקיךָ׃
Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O Lord, have given me."
You shall leave it before the Lord your G-d and bow low before the Lord your G-d.
Seforno explains that the reason we bring bikurim is to show hakarat hatov to Hashem:
הבאתי מבחר פירות אותה הארץ שנתת לי לתת תודה לשמך עליה
I have brought the choice fruits from the land, that You gave to me, in order to give You thanks.
Beyond bringing the fruit to Yerushalayim, the next pasuk describes another requirement that needs to be performed with this food:
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ ה' אֱלֹקיךָ וּלְבֵיתֶךָ אַתָּה וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ׃
And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your G-d has bestowed upon you and your household.
Our hakarat hatov is enhanced when we show that we are enjoying the performance of a mitzvah that specifically expresses our gratitude. This expression of simcha is exemplified by adorning, decorating, and beautifying the mitzvah. All the "extras" mentioned in the mishnah serve as ways of expressing the simcha of our gratitude and appreciation to G-d for all the bounty He has given us.
We discussed in school this week that when we show hakarat hatov, we need to do so sincerely and authentically. We need to do it with a smile and show that we mean it. Just as when the bikurim were brought to show hakarat hatov it was done
בשמחה
, we need to do the same.
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Thoughts of the Rav
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by Rabbi Dov Huff
Chazal
tell us that a difference between the first luchot and the second was that the first luchot contained not only Torah shebichtav but also the Torah shebeal peh, while the second set was only the Torah shebichtav.
The Rav explains that the difference in content of the two sets also points to a different job for Moshe Rabbeinu. With the first set, Moshe Rabbeinu was just a shliyach leholacha - a messenger delivering the entire body of Torah to Bnei Yisrael. Upon delivery his job would be complete. With the second set, he was now tasked with teaching all of Torah shebeal peh to Am Yisrael. He become the Rebbe of each individual Jew.
It is for this reason, says the Rav, that in this week's parsha Moshe had to do a count. He now had to take responsibility for the Torah growth of each member of Am Yisrael.
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| Pinat HaParasha |
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Please click here
to view the
Pinat
HaParasha for Parshat Bamidbar
. You are encouraged to print the document and use it as a source for discussion at the Shabbat table.
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Spring Concert on Wednesday
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The Elementary School Spring Concert will be held on
Wednesday, May 23 at 4:00 p.m.
in the Brener gym. Performances will include both the Elementary School band and the combined 2nd through 5th grade chorus. The band will be performing a version of the popular song "Hand Clap," as well as their rendition of the 1812 Overture. The chorus will be performing a Hebrew selection titled "Am Echad," or "One Nation."
Please e-mail Mr. Malkin with any questions at
[email protected]
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| Yom Yerushalayim |
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In commemoration of
Yom Yerushalayim, our creative and energetic
shlichot Avigayil and Renana ran an interactive activity for all of our students. The gym was redecorated, beautifully depicting some of the major sites in Jerusalem. Every grade was divided into teams that visited each of these sites round-robin style, engaging in the associated fun-filled activity.
At
Shuk Machane Yehuda (outdoor market), the students squeezed orange juice and ate ice cream. At the
Kotel (Western Wall), a short
tefilla was taught and students wrote personal prayers to put between the stones. The Jaffa Road light rail train station involved scooter relay races, and at
Ir David (City of David) the ancient Hebrew script of "
Strim" was taught. Kickball and dartboard games were played at Teddy Stadium, and small objects hidden in piles of shredded paper were the challenge at the Archeology corner. The children enjoyed making their own pinwheels at the Windmill, and completed puzzles of the symbols for the eight gates of the outer walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
A great deal of learning took place and excitement was generated for this beloved and holy city, which many of our Maimonides students have already had the chance to visit, while others can't wait until they are able to do so.
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| Fine Arts Presentation on June 5 |
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The third annual Elementary School Fine Arts Presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 5 at 3:45 p.m.
There will be a K-5 art exhibit and solo concert in the gym and lunchroom.
Please email Ms. DiOrio at
[email protected]
if you are able to help set up the art show that day.
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| 5th Graders Selling Snack Mixes in Reusable Bags |
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by the 5th grade students
Don't you hate having to go to the store to restock on snack bags? It's not just you who hates it. We hate it too. Every day, millions of plastic snack bags are thrown out, and then replaced. So now our landfills and our oceans are full of plastic. This is unhealthy for animals, marine life, plants, and humans. It is toxic to our water and our air.
This is changeable, and although a lot of people try to limit the amount of waste they throw out, there are still too many of us who can try harder to improve the world. We at Maimonides have found a way that we can help.
The Maimonides fifth graders will be selling snack mixes in reusable plastic bags, which, instead of throwing out after every use, can be put in the dishwasher and then used again and again! When you buy a snack bag, after you enjoy it, you reuse these decorative dishwasher- and freezer-safe reusable bags!
Make sure to bring $1.50 for a small snack bag, or $2.50 for a large snack bag, to buy these tasty treats that save the environment. 5th graders will be selling these at the end of lunch time on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays for the next few weeks.
For more info (or if you have a question), contact Mrs. Slovin at
[email protected] .
Here are the ingredients for the different types of snack bags that we are making. (Please note that we are also creating an allergy-free mix under Nurse Robin's supervision.)
Movie Theatre
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Trader Joe's popcorn
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Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
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Trader Joe's Honey Wheat Pretzel sticks
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Mishpacha real non-dairy chocolate chips
Classical
Cereal
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Chex
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Trader Joe's Multigrain Cereal O's
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Oreo-O's cereal
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Trader Joe's Crisp Rice Cereal
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Cookie Crisps
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Mini Chips Ahoy
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Trader Joe's crunchy cinnamon squares
Tropical
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Trader Joe's Strawberry Yogurt-o's
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Trader Joe's roasted plantain chips
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Aurora natural Mango slices
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Trader Joe's freeze-dried Blueberries
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Trader Joe's Multigrain Cereal O's
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Trader Joe's freeze-dried strawberries
Cheesy
Chocolate
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| Informational Evening for IEPs and Public Funding |
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Gateways: Access to Jewish Education and CJP are hosting an informational evening to discuss the IEP process, parent rights, and public/proportionate share funding. This will be held at the Newton JCC on Tuesday,
May 29, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. and is open to parents and teachers of students attending Jewish day schools.
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PTA Butcherie Receipt Drive
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The PTA is organizing a Butcherie receipt drive! Get your Butcherie receipts stamped each week and give them to your children to bring to their teachers. When a class reaches 150 receipts, they will have a pizza party or an ice cream party!
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Science Camp
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Registration is now open for science camp!
Camp will run for two weeks again this year:
Week 1: June 25-29 -- STEM
Week 2: July 2-6 (no camp July 4) -- Art, Food, and the Environment
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Lost and Found
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Things are looking better on the lost and found table as the weather is slowly improving. Please take a close look and retrieve any items that you recognize.
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| Screen Time for Students |
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We know that many parents try to limit screen time for their children and would like better guidelines or alternative means for students to practice their skills.
We have compiled the chart below with our recommendations and requirements for each grade. If your child does not do well with these programs and you would like alternative ways for them to work on their skills, please let the teachers know and they will be glad to make other suggestions and/or supply other materials.
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Lexia
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Reflex Math
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KeyboardingWithout Tears
or Typing Club
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DreamBox
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Ariot Cal or iTalAm
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Dah Ber
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Kindergarten
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Required
20 minutes a week; possibly more for specific students.
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Recommended
2x week
15 Minutes
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First
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Recommended 15 minutes a week;
possibly more for specific students
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Recommended 15 minutes a week
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Recommended
1 x week
15 minutes or more
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Second
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Recommended 2x week
10-15 minutes;
possibly more for specific students
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Required
2x week
10-15 minutes
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As assigned by teacher
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Third
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Recommended for specific students
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Required 3x week
15 minutes
between school & home
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KWT
Required 2x week
15 minutes
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Optional
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As assigned by teacher
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Optional & Occasional
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Fourth
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Recommended for specific students
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Required
3x week
15 minutes until completed
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Typing Club: Optional up to
3x week 15 minutes
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As assigned by Teacher
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Fifth
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Recommended for specific students
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Required
3-4x week
15-20 minutes until completed
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As assigned by Teacher
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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 the Other Divisions
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 Lots of wonderful things are happening at Maimonides School!
If you'd like to take a peek at what's happening in the other divisions, click to visit the Early Childhood Center, Middle School, or Upper School newsletter pages.
If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails:
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!שבת שלום
Rabbi, Reena, and the Maimonides ES Faculty
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