Keeping Connected    May 2024

Hello Friends,

As we quickly approach the end of the Religious School and Hebrew School year, we are also already thinking about and planning for next year.

There are lots of fun and exciting events, programs and services that mark the end of the temple school year. Please watch your emails for information on these end-of-the-year activities. Also, be ready for registration packets for the next school year to be sent out soon. The School Committee has been working hard to streamline the registration process and move it to online registration. We will not be able to roll that out this year due to time constraints, but the forms should be a little clearer this year and less repetitive. For the following year, hopefully it will all be online!More

February 2024   Keeping Connected

The Sunday morning Religious School gathered together on January 28 to celebrate Tu B’Shevat while the teachers had the opportunity to meet with parents for Parent/Teacher conferences. It was a successful morning, filled with joy and enthusiasm, song and prayer, and celebration. (and good conversations between teachers and parents!)

Our youngest students (preschool through 2^nd grade) gathered together to explore all things about trees and helping to take care of the Earth. They engaged in songs about trees, talked about ways to help the world and got to participate in lots of different activities such as making a bird feeder out of Cheerios and painting a tree complete with their own ideas about ways to help the world using their hands. The students made their own edible trees (out of pretzel sticks and grapes) for snack and ended the morning by having a birthday party for trees, complete with party hats and playdough cake.  It was a spirited morning, filled with lots of learning opportunities and fun.

The older students gathered together for a Tu B’Shevat seder. Ari joined us to accompany the group in beautiful music, though on several occasions, Ari dropped off her voice and the sanctuary was filled with song from the students – beautiful and inspiring. The students sat at mixed-age tables with their temple school community and interacted and participated all morning.

The students began the morning by sharing their own ideas of ways to help create a healthy Earth. They then worked together to create forests of trees out of air-dry clay which became the centerpieces for the seder table.

The seder proceeded as we talked about the seasons and represented them with four different cups of juice, going from white juice to pink juice to red juice and ending with dark red juice, each corresponding with a season.  The students got to eat various foods – fruits with shells, fruits with pits and entirely edible fruits. Each time, the students shared their own ideas of how the idea of these different fruits could describe people. Their responses were impressive.

 

 

The students created long lists of all types of trees including fruit trees, family trees and the Tree of Life!

It was a wonderful morning, filled with laughter, joy, learning and prayer.

It continues to be a joy to spend Sunday mornings with the students of our school.

Deborah

 

Schedule for February 2024

• Friday, February 2

            6:00pm – Pizza Dinner offered for all families ($5 per person)

            7:00pm – Family Shabbat

• Sunday, February 4

            6^th/7^th graders field trip to the mikveh

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

• Wednesday, February 7

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

• Tuesday, February 13

            Post Confirmation at Congregation Shalom – 7:00pm-8:30pm

• Wednesday, February 14

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

• Sunday, February 18 – NO SCHOOL due to Massachusetts February vacation
• Wednesday, February 21 – NO SCHOOL due to Massachusetts February vacation
• Sunday, February 25 – NO SCHOOL due to Massachusetts February vacation
• Wednesday, February 28

             Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

• Friday, March 1

            6:00 pm – Shabbat dinner offered for all

            7:00 pm – Family Shabbat, led by the 4^th/5^th grade class

 

Keeping Connected  January 2024

I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break and got to relax, spend time with family, eat yummy food, and practice a little Hebrew!

As we begin a new secular year, it feels like a good time to revisit our tzedakah projects for this year and hopefully engage more of our school and community in our tzedakah efforts.

There are several different projects going on each day, all around the idea of Shomrei Adama, being caretakers of the earth. Participate in one, two or all of these challenges as the year continues!

Plastic Recycling – As you may know, you can collect soft plastics from home, bag them up and place them in the big white bin in the entrance way of the temple. Plastic bags that you are recycling need to be bagged up into another bag for the collection. These donated bags are weighed each week and then dropped off at a donation facility. The bags will eventually be turned into more environmentally friendly building materials. We have been keeping track of how much plastic has been donated so far, and after 3 ½ months of collection, we have collected 71 pounds of plastic!

Tzedakah Money Donations – We are also collecting money to help fund the purchase of a piece of furniture made from the recycled plastics to add to our outdoor temple space.  As we collect money, the bench will fill up with brown pieces. When we have an entire bench, we will have enough money to purchase a Trex bench or rocking chair. People can simply donate money into the plastic bag that sits on the tzedakah table in the lobby. Keep an eye on the brown bench as our year continues.

Recycling Redeemable Cans and Bottles – We also have a new collection can in the kitchen at the end of the counter, behind the door. This new can is for congregants to donate empty and clean redeemable cans and bottles (no beer cans, please.) The can or bottle will say that it is redeemable in MA. A young student on the journey to become a B-Mitzvah is emptying the bin frequently, redeeming the cans and bottles at the grocery store for five cents apiece and then donating the collected money into our tzedakah bag. (Please note that this new can is just for redeemables. There is still a red bin in the kitchen for all other recyclables.)

We hope you can find ways to contribute to the tzedakah efforts at Congregation Shalom.

A little bit from everyone goes a long way! Let’s continue to work together to care for our earth by joining together with the work of Shomrei Adama.

Here’s to a healthy planet for all,

Deborah

 

Schedule for January 2024

• Wednesday, January 3

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

• Friday, January 5

            6:00pm – Family Shabbat Dinner – all school families are invited

            7:00pm – Family Shabbat – led by the 1^st/2^nd/3^rd graders

• Sunday, January 7

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            5^th grade parent meeting – 10:30am

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

• Wednesday, January 10

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

• Sunday, January 14 – NO School due to MLKJr. weekend
• Wednesday, January 17

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

• Friday, January 16 – Tot Shabbat at 6:00pm
• Sunday, January 21

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            Bagels, Blocks and Beyond Playgroup – 9:00am – 10:30am

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

• Wednesday, January 24

             Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

• Sunday, January 28

            Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am

            Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences

            Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm

• Wednesday, January 31

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm

Keeping Connected  December 2023

There is a lot going on during the month of December before we take a short winter break.  Hanukkah, which begins on the 25^th of Kislev (night of December 7) brings with it lots of joy and excitement. The Hebrew School classes will work on chanting the three Hanukkah blessings, along with learning some other Hanukkah related words. Sunday classes will take some time to celebrate Hanukkah through games, information and G’imult Chasadim (acts of loving kindness).

Here are some school related Hanukkah programs and services that you won’t want to miss this season! We hope to see you at Congregation Shalom celebrating Hanukkah together.

5^th Annual Hanukkah Menorah Creation Contest – Now through the morning of December 10

Create your own Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukkiah) by yourself, with friends or with your family.  We challenge you to create a unique menorah using any materials you would like. The menorah does not need to work but it does need to have nine branches, one for each night plus the shamash (helper candle). Bring your creative menorah to the temple so that it can be showcased in the lobby, as well as online.  Voting will begin in-person during the School Hanukkah party on December 10 and will continue online through December 14. Will you win the contest year?

Family Shabbat Hanukkah Service – Friday, December 8 at 7pm (preceded by a school Shabbat dinner)

Join together at this family service to welcome Shabbat, support our students and celebrate Hanukkah. This service will be filled with music, Hanukkah lights and a sense of peace. If you plan to join us for dinner at 6pm, please let Deborah know of your plans.More

Keeping Connected  November 2023

On Sunday, October 22 our entire Religious School (Preschool – 7^th grade) met at Good Pickin’ Farm in Westford, for a Noah’s Ark school experience. We all had a wonderful morning together, getting to see, pet and hold so many different farm animals. We all went on an “ark” ride (might have looked like a hay ride) around the farm, singing songs and talking about Noah and his ark. We ended with a snack of animal crackers! It was a really fun time for all. Some comments that I have heard since the trip include:

“It was so fun to do something as a whole school.”

“I saw so many kids having such a great time.”

“Can we go on another field trip?”

“Are we meeting at the farm or at temple next week for class?”

“I think we should always meet at the farm!”

“The goats were my favorite part.  Can we get a goat for temple?

Our field trip to the farm was funded by the Education Fund. The Education Fund supports many different things throughout the year. It provides enrichment opportunities and materials to supplement the school. In the past, the Fund has supported Sunday morning music, B’nai Mitzvah study materials, Family Shabbat dinners, new curriculum purchases, teacher trainings and so much more. Money gets into the Ed Fund through donations and through fundraising.

On Sunday, November 5, from 8:15am – 9am, the School Committee will be hosting a fundraising breakfast. For $5 a person, one can get a variety of breakfast items (bagels, fruit, muffins, beverages.) This happens to be the morning after moving the clocks so it is a great way to use your extra hour – enjoy breakfast with your friends and school community. In addition, drink tumblers will be on sale for $20 each. The tumblers were made by our own students, with Jewish Stars all over them, drawn by the students themselves. They are really beautiful and you will probably want one for yourself and one to give as a gift!

The School Committee is accepting donations of breakfast items to help offset the cost of the breakfast and to allow for more money to be added back into the Ed Fund for future programing.   Sign up to donate some food at this link- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0848A8A82AA1F58-45240634-november#/

We hope to see you and your family at the breakfast!

Thank you,

Deborah

 

Schedule for November

• Wednesday, November 1

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm-8:15pm

• Friday, November 3

            6:00pm – Family Shabbat Dinner – all school families are invited

            7:00pm – Shabbat – led by the 6^th/7^th grade

• Sunday, November 5

            School Breakfast Fundraiser – 8:15am-9am

            Religious School, 9am-11am

            Kitah Aleph – 11am – 12:15pm

• Wednesday, November 8

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School, 6:15pm-8:15pm

• Sunday, November 12 – NO SCHOOL (long holiday weekend)
• Wednesday, November 15

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm

            Chai School – 6:15pm – 8:15pm

• Friday, November 17

            Tot Shabbat at 6pm

• Sunday, November 19

            Religious School, 9am – 11am

            Kitah Aleph – 11am – 12:15pm

            Bagels, Blocks and Beyond Playgroup – 9am – 10:30am

• Wednesday, November 22 – NO SCHOOL 
• Sunday, November 26 – NO SCHOOL 
• Wednesday, November 29

            Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm