I remember going to a parent-teacher meeting when one of my daughters was very young. “When your daughter prays,” said her 22-year-old teacher, “she does it with a lot of energy and vigor.”
“Great,” I responded. But the teacher wasn’t finished.
“But I don’t think she’s doing it out of love of G-d; I think she’s too focused on trying to win my approval.” (Which, it was immediately obvious, was not forthcoming!)
How can you help guide your children to the most enriching after-school activities? It helps to think about all the options.
According to estimates from Child Trends DataBank, the most popular after-school activity for children is sports, with 31% of children participating in athletic programs. Other popular choices include religious activities (20%), arts (18%), scouting (10%), community service (8%), academic activities (7%) and school clubs (6%). To identify local opportunities for your child, ask at school and inquire at places such as swim centers, arts centers, museums, recreation centers, universities and synagogues.
It is the end of summer—already. And you know what that means: going back to school, or starting school for the first time. While many parents are happy to see their kids off to school, after a summer of having them at home, other parents become sad, especially if their children are heading off to school for the first time. Parents can become anxious when they consider the new challenges their children might be facing in school this year.
In addition to the usual social and educational stresses of going to school, kids are faced with a slew of other social stressors, including peer pressure and bullying. Talking with your children about these issues at age-appropriate times may help decrease their chances of becoming a victim.
The sound of your child crying and clinging desperately to you as you try and escape to the door is enough to make any parent want to sweep them up and promise to never leave them again. But the reality is that sometimes moms and dads have to leave their little ones. For those of us lucky enough to have family members nearby, the first day of school may just be the first time your little one is not in a family member’s presence.
Shlomo is two years behind in reading and his parents are worried. His trouble began in kindergarten, when his teacher noticed that he could recognize letters but had trouble figuring out their sounds. Things got worse in 1st grade. Shlomo would recognize a word but not how to say it. He would see the “s” and “h,” but would forget that together they create the “sh” sound.
As time went on, the words got longer, and Shlomo had more trouble. When words were more than two syllables long, he would be lost. Sometimes he managed to hide it. He would understand some words, string them together, and figure out the rest by knowing what would make sense in the paragraph.
The goal of Hillel Yeshiva, beginning with the ELC, elementary and middle schools, through the demanding high school program, is the education of the whole child by encouraging a love of learning and instilling in each student a sense of confidence. Hillel takes pride in offering both rigorous general studies and Judaic studies programs while strengthening each student’s bond with Eretz Yisrael.
This year we take tremendous pride in the accomplishments of our high school graduates as well as the accomplishments of students that attend other high schools but received a strong foundation at Hillel Yeshiva. We congratulate the following students on their achievements and wish them a future filled with continued success:
Summer vacation with all its sweetness also has a sour side: it can easily rob your child of what he or she has gained over the school year.
Research shows that over the course of the summer, the average student forgets nearly 60% of the math, reading and writing skills learned during the school year. For weaker students, in particular, a two-month vacation from learning can be an enormous setback.
On August 30th, 2009 at Deal School, a softball tournament will be played to raise money for one of the biggest charities in Israel—Hazon Yeshaya. All proceeds raised will go directly to help this great organization.
Since 1997, Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchen has been providing life-saving meals to thousands of Israel’s neediest adults and children. Hazon Yeshaya was founded by Abraham Israel, a successful businessman of the Syrian Jewish Community of New York. He set up a small kitchen to serve 17 starving Jerusalem residents. Today, Hazon Yeshaya provides more than 400,000 hot meals each month at over 60 distribution points across Israel.
Students should be aware of one fact as they finish their final exams and gear up for their summer vacations: apparently, even after classes are over, even after graduation, the spirit and values of the school stay with you.
Magen David Yeshivah’s PTA kicked off the summer with three successful events. Summer is the perfect time for students and parents to socialize and build on the bonds built during the school year.
On June 23rd, a fun bowling tournament was held for incoming 5th and 6th graders at Bradley Bowl. Over 75 children competed for 1st place trophies. The 1st place winners were: Richie Ayal, Mal Franco, Ikey Dayan, and Moses Betesh. The second place winners were: Emma Dayan, Yola Haber, Carol Sabbagh and Lorraine Gammal. Many thanks to Lisa Elo and Jeanie Zalta for all of their hard work.
In 1788, the first Jews (between eight and 14) arrived in Australia from England, as part of the fleet of convicts sent there as punishment for petty crimes. It is claimed that Joseph Marcus, a former convict, founded the Jewish community in Sydney in 1817, along with the formation of the Jewish Burial Society (Hevrah Kadishah).
In 1821, the first group of free Jewish settlers arrived in Australia. Reports estimate that by 1828, approximately 100 Jews had moved there. By 1841, this figure had increased to 1,083 and in 1844, the country’s first synagogue was built in Sydney. This inspired many other Jewish communities to establish their own congregations in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
As late summer arrives and I take my children shopping for school supplies, I am brought back to my own school days. I have vivid memories of walking into Big Top (our local toy and stationary store) and slowly going up and down the aisles deciding on the perfect binder or whether to use one spiral notebook with six dividers or buy six separate ones. Big Top was one of my favorite stores as a kid; the candy section alone was enough to throw me into raptures. And my excitement did not end once I had made my purchases. It would grow incrementally as the first day of school drew near.
There is much excitement in the air when one walks into the newly renovated Deal Sephardic Youth Center. The center, which was founded over 20 years ago on the grounds of Congregation Magen David of West Deal, was built for the purpose of keeping our community youth together.
Throughout the years, many parties, game nights, barbecues and classes have been held in the facility.
In a secluded corner of my backyard, hidden in the recesses of a bush that I’d never looked twice at, sits the most beautiful robin’s nest I’ve ever seen. My 10-year-old daughter found it and was instantly entranced. We examined it together, and were amazed at how carefully it was assembled, how perfect the little blue eggs were, and how miraculous it is that a bird was able to build and nurture this intricate home within the trees.
