bekesher in touch with hamc

BEKESHER
rcqb
IN TOUCH WITH HAMC
146 Dover Chester Road, Randolph, NJ 07869  973-584-5530
February 2010 - Shevat/Adar I 5771
HAMC PRESCHOOL ENTERS THE 21ST CENTURY
O
Ricki Rubin, Director of the Lillie Brandt ECC
ne of the goals of every classroom in every
school in the United States is to prepare its
students to become responsible leaders in the
world of tomorrow. The traditional preschool
classroom -- with its mini-kitchen for role-playing, block
corner for developing problem-solving and math skills, and
music and art classes for creativity -- contains important
components for developing skills in the early learner.
However, it does not completely address the new skills
that all children will need in order to face the challenges
of our rapidly changing world.
There has been a very dramatic and bold change in the
way we communicate and learn. The 21st century
classroom, at every developmental level, needs to change
in order to reflect the way our leaders of tomorrow will
function. Our children need to become literate in the
tools they will be using and comfortable enough with
those tools to be able to navigate with ease. It isn’t
enough to know that technology can be incorporated into
the child’s day for entertainment purposes. Even young
learners must become media literate and must integrate
media into their preschool day as naturally as that set of
blocks.
Here at the HAMC, in our effort to be at the cuttingedge of education, we have already installed
technologically advanced equipment in our classrooms and
provided all of our middle school students with
computers. And now we will be installing SMARTBoards
and touch-screen computers in our Junior Kindergarten
classrooms so that even our early learners will have the
opportunity to experience the best that education has to
offer. Our preschool teachers will be trained through our
connection with Rutgers University, and we will surface as
a model for the next generation of preschools. Our fouryear-olds will have the same opportunities to learn via
this media as our kindergartners currently have.
Clearly SMARTBoards and touch-screen technology have
proven to be tools that help us reach every type of
learner better. Teachers in other grades report that
these technology tools have not only benefited the
average and above average students but have also
provided a new avenue for success to those students that
previously had been less successful in the classroom.
Touching an item and physically moving that item cements
the process for the young learner and reaches the
learner that needs a more hands-on experience.
It’s a bit scary to think that our already wonderful
preschool classroom and its methods will change, but they
won’t. There will simply be another element in the room
which will blend naturally with our day. Children will still
build in the block corner, visit the vet’s office in the
dramatic play corner, finger paint with shaving cream, and
cut and glue at a table with the teacher or assistant
teacher. Traditional centers work well, but we will be
adding a center at which two children may sit and work
together at a touch-screen computer to reinforce initial
consonant sounds or to help them master a patterning
concept. The SMARTBoards will become the center for
the morning routine and beyond; the children now will
“sign in” on them in the morning instead of moving their
name cards, and they will look at the day’s weather by
watching it “in motion. Throughout the day, the teacher
may work with a small group at a SMARTBoard to
reinforce a skill. The possibilities are endless.
The children will still be getting messy, playing together,
and coming home excited about their creations and the
friendships they made and cemented at school. We will
not lose that traditional warmth and excitement
associated with our preschool classrooms. Time in every
center will still be monitored and encouraged. We will
simply be insuring that our JK students are prepared to
enter our kindergarten and the world of the future waiting
for them.
News from the Development Office
Naomi Bacharach, ‘79, Director of Marketing & Development
Shomrei Torah Update
Save these dates:


Major Gifts Dinner Sunday March 6th at the Home of Ido and Jennifer Zairi.
Shomrei Torah Celebration Sunday, June 12th at the Home of Laurie Levy and
Steve Altarescu
Thank you to the following families who gave to the Annual Campaign, Shomrei Torah, during the past
month.
Current Parents: Mr and Mrs Derek Benz, Mr and Mrs Joshua Frankl, Mr Aric Gitomer and Dr. Helene Reich,
Mr Barney Katchen and Ms. Victoria Morrison, Mr and Mrs Jason Leinwand, Mr Daniel Levin, Mr Myles
Maher and Dr. Cheryl Bahar, Dr Gilbert Mayor and Dr Jacquelin Holubka, Mr and Mrs George Muskal, Mr
and Mrs Samuel Rothfeld, Ms Janice Rozenwasser and Rabbi Eliseo Rozenwasser, Dr and Mrs Jonathan
Sussman
Alumni Parents: Mr and Mrs Charles Brand, Mr and Mrs Mitchell Davis, Dr and Mrs Steven Denholtz, Mr
Barry Ginsberg and Dr. Lauren Cooper, Dr and Mrs Charles Joseph, Mr Aron Schwartz and Ms Amy
Brunswick, Dr and Mrs Morton Wertheimer, Mr and Mrs David Wolf, Mr and Mrs Alan Zelazo
Alumni Students: Miss Breena Beck, Mr Myles Beck, Miss Mariah Beck, Ms Robyn Glass Norrbom, Mr
Raymond Gnesin, Mr Daniel Hakakian, Mr Jonathan Hakakian, Miss Jaime Levy, Mr and Mrs Rachel Meiner,
Miss Sarah Neibart, Mr Shane Neibart, Ms Esther Neibart, Mr Zachary Ramsfelder
Current Students: Mr Ross Levin, Mr Max Ramsfelder,
Grandparents: Mr and Mrs Jed Marcus
Current Faculty: Ms Rhonda Levine, Mr and Mrs Glen Vida
Friends: HAMC Parent Association, Mr and Mrs David Neibart
Ongoing Fundraisers that anyone can
do…
HAMC has a number of fundraisers that
are ongoing throughout the school year.
Most take no effort and offer our families
and friends an easy way to participate in
fundraising for the school.
www.recyclingforcharities.com for instructions for sending in your phone.
Designate HAMC as your charity of
choice, and they will send us a cash donation on your behalf.
dough you order.
☺Lands’ End: Clothing purchased from
the Lands’ End School Catalog earn 3%
for HAMC. When ordering, please use
the Preferred school number 9000-75193. Catalogs available in the office.
☺Genesis Art Prints: Available for purchase and displayed on the right wall of ☺Recycle Ink Jet Cartridges: Send in
the administrative wing opposite the
your used ink jet cartridges (no laser,
NEW: Open a new account at Heritage
main office are works of art originally
please!) in a baggie. We recycle and
Bank and tell them you are affiliated with
commissioned by HAMC based on Parreceive a rebate on each one.
HAMC. HAMC will get a bonus!
shas from the Book of Genesis. Parents
☺Boxtops for Education: Clip the Box
receive 30% or more Give or Get credit. ☺Schoolpop: Before you shop online,
Tops symbols found on General Mills
register at www.schoolpop.com and then
Contact Jill Granik for info.
use this site for shopping. A percentage
and Kleenex products and send them to
☺Joe Corbi’s Cookie Dough: Register at
of your purchases will be rebated to
the office.
www.joecorbisdirect.com and they will
HAMC.
☺Cell Phone Donations: Go to
send HAMC $4 for every tub of cookie
Hats off to 4th Grade
The 4th grade ended 2010
with a special Hat Day
celebration. The class read
“Boss of the Plains,” the
story of how John Stetson
created the Stetson Hat.
His hat protected the
cowboys from the harsh weather-whipping wind,
scorching sun, and drenching rain. The 4th graders
were given the task of creating a new hat to solve a
problem and writing an advertisement for their hat.
They made a “campfire” in the classroom and
presented the original hats. There were surveillance
hats, health care hats, sleeping aide hats, tissue hats,
and snack hats. The day ended with a traditional
campfire treat, homemade S’Mores! Delicious!
Celebrating Dr. King
On Thursday, January 13, the Fifth Grade presented a
program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his
non-violent fight for civil rights in America. The class
created a human timeline with information about the
progress of civil rights over the last sixty years. They
sang and danced and then had a “black and white”
party where they ate black and white foods.
Blue Box Bob Brings Boxes
Blue Box Bob from the JNF
came to visit our students in
preparation for Tu B’Shevat.
He sang some Hebrew songs,
danced with the children,
and told them stories about
Israel and the importance of
planting trees. In the older
grades, Blue Box shared the
story of how he came about
and played some Tu B’Shevat
trivia games with the students. He gave each child a
JNF tzedakah box, and the money collected in these
boxes will be sent to Israel to replenish the 5 million
trees lost in the horrible Carmel forest fires. Blue
Box’s visit was a wonderful lesson on the mitzvah of
giving tzedakah and helping others.
Let’s Move It, Move It, Move It
In ECC Science classes, the
students have been working
on a new unit of K’Nex. They
were very excited to build
and create objects that
move.
Math Day “Adds” to Learning
JK-1 on the Move
JK-1 students began a new
Hebrew unit on transportation,
focusing on such vehicles as a
car (michoneet), bus (otoboos),
airplane (aveeron) taxi
(moneet), and train (rakevet).
They also learned a new song
about a train called “Heenay
Rakevet,” and the children
chugged around the room making train motions with
their hands while singing this song.
The 2nd grade Math Day had
students working with math
problems, playing math games,
and eating math while doing
fractions all day long. The class
had a great time and can’t wait
for another Math Day.
A Monster Project
The 5th graders researched
monsters for a report, presented
their reports to the class, and had
to do several activities, including
writing an advice column to
improve their monsters’ images.
Dress Down Green Day Was So...Green!
Amitai the
Shaliach Teaches
Israel to the 5th
Graders
HAMC Celebrates Tu B’Shevat
with Activities and a Day of FUN!
Seniors from Lester Housing came to HAMC to
celebrate Tu B’Shevat with our students
ECC Students
Are VERY
Serious about
the Computers!
After School Enrichment
Is SO MUCH FUN
Is there anything
better than
dipping stuff in
GREEN chocolate?
Learning how to solder is a
nifty skill to know.
Mazal Tov to our 1St Marking Period
Middle School Honor Roll Students
High Honors/Head of
School List
Adina Gitomer, 8
Marcella Rozenwasser, 8
High Honors
Esther Bekhor, 6
Elias Neibart, 7
Jacob Rosenstein, 7
Jillian Sperber, 8
Sarahlily Stein, 6
Jacob Stein, 8
Honors
Sydney Altman, 7
Julian Biller, 8
Michael Bucca, 6
Dahlia Elbaum, 8
Ophir Hudes, 6
Zachary Karger, 8
Noah Leinwand, 8
Charlotte Schreiber, 7
Brenna Scott, 8
Matti Stewart, 8
Joshua Trif, 7
Emily Weiner, 8
Sam Weiner, 6
Sara Widmann, 8
Kudos and Life Cycle Events
SCHOOL CALENDAR
for February
Please send info for this column to [email protected].
If we don’t know about it, we can’t print it.
Mazal tov to the following students and their families who are celebrating
B’nai Mitzvah this month:
 Sarah Bacharach, February 5th
 Edward Novick, February 5th
 Dana Mayo (former student), February 26th
Mazal tov to the following on their new additions:
 the Gutkin family on the birth of Nava Rose on January 1st, the first
baby born in Morris County in 2011!
 Amichai (‘89) and Yael Solomon on the birth of Pele Melech Shalom
on January 22nd. The Solomons live in Israel.
Our condolences go to the following and their families:
 current parent, Jill Saxon on the passing of her grandmother.
 alumni parent, Zofar Svirsky, on the passing of his mother Luba.
 alumni parent, Shaul Mizrahi, on the passing of his mother, Shoshana.
 current parent, Dan Levin, on the passing of his wife, Dawn.
 current parent, Rabbi Bekhor, on the passing of his grandmother,
Rachel Saleh
 current parent, David Gilenson, on the passing of his father, Oscar.
 staff member, Rabbi Hami, on the passing of his grandmother.
May Hashem comfort the mourners among those of Zion and Yerushalayim.
COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY
Adat Israel Congregation, Boonton (C), Rabbi Gerald Chirnomas,
973-334-6044
Adath Shalom, Parsippany (C), Rabbi Mark Biller, Cantor Jack
Korbman, 973-539-4440, adath-shalom.org
Chabad Center of NWNJ, Rockaway (O), Rabbi Asher Herson,
973-625-1525, onetorahway.org
Chabad of Randolph (O): Rabbi Avraham Bechor, 973-895-3070,
randolphjewish.com
Congregation Ahavath Yisrael, Morristown (O): 973-267-4184,
www.ahavas.net
Congregation Beth Hatikvah, Summit (RC): Rabbi Amy Small,
973-701-1665, bethhatikvah.org
Congregation Shaya Ahavat Torah, Parsippany (O): Rabbi Shalom Lubin, 973-335-3636, parsippanyshul.org
Jewish Center of Sussex County, Newton (I): Rabbi Cathy Felix,
(973)383-4570, thejcsc.com
Lake Hopatcong Jewish Community Center, Hopatcong: Rabbi
Asher Krief (C), Rabbi Richard Kirsch (O), 973-398-8700,
www.lhjcc.org
Morristown Jewish Center Beit Yisrael, Morristown (C): Rabbi
David Joseph Nesson, Cantor Yadim Yucht, 973-538-9292,
mjcby.org
Mt. Freedom Jewish Center, Randolph (O): Rabbi Menashe East,
973-895-2100, mtfreedom.yolasite.com
Temple Beth Am, Parsippany (R): Rabbi Ronald Kaplan, 973-8870046, tbaparsippany.org
Temple B’nai Or, Morristown (R): Rabbi Donald B. Rosoff, 973539-4539, templebnaior.org
Temple Hatikvah, Flanders (C): Rabbi Moshe Rudin, 973-5840212, templehatikvahnj.org
Temple Shalom, Succasunna (R): Rabbi David Levy, 973-5845666, tshalom.org
White Meadow Temple, Rockaway (C): Rabbi Benjamin Adler,
973-627-4500, whitemeadowtemple.org
Tuesday, 2/1
Jerusalem Workshop, 8th grade
Friday, 2/4
Rosh Chodesh Celebrated
Monday, 2/7
Executive Committee Meeting, 7:45 PM
Thursday, 2/10
Havdalah Workshop, 5th grade
Friday, 2/11
Dress Down Day
Fri & Sat, 2/11 & 2/12
5th-8th grade Shabbaton
Saturday, 2/12
Family Havdalah Program
Thursday, 2/17
Board Meeting, 7:45 PM
Mon-Fri, 2/21-25 Mid-Winter Break — SCHOOL CLOSED
Visit the HAMC website at hamc.org.