New Computers Have Arrived at Rashi

We are very busy at Rashi preparing to roll out a new Macintosh computer system for academic use. Students in grades 3-8 are very excited to use new computer labs as well as traveling carts of laptops that will come into classrooms. "Soooooooo cooooooool", said one sixth grader last week when she saw the stacks of 70 new machines.

With this Peerless-funded initiative, Rashi is leaping forward in technological capacity. Teachers will be able to run enhanced writing workshops in their classrooms, incorporate computers into science labs, teach and guide Web-based research in classrooms, and numerous other applications. Already, eighth graders have done Web-based dissection simulations for a biology lab, using the laptops in their science classroom.

Thanks to the members of our Technology Committee - Marshall Carter, Barbara Ross, Mike Papadopol, Dave Rosenberg, and Ali Fine - for their work in researching options and suggesting the best use of Peerless Funds.

Once the system is fully running after February vacation, the computer labs on the second floor and in the third floor library will each be equipped with fourteen flat panel iMac desktops, networked through a new server. Also linked to the server will be four rolling carts, each carrying ten iBook 13" laptops.  Each machine is equipped with a wide array of software including PowerPoint, Word, and Mellel, a Hebrew writing program. The specially designed and equipped cart also hosts a printer, LCD projector, and wireless hub.

Faculty are already planning the best ways to teach with these machines, and we will also be refreshing students' understanding of how to responsibly use school computers. We ask you to review the information below with your child (grades 3-8), to help us successfully integrate the new computers into academic life. The guidelines include:

v      The utmost care must be taken with these machines.  Students must follow teachers' specific instructions about the use and handling of the computers. 

v      Each student will log in with her/his own unique password and user ID and save documents in a specific file.  Passwords must not be shared; at no time and for no reason are students allowed to access another student's desktop or files. 

v      For efficient log-ins and to protect the new machines from viruses, students will only be able to import or export documents to and from Rashi computers as email attachments.  Memory sticks are not permitted.

v      Rashi computers are to be used for teacher-guided, academic use only.  Students are not to change settings or preferences, play games, send or receive IMs or personal emails, browse the web, etc. Students found using school computers for non-academic purposes will have their privileges limited.

Thanks for your support, and be sure to ask your children in the coming months how they are using the computers!

Meet the Extended Day staff

When you pick up your child from Extended Day you are greeted by friendly teachers whom you may have not had a chance to get to know on a personal level. I will be highlighting the Extended Day staff in the Daf Kesher so that you may know them better than a brief "hello" or "good-bye" at the end of the school day.

This week, I would like to introduce Ben Goldberg, a prospective social studies teacher working this year at Rashi as an extended day teacher and substitute teacher. Ben is finishing the coursework for his Master's Degree in Education. He is licensed to teach in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Ben's greatest interest and lifelong passion is chess. He is a national Expert in strong pursuit of earning the title of Master from the United States Chess Federation.

Stephanie Ho, Extended Day Director

Pizza Thursday was a huge success again last week due to our dedicated group of volunteers: Sageet Bar-Yam, Laurie Kallus,
Meryl Feinberg, Wendy Kirchick, and Laurie Gershkowtz.

Thanks to all of you.

Challah delivery is made possible by Janet Taylor, Krista Alperin, Jessica Aronoff and Amy Burd, to name just a few.

If you see any of our regular volunteers, please be sure to thank them. They make our school run so very smoothly!

Annual Appeal Update

Coming Up

Dear Rashi Families,

As part of my Bat-Mitzvah, I am doing a project that involves Reach Out and Read, a national program designed to promote early literacy skills and school readiness within primary care settings. In Boston, Reach Out and Read is located at the Children's Hospital, which collects donations of gently used and new books to distribute to children.

I would appreciate your help by bringing in books that your family members do not read or use any more. Please make sure that books are not coloring books, books that are dirty, scribbled on, missing pages, ripped, have religious themes, etc.  I will put collection boxes in the Atrium on the second floor.

Thank you,

Nicole Finkielsztein, Grade 7

Megillah Readers Wanted