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$5 Million Challenge Gift Boosts Capital Campaign
International philanthropists Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson have made a significant pledge to Rashi's Capital Campaign - a challenge grant of $5,000,000. This means that the Adelsons will match every dollar pledged in the coming weeks - from new donors as well as existing donors who wish to increase their support - up to $5,000,000. Campaign co-chairs Jill Goldenberg and Lisa Wallack are confident that this extraordinary gift will help propel the Campaign to completion.
The Adelsons are known for their philanthropy to Jewish causes. They have established a Boston-based foundation which pledges to contribute $200 million annually to Jewish causes. They have funded a Jewish high school in Las Vegas, where they live, and have made a major contribution to Hebrew SeniorLife for the multigenerational community in Dedham where Rashi's new building will be located. The NewBridge on the Charles site will be known as the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Campus.
New Building Plans: Rashi leadership has reviewed the building plans and, in partnership with the firm of HMFH Architects, Inc., redesigned our new school building. The new building plans are for an 82,000 square foot building that incorporates a dynamic design into a highly efficient use of space. The building now has a smaller footprint, providing efficiencies in both construction and long-term maintenance costs, while still ensuring a school that will have top quality academic, programmatic, and athletic facilities to enrich the Rashi experience. Rashi expects to move into the new building in the fall of 2010. For more information on the building, go to www.rashi.org/dedham
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Update from Grades 3-5
It is often said that as we enter the last trimester of the year, school winds up instead of down! This is so true at Rashi where our students' days are teeming with culminating activities for units, special events and holiday celebrations. School-wide, we have Purim,tamchui and science fair/science showcase. In classrooms on the second floor, third graders are being visited by guests to help teach their disabilities unit, fourth graders are completing a unit on Native Americans, and fifth graders are both finishing science fair display boards and beginning Nationality Day. Amidst all this learning, students are also learning how to use the new computers and laptops that are now accessible on our floor. Laptop carts are being used daily by all the grades. Below are a few snippets about how we are integrating the new technology into our curriculum.
In third grade, students have been using the laptops for social studies and science lessons. Teachers and students have visited websites that have interactive lessons. Using a laptop connected to a LCD projector, teachers have been able to show students how to access specific sites on their own laptops. For example, as a part of the electricity unit, students visited a site that helped them to learn about electrons, protons, and neutrons. In social studies, students visited a site which practiced finger spelling as a part of their disabilities unit.
In fourth grade, students are using the laptops and the computer lab for practicing their typing skills with the keyboarding program UltraKey, as well as for word processing. The laptops have been a tremendously helpful for students as they have written and edited their Native American magazine articles. Additionally, they are also being used for final drafts of Writers' Notebook entries.
In fifth grade, the laptops and the computer lab have been invaluable in helping students to create documents for the upcoming science fair. Students have been using the technology to write and edit lab reports and to create graphs using Excel. Not only did fifth graders learned how to input data in a spreadsheets, but they also learned how to label and define their data according to different parameters.
It has been wonderful to see how readily and easily students and teachers integrated the new technology at school. We look forward to seeing it continue as students tackle the increasing challenges of the spring curriculum at Rashi. Fasten your seatbelt, there's still lots more learning ahead!
Amy Gold, Division Director |
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Middle School Celebrates Pi (π) Day
The Middle School celebrated its fourth annual Pi Day on March 14. As you may remember, pi (π) is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle, commonly approximated to 3.14. This makes 3/14 the perfect day to take mathematics "out of the textbook" and to celebrate its many dimensions. At Rashi last Friday, all the teachers and staff wore a pi badge on their clothes and many wore pi t-shirts as well. Many students in the Lower School were introduced to the symbol, and decorated and displayed their own pi badges.
Each grade level in the middle school participated in three different "hands-on" activities related to pi or circle or geometry. Many activities related to the fact that pi is an irrational number: when it is written as a decimal, the decimal never ends and no block of digits ever repeats.
 For example, the sixth grade made a long paper chain where each digit was represented by a different color. They completed 700 links representing the first 700 digits of π and the chain is now hanging on the third floor hall. Sixth graders also used our new laptop computers to make bar graphs and circle graphs, representing the frequency of the digits of π.
Seventh graders did a toothpick dropping experiment whose probability involved π, and they wrote "Pi- kus" using the digits of pi to dictate how many syllables should be in each line. (The first line was three syllables, the second line one syllable, the third line four syllables, etc.)
 Eighth graders did "pi origami", folding circles to create triangles, hexagons, a frustum (ask an 8th grader), and a Star of David. They also cut a 3 x 5 index card in such a way as to create the largest circle they could. In one class, two students could stand in the circle; in the other class, they combined their circles so the whole class was able to stand inside it!!
One of the highlights of the day was the memory contest, where many students memorized and recited up to the first 100 digits of π.
 Yasher koach to the students who were able to recite 100 digits: Gary Baker, Suzy Landon, Sarah Tollman, Sydney Dixon, Ben Bavly and Will Rivitz. Kudos to semi- finalists Jacob Rich, Cam Lopez Wilen, Jeremy Oshins, Marissa Haber and Gabe Goldberg.
 Another highlight, the pie eating contest, is a student favorite on Pi Day. This year, 8th grader Ethan Fitzgerald was the pie eating champ, beating out eleven challengers, and eating two whipped cream-filled crusts in the blink of an eye.
The Middle School was filled with lots of laughter, cheering, camaraderie and high spirits on Pi Day. We celebrated the beauty and complexity of mathematics in a way that was fun and engrossing for all of us. To see 8th grader Sam Glasgow's impressive array of Pi Day photos, go to: http://slgworks.com/rashi/pi_day
Ilene Stellar, Middle School Math |
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Creative Spanish Projects Reinforce Vocabulary
Did you know that Rashi students are learning to express themselves, not only in English and Hebrew, but also in Spanish? Our seventh and eighth graders study Spanish with Lorena Kavande-Flores, who some parents may also know as Rashi's Librarian.
She notes that just as in other subject areas, Spanish classes employ a variety of methods to reach students with different learning profiles. In order for students to master and learn the vocabulary by immersion, students do a variety of written, verbal and projects related to the vocabulary.
 This week, seventh graders presented the towns they had created, pointing out various places on their original maps and recommending in Spanish where to go on a visit to the town.
When the students return from their trip to Washington, DC, they will create an album of their favorite places, describing each in Spanish.
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Food Fest Celebrates Science Learning
Did you know that Rashi Middle School science students are learning that all living organisms are divided into the kingdoms of protista, fungi, plantae, animalia, eubacteria and archeobacteria? While seventh graders are researching these kingdoms using the school's new computers and preparing powerpoint presentations, the sixth graders celebrated the conclusion of their study unit with a Kingdoms Food Fest.
 Each student made a food that used ingredients representing at least two of the kingdoms. The delicacies included smoothies (fruits are plantae), sushi with seaweed (protista), and desserts with yeast (fungi) and whipped cream (eubacteria).
Left: Steak (animalia) on bread (fungi) with tapenade (plantae) was one of the specialties at the grade 6 food fest.
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March 20, 2008/13 Adar II 5768 |
Tamchui Donation Week
Rashi students in grades K-8 donated their Tamchui chips to the organization(s) of their choice after learning about five charities that benefit children throughout the world.
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Coming Up |
Mar. 21
Megillah Reading and Costume Parade 8:15 am
Mar. 24
Gr. 7 trip to Washington, DC
Mar. 25
Gr. 5 Science Fair/Showcase
all day & 7 pm
Accepted Parents Reception 7:30 pm
Mar. 26
Gr. 1 Play 8:15 am
Mar. 27
Gr. 7 returns from Washington, DC
Mar. 31
Yachad Teacher Appreciation Lunch
Apr. 3
Pizza Thursday
Gr. 8 departs for Israel
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New date for Grade 7 Family Education Program
Due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts, we have had to reschedule the Grade 7 Family Education Program once again. The program will be held on Friday, May 9, 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. We hope all Grade 7 parents will be able to join us on that day, and we apologize sincerely for any inconvenience the rescheduling may cause. |
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Yachad
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
Here's a quick way you can support Yachad and all our programs. Simply clip the "Box Top" from all your cereal, Ziploc bags, and even personal items. Bring these labels into the office and deposit them in our "Box Top" receptacle. It's that easy. We get 10 cents for every box top we redeem. Let's see if we can earn $300 for Rashi. Start clipping (and ask your parents/friends to clip also)!
Ros Switalski
Mom of Dan, Gr. 2, and Allison, Gr. 1
BUTCHERIE RECEIPTS
Another way to help us raise money is simply to bring in your Butcherie receipts and place them in the envelope in the Yachad box. Our school earns a percentage of all that is spent at the Butcherie. How easy can that be? Making a big Passover order at the Butcherie? Don't forget the receipt!
PIZZA THURSDAY
April 3
April 17
May 1
May 15
May 29
June 5 -- our make-up date for the "boiler day" June 12 - last date
IMPORTANT DATES
**The special workshop for 4th through 6th grade will be rescheduled. Please pay attention to your mail/e-mail for the new date of the "Mensch Workshop.**
VOLUNTEER CELEBRATION
**Thursday, May 1, 2008 7pm** at the home of Elizabeth and Bruce Wilson. For the first time, Yachad will be having a special cocktail party to honor and celebrate al of our MANY volunteers. Consider yourself invited! Details and invitation to follow.
Andie Insoft &
Susan Altman |
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Community News
JNF Purim Gala Sun., Mar. 23 at 6 pm, State Room, 60 State St., Boston. Donations support Green Horizons Youth Movement.
Israel @ Emeth Celebrating Israel's 60th Anniversary
"The Riveting Saga of Modern Israel"an interactive multi-media seven part series seen through the mind and eyes of Senior Advisor to the A.J.C.: Dr. Lawrence Lowenthal.
Sun., Mar. 23, 10:45 am -12:00: A controversy still gripping the world of 2008: Zionism - A History; Sun., Mar. 30, 10:45 am -12:00: Turbulent beginnings: Aliyah, Yishuv (Jewish settlement in Palestine) and violent Arab resistance; Mon., Apr.7, 7:30 -8:45 pm. 194 South Street, Chestnut Hill, MA.
Temple Israel of Natick
presents the fifth annual Connie Spear Birnbaum Memorial Lecture featuring Rabbi Harold Kushner on Sun., Mar. 23 at 7:30 pm (doors open at 7). The evening will include a tribute to Jacob Birnbaum by the Zachor Choral Ensemble, and a musical prelude. Free and open to the public.
Innovation in Israel @ 60, Sun., Mar. 30, 2:30 pm at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley. www.bostonisraelaction.org
A symposium with high tech CEOs and leaders in the energy, biotech and information technology sectors.
The Leventhal-Sidman JCC will have a vacation program on Tues., Apr. 22-Fri., Apr. 25.
9am-4pm Grades K-6; daily special highlights and swimming. A bountiful and delicious Kosher for Passover buffet lunch and snacks will be provided. Any questions or to register over the phone call Ellie at 617-558-6442. | |
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