It's hard to believe that I'm writing the last Principal's message for this school year. June is a month that is full of joy, excitement, perspective and hope for students, parents, staff, board members and those who support us.
Our students are feeling the power of what they have learned. Reading, writing and listening skills have been developed and are now used for expanding the learning palette. Our parents see the growth their children have made this year. Our kids have grown socially, physically and academically. June begins a time of family growth. Travel, camps and special events help to strengthen family ties and our Judaic heritage.
The staff gets to reap the rewards of a years worth of planning, integrating, teaching and molding. June is the time we assess how well our curriculum, programs and teaching styles have affected our children.
The Board of Directors should feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment in enabling us to fulfill our mission and move forward. We have developed a business plan that gives structure to our vision and will guide us in the areas of operations, marketing, fundraising/development, recruitment and community relations. We feel blessed to be supported by so many - those who support us financially and the volunteers who give of their time and love.
In the fall we will move to Andover, MA. It is the next phase of our business plan. We concentrated our efforts this year on getting the word out about Kadima, our mission, and long term plan. Next year we will reap the benefits of our work and bring new families to Kadima. We will add a grade 1-2 combination class in the fall which is also in keeping with our business plan.
Our success this year comes from the hard work of our students, staff, board members, parents and our supporters. We can all feel good about our accomplishments and look forward to another great year for 2008-2009. Over the next four years we will add grades 3, 4, 5, and 6. The sky is the limit and we can feel good that our mission is worthwhile. A dynamic Jewish and general education is alive and well in the Merrimack Valley thanks to your efforts and support.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer. Spend time reading to your children and having them read to you. Keep their minds active and tell them you love them and that you are very proud of the work they did this school year.
Thanks again for your support,
Michael Jacobson "Jake"
SCHOOL TALK.........
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS ... and KADIMA!
The Kadima children left their mark on the city of Boston with their visit to the Public Garden, the Boston Common, and Beacon Hill. With their little feet pounding the pavement, the Kadima kids were transported into the pages of Robert McCloskey's famous childhood classic, "Make Way for Ducklings." The trip began at the Public Garden entrance with the bronze statue of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings there to greet us. We made our way to the swan boats and received a wonderful boat tour around the pond and island with an up close and personal sighting of the real "Mrs. Mallard" sitting on her nest full of eggs. Mr. Mallard kindly escorted our boat to the dock. After our chartered Swan Boat tour, we were off to the Common for lunch at the Frog Pond. With Mother Nature's cooperation, we were able to enjoy a picnic with the flowers and trees in bloom and the warm sun shining upon us. With our bodies nourished and energized, we then began our walking tour of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a place to live. We traveled to the State House and over Beacon Hill and found no place there. We walked on to Louisburg Square and decided there was no water to swim in so this wouldn't be a good place for ducks to live either. Traveling down Mount Vernon Street, we reached the Corner Book Shop and traveled down Charles Street just as Mrs. Mallard did with her eight ducklings. It was very busy with many cars, buses, and traffic, so we decided this was no place for a family of ducks to live. At the end of Charles Street, we crossed over Beacon Street and entered the Public Garden. After this long walk with many hills, cars, and people, the Kadima children realized what a difficult job Mrs. Mallard had escorting her babies around Boston in an attempt to find a great home for her family. The peaceful island in the Public Garden was where they decided to make their home, and many visitors, young and old, are able to visit the Mallard family and enjoy this classic story from 1941.
HAPPY 60TH ISRAEL!
As Jews in Israel - and, indeed, around the world - celebrated the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence, Hebrew teachers everywhere struggled with the challenge of making such an important day - and complicated history - come alive for young children. How do you forge identity, not to mention love, with a faraway place that in no way feels like a homeland to children growing up in the Merrimack Valley? At Kadima we found an easy answer: SHIMON! This eccentric Jerusalemite (with a remarkable resemblance to Yaffah) spends six weeks taking his eager tourists all around the country, showing off the places he loves and creating excitement for ancient rocks and modern skyscrapers alike. With the help of lots of props - a hat, real bus tickets, shekalim, snacks - dozens of pictures and photographs, a funny Israeli accent, and most important, children�s natural imagination, the "passengers" are transported to Jerusalem (for five days), Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Dead Sea, Eilat and a kibbutz. They walk on top of the Old City ramparts, eat ice cream in a Tel Aviv bet-kafeh, stroll in the gardens of Haifa's Bahai sanctuary, float in the Dead Sea, snorkel at Eilat and pick oranges at a kibbutz. They then go back to the "hotel" to read about the place they have just visited, and even answer Hebrew questions about the story - quite an accomplishment for five and six-year olds! Besides the large amount of information and vocabulary that the children absorb, Shimon's "autobus" establishes what we hope will be a lifelong connection to Medinat Yisrael.
On Yom HaAtzma'ut we had a mini "Yom Yisrael." Dressed in blue and white, the children devoted their day to Israel activities: singing and dancing to classic Israeli songs, looking at pictures of the Haganah's secret underground weapons factory, creating puppets of chalootzim and chayalim (pioneers and soldiers), making blue and white windsocks and flags, chopping salat Yisraeli to go with their falafel lunch. They were able to listen for a half hour to the story of the founding of the State, and when they heard about the British flag being lowered and degel Yisrael being raised for the first time in 2000 years, they all broke into spontaneous applause. In this era when Zionism is hard to come upon, we know that it is alive and well at Kadima!
KADIMA PERFORMS AT "ISRAEL @ 60"
We are so proud of the Kadima chorus, who admirably represented our school at the Merrimack Valley Jewish Federation's "Israel @ 60 Celebration in Song" on May 18. In front of hundreds of people, the children belted out the four verses of "Todah," a Hebrew song which lists the many things we are grateful for: a forgiving heart, a friend or two, a warm house, a corner to sit in, someone to love. Our six students more than held their own with the other much larger adult and children's choirs. Their performance illustrated the very song they sang: "Thank you for the twinkle in my eye, the smile of a child... the redemption of 2000 years." After the performance, dozens of people came up to us to comment on the children's talent, confidence and spirit. Kol HaKavod, Kadima!
SPRING GALA
On May 4, over a hundred people came to our school to honor Rabbi Ira Korinow, the 2008 recipient of Kadima's Healer of the World award, for his ongoing support of Jewish day school education, and longstanding work in the area of social action. The music of "Memphis Sun," led by our own principal Mr. J, set the celebratory tone for the afternoon. Guests from all over Boston were treated to a Silent Auction which featured a wide variety of items, including a wine refrigerator, a family fun package, lunch with a fireman, stained glass Judaica and two sets of Red Sox tickets. In recognition of the place of Hebrew in our curriculum, Rabbi Dan Schweber, honorary chair of the Gala, recited a poem by Israel's poet laureate, Chaim Nachman Bialek. A lavish buffet of international foods provided a delicious meal as guests watched a slide show highlighting aspects of Kadima's wide ranging program. Rabbi Korinow was visibly moved by the many tributes, including a presentation by Board Member and past president Bill Herman, and a citation by Mayor James Fiorentini. In his acceptance, Rabbi Ira emphasized the key role that day schools play in Jewish continuity. The highpoint of the evening was the performance by Gann Academy's a cappella group, the Shenaniganns, who by the end of the evening had the whole room standing, swaying and clapping to the music. And, indeed, Kadima had something to clap about: The Gala raised over $20,000.
CHILDREN'S QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD
As every student knows, the Kadima day starts with T'fillot, a service of song and prayer in which children become familiar with the Shacharit service. An important part of this activity is "T'fillah B'lachash," silent prayer, followed by sharing what we are grateful for. But the most significant part of T'fillot - the part that really enters their hearts and souls - occurs when children spontaneously ask questions about God. The children's uninhibited curiosity, amazed wonder at the world, and deep desire to find meaning in what surrounds them can serve as a model for anyone seeking to explore a spiritual dimension.
KADIMA KIDS "CLIMB TO THE TOP"
Our successful Hitamloot (Physical Education) program is coming to a close with one more week remaining in Keer Teepoos, Rock Climbing. Our very skilled climbers have mastered several rock walls utilizing proper climbing techniques, terminology, and equipment. They have all mastered the technique of bouldering and spotting, and each week every child sets a new climbing goal for himself and successfully reaches that goal. From our youngest to our oldest student, all the climbers have given their best efforts and have thoroughly enjoyed this active and enriching program.
TZEDAKAH FOR RONALD McDONALD HOUSE
Each Friday as we prepare for Shabbat in our classrooms, we reflect on what a wonderful week we have had and what we are grateful for. In doing so, children see the special opportunities they are afforded each week, and how fortunate they are to have experienced these opportunities. Our students have diligently and faithfully brought in Tzedakah each Friday to collaboratively save for a donation to a specific charity. After donating toys to the pediatric oncology ward of Tel HaShomer Hospital in Tel Aviv, we are now contributing our Tzedakah to the Ronald McDonald House in Boston.
For over 25 years, the Ronald McDonald House has provided a home away from home to families who have children with cancer. Families are charged only $10.00 per night (with a cap of $200.00 / month) and they are never turned away if they can�t afford to pay. The house accommodates up to 23 families a night and is in need of very specific donated items. With our Tzedakah, the children will be purchasing some of the items on the following wish list. If you wish to participate in this project by making a cash contribution or a donation of any of the following items, please send them to school with your child by June 6th to ensure delivery to the Ronald McDonald House prior to the close of school. Thank you for your support for a very worthy cause.
KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN TO THE WORLD OF READING
With spring well underway and summer rapidly approaching, we've experienced the excitement of our world transforming from the dull, bleak brown of winter to a vibrant green and colorful spring. Year after year, we see this spring cycle, and year after year, it is still a new and energizing experience. As teachers, we are approaching the end of a cycle as summer vacation begins. Still, we look ahead with bittersweet feelings, as we prepare to say goodbye to the children we have nurtured for the past year and we look ahead to fall and the beginning of new relationships and teaching opportunities.
As teachers, we teach our students how to learn independently with the hope that they will always continue to learn in our ever changing world. To become an independent learner, a child needs to acquire literacy skills, good study habits, the ability to manage time and workload, and a very positive sense of self confidence. All of these skills are interconnected and will develop when children are taught how to learn as well as what to learn. We introduce learning strategies by modeling them and then carefully offer guidance as the children practice these strategies. Gradually, they master these skills and then we release the responsibility onto their shoulders.
Summer is a wonderful opportunity for children to independently and leisurely reinforce their mastered knowledge base, and to introduce and explore new and exciting learning opportunities. Children's literature engages children in reading that captures their interest, enhances their imagination, and generates an enthusiasm for learning. Through reading, children develop a love and enjoyment of books. Their vocabulary knowledge and reading fluency increase. They begin to develop background concepts and broaden their general knowledge foundation. Literacy develops as children learn about reading and writing by observing around them. They may see you reading a book or a newspaper, a sibling doing homework, a neighbor writing a grocery list, or a family member completing camp enrollment forms. All of these examples expose children to literacy opportunities on a daily basis. By offering summer reading to children, you are consistently providing models of good writing and helping to maintain the reading skills your child has developed during this school year. As our school year comes to a close, we would like to offer a few suggestions to assist you in supporting your child's developing literacy skills and to help make reading more enjoyable this summer.
* Read aloud together with your child every day. Make it fun by reading outdoors, in the yard, at the beach or at the park. If you are reading at bedtime, open a window to see the stars or the door to let in the fresh night air.
* Provide a wide variety of reading materials for your child to explore.
* Share some of your favorite childhood books and stories.
* Expose your child to current events with nonfiction books.
* Show your child how you use writing throughout the day.
* Make sure your child has access to writing materials.
* After reading together, discuss it! This is a way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity for thought and insight.
Remember, children learn by doing. By integrating summer reading into their daily routine, you are empowering them to become independent readers and learners!
