The Y.E.S. Press SCHEDULE REMINDER! 5:21. Wednesday, January 1 No Preschool Teacher Work Day 1/2 Day Elementary School.

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1 Rabbi Sholom Volk General Editor Mrs. Cypy Winkler Layout and Graphic design The Y.E.S. Press Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Janowski Principal Mrs. Sharon Levine Associate Principal Rabbi Chaim Friedman Assistant Principal Mrs. Sharon Zweig Preschool Director Rabbi Elchanan Zweig Director of Development & Educational Support The Weekly Newsletter of Yeshiva Elementary School 24 Teves, 5774 December 27, 2013 Volume 8, Issue 14 Parshas Va Eyra Candle Lighting: 5:21 SCHEDULE REMINDER! Wednesday, January 1 No Preschool Teacher Work Day 1/2 Day Elementary School

2 P A G E 2 D VAR TORAH & INSPIRATION By: Rabbi Yosef Zemel, 7th Grade Rebbe At the beginning of this week s Parsha, Hashem instructs Moshe Rabeinu to deliver an important message to K lal Yisrael. He is to inform them that Hashem will free them from their slavery, take them out of Mitzrayim and bring them into Eretz Yisrael, the land which Hashem promised to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. When Moshe relates this information to K lal Yisrael, the pasuk tells us that the nation did not accept this consolation because of the heavy workload which was upon them. This is difficult to understand. Ordinarily, one who is in a desperate situation will greet any chance of being assisted with open ears. Why did Klal Yisrael s painful state inhibit them from absorbing Moshe s words? Shortly thereafter, Hashem commands Moshe Rabeinu to convey to Paroh that Hashem will be redeeming the nation. Moshe expresses his concern that his speech impediment will prevent Paroh from obeying his commands. Hashem instructs Moshe to join with Aharon and speak to Paroh and (according to the Meshech Chochmah) Bnei Yisrael about leaving Mitzrayim. Rashi explains that Aharon was to go together with Moshe and be his spokesman to Paroh. This would alleviate Moshe s worry relating to his stutter. With regards to returning to K lal Yisrael, however, Moshe is to address the nation and try speaking with them once again without any apparent adjustments. Bnei Yisrael s status has not T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S changed, so why would they react any differently than they had the first time? The Meshech Chochmah explains that when Moshe Rabeinu told Klal Yisrael that Hashem would take them out of Mitzrayim, they had no trouble accepting this great news. What could be better than Hashem ridding them of this horrible burden? It was only the second part of the message, the promise to bring them to Eretz Yisrael, which they were not ready for. Someone who is going through a very difficult time often feels stuck in his immediate problems and cannot deal with any issues relating to his future. Bnei Yisrael s slavery in Mitzrayim was so intense that they could not focus on the concept of entering the land promised to their avos. When Hashem tells Moshe to return to Klal Yisrael the second time, the pasuk only discusses going out of Mitzrayim without any mention of Eretz Yisrael. Since Hashem saw that the nation was not ready to hear about Eretz Yisrael, He adjusted the message and asked Moshe to simply assure Klal Yisrael once again that they would soon be relieved from the unbearable hardships. We are often faced with this same issue. We try to convey a particular point to our children or our friends and become frustrated when we feel that what we say is not being internalized. We must ensure that the time and setting are appropriate and that we choose our words carefully. In this way, our message will be more readily accepted and we will help each other continue to thrive and grow. Good Shabbos!

3 T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S P A G E 3 Spotlight on the Classrooms Third Grade Appreciates Nature Mrs. Feldheim s third grade is learning about leaves! In an exciting inter-curricular activity, they started out on a nature hike searching for different types of leaves. After collecting many beautiful and interesting leaves, the girls brought them back to the classroom. They began by creating their own bar graphs, and using a ruler to graph the lengths of their leaves. It was interesting to note the average length of the leaves nearby Y.E.S. 2 inches! After their math activity, the girls tried their hand at some leaf art. They created beautiful crayon rubbings of all the different and interesting leaves they found. A lot of girls commented on how amazing it is to focus on a specific part of Hashem s creation it makes us notice all the details and varieties we never noticed before! Fifth Grade Siyum Celebration and Expo Fast Approaching As the Fifth Grade boys come close to the monumental accomplishment of completing Mishnayos Berachos, they are preparing for a major siyum celebration, to take place just before mid-winter vacation. A major part of the festivities will be the Second Annual Fifth Grade Mishnayos Expo, featuring student presentations of various topics in Maseches Berachos. In addition to an exciting review, this format provides an opportunity for the boys creative talents to shine. Additionally, the presentation of their project to a crowd of their peers and parents is a learning experience unto itself. Rabbi Nisson Friedman Tests 6B As both Sixth Grade classes celebrated the siyum of their first blatt Gemara recently, the boys were treated to a סעודת מצוה complete with singing and dancing. Following the meal, their mastery of the Gemara they had learned was put to the test by the Rosh Mechina, Rabbi Nisson Friedman, who was very impressed by the boys command of the sugya, both in terms of their reading of the difficult Gemara terminology, and their understanding of the shakla v tarya. דרך andגמרא very impressed by their, the "I am amazed at how well the boys knew remarked. The Rebbeim and faculty are doing a great job!" Rabbi Friedman ארץ

4 P A G E 4 T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S Mrs. Joan Cowett Curriculum Coordinator How many teachers have found themselves happily teaching away, only to hear a voice pipe up, Why do I need to know this? How is this going to help me in later life? Probably all teachers have been challenged this way at some time or another, and in fact, while teaching skills is critically important, it is vastly more important when humans students and adults alike learn to apply them to every day problem solving situations. As responsible teachers--and that includes parents, of course--we are obligated to teach students to take skills and knowledge beyond the memorization stage and advance to the stage where they can use them to solve real life problems. How do we do this? By supplying our students every day with opportunities to practice critical thinking. For example, adding subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals are among the learning standards in fifth and sixth grade. But by asking students to use their understanding of decimals to create a budget so they can plan a family vacation, we are upping the ante; we are making education relevant, and we are teaching our children to be problem solvers. When first graders analyze the work of Eric Carle so they can apply his style to their own writing, they are learning to think critically. The philosophy behind the recently adopted Common Core Standards suggests that less is more. This isn t a new philosophy, but it does highlight a major component of critical thinking. That is, it isn t adequate for students only to memorize. They must also learn to apply what they memorize, and it is appropriate that assessments reflect this application process. Ergo, studying for a test is about more than memorizing facts; it s about asking questions, thinking about concepts, and making connections between those concepts and the real world. How is this going to help me in later life? the student calls again from the back of the room. The intentional teacher can answer, with confidence, This will help you become a better problem solver, and in being a better problem solver, you become a more competent, more able human being. All Y.E.S. students are invited to bring their original writings and artwork to the office for a chance to see it published in the Y.E.S. Press!

5 T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S P A G E 5 Boys School Berachos Bee Season Officially Underway Great excitement fills the atmosphere throughout the Boys School, as the much anticipated Berachos Bee is only a few short weeks away! Boys of all grades can be seen and heard reviewing their Berachos at all times even during recess! This year s packet has been updated from the one used previously for both clarity and content. Changes in the way some foods are produced have resulted in shifting Beracha classifications, and we have striven to stay current with these modifications. Especially in the older grades, Berachos Bee תשע ד will require boys to familiarize themselves with more Berachos than ever before. This year, the boys knowledge of the text of certain common Berachos will be put to the test as well. (inset: Boys preparing for the Berachos Bee) The Grand Bee is scheduled for ו בשבט,ט Thursday, January 16, and judging from the energy and time investment that our boys are making, it looks like we may need to order two hundred Berachos Bee Winner trophies PRESCHOOL NEWS Nursery had an amazing week learning about our community helper, the Dentist. They enjoyed Dr. Berkowitz s visit, who showed them how to take care of their teeth and the importance of keeping our teeth healthy. The children tried on his special glasses that he wears when he cleans and fixes teeth. Thank you Dr. Berkowitz for coming, and for the toothbrush, toothpaste, and flossers that you gave to each child! The Pre-K continued their Brochos unit with Shehakol this week! The children made their own cotton candy! They also made delicious chocolate and vanilla pudding parfaits with whipped cream and sprinkles. They also did a lot of yummy Shehakol marshmallow math. They estimated the number of marshmallows in a jar, sorted them by color, and used them to measure some item in the classroom. When they finished, they made a Bracha and enjoyed the treats. Pre-K also had a special visitor this week, a doctor! Dr. Bennett explained the importance of eating healthy food and keeping clean to avoid germs that make us sick. He played games with the children and gave them prizes. They enjoyed taking turns wearing Dr. Bennett s coat, and looking at his stethoscope and auto scope.

6 WEDNESDAY HOT LUNCH ORDER FORM To order hot lunch on a regular basis, please check one or more of the boxes below. If you are selecting individual dates to order lunch, please check the days you would like to order and enter the number in the worksheet below. If you have any questions, please call the Y.E.S. office. Please return this form to the office with payment no later than January 13, When signing up for an entire session, each meal is $5. Individual dates will be $5.50. Wednesday, January 29-June 11 Option 1: Chicken Finger, Rice, Vegetables, Fruit Cup Option 2: Cucumber Sushi Roll, Fruit Cup STUDENT NAME: every Wednesday (17 $5) $85.00 GRADE: individual dates (multiply $5.50 by # of dates checked) $ Total amount enclosed: $ Date Chicken Meal Sushi Meal January 29 February 5 February 12 February 19 February 26 March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 2 April 9 April 30 May 7 May 14 May 21 May 28 June 11 Please make check payable to Y.E.S.

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8 Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Janowski Principal Mrs. Sharon Levine Associate Principal Mrs. Sharon Zweig Preschool Director LEILA & JOSEPH APPLEBAUM YESHIVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL December 16, CARLYLE AVE. MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA TEL FAX Rabbi Mendy Karmel Asst. Principal Rabbi Elchanan Zweig Executive Director Mrs. Wendy Tokayer Administrative Asst. Mrs. Beth Breier Registrar Dear Friends, It s time again for another successful Chinese auction! We have begun planning our winter Chinese Auction. This event enables us to provide a quality education to all Jewish children in South Florida regardless of the family s financial circumstances. The success of the auction depends on the generosity of individuals like you. Whether you are a current or past parent or generous supporter, please continue to show your support by completing the enclosed sponsorship form. All Auction sponsorships are counted toward give or get obligations. We are grateful for your support and wish you continued success. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call our office at Sincerely, Chaya Kibel Wendy Tokayer Auction Chairpersons

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