Shabbat Shofar

Vol.20    No. 1     August 14, 2009    24 AV   5769  Re’eh   Candles   7:31 p.m.

E mail: bbluestein@bsssmemphis.com
Web: www.bsssmemphis.com

Thoughts from the Head of School

     Welcome to the Shabbat Shofar, our weekly school newsletter.  The Shofar contains a wealth of important information about our school, so take a few minutes each week to peruse the articles.  The Shabbat Shofar can be found each week on our web site at www.bsssmemphis.com.  Future editions of the Shofar will be sent through e-mail in a new updated format.
     The first day of school was truly filled with excitement and we had a very smooth opening for 2009-2010. The students were ready to learn and enthusiastic. Their positive energy was felt throughout the school.  For me personally, it was quite exciting to see the students on their first day back at school. I get my energy from the children. I loved hearing stories about summer beach vacations and summer camp experiences. We started the day with an all school assembly in the Wendy and Avron Fogelman Hall, then everyone attended T’fillot, and finally students headed to their rooms to learn about rules, procedures, guidelines and policies.

      The week before the students’ first day of classes the teachers spent a week of in-service learning about Differentiated Instruction, Learning and Neurological Development, Second Step Character Education and the updated version of Every Day Math.  BSSS is fortunate to have such a committed, creative, dedicated and talented group of educators. You can be assured your children are getting the best education in Memphis!   
  
      I want to invite BSSS parents to the appropriate Back to School Night.  The Lower Grades (1-5) program will be held on Tuesday, August 18th beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the Upper Grades program will be held on Wednesday, August 19th beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Back to School Night is designed to give parents an opportunity to meet the teachers and learn about the educational program for their child’s grade. Parents will receive their parent-student handbook in their child’s classroom. The program is for parents only.

     Thank you for your cooperation with our dismissal procedures. Our procedures for the Kirby Zone are a little different this year. Students will wait within the ornamental gate until either Mrs. Gish or I call their name or number.  I do have a few reminders.  We are able to see the numbers more clearly when your number is hanging on the rear view mirror. Please keep the number visible until your child is in the car. If you park at Beth Sholom and get out of your car to wait for your children, please wait on the BS sidewalk, rather than on the school sidewalk.  Please walk in the crosswalk area rather than in between cars in the line. We want to ensure the safety of teachers, parents and students.      
                
My best wishes to the entire BSSS family for a most successful school year.

Shabbat Shalom,
Brenda Bluestein

Parashat Hashavuah

In this week’s Torah portion (“Re’eh”), Moses says to the people of Israel, "I place before you today a blessing and a curse” - the blessing that will come when they fulfill G-d's commandments, and the curse if they abandon them. The parasha continues with the requirement to build a Temple where the people can bring their sacrifices to G-d. The Parasha also presents the law of a false prophet, and then lengthily discusses the Mitzvah of charity. The Parasha concludes with the laws of the three Regalim (pilgrimage festivals)- Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. You can find more about this Parasha online at:
http://urj.org/torah/ http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehama/reeh.html
 http://www.uscj.org/Reeh_57698102.html

Wish List

• 3 electric pencil sharpeners @ $30.00
• $700 for a laptop projector
• $750 for a laptop computer
• $500 for language arts materials for the enrichment program
• $500 for a math program for students with special needs

Weekly Menchcraft Themes

Responsibility – Getting off to a good start by being a Mensch.

Condolences

BSSS staff and Board members would like to convey their condolences to our 4th grade teacher Mrs. Riedell on the passing of her dear mother, Corinne Lanzillo, during this summer.

Todah Rabbah

• To BSSS PTA for providing breakfast during teacher in-service week, Erin Ostrow, Marissa Moss and members of the BSSS Board of Directors for providing snacks for the faculty and staff during in-service week.

• A big thank you to Rachel Morrison, Myrna Cohen, and Ida Houston for preparing items for the teachers’ back to school breakfast.
• To Iris and Ronald Harkavy, Judy and Morris Kriger, Buddy and Jean Ballin, and Judy and Nick Ringel for donating beautiful ceramic pots and plants for the Evelyn and Jerome Makowsky lobby in honor of Jerome Makowsky’s 75th birthday.
• Amy Hertz and Robert Shankman for donating a computer projector, 2 projector carts, 2 benches for the Makowsky lobby, DVD player musical instruments for the music class.
• To Hallie Cohen and Felicia Riedell and for hanging 8th grade pictures in the Makowsky lobby.
• Patti Elster for volunteering to help in the office during the first few days of school.

Kabbalat Shabbat

Mrs. Traynor and Morah Sharabi’s 5th grade class will be performing at Kabbalat Shabbat on August 21st.

Honorarium, Recovery & Memorials

Thank you to all who have remembered BSSS for Honorariums, Recoveries and Memorials during the summer 2009.

IN HONOR OF:

MRS. B’S RETIREMENT
                Ellen & Stanley Eisen
ALEX ALPERT’S 8TH GRADE GRADUATION
                Jennifer, Joe Roberts & Family
JORDAN SHIPOWITZ’S 8TH GRADE GRADUATION
                Jennifer, Joe Roberts & Family
GARRETT SMITH’S 8TH GRADE GRADUATION
                Jennifer, Joe Roberts & Family
LOUISE & JERRY SKLAR’S ANNIVERSARY
                Mildred Schwartz
                Alvin Salomon
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY OF MR. & MRS. IRA LEVY
                Scott & Barbara Klazmer
IN HONOR OF STANLEY ELSTER’S BIRTHDAY
                Miriam & Bernard Danzig
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADELE & LOUIS KESBER
                Steve Kisber

RECOVERY OF:

IRWIN OSTROW
                The Toprek’s and Hirsch’s
DR. JACK BISNO
                Barbara & Mannie Scheinberg
MANNIE ETTINGOFF
                Barbara & Mannie Scheinberg

IN MEMORY OF:

SIDNEY BAER
                Brenda & Ephie Bluestein
                Rachel & Anthony Morrison
                Marc, Myrna & Eli Cohen
                Lisa & Jonathan Frisch
                FRAN SCHIFF
                Stacey & Michael Alpert
YARZEIT OF KALMAN SILBEN
                Sylvia & Bruce Feldbaum
JOHN RICHARD CARVEL
                Brenda & Ephie Bluestein
IRVIN SPECTOR
                Louise & Jerry Sklar
                Sandy & Webster Riggs
CORRINE LANZILLO (MOTHER OF MRS. FELICIA RIEDELL)
                The Shankman Family
ANNABELLE WILK
                The Du Family
IRVING WILENZICK
                Barbara & Mannie Scheinberg