The MaccaBEE

 

. . . All The Buzz                             

 Issue 19

 

  Friday, June 6, 2008                                        3  Sivan  5768  

 

AUSTIN JEWISH ACADEMY (AJA) LAUNCHES TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM

 

Austin Jewish Academy Head of School, Bernice Tabak, has announced that “in response to community needs, Austin Jewish Academy has created a transitional kindergarten program known as Gesher (“bridge”) to begin in the August 2008 school year.” “Gesher,” explains Tabak “is designed for students who are in a transitional year between pre-school and kindergarten. Most commonly, students will be from 4.10 months through 5.3 years of age as of September 1 of the enrolling year, although developmental readiness is a far more critical factor than chronological age.”

 

This newly developed program is designed to align expectations with the skills and readiness levels of the students, with the goal being to parallel the regular kindergarten program as closely as possible. The transitional kindergarten will give the “young” kindergartener the opportunity to blossom at his/her own rate in a relaxed environment.

Kindergarten teachers, Aileen Duncan and Kathy Rosenmann welcome the addition of this transitional kindergarten option to AJA. Both have witnessed the demands of the traditional kindergarten classroom increase over the years and feel that “this Gesher program will give younger students academic and social stimulation without undue expectations and pressure.”

 

In the spring of the transitional kindergarten year, a conference will be held with the parents, teacher and administration to determine next year’s placement. Although most students will move on to kindergarten, some will show readiness for first grade enrollment. Decisions such as these will be based on skill development and overall growth during the transitional kindergarten year. Austin Jewish Academy is very pleased to offer this new and exciting opportunity to our community. Applications for the Gesher program are now being accepted. Call 512-735-8350 or email Sharon.swedlow@austinjewishacademy.org  for information or an application.

 

MA NEESHMA – WHAT’S HAPPENING AT AJA  

To access the AJA School & Community Events Calendar and be in the know about all that is happening, please follow this link: http://www.austinjewishacademy.org/beecalendar.pdf

 

NOTABLE UPCOMING DATES

Friday, June 6                      Last Day of School (noon dismissal)

Friday, June 13                     Report Cards in the mail

Included with the report cards will be:

Monday, June 9-June 13      School office closed

 

Austin Jewish Academy Summer Office Hours

Monday thru Thursday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, AJA Management Team will be on Campus.

 

KOL HA’KOVOD

We promised it and here it is. Our long list of Iyar Kol Ha’kovod recipients are kindergarteners Topaz Bistritzer, Andrew Gumbert, Zach Herzog, and Madison Sallop; first graders Eli Cone,  Avi Distler, Sofia Kardonik, Emily Kolodney, Eli Mann, Kendall Miller, and Benji Ross; second graders Noam Ben-Avi, Jack Landrum, Gabriela Macon (twice!) and Jacob Roth, third graders Mychaella Bowen, Allie Eakman, Asaf Gurfinkel, Ellie Metni, Raine Lipscher, Sam Oster, Dalia Roth, and Ruthie Wolfryd; fifth grader Sophie Altmejd, Noga Be’er, Gal Behar, Eytan Bos-Orent, and Jonathan Wheeler, and 6th grader Jesse Rosenberg.

 

ALLTHE BUZZ

For AJA Kindergartens thru 8th Graders the last week of school has been chocked-full of activities that include but not limited to friends fest, field trips, graduations, athletic banquets, frabrengen fest, plays, poetry readings, class celebrations, time travel, beach parties, auctions, talent shows, pioneer parties, scavenger hunts, road rallies, Torah services, pajama days, yearbook signings, sad good-byes, summer plans and plenty of ‘see ya’ real soons.

 

HEBREW HAPPENS HERE

תיהנו בחופשת הקיץ. נתראה שוב באוגוסט!

Tehenu be’choofshat ha’kaitz. Nitra’eh shuv be’ogust!

 

KID KUDOS

Congratulations to all our students on the fabulous job they did presenting their school work to parents and panelist on Portfolio Day. And an extra Kol Ha’kovod to our graduating 8th graders and the excellent manner in which they took us through their Senior Projects.

 

TEACHER TIDBITS

Please join us in welcoming Tami (pronounced Tommy) Gamliel as our new AJA Administrative Assistant. Stop in and say “hi!” over the summer.

 

Counselor’s Corner:

I have enjoyed getting to know all of the unique and wonderful students here at AJA, and I look forward to next year. Have an enjoyable summer break and create great memories for your family.  Sincerely, DeAnn Clark

 

ALUMNI ACCOLADES

It’s with a tear and a smile we welcome the following students to alumni pool: AJA Class of 2008 grads Ran Bruck, Jacob Jew, Marc Kaylor, Sam McCready, Dara Prant, Livy Rodriguez-Behar, David Weinstein-Perez and Leo Zornberg. Do great things and keep in touch.

 

Please send information about AJA Alumni to Neena.husid@austinjewishacademy.org 

 

Box Tops for Education is Back

Here’s a Summer Homework assignment from Sandy Goldberbg. . .  Continue to collect all and any box tops for education over the summer, and bring them to school when school reopens. 

 

AJA is currently enrolled in the Box Tops for Education program. What this means is that certain “Box Tops” logos are worth 10 cents each for our school.  In the past, through this program our school has received well over $100 monthly. With your help we believe we can increase that amount in the coming months.

 

Box Tops can be found on many products you buy for yourself and your family. Brands such as General Mills, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Kleenex and Hefty Bags are examples. Our school can use the money received from this program any way it wishes. So please moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and others, start saving the Box Tops now.

 

When you cut off the box tops please do not cut off the expiration date on the coupon.

 

To turn Box Tops in, simply drop them off in the school office, or send them in with your child when you’ve accumulated 5 or more. Some people use a small envelope, and others use a small plastic bag to put them in; from there they go to our volunteer coordinator Sandy Goldberg, Maya, Gabriela and Yael Macon’s grandmother, and she does the rest. Thank you, Sandy.

 

If you want more information about this program, you can go to http://www.boxtops4education.com to get a complete list of participating brands and learn more about how you can help AJA. Thank you for your time, support and box tops.

 

VOLUNTEER VIBE

Thank you to all who signed on to be mentors to our 8th graders and guide them through their Senior Projects: Sarah Gerichten, Neena Husid, Jeff Lazar, Nataly Miller, Eric Pomerantz, Marley Porter, Laura Rothschild and Gary Walker.   

 

Thank you to Andrew Bowen who led our final Torah Service of the school year.

 

A huge thank you to all of our incredibly devoted volunteers who have made the 2007-2008 school year another successful and wonderful one.

 

TRIBUTES

The AJA family in honor of both our kindergarten and 8th grade graduates.

 

The AJA family congratulates the CAA 2008 Confirmation Class including its many graduates and former students that make-up the class.

 

The Freed-Paban family made a donation to the AJA library in honor of the eighth grade graduating class.

 

Sara Blatt made a donation in honor of the birth of Alexandra Kahn.

 

Raine Lipscher made a donation in honor of her brother, Aiden’s ECP graduation. 

 

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Organizations wishing to be included in the Community Happenings section should send an email, with a link to their website to neena.husid@austinjewishacademy.org.

 

JCC SPLASH BASH
Sunday, June 8

11 AM-3 PM Rain or Shine!
FREE fun for the entire community!
Music • Inflatables • Sno-cones • Food for purchase

PRIZE DRAWINGS:
Swim Lessons • 3-Month Paid Memberships
Personal Training Sessions • Massage 

Not a JCC member yet? Don't worry!
Splash Bash is open to everyone. While you're here, check out the great things membership has to offer:
-Use of our fitness center, swimming pool, outdoor track, whirlpool and saunas
-Free fitness classes
-Discounts on swim lessons, swim teams, youth sports, and cultural arts performances

 

JCC SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES

Rising 6th-9th Graders (camper program):

Join old friends and new friends for an exciting summer full of field trips and travel. Each 3-week session will include 4-6 local (Austin) field trips, 1 local overnight, and overnights in San Antonio (Session I), Houston (Session II), and Dallas (Session III). Campers will also participate in traditional camp activities, community service, and camp-wide programs! The camp application is available for download at www.shalomaustin.org/camps

Rising 10th Graders (counselor-in-training program):

This program is a leadership development program. Participants will have the chance to work with campers entering grade K-5 with hands-on learning. They will also participate in group training with the Assistant Camp Director and utilize our ropes course for teambuilding exercises. CITs must have an interview before acceptance into the program. The application for the CIT program is in the camp brochure available at www.shalomaustin.org/camps

Rising 11th & 12th Graders (Jr. Counselors):

There are a handful of Jr. Counselor positions still available. Jr. Counselors must be able to fully participate in staff orientation on June 8 and June 11-13. Interested candidates can download an employment application at www.shalomaustin.org or may request an application from the JCC Welcome Desk or at the Youth Lounge.

 

Summer in the City Speaker Series

Heat up your summer nights with panel discussions that sizzle.
We reserve the hottest topics for the hottest time of year.
Free and Open to the Public

 

Growing Up Austin: Smart or Out of Control?
Wednesday, June 18, 7 PM
Featuring Angelos Angelou, Principal of Angelou Economics; Sally Campbell, Executive Director of Envision Central Texas and Larry Warshaw, Principal of Constructive Ventures

 

Is Austin a Terror Target?
Wednesday, June 25, 7 PM
Featuring Fred Burton, Counterterrorism expert at Stratfor and author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, and FBI Special Agent G. Charles Rasner

What's the Matter with Electoral Politics?
Wednesday, July 9, 7 PM
Featuring ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd; In the Pink Texas Blog Editor Eileen Smith; Harvey Kronberg of The Quorum Report, and Wayne Slater of The Dallas Morning News, and author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential 

Sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Community Association of Austin. To RSVP and for more information, contact Elaine Vasquez at (512) 735-8012 ext. 17.

 

75 WOMEN CANTORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN FREE CONCERT!
Monday evening, June 23
8:00 PM
Congregation Agudas Achim sanctuary
Come experience the Soaring Sound of Sisters in Sacred Song as the Women Cantors' Network conference attendees present a FREE concert to the Austin Jewish community! The concert will feature original pieces commissioned by the network, including one by Austin's own Abby Gostein. The cantors will be followed in concert by the acclaimed folk/rock Jewish band, Sababa!, (www.SababaMusic.com) of which Robbi Sherwin is a member, in an intimate acoustic setting. Dessert for everyone to follow.The groups’ tzedakah project is donating their hair to Zichron Menachem (www.zichron.org) an Israeli organization whose Hair-to-Wig program makes wigs for children suffering the affects of cancer - whether Israeli or Arabic.  They WILL take hair that is dyed, grey or less than 10" in length – shorter lengths will be sold and proceeds will go to the wig program. If you can generously donate 6" or more, PLEASE contact Cantor Sherwin: robbisherwin.com or 467-7270.  In addition, if you can donate  “trinkets” or baked goods to the hospitality bags to welcome the women cantors, contact Augusta Gelfand, Hospitality Chair: augusta@ecpi.com or Sherwin: robbisherwin@austin.rr.com. Help give these women a real Austin welcome!

SUMMER JEWISH SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH PANIM!

Summer JAM (Judaism, Activism, Mitzvah Work)

June 30-July 27, 2008

www.dcjam.org

Come to Washington, DC and participate in a one-of-a-kind program on the campus of The George Washington University. Become a leader in the political world and the Jewish community today! Learn about key issues impacting the U.S. and the world through interactions with leading U.S. policymakers and experts, while exploring the connection between Judaism and advocacy. Participate in meaningful hands-on service projects, while earning up to 75 community service-learning hours. Develop the skills to pioneer change and impact the issues you care about.

Summer JAM is open to rising high school juniors, rising seniors and graduating seniors.

Contact: Lani Hart (301) 770-5070, ext. 223 or SummerJAM@panim.org

 

PanimWorks: An Activist’s Adventure

Session 1: June 29-July 10, 2008

Session 2: July 27-August 7, 2008

www.panimworks.org  

Live and work in an entirely new culture this summer!

Make a difference as you live in rustic accommodations on a Native-American reservation, interacting with members of the Navajo Nation while working together to promote positive change. This trip in the majestic Southwest includes hands-on service projects as well as outdoor recreational activities. Make lifelong friends and learn about the ethical values that define Jewish life while earning up to 45 community service-learning hours. PanimWorks is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduating seniors.

Contact: Rachel Hillman ( 301) 770-5070, ext. 217 or PanimWorks@panim.org

 

Shalom TV Announces Israel@60 High School Video Contest
Israeli Consulate in New York to host ceremony for winners
As part of the yearlong celebration of Israel@60, Shalom TV is inviting high school students throughout America to participate in a special Israel@60 Video Contest. Any 60-second video saluting Israeli history or Israel today is welcome, with possible themes ranging from "What Israel means to me," to "What Israel has meant for Jewish history" to "What I love about Israel today!" Winning videos, and those receiving honorable mention, will air nationally on Shalom TV to more than 16 million homes across the country. Additionally, the first-prize winner will be awarded $600. Two second-place winners will each receive $160. And three third-place winners will receive $60. Videos may be produced by student groups, but only one prize will be awarded for each selected title. Submissions must be postmarked by August 31, 2008, and should be mailed to Shalom TV, PO Box 1989, Fort Lee, New Jersey, 07024. Videos must be 60-seconds in length and recorded on an acceptable digital format [DVD, DVcam, DVpro, or mini-DV]. All entries become the property of Shalom TV and will not be returned. An entry form and official contest rules are available on the Shalom TV Web site at www.shalomtv.com by following the "Downloads" link from the network's home page.

 

Israel Bonds Make Great Graduation Gifts

Looking for a meaningful graduation gift for your child or grandchild? State of Israel 5-year savings bonds are available starting at $100. Don't write a check that will soon be forgotten—protect their heritage and give something that matters. Israel Bond gift forms are available at the JCAA Welcome Desk or you can click here to download the PDF.