Thursday Notes

Week of February 2, 2012
Friday 2/3 Candle Lighting Time – 4:56 p.m.
Beshalach
Sunday 2/5 Art with Mr. Paige - Postponed to Sunday, February 12th
Monday 2/6 Chinese New Year Production
Tuesday 2/7 Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 2/8 Tu B’Shevat
9:10 - 6th grade Tu B’Shevat Seder
1:10 – 5A Tu B’Shevat Seder
1:50 - Kindergarten Tu B’Shevat Seder

Looking Ahead
Sunday 2/12 Art with Mr. Paige (note date change)
Tuesday 2/14 Board of Trustees
Mon-Fri 2/20-24 Winter Vacation
Th-Fri 2/23-24 Rosh Chodesh - Adar
Tuesday 2/28 8th Grade Parent Meeting -Re: Israel
Friday 3/2 End of 2nd trimester
1st grade Siddur Celebration
Thursday 3/8 Purim Carnival - 12:30 dismissal

Share the Experience at the Schechter Queens Gala Sunday, March 11, 2012
Honoring Rabbi Manes and Silvia Kogan, Rise Steinberg Fogel
and special awards to Norton Spiel and Debra and Gary Weil.
Information about the gala can be found here: www.sssq.adjournal.com
There are many ways to participate, including:
Reservations for the Gala Dinner - Placing a tribute message - Purchasing advance raffle tickets for great prizes
We would love to see you at the gala, but even if you cannot join us, you can participate in the raffle.
100% of the proceeds will support school programs.
Thank you in advance for your support.

Clubs!!!! Sessions Begin the Week of February 27th 2012
click here for form

Click here for 2012-2013 calendar

Parashat Beshalach

By: Lynn Mann 8A

A Torah Thought for Today

The Torah portion this week begins with describing the route the children of Israel took after they left Egypt. The Torah tells us that God led the people round about (ויסב), instead of taking a direct route through the wilderness. While the Torah itself gives us a specific reason why God did this, so that the children of Israel would not be afraid of the Philistines and run back to Egypt, the Ben Ish Chai spins an interesting interpretation on this verse. According to the Ben Ish Chai there was one point during the plagues at which Pharaoh had said: “I have sinned to your God and to you.” This recognition by Pharaoh of God merited him a spark of holiness. God wanted to give Pharaoh an extra chance before a final punishment. After the children of Israel leave, and Pharaoh says: “I will bear my sword my hand shall subdue them,” he has lost again the merits which he had gained, as he sets out to the Red Sea and meets his final fate.

It is always important according to the Rabbis to look for goodness in others as the rabbis say: היה דן כל אדם לכף זכות, give people the benefit of the doubt. God is demonstrating this by giving Pharaoh every chance to repent and turn back from his vicious cruel ways. On a much lighter scale, this is the correct way of disciplining that good parents and teachers use when teaching children. Before punishing us, they give us more and more chances as they try to guide us and teach us to make good choices. Sometimes however, we do not get the message until we meet up with the consequences that punish us for our behavior. May we learn to look for the good in others, help bring out the good in others.

Shabbat Shalom

School Happenings

Grade 2 Chumash Celebration

“On the first day of creation God created what???”
The answer was sung out by all second graders at their annual Chummash party on January 27th. Beginning to learn Chummash is a very meaningful milestone. The children danced, sang, and recited the biblical story of our creation at our annual celebration marking the children’s reaching the stage of reading and studying Torah in the original biblical style Hebrew text. The teachers Mrs. Agajan Mrs. Vidan and Mrs. Gabai, together with Mrs. Kalantarov, the music teacher, prepared the children in new routines and selections never before seen here at SSSQ!! Thank you to all of the parents who helped behind the scenes, notably the second grade coordinator, Mrs. Zipori, as well as to the PTA for donating the Chummashim. Yishar Koach to the children and Mrs. Agajan, Mrs. Vidan, Mrs. Gabai and a special cheer for Mrs. Kalantarov.

PTA News and Events

February 2, 2012

Art with Mr. Paige
Come decorate a hamsa using beautiful colorful beads. Sunday, February 12, 1-3pm. Cost per child: $7 (at the door) includes project materials and pizza.
click here for flyer

Mishloach Manot

Let the SSSQ PTA help you fulfill the mitzvah of giving Mishloach Manot. Place your order online by signing in at HappyPurim.com or contact Marla Cornejo to place it for you. Send greetings to the entire SSSQ Family for only $180. Individuals for $5 each and categories (grade, Board Members, Staff/Faculty) for $40 each. All proceeds help support programs that benefit our children. Every child and staff member will receive a bag on Purim. Deadline to place your order is Sunday, February 26th. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity. Marla Cornejo- mac5burro@aol.com or 347-219-0328

Challah Delivery

It's never too late to order challah. The cost will be adjusted by the number of weeks. Call Janice for more information at 718-262-8266 (evenings).

Purim Cards

Send a Purim card this year to your family and friends. You'll support the PTA and spread the holiday spirit! These beautiful cards only cost $3 each and are a wonderful way to wish a family member or friend a special Purim. Click here for flyer with ordering information.

Passover Candy Sale

Believe it or not it's that time of the year again! Passover Candy Sale starts now and ends February 29th. All candy will be distributed on Thursday, March 15th during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please check your child's backpack for the instructions and brochures. All proceeds support programs that benefit our children. Thank you for supporting this important fundraiser. If you have any questions contact Marla Cornejo at mac5burro@aol.com or 347-219-0328

Thank You!

Thank you to the SoccerRockets for Soccer Sunday. They did a wonderful job with the children. The children had a great time practicing soccer skills and playing soccer games led by a soccer coach. In 1993, the coach, Alex, won the bronze medal representing the US National Soccer team at the Maccabiach Olympic Games in Israel. In 2002 and 2003 he was the assistant soccer coach for the Brooklyn College soccer team. To learn more about SoccerRockets go to www.soccerrockets.com

Good & Welfare

Condolences to the Zabib family (Zachary 6A, Alex 5B, Milla 2B), on the passing of Natalie mother, Ida Kotlyar.

Mazal Tov to the Witlin Family on Benny’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah.

Save these Dates

Purim Carnival - Thursday March 8.

PTA Spring Dinner - Tuesday, June 5. Honoring outgoing PTA Presidents Taline Kozuch and Janice Bigler.

Join us for a fun filled night at the Big Apple Circus on Thursday, June 7 at 6:30pm. Tickets will be available at a special price. Join us for a magical night right here in Queens!

Summer Reading Book Fair - Thursday June 7 and Friday June 8 in the school library.

Reminder
Shop at Target and earn cash for our school. Target will donate up to 1% of Target credit card purchases to SSSQ. Sign up for a new Target credit card or link your existing card to SSSQ the next time you’re in Target, or by visiting Target.com/tcoe or calling 1-800-316-6142. It costs you nothing to participate.

GoodShop
This year you can help raise funds our school every time you make an online purchase from one of thousands of national brands. Please go to GoodShop.com and enter SSSQ before you start shopping. They work with over 2,500 major brands like Amazon, BestBuy, JCPenny, Nike, Target, Walmart and more. GoodShop will donate a percentage of each purchase to the SSSQPTA at no extra cost to you. They also have over 100,000 coupons being refreshed daily to help you save.

Bring Sunshine to Someone’s Day

The perfect card for any occasion! The PTA has Sunshine Cards available for purchase to use when paying tribute to someone special. These specially designed cards are appropriate for celebrating the birth of a new child, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Weddings, Refuah Shlemah, or acknowledging a loss or a difficult time in someone’s life. Each card comes with a pre-printed note that a contribution has been made to the school in tribute of the recipient.

Sunshine cards are available for $5.00 per card or $40.00 for a packet of ten cards. Cards will be delivered to your child in the school in an envelope to bring home to you.

Special Service! For only $6.00 per card, provide us with the necessary information and we will be happy to mail the card out for you.

For more information or to purchase cards, please contact Jenny Teplitskiy (718) 598-9988 or jennytep@gmail.com or merely address an envelope to “PTA-Sunshine Cards” and put it in the PTA box in the second floor office at SSSQ.

Click here for ordering information

Box Tops For Education
Earn Box Tops for our school when you shop online. Go to btfe.com/marketplace where you can find 175 retailers. Remember our school is Solomon Schechter -Flushing.

To submit info for PTA News & Events, email Edie Beer

Reminders to Parents

Dress Code Reminder
Please be reminded that the school has a dress code policy spelled out in the PTA calendar and the Middle School Agenda. Help us maintain the atmosphere and tone of the school by making sure children are dressed appropriately.

Sick Children in School
Please do not send your children who are sick or appear to be sick. It is not fair to either the sick child or the other children in class. Children should be without elevated temperature for at least 24 hours before they return.
Thank you for your cooperation – Miriam Klager, School Nurse

Please be sure your children’s names are in clothing and other belongings. Many untagged items wind-up in the lost and found.

We remind you that we are a “Nut Aware School”. Please do not send nuts or nut products to school.

Please remember to call Donna early at extension 312 if you are picking up your child instead of using the school bus.

click here for SSSQ Kashrut Policy and Kosher Certification symbols

Physical Education rules and regulations - click here

J-HIGH-TEQ - click here for more information

Receive a monthly gift of FREE Jewish children’s books and music!

Hillcrest Jewish Center, Israel Center of Conservative Judaism and Forest Hills Jewish Center are excited to launch The PJ Library! The PJ Library will send a gift of an age-appropriate (6 months to 8 years), Jewish themed book, CD or DVD each month to any family in our community that signs up. The PJ Library is a Jewish family engagement initiative founded by Harold Grinspoon and implemented throughout North America by The PJ LIbrary in partnership with other philanthropists and Jewish organizations.

Hillcrest Jewish Center, Israel Center of Conservative Judaism and Forest Hills Jewish Center are proud to partner with The PJ Library to make this meaningful gift available at no cost to families in the area.

Sign up now!!

Visit www.pjlibrary.org. Click on Communities, then click on Find your PJ community and sign up under one of the three synagogues of your area.