HSRS Newsletters

January 2, 2021

Welcome back to the 2nd half of our HSRS school year.  On behalf of myself, our administrative team, and our teachers, we wish you a healthy start to this new year.  We have enjoyed our two week break, but have missed our students and their families.  We are looking forward to seeing our Wednesday students on January 6 and Sunday students on January 10.  

We need your feedback!
This is our final request for your mid-year feedback. The Youth Education Committee hopes you will take the time to complete this short mid-year survey , thinking about the first half of our schoolyear.  Your feedback is vital to our success, especially when we don’t have the chance to have informal parking lot chats.

And the Winners Are….
December shekel winners! Enjoy a gift certificate, for a treat, found in your January supply bag. Mazel Tov to Talia, Fiona, Maddy N, Sadie, Sam, Hailey, Maddie J, and Gershona.  All of this month’s winners had high attendance and participation, especially during Hanukkah week.

The Month Ahead
January supply pick-up is this Sunday, January 3 from 3-4pm at Har Shalom.  All remaining bags will be delivered or left at Har Shalom’s front door.

Upcoming emails
In order to get back on our schedule, the next HSRS@Home for the week of January 10-16  will be sent on January 7. For Wednesday evening classes on January 6th, a separate email will be sent with confirmed times and zoom codes.  ***Please note, many of the zoom numbers have changed for this semester. Please pay close attention on the next HSRS@Home email***

Virtual/In-person Learning
For the month of January, all of our classes will remain remote, using Zoom, through January 23.  In the meantime, I will be discussing with our executive director and COVID transition team about the possibility for our Kindergarteners and First/Second grade classes (and maybe our third graders- TBD) to return to in-person learning for Sunday mornings.  At this point, all Wednesday evening programming will remain remote and fourth-seventh grade will remain remote on Sundays.  

Shabbat Jr.
Our next Shabbat Jr is on January 15 at 5:15pm.  This service is designed for ages 3-8 but all are invited. 

• Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8966336317?pwd=OEhvZ0NyUSs1QmQwczBFSUFrSVVnUT09 
• Meeting ID: 896 633 6317
• Passcode: 1357

5th Grade Shabbat Service
Each grade will have an opportunity to lead a Saturday morning Shabbat Service this schoolyear.  Next up, our 5th graders will lead the January 23rd Shabbat Service.  Please consider Zooming in and supporting them and all of their hard work.  Fifth grade families, please let Rabbi Finestone know if you are interested in participating in the service. She will be sending an email with more specific information soon.

Tu B'Shevat
Our next Jewish holiday, Tu B'shevat, begins the evening of January 27 and ends the evening of January 28.  Our 6th and 7th graders will be enjoying a seder, led by Rabbi Finestone, on Wednesday, January 27 during HSRS classtime.  The whole school will be participating in learning and activities on Sunday, January 31, right after shira.  Supplies are included in your January supply bag.

November Save the Dates
January 3- January supply pick up from 3-4pm
January 6- HSRS resumes
January 10- Beresheet: Day 3 for Preschoolers at 10:15am (Zoom) 
January 15- Shabbat Jr at 5:15pm (Zoom)
January 17- Storytime with Judy goes to Poland (Zoom)
January 23- 5th grade Saturday Morning Shabbat Service (Zoom)
January 24- Mini Menschies at 9:30am (Zoom)
January 27- Tu B’shevat Seder for 6th and 7th grade
January 31- Tu B’shevat activities during HSRS
January 31- February Supply Pick Up Day

News from the Sifriyah (Library)
January 17- Storytime goes to Poland 

• **Zoom codes will be sent in the HSRS@Home email on January 14**
• Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd graders- 10:30-11:00am
• 3rd and 4th graders- 11:00-11:30am
• 5th, 6th, 7th graders- 11:30-12:00pm

In January Storytime goes to Poland!  Grades K-2 will hear a touching Hasidic story about a young boy who prays by reciting the Hebrew alphabet and get the chance to practice their alphabet yoga. Grades 3-7 will take a trip through the mythical city of Chelm and see if they can match wits with the Chelm "sages".  The travelogue portion will include Sabbath traditions, including the role of the Gabbai and the cholnt pot.  What's a cholnt pot, you may ask?  Well, come to Storytime and find out!
 
"May-do" activities that earn extra shekels include welcoming Shabbat with one of the four traditions we have learned so far, lots and lots and lots of recipes to try, and reading a Chelm story or other stories based in Poland.  3rd and 4th graders will have a special "moon chart" activity.  These activities can be done anytime during January.
 
If there is time, the 5th-7th grade Storytime may include a short introduction to the Holocaust in Poland, concentrating on the role of rescuers, such as Irena Sendler, or Jews who stood by their fellow Jews, such as Janush Korczak.  There will be nothing in my presentation related to concentration camps or anything graphic.  Holocaust related books will be available for checkout by 5th-7th graders, again, nothing graphic, but I do recommend that parents preview any Holocaust book their child may wish to check out for suitability.
 
Thank you for your support of the Storytime program!  I truly enjoy seeing all your children--it's so much fun to interact with them, even over zoom!!  I hope they are enjoying their tour around the Jewish world.  Upcoming countries include Iran (for Purim), Morocco (for Passover), Czech Republic, and Yemen.