REMINDER:
The deadline for orders for Pizza day is Wednesday. Please send in your orders Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. You may order for several, or many, weeks in advance. In the future NO ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER WEDNESDAY.
- Pizza slice: $2.50 each
- French Fries: $2.50 each
- Drink: $1.00 each
Thank you for your cooperation and have a great Shabbos!
Dear Parents:
Again, please accept our sincere apologies - school pictures will not be taken today. Due to the inclement weather, Slayton Studio will not able to come today to take our pictures. Picture Day will be rescheduled. We will notify you shortly of the new date.
Our sincere apologies, once again.
Dear Parents,
I’m sure you share our horror and grief over the wanton shooting of school children and personnel in the Sandy Hook Elementary school this past Friday. While mourning in tandem with the Newtown community, we are also left with the daunting task of explaining such misfortune and danger to our children in a fashion that informs but does not terrorize.
With relief and confidence, we can assure you that the children here at The Hebrew Academy appear fully focused and composed conducting themselves as they would on any other day. Though no untoward reactions are evident, it is still incumbent upon us to make sure that our children are fully protected not only physically but psychologically and emotionally as well.
Dr. Norman Blumenthal, Director of Bereavement and Crisis Intervention for Chai Lifeline, has formulated the following recommendations for discussing and processing these calamitous events with your children:
- In today’s world of internet and rapid dissemination of information, you are probably far from the first person to inform your children of these frightening events. Nor can you categorically filter or oversee what they view or read.
- Be available to clarify and discuss what your child has found out and be particularly alerted to unfounded rumors or exaggerations.
- Do not try to conceal or downplay the reality of these events.
- For children 6 and older, it is advisable to impart the rarity of such calamity especially if the child is evidencing undue fear or worry.
- For pre-school age children, just assure them of their safety. The concept of “rare” is not meaningful to them.
- Limit and contain the amount of coverage that is viewed by your children and particularly pictures or videos that highlight the atrocity and carnage. Research on post catastrophe trauma is incontrovertible that excessive exposure to such horror increases anxiety and distress.
- School aged children may be particularly invested in the facts and details. To such inquiries you should respond accurately and succinctly.
- Children who are scared respond as much to your voice tone and body language as they do to your words. Make sure you are composed and managing your own fears and vulnerability before talking to your child.
- Adolescents may be more prone to imagine themselves the victims or bereaved families and respond with heightened grief and emotional outpouring. When it is your sense that such hysteria has taken on a life of its own, it is perfectly suitable to contain and distract.
- Adolescents may also aggressively challenge the existence of such injustice and evil with religious observance and belief. Here too, discuss such matters until it appears to be rooted more in rebellion and oppositionalism than interest or theological struggles.
- If a child or one of his or her family members has a history of having been victims of violent assault or terrorist attack, keep a closer watch on his or her reaction to such events.
- Children with predispositions to depression or anxiety may also be more susceptible to untoward responses or fear.
- If your child is frightened and inconsolable, it may help to give them an activity. This can include but not limited to letters to bereaved families, prayer or devotional study, art work or commemorative dedications or actions.
- Trauma reactions can be delayed or come in waves. It would not be anything out of the ordinary if a child responds adversely weeks from now or alternates between periods of carefree inattention and worry.
- Please do not fault any child who may be more stoic or cavalier. We all differ in emotional vulnerability and expression and a natural or spontaneous composure or resilience is distinctly possible.
- Look for the teachable moments and silver linings that coexist with the horror and anguish that typically dominate such events. The heroism of the staff, the universal outpouring of support and grief are themes that are important for our children to hear and can help ameliorate the terror and vicarious distress.
We hope this information is of assistance to you. Please remember that each child is unique and will process these events in a manner that fits with their particular temperament, history and coping style.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Avremel Kotlarsky
Principal
Dear Parents,
With Chanukah behind us we will be starting a new unit about Our Families next week. For this we need your help – we need photos the sooner the better.
If it is too difficult to get them printed out, or you do not have any handy, you can email the school (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Morah Sima (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Please send in:
- One or several pictures of your child as a baby.
- Any other special pictures of your child which you would like to send in.
- At least one picture of your family (as many as you’d like, extended family too…).
Make sure that the pictures you send in are not your only copies!
Thank you for your wonderful cooperation!
Nursery Morot
Dear Parents,
REMINDER: Bus transportation will not be provided by any school district from Monday, December 24 through Monday December 31, 2012, inclusive.
Please make other arrangements so that your child arrives at school punctually at 8:45 am and is picked up punctually at 4:25 pm (Kindergarten - 5th Grade) or 5:00 pm (6th - 8th Grades).
Dear Parents:
Please accept our apologies - school pictures were not taken today. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Slayton Studio was not able to come today to take our pictures. Picture Day is being rescheduled to Thursday, December 27th.
For the inconvience that has been incurred, Mr. Slayton will provide a free picture magnet (which usually costs $10.95) to any family who purchased Package A, A+, B, B+, C or D.
Just a reminder - Students from Kindergarten through 8th grade must wear clean white uniform shirts and a navy blue skirt for the girls and navy blue pants for the boys.
Even if your child is not having an individual picture taken, every one must be dressed uniformally for the "class pictures".
Thank you.
Dear Parents,
If your child is in the choir please make sure they come to the Chanukah Fair tonight in a black top and black or navy (preferably black) kneelength skirts for the girls and pants for the boys. The choir will perform at approximately 8:15 pm.
We Look forward to seeing you tonight!
Dear Parents:
As I am sure you have heard, the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to the frum community of Seagate in Brooklyn, New York has left many people in a davastated state. Many in the community are still without heat and hot water. Many are unable to move back into their homes before a considerable amount of repairs are done. There has been very little money reimbursed from FEMA and private insurances. The situation is extremely dire and funds need to be raised immediately for families to be able to get back together and into their homes so that their children can feel safe once again.
A Tzedaka campaign for the children of the Seagate community is being conducted by Shmuli Kahan of the Seagate Hurricane Relief Fund Program. If you are interested in participating in this campaign, you can send your financial donations to Mrs. Vaspol. The campaign will run until next Thursday, December 13th.
Thank you.
Rabbi Kotlarsky
Dear Parents of Choir Members,
We have changed the color of clothing the choir members are to wear to black or navy (preferably black) pants or skirt and a black long sleeved top.
Thank you
