 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
THE LATEST PTO NEWS AND EVENTS:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! |
Some Holiday Shopping Thoughts |
Believe it or not, Chanukah is almost upon us - eeek! Make your shopping a little bit easier and benefit SSDS by shopping online at www.Innisbrook.com for yummy hostess gifts and wrapping paper and accessories. Register with our school number, 105421, have your order mailed straight to your home (or to the recipient!), and a significant benefit accrues to the PTO. Speaking of wrapping paper, a couple of volunteers are needed to help wrap gifts during the Chanukah Book Fair in the Square at the Blue Back Barnes and Noble on December 7th from 3-4pm. All donations received from the gift wrapping go to the PTO. Please contact Audrey Sobel (sobel-press@juno.com) if you can help out. Congratulations and thank you to the top sellers of the Innisbrook fundraiser - the Katz family, the Neiditz family, and the Gershon family. |
*****
PAUL CRYAN PICTURE SIGNUP NOW AVAILABLE
Most of us know what wonderful pictures Paul Cryan takes of children.
He will be at SSDS this year on Monday January 19th and Tuesday January 20th starting at 2:30pm.
Paul will take individual pictures only of children 6 months and older by appointment only. (An adult must be present.)
These pictures are usually so expressive and irresistible that Paul essentially offers a money-back guarantee. There is no obligation, no money due until you see the proofs. You may either return the proofs with no obligation, or, if you decide you prints, send in payment with your order.
To schedule your appointment please e-mail BethDeLuco at bethdeluco@sbcglobal.net
or call her at (860)621-6525.
*****
11/21/08
A Strong Sense of Community at the SSDS Family Shabbat Dinner
The first SSDS Family Shabbat Dinner of the 2008-09 year brought out almost 250 people! This time, guests were given a choice of attending a family service, which was led by Mrs. Fiedler, or a more traditional service, led by Rabbi Chatinover. Many thanks go to both Mrs. Fiedler and Rabbi Chatinover for orchestrating services that both showcased our students' knowledge and enabled us to welcome Shabbat together as a community. Many of our teachers joined in the evening: Barbara Checknoff, Robin Werner, Ziva Kovner, Maya Schwartz, Joyce Ben-Kiki, Yeshiva Cohen, Bonnie Schneider, and Diane Salm. It was wonderful to have so many teachers join us!
After the services ended, everyone met back in the cafeteria, where they were greeted by challah, salad, and bowls of steaming chicken noodle soup. Families filled every available seat as the meal continued to be served: rice, chicken, corn, and pasta kept coming until everyone was stuffed.
The kids went to programs while the adults had a chance to have uninterrupted visiting time... a rare treat with young ones! The pre-school kids had a blast playing in the aftercare room with Maggie Regan. Grades K-3 kids listened attentively to stories in the Beit Tefilah with Sidra and Marvin Sperling. Grades 4-8 played games with Mr. C in the gym. Many middle school students and alumni assisted with these programs and earned community service hours at the same time. The adults, meanwhile, had time to finish eating and talking. Many people had an opportunity to get to know our two newest administrators, Mr. Behzad Dayanim (Head of School), and Mr. Peter Orschiedt (Development Coordinator).
When the kids returned to the cafeteria, dessert (brownies and fruit platters) was on the table. We celebrated the 7th birthdays of Jillian and Nicole Selig with a huge cake and singing. Mr. Dayanim and Chet Rotter led us all in a fantastic 3-part round of "He Nay Ma Tov" to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." My kids have been singing that song all weekend long! Finally, we were led by Jeremy Pressman in singing Birkat Hamazon, and it was time to say goodbye.
The evening was such a wonderful team effort, led by Lee Ann Benadiva and Loren Gelber. Huge thanks go to Leah Berson and Mr. Meyerowitz for ordering and organizing the food preparation. All week long, the preparations were underway. Lee Ann Benadiva and Loren Gelber purchased many of the necessary supplies. Jayne Rotter organized our many volunteers for the evening. Jannine Leshem made the poster with the evening's schedule so everyone would know where to be. Jodi Schwartz made the nametags for everyone. Susan Kurtis helped our alumni to welcome everyone at the door. A terrific crew set up the cafeteria before the event; another group helped with cooking, and even more people helped with the cleanup at the end of the evening. Thanks to all of the volunteers: Dana Greenberg, Nancy van der Hulst, Stephanie Meadow, Beth Kranc, Jayne Rotter, Lee Ann Benadiva, Loren Gelber, Leah Berson, Mr. Meyerowitz, Mary Reynolds, Diane Lubynsky, Susan Kurtis, Jannine Leshem, Ayelet Chozick, Jodi Schwartz, Veronica Deere, Ellen Elkey, Audrey Sobel, Erica Smith-Rapaport, Jodi Peikes, Robin Landau, Nancy Gershman, Angela Epstein, Joanne Coady, Tiffany Stevens, Rebecca Selig, Michelle Patchen, Sharon Kochen, Beth DeLuco, Eveline Shekhman, Shirit Yosfan. Thanks also go to all of the middle schoolers and alumni who helped with the children's programs and/or with cleanup: Arielle Landau, Haley Gershman, Hadassah Riemer, Jared Berson, Jake Leshem, Isabella Epstein, Josh Benadiva, Ariel Gelber, Leah Kochen, Katie Peikes, Samantha Peikes, Carina Benadiva, Aaron Gelber, Jacob Kochen, Carina Benadiva, Maya Brocke, Jesse Abels, Deena Abels, Annie Elkay, Donnie Elkey, and Annie Elkey. Finally, a very special thanks to our custodian, Ken Aveline, for keeping things flowing smoothly and making sure that the building was left in good shape.
We look forward to having the same great turnout for our next SSDS Family Shabbat Dinner, which will celebrate the return of our 8th graders from Israel in the spring. If you haven't yet had a chance to experience this wonderful sense of community at SSDS, we encourage you to join us next time.
By Audrey Sobel
*****
KUDOS:
Our Unsung Hero, Susan Greco |
In the past, the PTO has honored individual parents who have gone above and beyond in order to help the SSDS community and the PTO in particular. This time, however, we feel it is imrtant to highlight the tremendous work being done by the Solomon Schechter business manager, Susan Greco. Although many of us don't get to see Sue's smiling face walking around school on a regular basis, that is because she is so often tucked away in her office working hard crunching numbers, preparing for audits, helping families with financial assistance for tuition, and much more. If you are fortunate enough to run into Sue in the office, she always greets you with a bright smile. Sue Greco is considered a trusted colleague by many. She works tirelessly, overseeing the physical structure of the building as well as sorting out all of the financial details related to our school. |
*****
MAHJONGG CARDS
Support Schechter through the purchase of Mahjongg cards! SSDS will receive 18% of all funds raised.
STANDARD CARDS $7.00
LARGE PRINT CARDS $8.00
Please return form, with check payable to Lea Karoly or Alice Leshem, to the SSDS PTO, or mail form and check to Lea Karoly, 5 Clifford Drive, West Hartford, CT 06107 or Alice Leshem, 14 Hammick Road, West Hartford, CT 06107.
ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY February 1, 2009
Name:_______________________________________
Address:_____________________________________
Phone:_____________________ Email:______________________________
Number of standard Cards @ $7.00 each______ Total_______
Number of large print cards @$8.00 each______ Total_______
Total amount enclosed $________ for #_______ cards
*****
Also Needed: Volunteers to help serve lunches (you can fill out the blue form* OR contact Leah Berson at thebersons@comcast.net to help out). Help feed their tummies while our teachers feed their minds!
Needed: Volunteers to help the PTO's Mitzvah Corps, which helps to provide meals, helps drive, or provide any help needed for families that require assistance during a difficult time or birth of a new baby. This is a great way for working parents to get involved because you can work around your schedule! Contact Coordinator Barbara Checknoff (barbarachecknoff@aol.com), Michelle Patchen (mbpatchen@aol.com) or Leslie Neiditz (leslieodesigns@comcast.net) to help. Many thanks to Ayelet Chozik, Leah Berson, Shoshana Azran, Melanie Shani, and Audrey Sobel for helping take care of our SSDS community. The Mitzvah Corps has been hard at work this year, providing meals for people experiencing simchas, loss, or health concerns.
*****
Please continue collecting your Box Tops and your printer cartridges too! Every little bit helps to add up to a new computer for your child's classroom or another needed piece of equipment.
*****
If you have spent funds on behalf of the PTO and need reimbursement, please submit the form in the link below to Elizabeth Ehrlich, PTO Treasurer, and thank you for your efforts.
PTO Expense Reimbusement Form
*****
Room Parents 2008-09
PS2: Nancy VanderHulst / Jodi Schwartz
PS3: Beth DeLuco/ Melanie Shani
PS4: Roberta Singer / Eveline Shekhman
K: Shirit Yosfan / Assaf/ Jannine Leshem
1: Shoshana Azran / Debbie Silverman
2: Melanie Shani / Amy Mondschein
3: Sherri Pliskin/ Stephanie Meadow
4: Nancy vanderHulst / Julie Gershon
5: Joanne Coady / Nancy Gershman
6: Veronica Deere
7: Leah Berson
8: Lee Ann Benadiva
*****
More good news (a picture being worth 1,000 words....)
From the Sukkah Hop...
From the Ice Cream Social..
_________________________________________________________________
Ongoing Fundraisers:
Planning a summer picnic or barbeque? You can help the PTO at the same time, with no effort or extra money! PTO has a new, easy fundraiser similar to the Box Top collection. Through the Coke Rewards program, just collect the lids off of specially marked Coca-Cola brand bottles (the underside of the lids should have a special code inside) AND the perforated tear-off part of the cardboard soda cases, and we can accumulate points which will ultimately earn money for the SSDS PTO! We have a collection box in the front office in which you can deposit all bottle lids and cardboard "tops" of soda cases. It's easy and FREE!
Of course, we're still collecting BOX TOPS and INK JET CARTRIDGES, so please keep on saving these as well!!
Annually-
Wrapping Paper
Box Tops
Printer Cartridges
Challah
Book Fair
Mischloach Manot
_________________________________________________________________
SSDS PTO Board 2008 – 2009
Co-Presidents:
Audrey Sobel
Erica Smith-Rapaport
Treasurer: Elizabeth Ehrlich
Corresponding Secretary: Beth Kranc
Web Secretary: Veronica Deere
Chavurah: Dana Greenberg
Family Shabbat Dinners:
Loren Gelber
LeeAnn Benadiva
Mishpacha:
Ivy Patt
Lauren Eisen
Mitzvah Corps:
Barbara Checknoff
Leslie Neiditz
Michelle Patchen
Holidays: Nancy Cowan
Calendar: Assaf Harrari
Birthday Bulletin Board: Dana Greenberg
Mishloach Manot: Leah Berson
Paul Cryan Photo Coordinator: Beth DeLuco
Ink Jet Cartridges: Leah Berson
Gift Wrap and Box Tops: Nanci Rosenkranz
Holiday Cards: Robin Landau
Birthday Book: Lisa Everett
Book Fair: Robin Landau
Enrichment: Nancy VanderHulst
Challah: Michelle Patchen
Special Programs Liaison: Anna Elfenbaum
_________________________________________________________________