TheLehrmanLinkA weekly publication of

lehrman community day schoolcontaining time-sensitive information for members of the school community

Vol 10 • Issue 28 Friday, March 27, 2009 • 2 Nisan 5769 • y"xa, ixhb 'c Candle lighting: 7:17 pm!

NOTE! Friday ASP resumes April 24.

Passover Holiday: Tues, April 7: 2 pm dismissal Wed, Apr 8-Fri, Apr 17: school closed

reminders!

Preparing for Passover…As students prepare for the model seder, we ask students to dress in Shabbat uniform or synagogue attire.• Grades 1-5 model seder: Thursday,

April 2, 9:30 a.m. at Temple Menorah• PreK and K model seder: Fri, April 3,

9:00 a.m. in the LCDS Cafeteria.• Middle School model seder: Fri,

April 3, 9:00 a.m (students only).

Dear LCDS Family,The need for a hata’t, or purification offering, in

response to failing to come forward with testimony (VaYikra 5:1-13) prods us to consider not only formal proceedings but also the testimony we give daily by how we live our lives. When our school with your support embarked upon the CoreKnowledge curriculum two years ago in Grades K-6, we made this choice not only because of how strongly CoreKnowledge meshed with our emphasis on integrating Torah, science and critical analysis, but also because we wanted to show that a Jewish day school could offer the most demanding general studies instructional program, bar none.

To ensure quality learning and outcomes by students in its ambits, Core Knowledge imposes a rigorous system of assessment. There are three levels of relationship that a school can have progressively with CoreKnowledge: first is “Friend” status, second is becoming an “Official Core Knowledge School,” normally after five years, signifying attainment of exacting benchmarks, and then, for model schools, becoming a “Visitation Site.” See www.coreknowledge.org for a complete listing of schools in each category.

Recently, the renowned expert Dr. Carole Richardson visited our school, spending time in every Core Knowledge class and level. The result: Dr. Richardson intends to recommend our school as an “Official Core Knowledge School” at the national conference in November, two years ahead of schedule! We don’t just talk CoreKnowledge - we walk the walk, investing vast time, energy and dollars in developing our CoreKnowledge breadth and depth. And there was a surprise: Dr. Richardson will be recommending our school as a “Visitation Site”! We look forward to being a resource to other schools (and their students) across this state and nation.

Dr. Richardson’s review is found below. Please let us know what you think. Meanwhile, Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Seth Linfield, Head of SchoolMrs. Jodi Bruce, Dean of EducationMrs. Janet Fein, Core Knowledge Coordinator

Letter to Lehrman Community Day School from Dr. Carole Richardson, Core Knowledge Foundation, Charlottesville, VA (and former Principal, Three Oaks Middle School, Fort Myers, FL):From the minute I walked into Lehrman Community Day School for the Core Knowledge Follow-Up Visit, I knew I was in a very special place. The Lehrman teachers and administration have embraced Core Knowledge with gusto as evidenced in the hallways and classrooms. The hall displays of student artwork, writing, and projects are a testament to the outstanding

Passover MatchmakingSpringtime is here, Passover is here!LCDS is committed to enabling each of our families to participate in a seder this year. Would you consider welcoming an LCDS family into your home on the first night or the second—or both? Please contact Janet Rapp at 305-866-2771 x 24, or via email jrapp@lehrmanschool.org if you would like to host a fellow LCDS family.

PaPa•razzi patrolImages of Life@LCDS. More at the Parent Portal on our web site.

1st Grade Receives Siddurim; 2nd Grade Bakes; Mr. Schwartz Teaches K; Dr. Doolittle; Spring Flowers Sprout in ECD; Early Dismissal

(Top) a first grade celebration; hands-on hamantaschen; Mr. Schwartz taught Ms. Betsy’s class a geography lesson; (bottom) Ryan shares his knowledge of animals; nursery blooms; Señor Alvaro acts out an announcement.

Learning First Hand About the Shoah

Middle school students were privileged to meet with Mrs. Suly Chenkin, who spoke of her childhood in Lithuania and her experience during the Holocaust. Thank you to LCDS grandparents Rosa and Lon Schwartz for encouraging their friend to share her life story with our students.

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What’s for Lunch?To download a refrigerator-ready menu, visit us online…lehrmanlunchbox.orgMonday, March 30Chicken noodle soup • Salad • Baked chicken • Mashed potatoesVegetables • Oranges • Water (served M/W/F)

Tuesday, March 31Tomato soup • Greek salad • Fish sticks • Roastedpotatoes • Zucchini • Bananas • Milk (served T/Th)

Wednesday, April 1Lentil soup • Caesar salad • Veggie burgerFrench fries • Coleslaw • Corn • Pears

Thursday, April 2Vegetable soup • Greek salad • Bagels & cream cheese • Hard boiled eggs • Peaches

Friday, April 3 • ouka ,caBeef barley soup • Israeli salad • Ziti with meatballs • Garlic bread • Vegetables • Apples

World LeadersGather at LCDSLCDS middle school students participated in a Mock G8 Summit to address the Millennium Development Goals that 190 countries promised to the United Nations in 2000. The G8 Summit was a culminating event to a unit of study in the Humanities course of the IB Middle Years Programme. Sixth graders prepared the roles of leaders of the G8 countries; seventh graders prepared the roles of high-profile individuals appealing to the G8 for increased commitments of aid to developing countries. Sixth graders learned about Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), the global economic crisis, and the concern of G8 countries that corruption in developing countries renders their ODA ineffective. Seventh grader celebrities directed their own “documentary plays” to dramatize the plight of the world’s poor. They appealed to the world leaders to keep their promises and increase their ODA to 0.07% of GNP and reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Security was tight as the leaders of the G8 countries gathered at LCDS.

PA Meeting: Thu, April 2, 8:45 am @LCDS

Upcoming Events• Family Fun Day!!

Sun, April 5 3-5 p.m. Volunteers needed! Family kickball game, potato sack races, tug-of-war, arts & crafts, snacks & much, much more!

• Passover Chocolate Sale in progress! Orders due Friday, April 3.

• Shop Target? Support LCDS! See the PA web page for details.

PA Board positions open for 09-10. Contact Amy or Joi for information.

Joi Fiske & Amy Siama, Co-PresidentsVisit us on the web: www.lcdspa.org

And this year’s Honoree is…LCDS is proud to honor Joni Meiselman at this year’s annual event. Joni works tirelessly on behalf of our children—and always with her trademark grace and style! A respected leader within LCDS and the greater community, Joni has strengthened our school in multiple capacities, including board member, room mother, and annual campaign co-chair, while somehow still keeping tabs on husband Jay, alumna Samantha, and 3rd Grader Evan. So join us in saluting Joni and making our Annual Event even more notable. To make a special gift in Joni’s honor, please contact Andrea Schleider at 305-866-2771 x 17, or via email at aschleider@lehrmanschool.org

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Core Knowledge instruction in the classrooms. There were invitations to Robin Hood’s wedding; pictures of Viking Ships; pictures of life in Colonial America; pictures of Beware the Jabberwocky; coats of arms from Don Quixote; a picture of a parent dressed as Viking; names in hieroglyphics; pictures and writings about crab habitats; collages of plant growth; historical posters from each grade level; a poster of Mozart with information about his music and life; and artwork from all grade levels.

The teachers provided evidence of Core Knowledge instruction in their lesson plans, room displays, and Core Knowledge materials. The students were engaged in various types of learning throughout my observations. One group in science performed a laboratory experiment dealing with reactions of the eye to light while another class learned musical notation on recorders. The 2nd graders were discussing a previous science lesson on clouds and relating it to a poem and elements of poetry. Writing response assignments were evident in several classes while students were drawing a design for Chinese porcelain in 4th grade Art. The 3rd class was involved in a multisensory approach to learning about American Indians. Students were developing individual values and actions related to the story, “The Samurai’s Daughter,” in 5th grade.

The teachers’ comments were very positive. Core Knowledge has given structure to their content which allows them to be more creative in the presentation of the content. The teachers appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with one another to promote a unified curriculum. They think the content has enriched and challenged the students to become better thinkers, to increase their depth of knowledge, to have meaningful discussions, to develop better vocabularies, to develop a logical sense of history, to understand higher-level concepts, and to think outside of the box.

The students enlightened me on various topics throughout my visit. A 1st grade girl described Egyptian customs about death and a classmate related the geographical location of Egypt and told me about the Nile River. In Mrs. Fishkin’s 5th grade class, students were discussing values as they related to the story, “The Samurai’s Daughter”. Many of the students volunteered to read their responses to a segment of the story they wrote the previous day. Mrs. Fein’s 4th grade students told me about two of the subjects they studied earlier in the school year. They described feudalism in detail as well as their views on whether or not Robin Hood was a hero or a criminal. Kindergarten students shared words they had learned about plant life. In Mrs. Brown’s art class, the 4th grade students described the four gentlemen in Chinese calligraphy.

It is important to see that the parents are active participants in enriching Core Knowledge in the classroom at Lehrman, also. Viking studies were brought to life for the 3rd grade class by a parent dressing as a Viking and telling the class about her Viking heritage. Another parent who was an attorney by profession taught debating skills to the 4th grade class which empowered the class to debate the merits of the case of Robin Hood, criminal or hero. A parent visiting her son at lunchtime remarked about her appreciation for the Core Knowledge content.

It is delightful to visit a school that has such a supportive headmaster, principal, and coordinator who work together to facilitate the implementation of Core Knowledge. The administrators and teachers are to be commended for the 98.8% level of implementation of Core Knowledge at Lehrman Community Day School!