CELEBRATING THE AGUDAS ACHIM COMMUNITY

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What’s New at School 

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about the school, please don’t hesitate to
contact Kim Bodemer 508-222-2243 or principal@agudasma.org

WHAT A YEAR! 

On June 7th our community will come together to celebrate another successful year of learning and growing at Agudas Achim.  The students have worked hard and learned much over this past year.  The energy that our Lower school students bring to Havdalah each week and the insight that our Upper school students bring to Beit Midrash every Monday is amazing!  Attending Hebrew school after at the end of a weekend or a long day of learning in secular school is a huge commitment.  Many of our students, although they may complain about getting to school, buckle down and engage fully in their classes and enjoy connecting with their friends at Agudas Achim.  I know this because it is often difficult to get them to leave at the end of the day.  A good problem to have!

HEARTFELT THANKS

The Religious school at Agudas Achim runs so well because of the dedication of our wonderful teaching staff.  This is the first year that all of our teachers were members of the community.  Children were able to see their Moreh/Morah at Shabbat services and holiday celebrations and this served as a model for them.  What a gift these men and women give to our community!  Be sure to thank them when you see them at the synagogue.  They truly perform a labor of love and put in countless hours to prepare quality experiences for our children.  Yasher  Koach and Todah Rabah to Sheri Warsofsky (preschool), Anna Shuman (gan/aleph), Caron Heller (bet), Cathie Cruz (gimel), Janice Dexter-Ganek (daled/hey), Stuart Freiman (daled/hey), David Nerenberg (hey), Sarah O’Connor (daled/hey), Kara Alling (vav) and Rabbi Elyse (zayin/Kadimah). 

MADRICHIM

The students who participated in our Madrichim program this year provided invaluable assistance to the teachers and the students.  This volunteer program gave these students the opportunity to stay connected with each other and the community.  A GIANT THANK YOU to Rachel Bodemer, Kayla Hindle, Rachel Ide, Sarah O’Connor, Tessa Rudnick and Rachel Shuman for helping to make this school so warm and welcoming.

DON’T FORGET TO SEND BACK YOUR SCHOOL REGISTRATION MATERIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE…THIS INFORMATION IS VITAL FOR PREPARING CLASS LISTS AND UNDERSTANDING OUR STAFFING NEEDS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR!

KADIMAH KORNER – LEADING THE WAY

The Kadimah group took the lead at Shabbatpalooza and shared their experiences with service with the rest of the community.  They are a wonderful group of thoughtful and committed teens and gives me hope for the future.  An end of the year pool party/bar-b-q will be held at Kim Bodemer’s house for the kids who participated in Kadimah and their families on June 14th @ 5 p.m.  Contact Kim at: principal@agudasma.org to let her know you are coming.  Let’s celebrate this amazing year!

CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEENS COMING THIS FALL…

NEW FOR 8TH AND 9TH GRADE STUDENTS
We wouldn’t think of ending our children’s secular education after 7th grade, we know that they need much more knowledge to help them navigate through life.  The same is true for their Jewish education.  Building off of the success of this past year’s Kadimah program, the 8th and 9th graders for this coming school year will have the opportunity to participate in a program with teens from Reconstructionist communities all over the country in the new TEL: Teens Experience Learning program.  Not only will students plan and implement a service learning program in the greater Attleboro community but they will be attending two weekend retreats, one in the fall and one in the spring, that will bring all the participating communities together to learn and share their service work.  The retreats will be held at Camp JRF in Pennsylvania.  Prior participation in Kadimah is not required to participate in TEL.

NEW FOR 10th and 11th GRADE STUDENTS
Moving forward with the work started this year, Kadimah is moving forward to 10th and 11th grade.  These students will concentrate on one or two issues facing the world today and plan and implement a meaningful service project that they will share with the community.  In addition, students will participate in two field trips to gain a better perspective on Jewish life in America then and now, and work that the Jewish community is doing to perform Gemilut Hasadim, acts of loving kindness in the world.  Students will spend one day in “Jewish Boston” in the fall and one weekend in “Jewish New York” in the spring. 

Now Accepting Applications for our Madrichim Program

The Madrichim program at Agudas Achim is open to all Hebrew school graduates.  This program helps to develop young Jewish adults in leadership roles while helping them to engage with other teens.  Successful candidates must have a love of Judaism and a strong work ethic.  There are three types of Madrichim:

Classroom Madrichim (Sunday mornings 9-12)

These Madrichim are assigned to specific classes and work directly with a classroom teacher.  Teens who apply for these positions must make a commitment to attend on a regular basis to ensure consistency for the students and the teacher.

Administrative/Tutorial Madrichim (Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6)

These Madrichim will complete any number of tasks including, filing, attendance tracking, answering the phones, special projects, and one-on-one tutoring.  Teens who apply for these positions may choose to work on Mondays, Wednesdays or both days.

Childcare Madrichim (Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6)

These Madrichim will be responsible for the care of the staff’s children.  They will plan projects for the children and assist with homework.

Please email Kim Bodemer at: principal@agudasma.org or call 508-222-2243 for more information.

UPPER SCHOOL SNACK FUND NEEDS YOU…

This year, the synagogue is providing snack for all upper school students.  We are asking for an additional $5 donation per student to help subsidize the cost of purchasing the snacks.  Please send in the $5 with your child.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Consistent attendance at Hebrew school is very important.  If your child is sick and will be absent, please call the office, 508-222-2243 and or contact his or her teacher.  If your child has an appointment or needs to miss for another reason, please let your child’s teacher know so that he or she can get the assigned work.  If transportation is an issue, please contact the office so that we can assist you in any way we can. 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Do you have 2 hours per month to volunteer to help the children in our community?  We are looking for volunteers to help with filing, answering the phone, keeping track of attendance and other office duties during school hours – Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6 pm.  Contact Kim Bodemer for details.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about the school, please don’t hesitate to contact Kim Bodemer 508-222-2243 or principal@agudasma.org

TZEDAKAH CONTRIBUTIONS