SOUTH CAMPUS | Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

This Week's Forms

Social Justice Brick By Brick T-shirt Form

2010-2011 School Dates Calendar

Remember: all of these forms can be found on our website. Simply click on the links above to download the PDFs you want, and just print them out, fill them in and mail, email or fax them back.

Join us for the Middle School Show of Minds!

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Middle School parents, keep an eye on your inboxes for more information... coming soon!

Leo Baeck Day is TOMORROW! Get Ready!

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

This year, Leo Baeck South will continue its initiative to celebrate Leo Baeck Day with a whole-school trip! Students from all grades, SK-Grade 8, will gather as one school community and travel to the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University (Steeles Ave. West) on Thursday May 6th. This day will combine track and field events and fun outdoor games for all students. We hope that this day will focus on being together as a community in a fun environment with shared experiences and show support for POGO- Paediatric and Oncology Group of Ontario.

The celebrations will begin on Monday May 3rd, when students from Grade 8 will be visiting homebase classes to collect loonies for the Going Loonie for POGO! program. The goal for the entire school is 1000 loonies and Grade 8 students will be collecting for the entire week. They will also announce teams for Leo Baeck Day and build excitement for what promises to be another fun event.

Students should arrive at school as normal by 8:30 AM and will prepare to leave by 9:00 AM under teacher and parent volunteer supervision. Buses will be boarded at this time and we should all arrive at York University by 9:45 AM to begin the day.

The entire school will be split into 4 teams and rotate through various events and games. Each team will have teacher and parent supervision throughout.

Please note the following regarding lunch:
Each student will be required to bring a litterless school lunch to keep litter and clean-up to a minimum. Students will eat in team groupings, closely supervised by teachers who are aware of allergy concerns. The LBPA will be providing nut-free popsicles in honour of Leo Baeck Day; parents who do not wish their children to receive this food may choose to provide an alternate snack.

Please make sure each student has sufficient water for the day and to dress in their team colour. Hats and sunscreen are a great idea with the hope that we will have another sunny day!

The day will conclude at 2:30PM when all students will board buses back to the Leo Baeck South campus for normal dismissal at 3:30PM. They day will go ahead regardless of sun, rain or snow (you never know!) as arrangements for indoor facilities have been made if needed.

This day can not be successful without the dedication and leadership of the staff along with vital parent volunteers. We need a volunteer from each class to help out for the entire day on an event or team supervision so please contact your class parent if you would like to be involved. Please note that due to the structure of the day, it cannot be guaranteed that you will be spending the day with your child. This is a normal school day and all students are expected to attend so they can enjoy and be a part of a great day together!

If you have questions regarding the day, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Jonathan Monkcom at jmonkcom@leobaeck.ca.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

BOOK LAUNCH: I Shall Not Hate. Wednesday May 12th, 7:30 PM, Holy Blossom Temple. Join us for the Jewish Community Book Launch of this important new book. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a doctor from Gaza who lost three daughters in the Israel/Hamas war in January, 2009. Dr. Abuelaish is a remarkable man whose story brings us to the very humanity – and human beings – who suffer because of hate. Introduction by Heather Reisman. Book signing to follow.

JF&CS Urgent Request: There are children across the GTA that need a Jewish place to call home.The urgent need for Jewish foster families continues to grow. In the past six months, the number of requests for foster homes has more than doubled from the six months prior. Though we have an ongoing need for all Jewish foster parents, we have a specific need for: Orthodox homes, Russian homes (English-speaking), stay-at-home parents for infants - toddlers (ages 0-3), parents with skills and/or experience managing children with challenging behaviour, and parents that can accommodate sibling groups. To learn more, contact JF&CS's Intake Dept. at 416-638-7800. Remuneration and training provided. (One parent per home must be Jewish; single-parent homes and GLBT homes welcome.)

BENY - A TRIBUTE: Please join the Holy Blossom Temple community on Tuesday, May 11th 7.30 p.m. at Koerner Hall, The Royal Conservatory, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, for a Gala Concert celebrating Cantor Maissner’s 30 years at Holy Blossom Temple. The evening, produced by David Warrack, will feature many prominent performers, musicians, cantors and choirs. For more information, please visit our website. To purchase tickets, please call Koerner Hall at 416-408-0208 or buy them online on the Royal Conservatory website.

SINGING FOR S'MORES: A Fundraising Concert To Enable Kids To Attend Reform Movement Summer Camps! The concert features cantors, cantorial soloists and choirs from across the GTA. May 16 at 7.30 p.m., Temple Emanu-El, 120 Old Colony Road. $20 donation at the door. Please call 416-449-3880 for more information.

Temple Har Zion holds daily morning services Monday through Friday @ 7:15 a.m., Sundays and statutory holidays @ 9:15 a.m. A place for daily prayer, observing a Yahrzeit and for congregants in mourning. Non-members welcome.

Blitz36 was a Great Success!

Thank you for joining us for such a wonderful evening! We had a fantastic turnout: the place was hopping. And we ended up raising $32,000 for initiatives at Leo Baeck.

The LBPA would like to send a heartfelt thanks to Robyn, Carol, Jodi and the rest of the Blitz36 committee. Without you, we would not have had such an incredible evening of fun and fundraising.

Welcome to the World, Micah Petersiel!

The Board of Directors would like to wish Eric Petersiel and his family a hearty Mazel Tov on the birth of their son Micah. Micah Petersiel was born in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 24th, a few weeks early but raring to go. Dad Eric, mom Tami and big sister Lilah are thrilled, as are all of us here at Leo Baeck!

Support Brick By Brick: Buy a T-shirt!

Tthe Social Justice Committee is the first of its kind at Leo Baeck. Our Brick by Brick campaign is hoping to raise $8,500 by the end of the school year, enough to build a school in Kenya. We are working with Free the Children to give underprivileged children the opportunity to learn in a safe environment, something we are so fortunate to have here in Canada. The proceeds from the T-shirt sales will go to our Brick by Brick campaign. We thank you for all of your support! Click here to download the T-shirt order form, or go to the link at the top of the page.

There's Still Time To Audition for the Grades 1-5 Talent Show!

The Grades 1-5 elementary school talent show will be held on Thursday, May 13th. If you would like to participate, you must prepare an act. This act can be solo, group or presented by an entire class. Mr. Kurlandsky, Miss Zilbert and Mrs. Kirshenblatt will judge all students who wish to be in the show and choose the best acts to participate in the schoolwide show. Approximately 4 acts per grade will be chosen. Each act may be a maximum of 3 minutes long. If you wish to try out, these auditions will be held during your recess on Friday May 7th at 11:30- 1:00 (Grade 3 and 4 during lunch and recess).

You can sign up for an audition time by signing your name for a time on the signup sheet on Miss Zilbert's door, Room 206.

Important notes:

1. You must prepare your act during out door recess time or outside of school (no in class time will be given to prepare)
2. Your act can only be a maximum of 3 minutes long
3. You cannot exclude anyone from your act. Example: if 8 out of 10 girls in a class want to do a dance, you cannot exclude the other two girls if they want to participate. This is supposed to be a fun activity!
4. Your home base teacher should approve Songs or acts. No songs with inappropriate lyrics or profanity will be allowed.
5. All costumes must abide with school dress code. Shorts must be to approximately mid-thigh and all students should be in nothing less than a t-shirt (no tank tops).
6. You may use musical instruments as long as you have permission from your parents to bring them to school
7. Mr. Harris will be speaking to each home base class in the coming week. He'll be discussing the importance of participation (versus competition) and will explain that the focus of the talent show is all about having fun.

Get a Taste of Camp George!

October 15th-16th, 2010

Is your child hoping to go to camp but doesn't quite know what to expect? Or do you think they'd just enjoy a fun fall weekend up north with their friends? Try the "Taste of Camp George" weekend, coming up on October 15th-16th, 2010!

The program is open to students who will be in Grades 3, 4 and 5 next year. Students will be leaving for camp on a staff-led bus after school on Friday, October 15th and departing camp the following day, October 16th, at 6 pm, returning to school around 8:30.

The program will be led by Camp George faculty member Mark Weinstock and will highlight the best of camp, including Kabbalat Shabbat. Camp George senior staff will be on hand to lead rotations such as arts, sports, teva, and ropes. The camp staff will also be sleeping in cabins and leading the children throughout the weekend. Bus routes and departure times will all be finalized when we have exact numbers.

Participation is limited, and the early-bird price of $50 is only available until May 16th, so sign up soon. Download the permission form here or at the top of the page. And have fun!

Buy your Leo Baeck Yearbook today!

Make sure you buy your AMAZING Leo Baeck yearbook, created by this year's Grade 8 Yearbook Committee!

The yearbook costs $35 and the purchase deadline is Friday, June 11th; an extra $5 will be charged after that date. Download the form here or at the top of the page.

LBPA Notes

SAVE THE DATE: LBPA BBQ ON JUNE 10TH!
Mark your calendars for June 10th, when the LBPA will be hosting a family BBQ! More information to come, so stay tuned.