After impressive victories last week for both boys' and girls' basketball teams, the teams had easier wins at the beginning of this week. On Tuesday, Kingsbury forfeited both games giving our boys' and the girls' teams both a 2-0 start to their season. On Thursday, the boys played a very physical game against Jemicy and emerged victorious! The girls played a well-executed game against Beth Tfiloh's varsity team on Thursday.

Also, if you haven’t already paid your annual dues, you can pay at the meeting. Any questions? Please email CAPTS@shoshanascardin.org

REFLECTIONS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

What’s Happening at Cardin?
The Arts. When I entered “the arts” into Google, it came back with 7,500,000 matches. Wikipedia.org defines the arts as “a broad subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art," which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompasses visual arts, literature, and the performing arts - music, drama, dance and film, among others.” With this entry in mind, let’s look at the arts at Cardin. In the four years I have been here we have offered electives in visual arts, choral music, music appreciation, instrumental music, drama, film appreciation (in many iterations and genres), literature “club,” and hip-hop. And that is all I can recall without looking back at the schedules for the past 3 1/3 years. We offer a senior studio art class that enriches students’ portfolios and experiences as they prepare for college. Students have had the opportunity to take individual piano lessons. Minyanim offerings have included Israeli dance and singing. Every year we put on an elaborate musical or play that encompasses a multitude of the arts, both back stage and on stage. This year, interim week is called “...BUT WE CAN TELL THE STORY...” (see www.shoshanascardin.org for details), which will include a conglomeration of different media in telling stories. Our language arts curriculum is literature-based and the arts are integrated throughout the entire curriculum, from Mikra to World History. 

WHAT’S DEVELOPING AT CARDIN

Listen to The Lorax 
With what I hope was a meaningful Thanksgiving now behind us, we are moving ahead to Hanukkah and the end of 2009. As we approach the last year of the new decade, it is certain that we at Cardin have much to celebrate, which translates to many challenges. Funding a Cardin education is an investment in Jewish continuity. Your annual gift helps to ensure that our children will be prepared to take leadership roles in Baltimore and beyond in the years to come.

Miracles, celebration, triumph - they are all a part of the Hanukkah tradition. This year as we celebrate the Hanukkah season, let's remember the true spirit of the holiday. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 11 and my guess is that while we are thinking about tradition, miracles, parties, and latkes, many of us are pondering gifts - for our children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors. Please don't forget your gift to Cardin!

                                 

Gifts to the Annual Fund Drive at The Shoshana S. Cardin School are used during the year in which they are received, and support the operating budget. They help make up the difference between tuition and the actual cost of a Cardin education. Our goal this year, $125,000, is lofty. We are convinced that with the growing enthusiasm surrounding the coming new Owings Mills campus and the clear understanding that our daily needs continue to be greater than the funds we collect from parents annually, we will meet that objective. One hundred percent participation will go far in our efforts to secure grants and support from charitable institutions. These funds allow us to continue programming such as the annual theatrical performance, our unique minyanim and lecture series and Interim Week.

 

Remember that your unrestricted gift goes immediately and directly to support the Cardin experience. Is there a better gift than that of a superior Jewish and secular education? Wouldn't it be grand to celebrate our own Cardin miracle with 100% participation?

 

Have a joyous holiday!

 

Marjorie Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing 

 

JUDAICS.COMMUNICATIONS

The Wheels on the Bus are Upside Down

On Monday, November 30th our 9^th and 10^th grade students hopped on the Topsy Turvy Jewish Climate Tour Bus sponsored by the TEVA Learning Center. They were greeted by six TEVA educators who engaged them in two hours of innovative Jewish programming on climate change and environmental issues. Activities included a “Do It Yourself Pizza Box Solar Oven Competition,” “A Tour of the Bus and Its Grease and Composting Systems,” and a “Climate Campaign Relay.” “The bus was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” remarked Sam Polansky, ‘13. Jessie Garber, ’13, said, “The activities were fun and educational at the same time.” Adina Golob, ’12, thought it was a good way to apply what she learned in biology with Ms. Sims to real life. Adina also loved the singing because it reminded her of camp. Yeri Robinson, ’12, really liked learning about electricity. By the end of the program, students gained a deeper understanding of the connections between local resources and global climate change, brainstormed practical ideas for energy conservation, were challenged to rethink systems that encourage our dependency on fossil fuels and explored the Jewish approach to Baal Tashchit (Jewish views on environmentalism). The one thing the TEVA educators didn’t try to conserve was their energy. Our students felt the passionate sparks of these motivated young activists. 

Hanukkah and Cardin’s Annual Campaign
It’s almost that time to get my hanukkiyah out of the closet (I hope I cleaned out the wax from last year before I put it away) and to remember to buy enough candles to last throughout the holiday. It is also time for Cardin’s annual campaign. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these two experiences come at the same time. We could learn a lot about “giving” from the laws of Hanukkah.

CLASSES IN ACTION

Biology
As students are beginning their unit on the cell, becoming comfortable with basic chemistry terms and concepts is fundamental to the discussion of cellular structure, function, and transport. During this lesson, students had to use the vocabulary terms to write a story based on atomic structure, elements, bonding, and chemical reactions. Each student was given a role in the story whether as Natalie Narrator or a member of the Element Family. After they chose the plot, students were off and running with creative ways to use their vocabulary terms from periodic table to molecule to chemical reaction. 

U.S. History

This week we explored various aspects of U.S. History through song and poetry. Students in H block history each wrote a story, song, or poem reflecting the background and outcome of the 1803 case of Marbury vs. Madison. We learned a great deal about the case, as well as the fact that half of the class is a bit tone deaf. In A block, history students wrote poems in teams about the annexation of Texas and purchase of California as well as the conflict with Britain over Oregon. All in all, it’s been an entertaining and educational week in U.S. History.

Ms. Amy Fink

 

Mikra 11

“Who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the Land so I would not have to destroy it?” asked God through the prophet Ezekiel. Students struggled with understanding the meaning of that metaphor and learned about the role of a prophet as an intercessor. After studying, in addition to fragments from the Book of Ezekiel, prophetic advocacy present in the books of Exodus, Jeremiah, Micah, Isaiah and Habakkuk the students returned to Ezekiel’s metaphor and attempted to create a physical representation of it. And because Ezekiel was talking about building walls, whitewashing and plastering – students used real building materials to make their creations.  In the first stage they used joint compound to create the base for relief. During the second day they used paint and various additional materials to finish their work.

Ms. Rochel Czopnik

    

 

Spanish III

Students have been working on the imperative tense and can therefore give commands such as “go!” “sit!” and “do!”  In order to test their skills, they composed poems with a topic of their choice. The two attached poems (submitted by Bobby Weinstein, ‘11 and Jeremiah Feldstein, ‘11) are great examples. Bobby shares all the commands he gets in one day, from the early morning sun telling him “wake up!” to the end of the day when his parents tell him “study!” and Jeremiah shares how important water and ice cream are to one’s survival! 

Senorita Judy Frumin

Bobby's poem

Jeremiah's poem

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Illustrations That Illuminate

On Wednesday, November 2, renowned Israeli artist, Tamar Messer, met with some of our Judaic Studies classes to share her work. Tamar's career as an illustrator has included book illustrations as well as work done for Israel's leading newspapers.Tamar introduced our 9th and 10th grade students who are studying the Book of Exodus to her Haggadah. Rabbi Landau’s Ketuvim class examined her illustrations of the 5 Megillot.  Immediately our students noticed that Tamar is continuing the tradition of creative exegesis so characteristic of the Rabbis. Her artistic illustrations do not serve as mere decorations, but are artistic interpretations or visual commentaries on the text. When Tamar was asked her about her process, she told the students that she first she studies the text, researches the traditional midrashim, and begins writing down her ideas: “Throughout the entire process I am honest. I must believe in my work if I want it to inspire others.” Sometimes Tamar even questions or rejects the traditional assumptions about a particular text, making its message immediate and personally felt in ways not otherwise possible for many. Miles Greenspoon, '13, noted how the art helped him understand the passages from the Haggadah in new ways. Leah Prince, '13, remarked how cool it was to experience a Haggadah where the main focus was the pictures: “Tamar’s artwork gave me a better understanding of what the words mean.” Abby Grobani, '11 shared her reactions to Tamar’s Megillot: “The artwork is incredible. Her style is unique, and her colors are absolutely breath-taking. Her interpretations of these texts enhanced the words.” “Tamar’s artistic renderings gave me a new found appreciation for art and art skills. The pictures were unbelievably detailed and the colors were truly eye opening. Her art was a great commentary on the stories and conveyed her opinions,” commented Daniel Solomon, '11. The distinct vibrant colorful style of her work seemed to draw upon the vitality that spoke directly to the hearts of many of our students.

SHACHAR’S SHTICK

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