The Nursery School is bustling with Passover prep, including lots of matzah crunching and excitement! We have a number of things to share with you, so please read carefully below:
1. As a reminder, full day classes will be celebrating their model sedarim this Friday at lunch time. We ask that you try not to send in any chametz in your child's lunch on Friday (bread, pretzels, crackers, etc.) as the children will have "cleaned" their classrooms and the chametz will have been burned. To that end, there will not be a pizza delivery on Friday, as was noted on the original hot lunch schedule.
2. We are excited to share that Phase II of the Playground Project has begun! Work is currently being done on Gan Teva (Lower Field) and Playground 2. See photos below.
3. School will be closed for the Passover break Monday, April 22- Wednesday, May 1, with school resuming on Thursday, May 2.
4. We are happy to announce that we are now fundraising through Mabel's Labels. With every order we will earn 20% commission for our school. If you are not familiar with Mabel's Labels, they offer personalized waterproof name labels for your children's items. This is the perfect time to get your orders in before camp and the new school year. Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and choose Beth El Nursery School (New Rochelle) from the organization list. Click here to order.
5. For After Care families, the next Staff Meeting will be on Tuesday, May 7 at 2:45pm. As a result, after care will end on May 7 at 2:30pm.
6. Our second annual Field Day will be on Sunday, May 19 at 1PM. Nursery School families are invited for a fun afternoon of relay races, yummy snacks and shmoozing on Gan Teva, the lower field. Cost is $25 per family. Register here.
7. Today our Shinshin, Maya, visited with our Gezah and Anaf children and practiced the ritual of bedikat chametz (the search for chametz). In addition, Maya has spearheaded an outstanding project related to the hostages being held in Gaza.
This initiative was NOT discussed with the children, but a card related to a hostage was put in their backpacks today. Please see a note below from Maya explaining this card and additional project details.
Dear Parents,
My name is Maya Tzabary and I am one of the eight Shinshinim in Westchester. I would love to share with you the project I have been working on-- “One Seat” reserved for a hostage at our seder table.
What is the project about? On Passover we celebrate the transition from slavery to freedom. In our reality, while 133 Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas, it is our duty not to forget them and to do everything we can to get them free. This year, in addition to setting out a cup for Elijah the prophet at the Seder table, we pray for the return of all the hostages and reserve ‘one seat’ for them at our table. To that end, individual cards have been created for each hostage. The cards focus on what kind of people they are and what they like to do, so we all remember that it could have been any of us.
Who is it for? Everyone! The information about the hostages is not too graphic so it will be appropriate even for high school or middle school students. Today your child came home with one of these cards. Please place this card at an empty seat at your table and ask yourself a fifth question: what can you do to help bring the hostages home?
Thank you! Maya Tzabary, Westchester Shinshinit.
Additional cards are available at Beth El. If interested, please feel free to reach out to us and we will make the necessary connection for you.
Wishing you and your family a meaningful and enjoyable Passover holiday, Ronnie and Shery
Highlights:
Nursery School Registration for the '24-'25 School Year continues: Classes are filling up. Register here.
Anaf parents are invited to celebrate Havdallah on Monday mornings in the Youth Lounge beginning at 9AM.
Passover Break: Apr. 22 - May1. School resumes on Thursday, May 2.
