1. education
2. school

Friday, February 27, 2015  8 Adar 5775
Dear JK- Grade 12 Parents,
ELEMENTARY: JK – GR. 6
Gr. JK – Gr. 6: I Love To Read Guest Readers (Feb 23 – 27)
Tuesday:
Brendan Lafferty came to read “Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that
Changed Baseball” by David A. Kelly to the Gr 3 – 6.
Thursday:
Carol Matas read to Gr 3A from her book “The Lost Locket”
K: 100 Day Celebration (Feb 23)
On Monday, Kindergarten celebrated their 100th day of school. They began their fun filled day
with a parade through the entire elementary school, part of high school and finally ending up at
Schmoozers. The students participated in a variety of “100 Day” activities including a “100
Day “ Parade throughout the building, counting 100 items, exercising with yoga poses (100
ways), an art activity with 100 dots, and lastly interactive Smartboard math activities. The day
ended with a cake in honour of the 100th day.
Gr. 6: Jordan Shibou comes to speak (Feb 26)
On Thursday Feb. 26 Jordan Shibou (Nina R.’s dad) a corrections officer at the Manitoba Youth
Center came to speak to the grade sixes about life in the Manitoba Youth Center. He drew a
diagram of the MYC and explained to us the different parts of the building. He described the
different levels that the inmates had to work through to get any kind of privilege. He spoke very
clearly and was easy to understand. We appreciate you coming to talk to us about the MYC.
(Nina Rannie & Zoë Silver 6 – 223)
Gr. 6: Shabbaton (Feb. 20/21)
What a success!!! What a milestone. Many many memories! For 36 hours our students
celebrated Shabbat as a “School Family” and concluded Saturday evening when parents came for
Havdallah. The Shabbat theme – “Got Shabbat-Get Unplugged”
Because of you we had a VERY SUCCESSFUL Shabbaton…
 Grade 6 Students: Nicole, Kenneth, Daniel, Caleb, Gilda, Nina, Eze, Emili, Caylie, Isaac,
Maya, Seth, Alina, Mack, Tal, Rami, Nina, Shirley, Zoë, Nicole, Ron, Lauren, Rachel, Sam,
Alicia, Isaac, Boaz, Michael, Jasmine, Adi, Amy, Adam, Levi, Ben, Molly, Emily, Sam, Avital,
Leah, Tyler, Elizabeth, Hannah, Emili, Emma
 Grade 6 Teachers/EAs and Itinerants: Morah Sherry, Morah Sharona, Mrs. Pollock, Mrs.
Allen
 Facilitators: Gaston Lopez-Fischer (Class of ’12) and Adi Farage (Class of ’13)
 Parent Coodinators – Ellen Kroft, Michelle Pollock-Kohn, Heather Silver and Fanny Zentner
 Sheri Winters taught and lead the Shacharit (Saturday morning) Service
 Rachel Yaffe and Family for sponsoring the Havdallah evening
 Soup Sisters Program with Miriam Bronstein and Harriet Zimmer
 Sharona Kravitz and Judy Doctoroff for putting together the Grade 6 Shabbaton powerpoint
 Grade 6 parent volunteers leading up to and during the weekend
 Andrea Slusky (Shabbat plates), Rabbi Boruch (Tzizit /Mitzvot Workshop), Mia Elfenbaum
(Shabbat Brachot Cards), Noemi Figowy and Danielle Appel (Challah Baking Tzedakah
Project), Sheppy Coodin (Jewish Values Workshop), Avi Posen (The Meaning of Our Anthems),
Deb Nachtigall (tablecloth, Torah cover), Fivie Gunn (Challah Making), Taliah Gunn (Challah
Making, Class of ’15)Channah Greenfield (Hebrew Honeys, Class of ’14) Mrs. Chisick
(challah covers and candlesticks), Mara Barsky (Bibleodrama), Rabbi Lander (Keynote
Speaker), Ethel Amihude (Story Telling),
Andrew Kaplan (Havdallah) David Vamos (Havdallah and Zmirot),
Barbera Buffie (Boi Kallah), Moreh Marcelo (gym activities and sleeping over) and Scott
Hartnell (gym activities), Andrew Hawkins (for his time, support and schlepping)
HIGH SCHOOL: GR. 7 – 12
Gr. 12: AP Biology – DNA Splitting
Yesterday evening, Grade 12 AP Biology completed “DNA Gel Electrophoresis”. The purpose
of this lab was to cut up DNA using enzymes, and then separate the fragments into their varying
lengths. The class was able to complete the lab in its entirety, having nothing prepared for them
prior. This was an excellent opportunity for the grade 12 students to participate in an advanced
DNA lab.
JK - GR. 12
Pink Shirt Day: (Feb 25)
Wednesday was Pink Shirt Day and our motto: “Safe and Caring Community For All Everyday” is the message that was emphasized.
From the patrols holding “Pink Shirt Day” signs, to honking support in the loop, to pink heart
chocolates given to carpool drivers and Campus members, to students and staff at Gray,
Schmoozers, JCFS and Rady JCC wearing pink “you name it”, to Schmoozers making cupcakes
with pink icing, to students writing a personal reflection/note on a pink shirt to fill up our giant
sized white shirt, to Bradley West speaking to our high school students, to books read and
discussions in elementary, to Gray Academy staff and students in a “Sea of Pink” picture to ….
Gr. 9 – 12: Spelling Bee (Feb 25)
On Wednesday, 45 students in Grades 9 - 12 participated in our very own 3rd Annual Gray
Academy Spelling Bee. Kol Ha’Kavod to all the participants
Mazel tov to: 2nd Runner up: Maor Davidovich (Grade 10)
1st Runner up: Micah Grubert Van Iderstine (Grade 10)
Winner: Dov Corne (Grade 10)
Yasher Koach/Mazel Tov…
DEBATING: Angus Reid @ St. Paul’s (Feb 25)
Sophie Hershfield (6th Individual, 3rd Team & Stephanie Kalo (7th Individual, 3rd Team)
Benjamin Saadia (5th Individual, Best in School) & Elliot Kimelman
Micah Grubert Van Iderstine (10th Individual) & Gilon Lazar
BASKETBALL:
CAIS Boys: win over Immanuel Christian (Feb 23)
win over General Byng (Feb 25)
Gr. 7/8 Girls: win over Winnipeg Mennonite (Feb 23)
Gr. 7/8: Boys: win over Van Wellegham (Feb 23)
win over Winnipeg Mennonite (Feb 26)
Varsity Girls: 3rd Place – Gimli Tournament (Feb 20 - 21)
win over Balmoral Hall (Feb 25)
Varsity Boys: win over Immanuel Christian (Feb 25)
CANADIAN NATIONAL MATH CONTEST:
Congratulations go out to the top 5 students in each grade whose scores will represent our school
provincially and nationally.
Grade 7: Dylan Kagan (School Champion), Maya Polevoi, Jacob Marks, Jonah Perlmutter,
Misha Cook-Libin
Grade 8: Sarah Jacobsohn (School Champion), David Bogomolny, Devin Cohen, Nathan
Kirshner, Jori Ganetsky/Toby Szkop
       
Todah Rabah/Thank You…
 Marisa Hochman, Alexandra Broitman, Michael Soronow, Candice Tennenbein,
Phyllis Beder, Analia Dinenzon, Lynne Kohm, Angela Todd, Dafne Orbach, Jennifer Silaghi,
Orly Frenkel, Lisa Selchen, Sharon Goldenberg (Class of ’92), Mara Silver, Arlene Davis for
helping with K 100 Day Celebration
 Moreh Marcelo, Morris Henoch and the Pink Shirt Day Committee for organizing this
important day of awareness and support
 Ms. Buffie for organizing the Gr. 9 – 12 Spelling Bee this week
 Mr. Beddome (Spelling Bee Moderator), Deb Nachtigall and Malene Solomon (Judges)
Shabbat Shalom,
Joyce Kerr
Vice Principal