You can click on one of the links below to jump directly to that section of the Shofar. Better yet, scroll through the entire newsletter to read all about the new and important happenings at our school this week.

Head of School/CEO
Support Your School
Admission – Grow Your School
Lower Division News
Upper Division News
Learning Resource Center
Parent Teacher Organization Update
Lunch Menu
Student Council
Community News

• January 26 – Support Your Tigers-Three Basketball Games
• January 27 – Kabbalat Shabbat (K-5), 8:30am in the Strear Family Gymnasium
• January 31 – Upper Division information session for parents of 4th & 5th graders, 8:00 am in the Discovery Lab
• February 1 – Ninth Grade Parent Meeting, 7:00 pm
• February 4 – Bar Mitzvah party in honor of the school's mascot, Mogy the Tiger. For students in grades 6-12 at the school. 7:30-11:00 pm
• February 8 – Late Start For Professional Development
• February 8 – 3rd Grade Parent Meeting, 7:00 pm
• February 10 – Kabbalat Shabbat (K-3), 8:30 am in the Strear Family Gymnasium
• February 16 – 2nd Grade Chagigat Chumash, 8:15-9:30 am in the Strear Family Gymnasium
• February 22 – Learning to Read without Labels, 7:00 pm in the Lower Division library

Shabbat Across Denver JDS

We are very excited to be introducing a new program this year called Shabbat Across Denver JDS. On March 2, 2012 all Denver JDS families will have the opportunity to share Shabbat dinner in each others homes. You can sign up to be a host or a guest. Please click here for more information and to register.

Attention 4th and 5th Grade Parents

We know many of you are eager to learn more about our Upper Division. Upper Division Administrators Bryan Hay, Josh Lake, Jason Snyder, Rabbi Mark Goodman and Susan Klein will be giving a presentation about the Upper Division on January 31 at 8:00 am in the Lower Division Discovery Lab. They will discuss student academic performance, curriculum, student life, and more! Come meet these folks, have a cup of coffee, and bring your own questions too.

Shabbat Shalom,
Avi Halzel

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Help Us Win Up to $10,000!

We've submitted a video about the Lower Division to the Avi Chai Video Contest and you can help us win. Simply watch our video at www.dayschoolvideoacademy.org/VideoView and give us top ranks (5 stars) now through Sunday Feb. 5. Share our link with friends and family, too. The more people who see and vote for our video the better our chances of winning (and the more exposure our amazing school gets).

The Impact of Technology On Student Development and Family Intimacy

The Circle of Influence (a program of the ACIS counselor's group) is pleased to present: The Impact of Technology On Student Development and Family Intimacy. This will be a panel and audience discussion with Susan Klein, LMFT from Denver Jewish Day School, Craig A. Knippenberg, LCSW, M.Div. from St. Anne's Episcopal and DJ McCleary, Technology Coordinator from Stanley British Primary. The presentation is on Wednesday, February 8th from 9 – 11 a.m. at Graland Country Day School (30 Birch St., Denver, CO 80220) in the Hamilton Reiman Building. It is free and open to all ACIS school parents! Come enjoy the fellowship of other parents in an informal setting as we discuss on a deeper level how technology use is impacting the entire family in both positive and negative ways. Learn how you can influence positive practices in your family. Beverages and snacks will be provided. Questions and RSVP to Craig.KnippenberRead more here.

Annual Dinner – Save the Date!

March 28, 2012. Who are the honorees? Teena Slatkin was very active at the school when her four children attended in the 1980-90s. She is married to Buddy Slatkin, attorney. Teena & Buddy's son Daniel and daughter-in-law Allison just had a baby boy, the Slatkin's first grandchild, Gabriel Lev in November 2011. The Slatkins belong to HEA and Aish. Teena is a writer, teacher of Kabala and a community leader. Harvey Alpert is a current grandparent, father of Tanya Alpert Appel (Eloise-3, Claire-1), Rachel, Neil and Scott Alpert. Harvey is a developer and community leader. He belongs to BMH-BJ. Paula Arnold is a business woman (owner of Newberry Brothers Florist) and a community leader who has been supportive of many Jewish organizations. All of our honorees' parents (Of Blessed Memory) will be recognized as well, keeping with our theme "L'Dor V'Dor". All of their parents contributed to the growth, continuity and strength of our school and Jewish community.

• Looking for table captains for the March 28th annual dinner. Click here for more information. Your participation can make a big difference with a successful dinner. Contact Sheryl Feiler at 720-449-9549 or sfeilefor more information.

Contact Krista Boscoe at 720-449-9552 or kboscowith any questions or ideas to share. Thank you.

Shabbat Across Denver JDS

Remember to register for Shabbat Across Across Denver JDS. On March 2, 2012 Denver JDS families will share Shabbat dinner in each others homes. You can sign up to be a host or a guest. Please click here for more information and to register.

1st & 2nd graders dancing, singing and praying in celebration of
Rosh Chodesh Shevat
.

Dear Lower Division Parents,

I was so proud of our Fourth Graders and their poetry reading at the parent breakfast this week. They shared their personal reflections, reflections about the school and about the world they liven in. Additionally, I am enjoying watching the landfill project (AND CLEANUP) in 1st grade and the ididarod unit in 5th. The Flat Stanley are returning from their journey in 2nd grade and the 3rd graders are busy with their science projects. Kindergarten has been learning about the plagues and their impact on humans.

This week, we have plague of our own. We have had six confirmed cases of lice in the school so I wanted to provide some additional information to you regarding our policies. Please see the following link for additional information and recommendations www.time.com/time/health/article.

The following information comes from Colorado State University:

"Pest Tip of the Month: Head Lice in Schools

Head lice cases tend to pop up in winter because hats and coats get thrown into piles and are shared. Head lice cause intense itching but do not carry or spread diseases; the embarrassment of head lice can be worse than the lice themselves. In the past, head lice policies in schools emphasized that a child infested with head lice could not return to school until there are no nits (head lice eggs are called nits) in their hair. "No-nit" policies are discouraged by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. There is no evidence that a no-nit policy prevents or shortens lengths of outbreaks (Pollack et al., 2000, Williams et al., 2001). One treatment alone may not kill all the lice, so use a combination of treatments — lotions, shampoos and combing. Some lice are resistant to commonly used insecticides in head lice shampoos. Vinegar, isopropyl alcohol, enzyme-based compounds, tea tree oil, or other alternative products advertised to dissolve the glue on the nits (to ease their removal) or kill the nits have not been proven to be effective. Mayonnaise, olive oil, melted butter and petroleum jelly allegedly suffocate the nits and lice, but this claim too is unproven."

At Denver JDS, when we have a report of lice, we check the children in that grade level. We also check the siblings of any children confirmed to have lice. If lice are found, the parents of that child are contacted and informed that the child may not come to school the next day without a treatment. It is not our policy to bar children from school due to nits.

New Amplification System in use in Kindergarten

Some parents have noticed that we are implementing the use of an amplification system in Kindergarten. The researched benefits of amplification systems in classrooms are:

•  Improved academic achievement, especially for younger students
• Decreased distractibility and increased on-task behavior
• Increased attention to verbal instruction and activities and improved understanding
• Decreased number of requests for repetition

Thanks to Amy Mussler for piloting this exciting program.

Spring Conferences

Spring Conferences Signup still available. Please indicate your desire for a Spring Conference by following this link: Spring Conference Signup.

Social Studies and Science realignment project

The Lower Division teachers have been busy working on realigning the Social Studies and Science curricula to the Colorado State Standards. Please find the matrix showing these alignments here.

B'Shalom,
Susan

1st graders practicing a play in Hebrew

Morning Minyan

Denver JDS holds morning minyan services on Monday and Friday of each week at 7:00 AM. Services are held in the Judaic Library and are open to the entire Denver JDS community. We would love to have you come! If you have questions, would like to get involved, or are interested in sponsoring breakfast for the minyan, please contact Simon Kaufman (Upper Division senior) at sjk11/p>

First Semester Grades Finalized

Grades for semester one will be finalized at noon on Friday on Powerschool. If you have questions, please contact Josh Lake at jlak/p>

Alumni Visit

Sammy Forshner, Class of 2008 came to the Spanish classes to speak about his post high school Spanish experiences and to present his Powerpoint on his trip to Santiago de Compostela. It was a great opportunity for DJDS students to interact with a alumnus who speaks fluent Spanish, currently attending American Jewish University in Los Angeles.

"Learning to Read Without The Label"

An evening with Lynn Kuhn hosted by the Learning Resource Center, Wednesday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Division library. Lynn is the professional development Coordinator for the Colorado Department of Education.  She is an specialist in reading, speech/language and learning disabilities. More details to follow.

K- 9 Vision and Hearing Screening Week of February 21st

For information about the Learning Resource Center including information about formal psyco-educational testing procedures please use the following link to the LRC webpage: http://www.denverjds.org/learning-resource-center/

Publishing a Book

We all know someone who is writing their novel. Please pass the word – local literary agent Sara Megibow ( Elan-1) is teaching Publishing 101: How to Publish Your Book; Sunday, February 19, 2012 – 1:00 pm-3:30 pm in the Lower Division Discovery Lab. ALL money will go to the school library and PTO. Click here for information, details and how to RSVP. And, again – please pass the word to the writers in your life.

PTO Volunteer Opportunities!

The following programs need additional volunteers. Please make contact as indicated to determine the exact time commitment and type of help needed.

Purim Baskets – work with Chair Chandra Rosenthal and our outside provider during January, February, and early March to put together parent/student lists, distribute information, answer parent questions, and distribute baskets to all students/faculty/staff/board members. Learn the ropes and chair this activity next year.

Art Extravaganza – contact Tracey Douglas to see how you can help with the vendors who will be selling or displaying their arts and work with Colleen Beatty to display student artwork. This activity will be held on Field Day (May 10th, Lag b'Omer) at around 11:30. Help is needed with advanced planning as well as on the day of the event.

Book Trust

For the first time ever, from January 2012 through March 2012, when you place your Scholastic Book Club orders, both online and in the print catalogs, you can donate $1 to enable children to choose and own books through Book Trust.

Book Trust is a Colorado-based, non-profit organization that uniquely delivers unbounded choice and ownership of books to children in need, increasing their literacy skills and fostering life-long learning. Book Trust serves 22,000 students in 9 states—10,000 of these students are right here in Colorado.

By teaming up with Scholastic, Book Trust empowers school children living in need–who otherwise couldn't afford to order Scholastic books like many of their classmates—to choose and own books.

Every dollar makes a difference and 100% of your donation will go toward children choosing and buying books!

Please remember to add a dollar to your Scholastic Book Club order this month and visit  Book Trust at www.BookTrust.org.

Please click here for lunch menus for January 18 through January 27/

Save the Date – Mogy's Bar Mitzvah Party!

On the night of Saturday, February 4th, Student Council will be hosting a Bar Mitzvah party in honor of the school's mascot, Mogy the Tiger. The party will have an Old Hollywood theme and will take place at the school. There will be dinner, dancing, and tons of fun attractions! All upper division students are invited. See the invitation for all the details and information about reserving a spot. Get excited, you do not want to miss it! Click here for invitation and RSVP.

Student Council Clothing for Sale

The upper division's Student Council is selling school clothing! Featured in this year's selection are a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a cozy winter hat. Please consider buying to support the Student Council. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get some great Tiger apparel and show your school spirit! Click this link for clothing forms with more information, or pick up a form in the Upper Division's front office

SHMA Summer Camps Open House

The executive director of the organization will be having two open houses in the Denver area next week to familiarize families with their programs. Click here to view the invitation and here for more information about the available camps.

Before you send your kids to college, send them to this incredible program.

We are thrilled to offer 11th and 12th grade students a FREE unique opportunity: the chance to hear a passionate, smart, savvy presentation from Charlotte Korchak, West Coast Campus Coordinator for Stand With Us.

What: Ms. Korchak is 23, freshly out of college and well aware of how hard it is for your kids to defend their beliefs and explain their position on Israel while at college. She is dynamic, engaging and ready to help give kids the tools and understanding they need to join in any conversation with confidence.

Session 1: Empower
Open discussion about what Israel means to each of us, and how students can play a role in being an advocate for Israel.

Session 2: Gain Perspective
Gain an inside look at Israel's surrounding geography and history. It's an important step in understanding the context of Israel today.
When: January 29, 2012, Part 1 and Part 2, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: University of Denver Merage & Allon Hillel Center, 2390 S. Race St. Denver, CO 80210

Session 3: Prepare & Educate
We'll help students understand how they can get involved on campus and how to talk about hot issues such as checkpoints and humanitarian crisis issues as well as techniques on how to determine campus organizations REAL agendas.

When: Wednesday, February 1, Part 3, 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Temple Sinai, 3509 S. Glencoe Street, Denver, CO 80237

For more information for parents, click on this link. For more information for students, click on this link.

RSVP to sdelcaor call 303-321-3191

2012 JCC Camps Registration Open

Be Active. Be Adventurous. Belong.
Day Camp, Sports Camps, Art and Theatre Classes, Overnight Camps -everything you could want for an action-packed summer! Camp Shai North will be held on our school's campus for kids going into Kindergarten through going into grade 10. Buses are available from other parts of town. Get more information or register now for Camp Shai or JCC Ranch Camp at www.jccdenver.org/camps.

It's a new year, which means that camp is just around the corner!

Ramah Outdoor Adventure, is currently enrolling children age 8-15 for the 2012 camping season as well as teens age 16 &17 for www.jewishoutdoorleadershipinstitute.org a leadership training program.

Through an appreciation of nature, campers of Ramah Outdoor Adventure will learn to embrace our world's beauty and gain a sense of personal responsibility for its treasures. Our unique program encourages its campers to challenge their personal physical limits and to feel confident in their natural surroundings. We strive to build a supportive Jewish community to serve as a paradigm for their adult Jewish lives. Ramah Outdoor Adventure is one of the only kosher outdoor adventure camps in the U.S.

Located on a majestic, 360 acre alpine ranch, Ramah Outdoor Adventure is located in the heart of the one million acre Pike National Forest, only 90 miles from Denver. Come experience the great outdoors: mountain biking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, farming, pioneer crafts, wilderness survival and much more!!!!.

Interested? Intrigued? Parents and potential campers are invited to meet our camp director, Rabbi Eliav Bock, at our upcoming Denver area information session, Sunday, January 29, 2012, 5:00-6:00 pm, at the home of Rob & Karen Novick, parents of 2011 & 2012 camper, Ayden-5, 11550 East Dorado Avenue Englewood CO 80111

Please RSVP to infor call 303 261 8214 X104

LOST VOICES program – the Holocaust Through Sephardic Eyes

Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 3:00PM Light Dessert Reception; Music and Poetry program begins at 4:00PM. Seniors & Students $6.00; General Admission $36.00. Location: 3600 S. Ivanhoe Denver, CO 80237 (For ages 12+). Click here for more information

The program is directed by Glenn Zazulia and features the musical talents of Cantor Martin Goldstein, pianist Gabriela Gottlieb,
violinist Michael Brittan and the operatic stylings of Talya Rotbart. Poetry from "And the World Stood Silent" (Ladino, French and Greek with English translations) will feature readings by area high school students from the Denver Academy of Torah, Denver Jewish Day School and Bnei Akiva youth group.

Silent & Online Auction – magnificent one-of-a-kind Hamsas created by local artists, including: Shelley Chaiffetz, Sharon Gelt, Linda Ginsberg, Lisa A. Greenstein, Kit Karbler, Arel Mishory, Penny Nisson, Paulette Rybak and Rayna Wandel. donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=51207

Proceeds to benefit Holocaust survivors and the Righteous in need through the YIZKOR project's "Share & Care" program. The "Lost Voices" program has been generously underwritten by Mindy & Jeffrey Hecht and is co-sponsored by the Hebrew Educational Alliance.

Exhibit Opening – "Remembering the Past – Acting on the Present"

Holocaust Remembrance quilt project. WHEN: Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11AM. WHERE: Robert E. Loup JCC (350 S. Dahlia), Lobby. The diverse collection of community voices offers more than 40 stories of rescue and survival, escape and activism with photographs, letters and documents. Roxane White, Chief of Staff to Governor John Hickenlooper, will install the Governor's proclamation designating January 27-February 6, 2012 as "Colorado Days of Commemoration." Click here for more information.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Robert E. Loup JCC with support from Ace Cherry Creek, Colorado Coalition for Genocide

Looking for something to do over Presidents day weekend?

Join the Mile High USY Mountain Jews and JCC Maccabi Teen Network for Skinnus Ski Trip 2012! Come spend time in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains with your friends. Join us for the two day/one night getaway to Keystone. February 19-20, 2012, Grades 8-12

Spaces are limited so to register and ensure your spot and to inquire about the various pricing options, email Kolby Morris ASAP! kmorri/p>

HEA Youth Programs

Hebrew Educational Alliance offers programing for Jewish Youth 4^th-12^th grade in the 3 co-ed Youth Groups: Atid, Kadima, and Mile High USY. HEA also offers gender specific programing for teenage boys and girls. By becoming involved in the programing it is the hope of HEA that Jewish Youth will deepen their sense Kehilla Kedusha (a Holy Community), build character and heightened values, strengthen their connection with the natural world, and become empowered to play their role in creating a better world for all. For a complete calendar of events click here: www.headenver.org/youth.htm

JCC Intergenerational Family Israel Trip

June 10 – 21, 2012. This unique trip is created for families with children 4 – 10 years old and grandparents. Please click here to review the brochure and itinerary. Email cblankfor more information.

Bnei Akiva Updates

Friday February 10th: Oneg Shabbat for Madrichim, details TBA
Saturday February 11th: Seuda Shlishit for grades 6 and up, details TBA
Saturday February 25th: Seuda Shlishit for grades 3-5, details TBA

Ski Shabbaton weekend of March 2nd at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch. Registration is now open! Limited space is available. Contact Steve Feldman (vetcare661or 720-394-3020) for registration packet or be left behind!

Weekly meeting for interested high school students, Wednesdays at 7:30 PM in the EDOS teen lounge.