CAPA Newsletter

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CAPA Newsletter June 2012 Sivan 5772

GREETINGS!!! Dear Carmel Academy Families, It’s been an amazing school year full of activities & celebrations! We wanted to thank those of you who volunteered your time to be a part of it all. From class parents to lunch duty monitors to committee chairs, everyone who got involved played a part to make this school year a tremendous success. Want to know what the PA and all the terrific volunteers accomplished??! See page 5 for a full list! For this final issue of our PA newsletter for the 2011/12 school year, we wanted to take this opportunity to announce our officers for next year. Please see page 4 for a list of those who you can look forward to working with soon. But this isn’t the end…we will still be soliciting your help – from new family ambassadors to new class reps, your time and enthusiasm are still very much needed. So, why not take a moment and fill out our volunteer signup sheet (see page 6)? And don’t forget that we are reviving the Annual Shabbaton! See page 2 for more details. Finally, a reminder that we are collecting for Teacher & Staff appreciation gifts. Please see page 7 for the signup sheet. We wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing everyone again in September! Best Regards, Miriam Loren, Dana Roth, & Diane Safer Parents Association Co-Presidents ([email protected], [email protected] [email protected])

SAVE THE DATE! CARMEL ACADEMY ANNUAL SHABBATON OCTOBER 12 – 14, 2012

Carmel Academy PA is pleased to once again offer SchoolPak to order your school supplies!* No more running from store to store, searching for school supplies. Order online by credit card, and SchoolPak assembles and delivers all the items on your child’s school supply list! It’s that easy! Go to: http://www.schoolpak.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?i d=1553&cat=Carmel+Academy Scroll down to find your child’s grade and add to your cart. At the top of the page you will see that you have the opportunity to make a donation toward the 8th grade Israel trip when you order! Discounted prices available if you order by June 15th! *Please note, ordering from SchoolPak is entirely optional.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 2 – Shabbaton news!!! Page 3 – Kol HaKavod page Page 4 – List of 2012-13 PA Officers Page 5 – Oh the things we have done! Page 6 – PA Signup sheet Page 7 – Appreciation Gifts Signup Sheet

The Carmel Academy Shabbaton is Back! Ah! We’ve really missed you, Shabbaton! After a few years hiatus, the Parents Association is happy to announce that we are reviving the Shabbaton!

When:

Friday, October 12 – Sunday, October 14, 2012

Where:

Berkshire Hills-Emanuel Camp in Copake, NY, only 90 miles from Westchester or Fairfield County There is a beautiful lake-side pavilion for our services, a spring-fed lake (weather-permitting for boating on Sunday), basketball, and tennis courts, a new dining hall, and much more.

Why:            

What:

Meet new families Connect with old friends Pray & celebrate Shabbat together Breathe fresh air Learn & share Sing & dance by the bonfire Enjoy nature & the beautiful lake Play sports Get the kids together Eat good food (that you don’t have to cook or clean up) Have fun & relax Just get away from it all

Rooms - accommodate 2 adults (or 3 with a child on a cot) & each room has its own private bath. Meals - Berkshire Hills-Emanuel is a strictly kosher facility and the camp maintains an eruv. We will enjoy 6 Glatt kosher meals from a lovely Shabbat dinner through a delicious BBQ lunch on Sunday together. Snacks will be available throughout the weekend.

Needed:

1. You & your whole mishpucha (family)! 2. Your help! The Shabbaton is an entirely volunteer parent-run event supported by the Carmel Academy Parents Association and we will need volunteers to organize: - T’fillah & Torah Reading - Afternoon activities for kids & adults - Adult Education - Sports - Medura (Campfire) tzmirah - Talent Show - Rikudei Am (Israeli Folk Dancing) - Other Hobby/Interest you’d like to share

Additional information will be sent shortly & registration begins soon so watch for emails & check backpacks!

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Kol HaKavod!!! Chesed Day A huge TODAH RABAH to all the student, sibling and adult volunteers who came to school on Sunday, May 6th to make Carmel Academy’s First Annual Chesed Day so much fun and such a success! The biggest kudos goes out to Joyce Kinches who organized the entire event down to the last detail! Volunteers donated canned food to the Stamford food pantry: gave gently used children's clothing to Hadassah's Sharing Shelf; made cards for residents at the Esplanade assisted-living facility; prepared signs and props for the Celebrate Israel Parade; decorated and filled treat bags and wrote letters for local heroes and delivered them in their communities; unearthed a magnificent amphitheater on campus by clearing debris from the historical structure; planted fruit and flowering trees to replace those that had been cut down; cleared and planted a robust vegetable garden at Carmel and even played a game of kids versus adults soccer to celebrate their hard work and achievements. Joyce and the PA thank the following volunteers for helping lead and run some of the activities that took place on Chesed Day: Robye Margolius, Lori Paprin, Barbara Messer, Maruja Ivri, Deborah Yasinsky, Doreen Nusbaum, Pearl Sullivan, Amy Walter, Mia Egelberg, Jackie Kaplan, Amy Ament, Donna Sweidan, Lori Amer, Lisa Gilbert, Mick Gilbert, Heather Gold, Jeff Tafett, Karen Malkin, Tracey Levy, Evan Levy, Rachel Messinger, Brain Messinger, Adriana Voldman, Reuvaine Kinches, Eden Gilbert and Ezra Messer. Special thanks to Ken Luhman, Alex Ham, Sarah Millman, Erica Sokoloff, Rabbi Seth Braunstein and Bobbie Powers for their support, to Grandma Sheila for donating breakfast for the volunteers, to Danielle Kinches for the beautiful signs that she created for the event and to Sam Kinches who delivered the cheerful cards to the elderly later that week.

Israel Day Parade A record number of Camel Academy families proudly marched down Fifth Avenue in NYC on Sunday! Thank you all for coming out and making it a fantastic Carmel community event. Humungous thanks to Daneet Brill, 2nd grade teacher and parent at Carmel, who organized and rallied (and cajoled and reminded) everyone about the event and to Erica Sokoloff, who – as always – organized, coordinated and led the event. We also wanted to thank Audrey Reich and Lori Amer, our amazing art teachers, for helping make beautiful banners and blossoming flowers!

Carmel Athletics Finish with a Bang!!! Message from Coach Barnett: This spring, the Carmel Academy Athletics have had a tremendous time on the fields, courts and through the woods. Although our games were limited to poor weather, the times we did get to play were very successful. Our cross country team had five of our runners place in the top five of their division. Our tennis team, led by coaches Darren Bahar and Rachel Parkes ended the season with a .500 record. Lastly, our first ever baseball team also won as many games as they lost. Our athletes have given so much time and effort all year long. I am very proud of all of them. We have had an amazing year this year. We had our first ever pep rally, we hosted the Seder Plate Tournament (which our girls won), and held our inaugural Sports Banquet with special guest Dr. Rich Diana. Our student athletes gave their all and never stopped believing that they could achieve greatness. Thank you to all of our coaches, players, teachers, administration, and parents for an amazing year of sports at Carmel Academy. We look forward to an even better 2012-2013 school year of athletics. Note: There are only about 95 days until our first soccer game!!!!

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PA Officers and Committee Chairs 2012-2013

The Carmel Academy Parents’ Association is proud to take this opportunity to welcome Dorit Chasnoff (mom of Stav & Noam - 5th graders, Yuval - incoming kindergartener, and Yonatan - future Carmel Academy student) who will be joining Miriam and Dana next year as Co-Presidents of the PA. We are also happy to welcome Irit Tratt (mom of Maya – Kindergartener and Rachel – future Carmel Academy student) who will be moving up to become Executive Vice President, while still chairing the PA Holiday committee. We're also thrilled Diane Safer will continue to support the PA as Secretary and Immediate Past President. We also welcome back and would like to thank a number of new faces stepping up to chair various committees. Welcome aboard, all!!

Executive Committee Co-Presidents

Miriam Loren, Dana Roth, Dorit Chasnoff

Executive VP

Irit Tratt

Treasurer

Henry Voldman

Secretary & Immediate Past President Diane Safer

Vice Presidents 

Social & Welcoming VPs

Heather Dynner, Eve Goldstein, Caryn Siegel Moss



Community Building VPs

Debbie Doniger-Sprecher, Karen Malkin



Holidays Committee VP

Irit Tratt, Amy Walter



Chesed Committee VP*

Joyce Kinches

Task Force Leaders 

Wine & Cheese Co-Chair*

Adriana Voldman



Shabbaton Retreat

Lynn Jablowsky, Diane Safer



Book Fair

Chris Young, Heather Dynner



Teacher Appreciation Lunch

Lenore Fogel



Lunch Monitoring Program

Karen Raybin, Michelle Fanwick



Challah Program

Bill Magaliff



School Pak Program

Elizabeth Kenney



Lost & Found Liaisons

Christine Toback, Bea Niv

*Co-chair still needed – if you are interested in co-chairing, please let us know.

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Busy all year long… Do you really know everything that the PA does or what your PA dues go toward? We are busy all year long! Here’s a breakdown of the things we did this year: Warm & Welcoming  New Family Welcome Baskets (personally hand-delivered to welcome each and every new family)  Ambassador Program (program pairing current families with new incoming families)  Countdown Calendar (mailings to new incoming K, 1st and 2nd graders) Partnering with & Appreciating Teachers  Staff Week Welcome Events  Class Representatives Coordination  Teacher Appreciation Luncheon  Teacher Appreciation Gifts (coordination and collection)  Lunch monitoring Supporting School-wide Celebrations  Shabbat Challot (provide challah for all weekly classroom Shabbat celebrations)  Siyyum Ceremony Treats (provide funds for celebrations in every grade) Let’s Party  Wine & Cheese Evening Social  Back-to-School BBQ  End-of School Picnic Socializing Opportunities  Coffees with Nora & Sue  Whole-Grade Socials - grade by grade get-togethers at people’s houses  Playground Socials - giant playdates on the Carmel Academy campus Holidays Celebrations  Rosh Hashanah gift baskets  Chanukah gift baskets  Tu B’shevat plantings  Mishloach manot Chesed  Bikur Cholim/Meals  Chesed Day at Carmel

See you at the End of the Year Picnic Sunday, June 10 11:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Making Life Easier Service Programs o Challah program o School Pak Other Key Events  Book Fair  Turkey Trot (3K run)

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I’M READY TO JUMP IN! Volunteers are needed at various times throughout the year. We kindly ask that everyone get involved in something or volunteer at least once during the year. Please mark off all the things that interest you for this year or in the future. Most convenient way to reach you: Name: *Please send to the main office.

Phone:

Email:

Class Representatives  I’d like to be considered as a class representative for next year. Committees I’d like to be involved with or get more information about volunteering for the:  Afterschool Programming Committee  Social & Welcoming Committee  Community Building Committee  Holidays Committee  Chesed Committee I’d like to be involved with or get more information about: Socials/Events  Wine & Cheese Evening Social  Back-to-School BBQ  End-of School Picnic  Grade Socials/Playground Socials  Annual Shabbaton Activities  Book Fair  Turkey Trot (3K run)  Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Holidays/Chesed  Rosh Hashanah gift baskets  Chanukah gift baskets  Mishloach manot  Veteran’s Day Event  Bikur Cholim/Meals Service Programs  Challah program  School Pak  Lunch monitoring Other:

 Contact me whenever volunteers are needed and I’ll help if I can Page | 6

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Gifts As we all know, our teachers and staff (including maintenance AKA our Carmel Academy bus drivers) work very hard. Twice a year, at winter break and at the end of the year, we thank them for all that they do for our children. To thank all these individuals (and in lieu of individual gifts), we are asking for: $25 - per family PLUS $20 - per child (e.g.,: A family with 2 children at Carmel would pay $65 total: $25 for family plus $40 for two students.)

If you can, please consider giving more than our suggested amount. If you are unable to give the full amount, please send in what you feel you are able to afford. All gifts will remain anonymous and we are aiming for 100% family participation. Thank you for your timely response, Anne Marie Segal Teacher Appreciation Gifts Coordinator Please contact Anne Marie ([email protected]) or any of the PA Co-presidents: Miriam Loren ([email protected]) or Dana Roth ([email protected]) or Diane Safer ([email protected]) with any questions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please send in checks to Sarah Millman in the office. Checks should be made out to Carmel Academy-PA and with Teachers Gifts in the memo line:

Family Name: _________________________________ Per family amount: ……………………………………………………………………….. Per child amount: …….................

X

$ 20

____$25__

=

# of Carmel Academy students

Voluntary additional donation: …………………………………………………….. Total Amount enclosed: ……........................... Please add the amounts from this column

To pay online, visit the school portal and look under Upcoming Events or click: http://www.carmelacademy.com/podium/default.aspx?t=36644&rid=4931&rc=1&bl=/podium/push/default.aspx?s=522&i=23041&bl=%2fp odium%2fpush%2fdefault.aspx%3fs%3d522%26i%3d23041%26snd%3d1431c285-485c-4a87-95bb-5062620e1d73

Please send in all payments by Monday, June 11th.

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