Embrace the Journey, Know the Destination
Embrace the Journey, Know the Destination
Mrs. Leah Sollish
It took just ten generations for the world, originally created as a beautiful Garden of Eden, to descend into a society so corrupt that Hashem decided to destroy it. It was only through Noach and his family that the world was given a chance to begin again.
But who was Noach? The Torah describes Noach as a righteous man, adding that he was righteous “in his generation.” The Talmud offers two seemingly opposing interpretations of these words.
One opinion sees this as a tremendous praise of Noach. Despite living in a generation where righteousness was virtually unheard of, Noach stood strong. Imagine how much greater he might have become had he lived in the generation of Avraham Avinu, surrounded by people who shared his values and aspirations!
The second opinion understands these words differently. Noach was righteous relative to his generation. Compared to the people around him, he stood out. But had he lived in Avraham's generation, perhaps his righteousness would not have been considered particularly remarkable.
While these two opinions may seem to disagree about Noach, together they offer a powerful lesson about our own journey of growth.
To grow, we need two things: an absolute goal and an awareness of who we are and where we stand today.
We need to aspire to greatness. We look to individuals like Moshe Rabbeinu, whose entire life was devoted to serving Hashem, helping others, and making the world a better place. These are the ideals that guide us and remind us of what we are capable of striving toward.
But we also need to recognize where we are right now. Rather than measuring ourselves only against the greatest people who ever lived, we must ask: Where am I today? What is one step I can take to become a little better tomorrow than I was yesterday?
Think about how we use our navigation apps. To get directions, you need two pieces of information: your destination and your current location.
If you know only your destination, you won't know which way to turn out of your driveway. But if you know only where you are, without a destination in mind, you may never venture beyond your own neighborhood.
The same is true of personal growth.
We need to know where we want to go, but we also need to know where we are starting from.
This is a message we strive to bring to life every day. We want ourselves and our students to reach for greatness, to develop strong values, a love of Torah, and a sense of responsibility to others and the world around them. At the same time, we recognize that growth happens one step at a time, and that every child has their own starting point and their own journey.
Wishing you a beautiful Shabbos!
Impact Over Time
When Hashem instructed Noach to build the Teivah, He gave him detailed measurements and instructions for a structure that would protect his family and the animals during the Mabul. The Teivah took many years to build, requiring patience, dedication, and steady effort long before the rain began. Noach had to prepare for something he could not yet see, trusting that every step of his work had a purpose.
This offers an important lesson in chinuch. Much of a child's growth happens long before the results become visible. Every lesson learned, every act of kindness practiced, and every moment spent developing good habits helps build a strong foundation. The impact of these efforts may not appear immediately, but over time, they create the inner strength a child needs to navigate life's challenges.
Question 1: Which two birds did Noach send out, and what different information did each one bring back?
Question 2: What was the name of the city where people attempted to build a tower reaching the heavens?
Exploring Matter, Maps, and More
Second graders have been busy exploring the world around them in Ms. Sofian’s science and social studies classes! In science, they conducted hands-on experiments to discover the three states of matter - solids, liquids, and gases - and learned how heating and cooling can cause matter to change.
In social studies, they traveled around the globe as they learned about the continents, practiced identifying north, south, east, and west, and explored the relationship between land and water using globes and flat maps. They also discovered fascinating facts about their own continent while developing important map-reading skills.
A big thank you to Ms. Sofian for making learning such an engaging and exciting adventure!
Living With The Times
Our first graders brought their Parsha learning to life this week as they learned all about Noach and the Teiva! Using nails, wooden blocks, and foam, the students got to work building their own teivos.
They explored which materials sink and which float, experimenting with different materials and seeing the results for themselves. It was a great opportunity to combine their Parsha learning with some hands-on exploring!
A big thank you to Morah Deby for planning such a fun and engaging activity!
5th Grade Girls Explore Tellus Science Museum!
The 5th grade girls enjoyed an exciting and educational field trip to the Tellus Science Museum! During a guided tour, they learned about rocks, minerals, and the Earth's tectonic plates, followed by hands-on activities, including rock panning.
After the guided portion, the girls enjoyed lunch and had the opportunity to explore the museum's many fascinating exhibits. They experienced hurricane and earthquake simulations, navigated a maze, explored the spaceship and transportation exhibits, and discovered vintage electronics, including old-fashioned telephones!
“My favorite part was probably going through the maze and getting to touch the rocks and fossils!” shared Vita Avtzon.
Thank you Ms. Simpson for arranging the trip and Ms. Venci and Mrs. Adelman for chaperoning!
Drip, Drip, Drop!
Middle School girls celebrated Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, learning about the power of the month of Cheshvan - being a month with no Yomim Tovim, following a month full of special days - as our opportunity to show our commitment to Hashem even when it’s not loud and exciting.
Then, since Cheshvan is the month we start davening for rain in Eretz Yisrael, we took it outside for a giant game of “Drip, Drip, Drop!” bringing the theme to life with a fun, splash filled activity!
Many thanks to our Shluchos, Laya and Devorah Leah, for arranging this much enjoyed program!
A Timeless Connection to Eretz Yisroel
In seventh grade Navi, the girls learned about Dovid HaMelech’s deep love for Eretz Yisroel and how he returned as soon as he had the opportunity. Building on this lesson, the girls completed a research project exploring the importance of Eretz Yisroel throughout the Torah, identifying sources and sharing insights from the Rebbe.
Thank you to Mrs. Frankforter for helping the girls deepen their understanding of and connection to Eretz Yisroel through their learning!
Coffee & Conversation
Thank you to everyone who joined our recent parents' morning with Dana and Stacy, our executive functioning specialists from EdVice ATL.
The conversation centered on the power of routine, morning, afternoon, and evening, and the difference it makes when the night before is truly ready: lunches packed, uniforms out, backpacks in one spot. Dana and Stacy emphasized consistency and follow-through, getting creative with motivators tailored to each child, and keeping systems simple, a hook by the door or a designated spot in the garage can give children real ownership over their mornings. And a gentle reminder for us as parents: we thrive on structure, routines, and rewards too.
Scan the QR code to download the practical and helpful handout shared at the session!
Recharge With Dr. Pam Mason
This month’s session continued our nine-part journey through To Live with an Open Heart by Devorah Leah Nussbaum, exploring chapters 5–8 of Tanya.
We learned that our nervous system grows stronger not through force, but through small moments of awareness and presence, and took home a simple two-minute daily practice: a body reset, such as taking long exhales or checking in with their bodies, and a mind reset, such as noticing a positive moment or pausing before reacting.
We also explored the idea of mo’ach shalit al ha’lev - the mind ruling the heart- as the ability to slow down and create space between a trigger and our response, allowing us to make more thoughtful choices.
The session concluded with a discussion that each of us carries an internal image of G-d that influences how safe we feel receiving from Him. Caring for our bodies and learning to regulate our nervous systems is not an indulgence, but an important part of our spiritual growth.
Join us for our next session on November 10 at 9:30 AM at Honey and Challah!
Carpool Is Changing: Here’s What to Know
As of last week, we’re making dismissal calmer, safer, and faster with a new cone system.
How it works
When you arrive, your family’s name and a cone number will be called over the PA.
Your child will head outside and wait at that cone until you pull up.
Cars load five at a time: five cars pull up, load, and pull out, then the next five come forward.
What we need from you
Pull forward when directed. Children won’t be loaded behind the fifth car.
If you are taking anyone other than your own children make sure to let the person taking names know to avoid delays.
If your child isn’t ready when your group pulls up and the other four cars are loaded, you’ll be asked to pull into a parking spot so the line keeps moving. Your child will be sent to you.
Mivtza Shakul Honor Roll
Kol Hakavod to the Middle School T’mimim who excelled in davening this week!
Meir Charytan
Elchonon New
Mordechai Barber
Yaakov Deitsch
Simon Jacobson
Eli Lipskier
Tzvi Lokshin
Ethan Matatov
Sholom Mentz
Aharon Moshe Meyerowitz
Daniel Morris
Meir New
Zevi Rahmani
Mendel Slavaticki
Eli Sollish
Gabriel Khanukaev
Every Middle School boy is capable of making the Tefillah Honor Roll.
📌 Monthly Prize Reminder: Students who make the Tefillah Honor Roll [3] out of [4] weeks during the month will earn a prize.
Keep up the great effort!
Happy Birthday to our students with Cheshvan birthdays:
Yosef Abraham - 6 Cheshvan
Raya Robbins - 7 Cheshvan
Zevi Rahmani - 9 Cheshvan
Gabriel Khanukaev - 13 Cheshvan
Eliana Antopolsky - 15 Cheshvan
Meir Brafman - 16 Cheshvan
Zevi New - 16 Cheshvan
Rochel Loebenstein - 16 Cheshvan
Chaya Freedman - 17 Cheshvan
Chaim New - 18 Cheshvan
Raisel Chaya Guterman - 21
Cheshvan
Efraim Brafman - 21 Cheshvan
Koby Friedman - 26 Cheshvan
Shua Werbin - 26 Cheshvan
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