The Sweetness We Choose
The Sweetness We Choose
Apples and honey have become such a familiar Rosh Hashanah custom that we rarely stop to ask why these two foods, specifically.
We know that on the first night of the new year, we want sweetness. We do not only want a year that is good, because everything that comes from Hashem is inherently good. We want a year whose goodness we can actually taste. But why apples, and why honey?
Apples are naturally sweet and delicious. Honey is even sweeter, but it comes from bees. We become uneasy when a bee is buzzing near our children or our food. We worry about the sting, about allergies, about what could happen. And yet those same bees pollinate our crops and produce the sweetness of honey.
Sometimes, blessing comes through the very thing that made us uncomfortable in the first place.
Life often works the same way.
There are moments that are naturally sweet: our highs, our wins, the times when we are recognized, when things fall into place, and the road ahead feels smooth. These are the “apple moments” of our lives, and we are grateful for them. And then there are the “honey moments” times of vulnerability, struggle, uncertainty, discomfort, or worry. In our own lives, and in our children’s lives, there will inevitably be moments like these. Yet so often, it is through navigating those very challenges that deeper and more enduring strength is built. The difficult moment brings a sweetness because of what it can teach us, develop in us, and ultimately bring out of us.
As we begin a new school year and a new calendar year together, we pray for as many sweet “apple moments” as possible. But when the “honey moments” come, may we have the wisdom to recognize that bees and honey are not opposites; in fact, one produces the other. In the same way, even a challenging experience can hold within it the opportunity to become stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
May Hashem bless our entire CMCA family, our students, teachers, and parents, a year filled with blessing, joy, good health, growth, and the ultimate sweetness of the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days.
Remembrance and Reflection
Rosh Hashanah is described as Yom Hazikaron, a day of remembrance. We stand before Hashem and reflect on the year that has passed while looking toward the year ahead. The shofar becomes the voice of that reflection, a simple sound that reaches beyond words and awakens something deep within us.
This carries an important lesson in chinuch. Children need opportunities to pause and think about their growth. Reflection helps them recognize what they have accomplished, where they have struggled, and what they hope to improve. When we create a space where growth is celebrated and mistakes become opportunities to learn, children begin to see each new year as a chance to grow into something greater.
Question 1: How many sounds are blown from the shofar during Rosh Hashanah?
Question 2: What is the custom of eating apples dipped in honey meant to symbolize?
How Full Is Your Bucket
This week, our First Grade boys & girls learned a beautiful lesson from the book How Full Is Your Bucket? They learned about the idea of an “invisible bucket” that represents our feelings and discussed how our words and actions to our friends can either fill or empty someone else’s bucket. Through thoughtful conversation and activities, the boys and girls explored how even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in how someone feels. It was a wonderful opportunity to focus on kindness, empathy, and the impact we can have on those around us.
A special thank you to Mr. Lina for this hands on lesson that our students will remember!
Shofar Factory
To celebrate completing their first perek of Mishnayos, which discusses the laws of shofar, and in preparation for Elul and Rosh Hashanah, the Fourth Grade Boys had the exciting opportunity to cut, shape, and polish their very own shofars.
A special thank you to Rabbi Meyers for taking the boys and giving them the opportunity to make and keep their very own shofar.
Serving Up Grammar
As part of a recent grammar review, Ms. Marisa’s 8th Grade Girls put their creativity to work by designing original restaurant menus featuring dishes of their own invention.
The project challenged students to use vivid, descriptive language while identifying and applying different parts of speech in their writing. By combining grammar skills with a fun, hands-on assignment, students were able to see how the concepts they are learning come to life in authentic writing.
It was a creative and engaging way to put grammar into practice!
A special thank you to Ms. Marisa for creating such a thoughtful and fun learning experience for her students.
Cracking the Case with Math
Our 7th Grade students recently put their math skills to work in a fun Math Mystery partner activity.
Working together as “detectives,” students solved a series of math problems, with each correct answer revealing a new clue, a letter, number, name, or piece of evidence, that brought them one step closer to solving the mystery. Along the way, students practiced integer operations and evaluating algebraic expressions in an engaging, hands-on way.
Most of our detectives successfully cracked the case!
Thank you to Mrs. Misty Ragland for creating such an exciting way for students to practice and strengthen their math skills.
Chai Elul Marked at CMCA
Chai Elul, the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, was celebrated throughout CMCA with learning, farbrengens, and meaningful activities. Students explored the lives of these two great leaders and the tremendous light of Chassidus that they brought into the world.
Our 4th and 5th grade girls gathered for a special farbrengen, where they learned about the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe and the lessons they taught about Hashgacha Pratis and Ahavas Yisroel. The girls shared personal stories of Hashgacha Pratis, sang Keli Ata, enjoyed cookies, and each took on a hachlata in Ahavas Yisroel. The middle school boys also marked the special day with a farbrengen, creating an opportunity to learn, reflect, and connect with the meaning of Chai Elul.
Our 3rd grade girls learned about the lives of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe and created a beautiful project featuring two candles, representing the two great lights of Chassidus. The candles were placed by the window to let their light shine. Our 1st grade girls explored the significance of Chai Elul through a slideshow, class discussion, and activities for their Yemei Chabad binders, and even made a bracha on a special piece of cake to celebrate.
The middle school girls enjoyed a program organized by our Shluchos, Laya and Devorah Leah. The 8th graders presented the story and theme of Chai Elul to the rest of the middle school, followed by a creative activity where the girls made flame cupcakes representing the two great lights born on this special day. Together, these celebrations brought the message of Chai Elul to life across the school, reminding our students of the lasting light and inspiration of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe.
Curriculum Night
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for Curriculum Night on Tuesday evening. The excitement, warmth, and positive energy could be felt throughout the building all night.
Throughout the evening, teachers welcomed parents into their classrooms and shared curriculum overviews, classroom expectations, and goals for the year ahead. We also gathered together as a school community to hear about the continued growth and development of CMCA. Rabbi Isser shared reflections on the tremendous growth of our school, Mrs. Greene introduced herself in her new role as Director of General Studies, Morah Maimon shared about our new Hebrew language program, and our EDviceATL consultants spoke about our focus and investment this year in explicitly teaching students executive functioning skills.
It was a privilege to open our classrooms, share our curriculum and schoolwide initiatives, and give parents a glimpse into the growth, learning, and exciting work happening at CMCA. Most of all, we are deeply grateful for the trust our parents place in us each day with their children. Thank you for being such an important part of our CMCA community.
September 14 - Late Start (9:15) Tzom Gedaliah
September 21 - No School, Yom Kippur
September 22 - Late start (9:15 )
September 25 - Sukkos / Fall Beak Begins
Mivtza Shakul Honor Roll
Kol Hakavod to the Middle School T’mimim who excelled in davening this week!
Aharon Moshe Meyerowitz
Daniel Morris
Eli Lipsker
Eli Sollish
Meir Charytan
Meir New
Mendel Slavaticki
Motty Barber
Simon Jacobson
Tvi Lokshin
Yaacov Deitsch
Liam Mor
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 Tishrei birthdays:
Moshe Werbin - 3 Tishrei
Meir New - 4 Tishrei
Levi Lipskier - 7 Tishrei
Liam Dillon - 9 Tishrei
Shayna Charytan - 12 Tishrei
Benjamin Matatov - 17 Tishrei
Chaya Loebenstein - 17 Tishrei
Musia Wolff - 22 Tishrei
Elchonon New - 22 Tishrei
Elazar Edelson - 23 Tishrei
Yudit Piekarski - 23 Tishrei
Shayna Abraham - 25 Tishrei
Chaim Freeman - 29 Tishrei
Chana Mentz - 30 Tishrei
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