Current 2007-2008 Religious School Calendar At-A-Glance

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BJC Students Make 1,073 Sandwiches
BJC students made a BJC-record 1,073 sandwiches on Dec. 15 for Martha’s Table. Maddy Killefer and Gail Rothberg coordinated the event, and many wonderful parent and student volunteers helped to set up, continuously stock our assembly line, and deliver the sandwiches and fruit.

Announcements for May. 7, 2008

Announcements for Saturday, May. 10, 2008

Regular schedule

You are invited to attend the

BJC Religious School

Parent Meetings on Saturday, May 10

Closing Program/Picnic on Saturday, May 17

Sat. 5/10 - 9:00-10:25am
Informal Discussion-Room 109

Join the Education Committee in the Micha Mocha Café for an informal discussion about religious school. This is your opportunity to give the Education Committee feedback about your childs’ school year—programs, schedules, activities, etc. The information shared will be used when planning for next year.

Sat. 5/10 - 11:30am-12:15pm
Informational Meeting-Memorial Hall

Hear from Mr. D. & the Education Committee about plans for next year, special events, and more.

Sat. 5/17 – Closing Program

Starting at 11:00am in Memorial Hall, we will have our closing program, as each grade gives a short presentation to the entire school.

Parents please join us after services at 11:30 am as we recognize and thank our teachers and staff.

The program will be followed by a picnic party outside with barbeque and picnic food, ice-cream, fun, games, music and more. There will be a modest charge to cover costs: $15/family with one child, $20/family with two children.

Please RSVP for the Picnic by visiting http://www.eventbrite.com/event/114344006 (you can pay online or send your check to the BJC Office) if you are planning to participate.

Information for Prospective Parents and Students

Ongoing Announcements

BJC Religious School Gleanings Project

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corners of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest….; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger….” Leviticus 19.9-10

Why? To benefit the hungry in the immediate neighborhood of BJC.

How?  Every time your child comes to school bring a “gleaning” from your pantry in the form of a box or can from the following list:

Beans Breakfast cereals Canned meat and fish -- All types, but especially canned corned beef, ham, chicken, SPAM, meat hashes, chili with meat, stews, salmon, and tuna Canned fruits Fruit juice concentrate -- Concentrated juice in soda-sized cans only (available at Giant) Jelly, jam, or honey Peanut butter Pasta Pasta sauce Powdered milk -- Boxes containing individual 1-quart envelopes (available at Giant) Rice Soups Vegetables -- All types, but especially tomatoes in 1 pound cans

The food will be placed in a cart and taken weekly, or as needed, to the Bethesda Help food closet where it will be used to provide emergency food support to local people in need. Last year they provided food to over 500 individuals and families.

Questions?  Eliot Sternfeld (301)320-3631 or esternfeld@juno.com

New Religious School Schedule for
Special/All-School/Parent-Student Programs

As mentioned elsewhere in the September newsletter, the time of Saturday morning services is being changed to 10:30am. This will enable us to make some changes to our usual scheduling of special school programs. In the past, we have generally scheduled major school program and assemblies for the end of the day, often extending the time past our usual ending time of 12:15pm. We recognize that, even with advance notice, it can be difficult to adjust family schedules so that parents and students can stay later on Saturdays. In addition, this often made for a very long day for younger students. Starting this year, almost all major school programs (for example, the Hanukah Happening, or the Tzedakah Fair) will start at 9:00am (or sometimes 9:30am.) Portions of programs in which parents are asked to participate (or in which they like to participate) will start early, and be structured to enable parents to attend services at 10:30am. On some days (like the Purim Carnival) there may be no classes held following the special programs.

This new scheduling makes the Hazzan more available to be part of school programs from 9:00-10:20am (except when there is a bar or bat mitzvah service that morning,) and will also allow him to teach music to all grades throughout the year on an alternating schedule. Grades 4-7 will no longer have music on Wednesdays, and Grades K-2 will no longer have Sacred Time at 11:40--these new sessions will replace those activities.

Youth-Led Family Services Second Friday of the Month October Through May

 NEXT YOUTH-LED FAMILY SERVICE for the 2007-8 year will be on FRIDAY, February 8 at 7:00 PM in the LOUNGE. (Please note the earlier start time for this year.)

The service will be led by members of the Fourth and Fifth Grade classes.

This family-oriented hour-long service is led by upper grade students in our religious school, and is accompanied by Mr. D. and our student band. An oneg Shabbat will follow in Memorial Hall.

Regular Friday Evening adult services will be held at 8:00 PM in Covenant Hall.