Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Winter Break

The faculty and staff of The Shoshana S. Cardin School wish all the students, families, alumni, and friends a restful and safe break. We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Alumni visits

One of the best ways to advance Cardin in the community is to have articulate, positive alumni who share our story. I have known this for some time, but this past week, when several graduates wandered back to say hello, I overheard familiar voices in the hallway and realized that they are our very finest messengers. Their comfort with who they are, their enthusiasm for what they learned at Cardin and how well prepared they were for college is a testament to our faculty and , by extension, our mission. These young men and women were greeted warmly by former teachers and classmates; everyone anxious to hear about new their new adventures. Four of them have agreed to travel with Anne Tanhoff Greenspoon, our Director of Admissions , to a recruitment program. When prospective families meet them, I am confident that they will understand what their own children will gain with the privilege of a Cardin education. I add my welcome to our alumni and thank them for letting everyone know what is so special about The Shoshana S. Cardin School.

Marjorie Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing

Friday, December 18, 2009

Gift Giving on Hanukkah

In giving gifts on Hanukkah, we try to make each gift special and appropriate to each special person in our lives.

Teaching can be understood as the giving of gifts from teachers to students and from students to teachers. The teacher offers a story to the students, and in return, the students offer an insight the teacher never had before. The teacher gives hard work and energy, and in return, the students give the wonderful gift of letting the teacher see them learn.

Here are some of the gifts I have received from my students at Cardin:

The gift of a smile
The gift of a challenge
The gift of a new interpretation
The gift of imagination
The gift of a question
The gift of an answer
The gift of a mistake
The gift of a correction
The gift of a conversation
The gift of silence
The gift of joy
The gift of acceptance
The gift of a favor
The gift of kindness
And the gift of a basketball team to cheer for

Gift giving is at the heart of what makes a learning community, indeed at the heart of all caring and loving relationships. So, keep the gifts coming and I will keep sending them too.

Happy last night of Chanukah,
Rabbi Seltzer

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Hanukah and History

Many people are rightly concerned about historical revisionism – as well as making some stories “politically correct.” It may be worth pointing out, however, that our tradition engages, from time to time, in historical revisionism, and that is most true around the current holiday of Hanukah. In this insightful piece in The New York Times by David Brooks we glean the historical reality of Hanukah:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/opinion/11brooks.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Leslie Smith Rosen
Dean of General Studies

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Let’s Not See Our Shadows This Year!

Our goal is to have 100% of the Cardin community make a contribution to the Annual Fund by GROUNDHOG’S DAY!

For some unknown reason, I have always loved the celebration of Groundhog’s Day. It is the definitive holiday for the optimists among us. Just when we are in the depths of winter, we begin to think about the fact that spring is within our reach. So too, with the current state of fundraising; the economic climate feels cold and dark. If we pull our resources and each of us makes a gift that is with our reach, we will feel warm and helpful. Please join me in meeting our goal and Groundhog’s Day will have special meaning this year!

Marjorie R. Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

College Trivia

A bit of College Trivia in honor of our seniors who are anxiously awaiting their college application decisions:

Q: Can you name the 8 schools the make up the Ivy League?
A: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Yale University

Q: Ebay was founded by a graduate of what prestigious institution?
A: Princeton

Q: Who was Al Gore’s roommate at Harvard University?
A: Tommy Lee Jones

Q: At which university was Gatorade invented?
A: University of Florida

Q: How many colleges are in the Big 10 athletic conference? Can you name them?
A: Eleven - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

Q: Which colleges have their own working ice cream creameries? (there may be more)
A: University of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University

Q: What colleges exist where you take only one class at a time for three weeks at a time?
A: Colorado College, Colorado; Cornell College, Iowa; Tusculum College, Tennessee

Q: What was the first coeducational college campus in the United States?
A: Franklin College (now Franklin and Marshall College) – Rebecca Gratz (a Jewish woman) enrolled when the college started in 1787.

Q: Which college graduated the most US presidents?
A: Harvard University

Q: Who won the first NCAA Division 1 basketball championship?
A: University of Oregon

Hallie Schein
Director of College Counseling

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Why Art?





Last week our sophomore students met Israeli artist, Tamar Messer. While listening to her explain her beautifully illustrated Haggadah, I realized that a week doesn’t go by at Cardin without some kind of hands-on experience with the arts. In addition to our regularly scheduled art classes and electives, students have opportunities to participate in minyanim and workshops making art, producing films illustrating Talmudic teachings, creating visual representations of passages from English literature, building models of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and making collages for History class. It would be difficult to find a class taught in our school in which the teacher does not incorporate the arts in some form.

Why art?

Elbert Hubbart said that “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” Art is not only a subject to learn about. At the Cardin School “art” is something to live; it is a way of learning and a way of looking at the world. Art is not only an enjoyable activity; it is also a powerful learning tool for students who may struggle with verbal expression. It can also be used to demonstrate many aspects of good writing – the artist has to pay attention to tone, mood, audience or purpose similar to a writer. Visual expression can help a student associate the material with art, increasing retention.

It is very difficult to overstate the significance of art in studying Torah. Both visiting artists, Tamar Messer and David Wander, called their art “visual midrashim” – visual commentaries on the text. I am sure they would agree with Aristotle who said that “the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”. It helps connect our experiences, emotions and thoughts with text study. And if it is true, as Jerzy Kosinski said “the principle of art is to pause, not bypass;” art helps us to create an intimate, personal moment with the Torah. We pause and look more carefully and then we express our reflection with shape, color and texture.

The connection between Torah and Art is not a modern invention. God was the first to appoint an artisan – Betzalel, to overlook the building of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) – “to weave designs, to work with gold, silver, and copper… - to perform every craft” [Ex. 31:2 – 5]. It is obvious that the artistic experience of creating and living among beautiful things is as important or maybe even necessary for performing ritual acts.

At Cardin, every student has a chance to become a disciple of Betzalel and to create his or her own visual midrashim on the Torah, reflecting his or her own individuality, creativity and understanding.

Rochel Czopnik
Judaic Studies Instructor

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Thinking About Gifts and Miracles

Miracles, celebration, triumph -- they are all a part of the Hanukkah tradition. This year as we celebrate the Hanukkah season, let's remember the true spirit of the holiday. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 11 and my guess is that while we are thinking about tradition, miracles, parties, and latkes, many of us are pondering gifts- for our children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors. Please don't forget your gift to Cardin!

Gifts to the Annual Fund Drive at The Shoshana S. Cardin School are used during the year in which they are received, and support the operating budget. They help make up the difference between tuition and the actual cost of a Cardin education. Our goal this year, $125,000, is lofty. We are convinced that with the growing enthusiasm surrounding the coming new Owings Mills campus and the clear understanding that our daily needs continue to be greater than the funds we collect from parents annually, we will meet that objective. One hundred percent participation will go far in our efforts to secure grants and support from charitable institutions. These funds allow us to continue programing such as the annual theatrical performance, our unique minyanim and lecture series and Interim Week.

Remember that your unrestricted gift goes immediately and directly to support the Cardin experience. Is there a better gift than that of a superior Jewish and secular education? Wouldn't it be grand to celebrate our own Cardin miracle with 100% participation?

Have a joyous holiday!

Marjorie Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing

Monday, December 7, 2009

Athletics Update

The basketball teams travel to in-conference rival Jemicy today. The girls’ play first with a start time of 4pm and then the boys will follow at approx. 5:30pm. The winners of these games will hold sole place of 1st in the conference standings.

Later on this week the girls’ will travel to the 33rd St. YMCA to face Baltimore Lab on Wednesday and the boys’ will travel downtown on Thursday to face Cristo Rey.

Foye C. Minton, Jr.
Dean of Students & Director of Athletics

Thursday, December 3, 2009

30,000 Free Books!

30,000 Free Books!

No, really! 30,000 free books!

It’s the first day back at work after the Thanksgiving holiday, and one thing I’m always thankful for is having something entertaining to read.

I buy a lot of books, but I also read a lot of books, stories, and plays that I can download for free (legally!).

Here’s one of the best online sources: the Project Gutenberg site. They have literally thousands of books in electronic format: everything from Shakespeare plays to Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to big novels by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Most of these books are “public domain,” meaning the copyright has expired for the texts, and the authors can no longer get royalties. (Well, considering a lot of these authors are long dead, they probably don’t need our money anyway).

Sure a lot of these books are old—but that makes them CLASSICS. You’re certain to find something you’ll like, either to read on your computer screen, or to download to a portable device in different formats.

Happy reading!

Dr. Norman Prentiss
English Department

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Go Cardin Basketball teams!!

The basketball teams look to improve their records this week as the girls face BT on Thursday at 4pm with the boys following that game taking on Norbel at 5:30pm. All games this week are home games which are played at the Park Heights JCC.

For updates, scores, stats and game summaries check out our team pages on www.highschoolsports.net.

Foye C. Minton, Jr.
Dean of Students & Director of Athletics

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Why Give?

With what I hope was a meaningful Thanksgiving now behind us, we are moving ahead to Hanukkah and the end of 2009. As we approach the last year of the new decade, it is certain that we at Cardin have much to celebrate, which translates to many challenges. Funding a Cardin education is an investment in Jewish continuity. Your annual gift helps to ensure that our children will be prepared to take leadership roles in Baltimore and beyond in the years to come.

Parents, grandparents, trustees, alumni and friends are aware that support for The Shoshana S. Cardin School strengthens a vibrant educational institution . As you visit classes and overhear conversation in the hallway, our commitment to pluralistic Judaism is evident. Students from many different Jewish backgrounds are both challenged and nurtured by outstanding educators dedicated to creating a passion for lifelong learning.

You have received your annual fund request by now. Please read it carefully and then respond to the best of your ability. As Cardin grows, it is essential that we build our culture of giving to include every person touched by the mission of the school.

One of the most astute writes of our time, Dr.Seuss said in The Lorax

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Please care!

Marjorie R. Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing