Cake on Fridays

2012-01-31T15:32:00.000-05:00

Log on to the Jewish Day School Video Academy, sponsored by the AviChai Foundation, and show your support for our video submission. We think you will really enjoy it! With your support and votes, we can win up to $10,000 for Cardin. The deadline to vote is February 5th.

Please visit http://www.dayschoolvideoacademy.org/VideoView.aspx?MovieId=173 and vote for our video by giving it a five-star rating! You can vote 1 time for every email address you have. Please help us spread the word among your family and friends.

Thanks for your support!

2011-12-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Chanukah is here! Jews all around the world are lighting their chanukiah and frying their latkes. In Spanish class we have been learning about Latin American Chanukah traditions such as eating sufganiot with guava jelly and latkes with dulce de leche. We also learned to sing the popular Ladino tune Ocho Kandelikas Para Mi (Eight Candles For Me). We watched Youtube clips of the chanukiah lighting ceremony in Boca Stadium in Argentina and we read the story of the Macabees in Spanish.

Chanukah isn’t the only celebration we have been learning about! The quinceañera, which is very similar to the celebration of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a ceremony marking a 15-year old girl’s transition from childhood to adulthood in many Hispanic countries. Students learned about some of the traditions at a quinceañer: the vals (waltz) performed by the quinceañera and her court, the last doll the quinceañera brings to her party symbolizing the end of her childhood and the padrinos (godparents or close relatives) who present the quinceañera with a present. The quinceañera celebration is a time during which a young girl begins to think about her future. Spanish students studied the future tense and created a poster which illustrated what they want to do in the future.

Feliz Januka
~Rebecca Weinstein
Spanish Instructor

2011-12-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

Students in physics are pictured here firing their trebuchet’s into army of plastic soldiers. This is a continuation in their study of projectile motion and the culminating activity for their first trimester in physics. Next they will be studying forces and their application to objects in motion.

If you’re interested in doing your own building or learning more about the art of siege warfare there are a lot of trebuchet and catapult shows and competitions today.

Two of my favorite sites for pumpkin throwing and competition are: http://science.discovery.com/tv/punkin-chunkin/ and http://punkinchunkin.com/

Hurling pumpkins after Halloween is just good recycling!

~Dean Whitfield
Mathematics & Science Chair

Understanding the Atom

2011-12-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Here at Cardin, our chemistry students are exploring how the idea of the atom has changed over time. Aside from learning about protons, neutrons, and electrons, we have been learning about the important scientists that contributed to our modern understanding of the atom. Ancient Greek philosopher Democritus believed that all matter was composed of tiny blocks called “atomos” which were indivisible. Although he was on the right track, most people didn’t believe it! It wasn’t until John Dalton developed the basis for modern atomic theory, that people believed that matter was made of atoms. Now the challenge was to create a model of the atom. Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrodinger, and Werner Heisenberg all contributed to our understanding of atomic models. With a lot of experiments and a lot of complicated math (see below) we finally had an idea of what the atom looks like! At the Solvay Conference in 1927, the great minds of chemistry and physics came together to develop a model of the atom. The result is basis for modern quantum physics and chemistry. The picture below is from the Solvay conference. You can see some familiar names and faces, including Marie Curie and Albert Einstein.

~Ms. Sloane
Science Instructor

Laboring on Labor Law

2011-11-17T08:26:00.002-05:00

Since 2004, Cardin students have travelled near (Crystal City, Washington, DC), far (Boston) and farther (Denver, Toronto) to participate in the annual Moot Beit Din Shabbat and Competition. I have had the pleasure of coaching each year’s team, helping it navigate common and not so common Jewish texts and sources to solve a thorny legal issue from a Jewish perspective. Past cases have dealt with the right to remarry after one’s spouse has presumably died in a natural disaster but whose body cannot be located, operating a beer brewery over Passover, and the right to back out of a promise to donate marrow when that donation would almost certainly save the recipient’s life. Each year has been a rewarding experience for the students, but the year in which our team took top honors (the case dealt with copyright issues) was especially sweet. This year’s case deals with labor law – the right of workers to organize, to strike or threaten to strike, their right to collectively bargain for wages and other benefits. As we all know, these are timely topics. The NBA season hangs in the balance even as I write this, and an Ohio union recently won a battle to maintain its right to collective bargaining in the face of state action to take it away.

The sheer amount of research and writing required, on top of the other demands on our students, always made for a very harried and anxious Moot Beit Din team. To help alleviate that somewhat, we decided to make the Moot Beit Din part of the Judaic Studies curriculum. It’s primary goal is to make the preparation of both the written brief and the oral argument more manageable. But, because it is part of the curriculum, the students also acquire a better view of the development of Jewish law, become more familiar with the background of the texts and those who authored them, and overall, can better appreciate the complexity and the scope of Jewish law.

The Moot Beit Din team looks forward to a year of wonderful Judaic learning. Perhaps we will taste the sweetness of victory, again, as well.

Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky is on the Judaics faculty and has coached the Moot Beit Din since his arrival in 2004.

Reading Multiple Books

2011-11-10T14:25:00.002-05:00

I just had a flashback to an image of the end table beside my grandfather’s reading chair. He loved to read paperback mysteries and westerns (they used to call these books “oaters,” because they had horses in them and horses like to eat oats). He would always read about ten books at a time, and would stack them in a small tower, each book face down, spine split and open to mark his current page. My preference was to stay with one book at a time, and read it all the way through. I was amazed that my grandfather could read so many novels at once, and still manage to keep track of all the characters and plots.

Maybe he had the right idea. As students, we take several subjects at a time. Our English and history and math and science textbooks could be stacked the same way, at least metaphorically, as we go through different subjects according to the day’s schedule. If we watch any television shows with repeating characters, the experience can be similar to switching among different books after we’ve read a chapter (unless we rent the DVD of a show’s entire season and watch it all in a marathon).

With the new eBook reading devices, I’m surprised to realize I’ve switched to reading several books at the same time. The electronic device saves the place where I last read (just like my grandfather’s technique, but without damaging a book’s spine). I might be reading a horror story, a mystery, and a comedic self-help book, and I can switch among them according to my interest or mood. It’s a different approach to my “pleasure reading” time, but I like it because it ensures that I’m never bored.

And if I get really interested in a specific book, I can always switch back to my old one-at-a-time strategy until I finish!

--Dr. Norman Prentiss
Instructor, English Department Chair

Math at Cardin

2011-10-31T15:25:00.001-04:00

All algebra and geometry classes have successfully completed the first two units of their respective courses. Algebra 1 is currently working on solving equations and solving related word problems by writing equations. Algebra 2 is beginning the unit on relations, functions and graphs. After an introduction to relations and functions, the chapter will focus on linear functions. The Geometry class has begun a unit on parallel and perpendicular lines. Soon, they will study the special types of angle pairs that are formed by two coplanar lines and a transversal. The math classes are all off to a great start, with students working hard to master the material.

~Michelle Greenbaum
Math Instructor

A Unique Experience

2011-10-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

The most exciting new experience for me this year is being able to teach the 11th grade U.S. Literature class in conjunction with the U.S. History class. When two disciplines work so well together, it’s very exciting to be able to teach both! Though we pride ourselves on integration throughout the curriculum, doing it within two classes that one teacher is teaching can be a unique experience. While learning events that occurred and how people handled them over the course of history, we refer to texts from English class that are expressions of those feelings and events. Understanding the historical context of writings as well as their literary devices and styles has truly enhanced the learning within each of these classes and I’m excited to see how it continues over the course of the entire year!

~Amy Fink
History Instructor/Student Support Services Coordinator

2011-10-11T08:08:00.000-04:00

"לא קל להיות יהודי, ולא קל ללמוד עברית. אבל מי אמר שאי אפשר לגוון ולהפוך את השיעורים לשיעורים "כייפים" עם צחוקים, בלי לחץ, לקחת את אוצר המילים שלמדנו, את הדקדוק ולחבר הכל ביחד, ליצור שיחה סביב נושא מסויים, ולהציג את השיחה בפני הכיתה? כך עשינו בשיעורי העברית כאשר למדנו את שם הפועל. חלקתי את הכיתה לשתי קבוצות. חורף וקיץ. כיתה זו לומדת חוברת # 2 "ממזג האוויר למצב רוח" שתי הקבוצות הכינו "ויכוח איזו עונה טובה יותר ומדוע? כאשר כל עונה היתה צריכה להשתמש בכמה שיותר שמות פועל.

פעילות נוספת לא שיגרתית היתה אכילה במסעדה. התלמידים "הלכו לאכול" במסעדה, והיה עליהם להזמין אוכל ושתייה, המלצרים שאלו מה הם רוצים לאכול, התלמידים שאלו שאלות בשם הפועל, גם בפעילות זו התלמידים "נכנסו" לתפקידים באופן טבעי לחלוטין!

התלמידים היו כל כך עסוקים ונלהבים בפעיליות הלא שיגרתיות שהם לא שמו לב שהם בעצם מדברים עברית! המילים יצאו ללא מעצורים, שם הפועל נקנה בצורה טבעית והשימוש בו כבר שגור בפי התלמידים.

~Morah Zohara Chaban

Civics is coming to Cardin!

2011-09-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

This year our 10th grade Modern Western Civilization course will include a trimester study of pathways to American citizenship. The goal is for students to gain insights to understanding American citizenship and their role in impacting our democratic system. Developing a more profound understanding of and appreciation for the fundamental principles and values of a free society is another theme for this grading period.

The following are major units of study:
• How have the values and principles embodied in the Constitution shaped American institutions and practices?
• What rights does the Bill of Rights protect?
• What is the importance of civic engagement to American constitutional democracy?

We expect all students to pass a basic citizenship exam that would be required of all perspective citizens to the United States. This twelve week course will provide the foundation to develop proactive citizens who understand how to get involved to generate change in a democracy. I look forward to teaching this course and observing changes in civic understanding and responsibility in our students.

Bob Cantor
Social Studies Chair

A Great Moment at Cardin

2011-09-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

This week particularly, I am so proud to be a part of this community! After studying the history and consequences of 9/11, the students (assisted by our talented faculty) put together a presentation to commemorate that terrible day. It was so moving I was brought almost to tears at several points. Groups presented through the media of ritual, art, music, video, slides, creative writing, and then ended with a note of hope regarding possible paths to healing through gemillut hasadim. Having been at this school since its inception, I can say it was truly one of the great moments of Cardin. Kudos to all involved!

~Leslie Smith Rosen
Dean of General Studies

Learning and Growing at Cardin

2011-09-13T10:33:00.000-04:00

In March I chose to take a different path than most teens for the summer. I chose to travel to Poland and Israel. I have gone to Camp Ramah in Palmer for 8 summers and this was the final summer to be a "camper". From March until June I studied the Holocaust. I read Night, watched Shindler’s List, and read assorted readings about Poland and the Holocaust. The day finally came that I left. My family and I drove to New York and met the group there, and I was then on my way. After a six hour layover in Austria I was finally in Poland. There was no time to waste; we went straight to our first site. It was a cemetery in Warsaw. The first thing we were told when we entered was to not be sad. This wasn’t a sad cemetery like all the other ones that we had ever visited. This cemetery had survived the Holocaust. A lot of stones were still there and there was a wall made of all the stones that had been destroyed. This wall was made to honor the memory of the people whose graves had been destroyed. After that we stayed our first night in Warsaw. We stayed in Warsaw for 2 days, then Lublin for 1, and Krakow for Shabbat. One of the most memorable sites that we visited was the Rema Shul and his grave. As my tour guide, Moshe Gold, told us about this, a light bulb went off in my head. I had learned about Rabbi Moshe Isserles in school the year before. It was ingrained in my head who he was and why he was important. When my tour guide asked my group if anyone knew who he was, I knew. I felt proud that I was among people who had been going to day school their whole lives and I knew something that everyone else’s schools didn’t cover. Through the whole Poland trip this happened to me. I was very knowledgeable about the sites that we went to because of my time at Cardin. I was very grateful for this and I look forward to another great year of learning and growing as a student at Cardin.

Adina Golob
Class of 2012

A Little Latin Lesson

2011-09-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

As the Latin saying goes tempus fugit (time flies), especially during the summer and here we are starting another school year. I remember, as a student, feeling the excitement and anticipation of what is to come, while setting up my new notebooks and folders for each class to start the year with a tabula rasa (clean slate), so to speak. Today, I see that same eagerness in my son, who started fourth grade this week, again tempus fugit. As we sat down to cover his new textbooks after the second day of school or rather to stretch on the “booksocks” (I am not sure exactly when book covers went from paper to strategically designed pillow cases) and he was showing me the table of contents, talking about the topics discussed and flipping through the pages, I was reminded of how early Latin becomes part of our everyday experience and yet most of us never know. Of course, we all know some Latin, it’s at the root of roughly 55-60% of the words that we use. While no one has to know Latin to learn the meaning of vocabulary words (there are dictionaries for that), it certainly gives you a greater appreciation and understanding of our language and makes it much easier. However, while we were looking through the science text, it wasn’t the words that I was noticing; it was the abbreviations and notes at the ends of sections, which I was coincidentally teaching the next day. So I pointed to the “e.g.” after an explanation of external stimulus and said, “You know that’s Latin.” We talked about it for a few minutes, I gave the meaning, which I’m sure he promptly forgot, and we went back to our sock stretching. The next day, I handed a list of six or seven common text abbreviations to my new Latin students and one said, “Hey, now I actually know what that means.” So, here is a little Latin lesson so that you will not just glance over the “ect..” or “i.e” in your textbook, cookbook, or how-to guide but will, “actually know what that means.”

N.B. (nota bene) – “Note well,” pay special attention to something.

e.g. (exempli gratiâ) – “for the sake of example,” indicates an example is given.

i.e. (id est) – “that is,” clarification, indicates the specifics

etc. (et cetera) – “And the rest of the things,” the continuation of a list

a.m. (ante meridiem) – “before midday,” morning

p.m (post meridiem) – “after midday,” afternoon

Enjoy and have a great rest of the year.

~Maureen Beabout

Blessings after Hurricane Irene

2011-08-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

As part of Cardin’s Leadership Training Seminar, the students divided into groups and brainstormed ideas on how to connect our liturgy to their experience of Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Irene helped Miles Greenspoon read and say our traditional blessings in a new way.

Miles writes:
As everyone knows, we on the East Coast have just experienced what is a very traumatic natural disaster: Hurricane Irene. Lives have been lost; buildings and homes have been destroyed; towns have been flooded. It was a huge struggle for me to write this prayer because it is hard for me to find solace in knowing that an ever-merciful God can also wreak such havoc on our nation. However, I have created a prayer that I think is pertinent not only to the destruction we have encountered recently, but pertinent to our everyday lives as well:

Praised are You, Lord our God, who is the true judge and the master of creation. Only You have the power to bestow and revoke life, leaving us humble as You fill our world with Your mysteries and blessings. May we find ourselves in awe of your might, as we pray for Your mercy and compassion.

Cardin Students Create Video About Body Image

2011-05-26T08:50:00.000-04:00

In conjunction with ifIknew.org and NEW LENS, students were asked to create a video that would spread awareness of an issue facing teens today. Cardin students focused on body image. Please view the final product at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q96jAe6bCh4

Practical Applications for Trigonometry

2011-05-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

Geometry students have recently completed a unit on Right Triangles. They were introduced to the three basic trigonometric functions of sine, cosine, and tangent. Trigonometry means “triangle measurement” and was derived from the ancient Greek language. The ancient Greeks and Hindus used trigonometry as a tool for astronomy. The ancient Greeks used trigonometry to record the location of stars. Muslims used trigonometry and the stars to navigate across the Arabian Desert to Mecca. In the 19th century, The Great Trigonometric Survey of India was done to map out the country and to measure the height of Mount Everest. In 1852, the survey measured the height of Mount Everest to be 29,002 feet, which is close to the height of 29,035 feet measured in 1999. Trigonometry is not only used today in navigation, building and engineering; but also to study the structure of DNA.

~Michelle Greenbaum
Math Instructor

News From the Art Room

2011-05-03T16:30:00.000-04:00

Mr. Whitfield’s physics students visited the art room this week for their annual “paint and pendulum” project. They hung ketchup bottles filled with neon paint from the ceiling and placed black paper underneath. By swinging the bottles the students watched life-sized spirograph paintings being created. This is always a highlight of the year for the physics students.

~Elaine Brandes
Art Instructor

Be Quiet So The Fire Won't Hear Us

2011-04-29T12:25:00.000-04:00

Many high school students feel invincible. I guess that’s why some of our students take our monthly fire drill nonchalantly. They don’t realize the importance of these drills. Some students even consider them free time. My first year as the director of the Religious School at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, I took on the job of explaining to the entire school the rules and procedures of the fire drill. I took this job seriously. I had, after all, fire on my side, and life and death. The elementary school kids were gathered in the hallway, sitting on the floor as I spoke to them. When there is a fire drill, exit your classrooms in a single file, without talking, and you will go out of the building through that door down the hall to the left. A boy raised his hand, “But Rabbi, what if there is a fire at that door?” "Good question,” I said, “if there is a fire at that door everyone will walk slowly through the door at the other end of the hall.” “But Rabbi, what if there is a fire at that end too?” That would be highly unlikely, but if there is a fire at both doors, everyone will probably be asked to go out a window. “Cool!” shouted several of the boys. “I hope that happens!” Every year without fail, the same exact thing happened. Me, the rabbi, with fire and life and death on my side, could not compete with the fun of climbing out a window.
When I begin to take myself too seriously, I can always count on a kid to bring me back to earth. And having taught kids for so long, I can even do it myself.

As I walked to the parking lot during today’s fire drill, I saw the Early Childhood kids covering their ears. I overheard one child say to his friend, “Be quiet so the fire won’t hear us,” and I started to laugh.

~Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaic Studies

Kudos to Our Town Cast and Crew

2011-04-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

Well it’s back to school after a refreshing break for Pesach (and a busy one for me personally – I got married!), but I am still on a high from what was accomplished the week before Passover – the performances of OUR TOWN. The kids were great – both cast and crew! It’s truly amazing to me how a small school can come together and put on a full-scale production of one of the great plays of the American theatre. More than 65% of our student body was involved in some way – and the rest enjoyed it during at least one performance – some came for two or three! The message is so vital – to live life to the fullest and appreciate it as much as possible (in the words of the character Emily: “do any human beings realize life while they live it – every, every day?”). This is a philosophy that is timeless and timely. And we had such fun doing it, and were so proud of the results of our hard work! Congratulations to everyone involved in OUR TOWN, and thanks to the staff and parents for being so supportive of this major enterprise.

~Leslie Smith Rosen
Dean of General Studies

College Fairs

2011-04-14T10:39:00.000-04:00

As I stood on the perimeter of the 25th Annual AIMS College Fair, I enjoyed watching the students, parents, and college representatives interact. Hundreds of 11th graders filled the lobby and conference rooms of the Crown Plaza Hotel on April 12th hoping to meet representative from over 300 institutions. College fairs are typically juniors’ first foray into the college admissions process. Fairs are a chance for students (and parents) to gather a lot of information in a short period of time. While potentially intimidating, college fairs can be a wonderful way for students to begin narrowing down their college lists and create a plan for their applications.

As I watched students gleefully schlep bags filled with college brochures, I also saw the looks of anxiety on the parents’ faces. Many parents stood with me on the perimeter as their children braved the crowds to ask questions ranging from dining hall options and study abroad. At some level, the college fair made this process real for many parents. My advice to parents – enjoy this time with your children. Stand on the proverbial perimeter to a certain degree. Let you children take the lead in the college application process, but be their scaffolding to support them and help them synthesize the vast amount of information they will receive in a short period of time.

~Hallie M. Schein
Director of College Counseling

The Jewish History of Spain

2011-04-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

Recently we reviewed a brief history of Jews in Spain. Today, Christianity is the main religion associated with Spanish-speaking countries. This perception is due to the fact that typically the study of Spanish history begins in 1492. In examining the history before that time period, we learned that Spain was part of a Caliphate for hundreds of years and had large Muslim and Jewish populations. During those years, this diverse, multi-ethnic country produced a rich culture. Contributions in science, math, philosophy, architecture, etc. were incorporated from each of the ethnic groups within the society as a whole.

Unfortunately this relatively balanced state of affairs changed with the arrival of militant Christianity. These issues are explored in the DVD by Humanities and Sciences, entitled Acts of Faith, Jewish Civilization in Spain recently purchased by our school.

~Senora Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor

The play's the thing (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2)

2011-04-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

The week before the Cardin school’s production becomes a time in which everyone is focused on the upcoming show. How can it be otherwise when more than 65% of the students are involved? Tonight’s opening performance of Our Town, the first of three performances, is the culmination of weeks of preparation under the talented leadership of Leslie Smith Rosen.

Thornton Wilder’s classic play, Our Town, is one of the most produced and best loved plays of the 20th century. Wilder’s portrayal of everyday life at the turn of the 20th century allows the audience to see the ordinary while pushing it to look for the extraordinary. How many of us can’t relate to a hurried breakfast as we move on to the next task in our day? How often do you take the time to have a meaningful conversation with those in your community? Do you even know your neighbors? Audiences often watch Our Town with a nostalgic longing for a simpler life – before the internet, texting and social media – when neighbors were friends and people carried on conversations face to face.

Cardin is similar to Grover’s Corners in that we know each other and are a genuine community. We are very privileged to be involved in a school in which students and faculty are a community, and where we have meaningful dialogues in and out of the classroom.

Please join us as we perform Our Town, April 11th and 12th, at 7:30 pm in the Louis and Henrietta Blaustein Auditorium at Temple Oheb Shalom.

~Barbie Prince
Head of School

The Eruv and Sale of Chametz- What do they have in common?

2011-04-08T09:34:00.000-04:00

Recently, Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show ran a story about the “eruv controversy” currently brewing in the tony village of West Hampton, Long Island. You can watch the video clip here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-march-23-2011/the-thin-jew-line. As many might know, the eruv makes it easier for traditional Jews to keep Shabbat. Shabbat laws prohibit certain activities, like carrying keys or tallitot, or pushing baby strollers, in public areas, unless there is an eruv. While the details of eruv are fairly complex, the principle behind it is straightforward. The eruv is a specially constructed boundary that transforms a public thoroughfare into a private one. It is largely invisible and often utilizes existing telephone poles and lines as well as overhead power lines to complete its enclosure. While one cannot do those above activities along with many others in a public area, one may do them in a private area. The laws of eruv can be found in the Talmud in a tractate named, appropriately, Eruvin (the plural of eruv). If you live in Baltimore you probably know that it has an eruv, as do many other cities in which traditional Jews live.

I know what you’re thinking – it’s just another loophole to help traditionally observant Jews “get around” old fashioned and outmoded restrictions. In the video, the reporter deadpans that eruv comes
“from the Hebrew word meaning loophole”. Lots of people missed it, but the reporter was joking! The fact is, eruv here means boundary and it is not a loophole.

Another tradition erroneously seen as a loophole is the pre Passover “sale of chametz”. The Torah explicitly forbids Jews from eating, owning and deriving benefit from all chametz (leavened) products on Passover. It enjoins us to “remove all chametz from our homes” for the entire holiday. The rabbis, however, recognized that it would be difficult and even wasteful to dispose of all of the chametz products in our possession prior to the festival. This was especially so for those who made their living through the liquor business, for example. With typical rabbinic ingenuity, they arrived at the solution of allowing us to sell the chametz to a gentile for the duration of the holiday.This sale of chametz is a fully legal and actual sale and has become a time-honored tradition. Individual Jews and many food and beverage companies owned by Jews sell their chametz. It is not a loophole. Like eruv, it is a complex procedure with straightforward results, not the least of which is making it easier to observe Jewish law authentically and fully.

Because it is a complicated procedure, it has been customary to allow an experienced rabbi handle the sale itself. Perhaps your synagogue’s rabbi provides this service. But if not, and as a service to the members and friends of the Cardin School family, I am happy to act as your agent for the sale this year. If you would like to have me do this on your behalf, please use the handy form below.

Best wishes for a wonderfully joyous and kosher Pesach!

~Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky
Judaics Instructor
________________________________________________________

I _____________________________________ fully empower and permit Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky to sell all chametz and chametz products possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly, as defined by Torah and Rabbinic law, and to lease all places wherein chametz owned may be found. This transaction will be in effect from Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:00 am and will continue until 9 pm*** on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

Name:_______________________________________________
Address of all places where your chametz is located: ___________________________________________________________

Interdisciplinary Teaching

2011-04-07T11:50:00.000-04:00

As an English teacher, I am always exploring avenues to teach poetry and literature in other disciplines. Well, the senior elective, preparing them for their upcoming Israel trip has given me this opportunity. Last week we had the opportunity to study one of Israel’s most famous poets, Yehuda Amicai. Amicai, considered by many to be Israel’s greatest poet, revels in the land and scenery in his poetry: often, his poems juxtapose the land of Israel with the individual’s struggle. Because of this, many Israeli schoolchildren still read and study his works.

Below I am going to post a few of my favorite Amicai poems. Look for the strong images brought out by his colloquial language. This, I believe, is what makes Amicai a master poet: his blending of images and language to create a masterful portrait of modern Israel.

A Man In His Life
A man doesn't have time in his life
to have time for everything.
He doesn't have seasons enough to have
a season for every purpose. Ecclesiastes
Was wrong about that.

A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment,
to laugh and cry with the same eyes,
with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them,
to make love in war and war in love.
And to hate and forgive and remember and forget,
to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest
what history
takes years and years to do.

A man doesn't have time.
When he loses he seeks, when he finds
he forgets, when he forgets he loves, when he loves
he begins to forget.

And his soul is seasoned, his soul
is very professional.
Only his body remains forever
an amateur. It tries and it misses,
gets muddled, doesn't learn a thing,
drunk and blind in its pleasures
and its pains.

He will die as figs die in autumn,
Shriveled and full of himself and sweet,
the leaves growing dry on the ground,
the bare branches pointing to the place
where there's time for everything.

An Arab Shepherd Is Searching For His Goat On Mount Zion
An Arab shepherd is searching for his goat on Mount Zion
And on the opposite hill I am searching for my little boy.
An Arab shepherd and a Jewish father
Both in their temporary failure.
Our two voices met above
The Sultan's Pool in the valley between us.
Neither of us wants the boy or the goat
To get caught in the wheels
Of the "Had Gadya" machine.

Afterward we found them among the bushes,
And our voices came back inside us
Laughing and crying.

Searching for a goat or for a child has always been
The beginning of a new religion in these mountains.

Tourists
Visits of condolence is all we get from them.
They squat at the Holocaust Memorial,
They put on grave faces at the Wailing Wall
And they laugh behind heavy curtains
In their hotels.
They have their pictures taken
Together with our famous dead
At Rachel's Tomb and Herzl's Tomb
And on Ammunition Hill.
They weep over our sweet boys
And lust after our tough girls
And hang up their underwear
To dry quickly
In cool, blue bathrooms.

~Joel Neft
English Instructor

Meeting Yosef Begun

2011-04-06T15:21:00.000-04:00

This morning we had the honor and privilege of hearing from Yosef Begun. Yosef Begun is well known to anyone who was involved in the Soviet Jewry movement as one of the "fathers" of the Refusenik Movement. In 1971 his request for an emigration visa to Israel was denied and he lost his job. Mr. Begun taught Hebrew and produced and distributed anti-government literature, bringing him under government scrutiny. He was arrested and charged with "social parasitism" because his profession was not recognized by the government. After nearly two years in Siberia, he illegally returned to Moscow, was caught and sent back for a second time. After his release in 1980, he began publishing articles in the Western press about the ordeal and plight of Soviet Jewry. He was arrested for treason in 1982 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. In 1987, a massive public outcry, including an appeal from President Ronald Reagan led to his release. Today, Mr. Begun lives in Jerusalem.

Mr. Begun started his presentation with a special thank you to Shoshana Cardin for her role in inspiring and working with the American Jewish community to fight Soviet oppression and to rescue Soviet Jews. He presented Mrs. Cardin with a drawing from Natan Sharansky's (another Russian Refusenik) book. The drawing was a replica of one that Natan Sharansky found on the wall of his cell during a year in which he was interrogated by the KGB. The drawing was a star of David surrounded by the Hebrew words, "Hazak, hazak v'ematz, Yosef Begun." The words translated mean "strength, strength, and be brave, Yosef Begun." These words were written by Yosef Begun on the cell wall and inspired Mr. Sharansky to stay strong during his year of interrogation and subsequent years of isolation in Soviet prisons.

In addition to telling stories about his time as a Russian Refusenik, Mr. Begun also related several stories about his release, and his life after he was able to leave Russia. One time he traveled to Washington, DC and met with then-President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan handed him a metal bracelet inscribed with the name of a Russian Refusenik on it. These bracelets were worn by many active in the Soviet Jewry movement in the 1970's and 1980's, to help us remember that there were Jews living in Russia that were imprisoned because of their beliefs. President Reagan noted to Mr. Begun that he was thrilled that he no longer had to keep the bracelet since the doors to Soviet Jews were no longer closed. He gave his bracelet to Mr. Begun. Today, Mr. Begun also presented a replica of the bracelet to Mrs. Cardin.

There were other interesting, inspiring, and heart-breaking stories that Mr. Begun shared with us today. It was truely an honor and privilege to meet him!!

We are grateful to Mr. Howard Rosenbloom and Mrs. Shoshana S. Cardin for making Mr. Begun's visit possible.

~Anne Tanhoff Greenspoon
Director of Admissions

Genetics

2011-04-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Cardin’s biology classes are learning about genetics and tracing genetic disorders through pedigrees (like family trees designed to show how a disorder is passed down through generations)

We studied the pedigree of Queen Victoria to study how Hemophilia, a disorder that stops blood clotting after an injury, was passed throughout the royal families of Europe. Hemophilia is a sex linked disorder which is carried on the X chromosome. Because females are XX and males are XY, males are more likely to have the disorder. Females can be carriers although they are phenotypically normal. Carriers can pass on the recessive disorder to their children. Queen Victoria was a carrier of hemophilia. She passed this to her daughters Alice and Beatrice (also carriers) as well as her son Leopold who died from the disorder. Many of her nine children went on to become Kings and Queens of other European countries. By studying this pedigree we can learn how this genetic disorder is part of the royal tradition.

~Alexandra Sloane
Science Instructor

Money Management

2011-03-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again.
Only three weeks left to go.
No, I’m not talking about Passover, I’m counting down to tax filing day.

Earlier this year, the students in Personal Finance learned how declaring “allowances” on Form W-4 filed with employers, determined how much federal tax was withheld from each of their paychecks. We traced how withholdings flow from paychecks to Form 1040 filed annually, and discussed how filers have a balance due to the government, or get a refund for overpaying taxes.

A survey released this week, commissioned by NEFE, the National Endowment for Financial Education, revealed that 30% of filers intentionally withheld more from their paychecks so they can receive larger refunds when they file their returns. "Conventional advice says receiving a tax refund is like letting the IRS have your money interest-free all year," says Brent Neiser, CFP®, senior director of Strategic Programs and Alliances for NEFE. "But for most people, it makes sense to take a larger refund." Neiser says Americans should base their withholding decisions on how they will behave with their money. "If you’re afraid you’ll waste that extra money each pay period, electing to receive a refund could be a wise strategy—as long as you use the lump sum carefully toward financial goals," says Neiser.

Experts suggest several options for using your tax refund wisely.
• Pay down debt – especially balances on high interest rate credit cards
• Start an emergency fund – unexpected expenses should be anticipated, strive for accumulating six months worth of living expenses in reserve
• Save for the future – take advantage of the tax benefit of contributions to an IRA
• Prepay bills – prepaying a mortgage payment or loan can save you interest in the long run

As with all budgeting tips, the important thing to remember is to make informed decisions about money management. Hopefully, our Cardin seniors have learned that lesson well.

~Jan Schein
CFO, Instructor Personal Finance

Letters to Gilad Shalit's Parents

2011-03-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

As all of you know, this is the fifth year that Gilad Shalit has been held captive in Gaza. Last week, people in Israel stood for 5 minutes in silence, one minute for each year.

Gilad’s mother wrote a letter to her son, though she cannot deliver it to him. A copy of the letter was forwarded to me and I shared it with my Hebrew classes. The students wrote letters in conversational Hebrew to Gilad’s parents to let them know that we are thinking of them, and we pray for his return home soon.

I share some of my students' words:

Alex H: “...my class recently read and translated your message to Gilad. It was a heart-wrenching message and I wish you all the luck in the world with getting your son back...”

Dora: “...I can’t begin to describe what must be going on in your life right now. A mother’s heart is the strongest feeling in the world. I am sure there isn’t one second when he isn’t thinking of you...”

Bobby W: “... Although he is not with you, there is a bond between mother and son and father and son that can not be broken, no matter what happened... it is important to remember the good times you have had together and hopefully God will bring him home soon.”

Yeriah R: “...I am sure during the night he is thinking of you, his friends and Israel just like you can not stopping thinking of him and trying to bring him home safely...”

Nora S: “... I have been following the news about your son and I wanted you to know that he is in my prayers. Today in my Hebrew class, my teacher read your speech. I can not even begin to imagine what you must be going through...”

Matt D: “it’s important to have a positive attitude through this hard time. I pray and hope for his return home safely and healthy...”

If any additional students want to write letters to Gilads' parents, please do so and give them to me, I will send them to his parents.

Thank you.

~Morah Zohara Chaban
Instructor of Hebrew

Cartesian Coordinate Plane

2011-03-22T15:01:00.000-04:00

The Algebra 1 class is completing their work on the Graphs and Linear Equations unit. They have been graphing linear equations on a rectangular coordinate plane, also referred to as the Cartesian coordinate plane. The word “Cartesian” is named after the French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650). He invented the method of visualizing numbers as points on a graph and equations as geometric figures. Descartes succeeded in merging the fields of algebra and geometry to create Coordinate Geometry.

~Michelle Greenbaum
Math Instructor

Taking a Cue from Cal Ripken, Jr.

2011-03-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

When I was a little boy, I lived and breathed Orioles baseball. I followed every game I could on the television and radio, I checked the MLB box scores and statistics in the newspaper every day, and I worshipped Brady Anderson, Robby Alomar, Rafael Palmeiro, B.J. Surhoff, and Mike Bordick (even though he couldn’t hit). But there was no one—no one—more heroic to me than Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal was an All-Star virtually every season he played, a two-time Gold Glove winner and is one of the few MLB players to exceed 3,000 career hits. Still, he is probably most famous for breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games record—Cal started and played in 2,632 consecutive games for the Orioles. He was an insane work horse who did not quit, and for this he earned the nickname Iron Man.

One day, my father told me something about Cal that surprised me—that although he was easily the strongest fielder on the Orioles, he was known for being the first to arrive to fielding practice and the last to leave. Although Cal was the best, he practiced the most. (Incidentally, my father could have been making all this up. Do fathers make up life lessons? Perhaps this is a topic for another post. Suffice it to say that I believed him at the time and still do.)
The idea of godlike Cal Ripken repeatedly drilling a basic baseball movement has shaped the way I view learning. A lot of people—high schoolers, college students, and adults—see learning as a race. It’s not. Masterful knowledge of a subject requires deep, unshakable fundamentals. We acquire those fundamentals only through long, patient experience.

The past two years at Cardin have really driven this point home for me. In them, I’ve become a tremendously stronger mathematician, and I happen to have done this all while teaching subject matter I already knew cold. Rereading, relearning, and expressing mathematical ideas in front of a class for three hours a day has expanded and strengthened my fundamentals immeasurably. This has been true of every class I’ve taught, even areas I considered completely elementary. I’ve been taking ground ball after ground ball for two years, and suddenly I’m a much better shortstop.

Deep mastery of any field is terribly expensive and can only be bought with time. So find something you love and approach it with patience and thoroughness. Read, reread, then come back later and reread some more. If it’s an option, spend a semester in college to revisit the material you learned in your high school AP class—you will be surprised by how much new insight you get out of a new professor, a different book and a fresh look at the subject. Work slowly through your exercises instead of rushing through them like they’re chores. Learn patiently and thoroughly.

Long, patient learning does not offer immediate satisfaction, but it pays off huge over time. So come to practice early, take a million and one ground balls, and leave late. Learn to love taking little steps forward instead of carelessly racing ahead. One day, you’ll wake up surprised at how far you’ve come.

~Todd Bryant
Math Instructor

In Times of Crisis

2011-03-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

Following the accident that involved Nathan Krasnopoler, an ’09 alum, I’ve been thinking a lot about how precious life is. I’ve been so worried about him and hoping for healing and recovery but also concerned about the unexpected events that life throws at us. I’ve been feeling vulnerable, worrying about the idea that such a devastating event could happen to one of my kids, putting myself in Nathan’s parents’ shoes. My heart goes out to them and they are constantly on my mind. The fact that they are handling this tragedy with such bravery and strength is comforting to me. They are masterfully towing the line between being hopeful and realistic.

I’ve also felt comforted by the outpouring of support from the Cardin community, including students, faculty, and all of our families. It’s crises like these that illuminate the care, compassion, and kindness that we share and for me, that helps ease my mind, if even for just the smallest way.

~Jackie Villet
School Counselor

Eggs… Essential for any scientist tool kit

2011-03-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

Our Honors Physics class is currently embroiled in an ‘egg drop’ project where they are tasked with building a contraption built of soda straws that can save an egg from a great fall. This project is just one of many amazing opportunities for study using eggs. Here are a few to try at home.

1. Getting a hard boiled egg into a bottle (a wonderful demonstration of vacuum, atmospheric pressure, temperature as it relates to pressure, and kinetic theory of gasses):
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-an-Egg-Into-a-Bottle

2. Dissolving the shell of a raw egg (a wonderful exploration of acid base reactions):

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/eggs/activity-naked.html

3. Examining the interior structures and characteristics of a raw egg (use a flashlight, light table, or window after dissolving the egg above):

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/182/The-structural-components-of-an-egg

Hope you enjoy your egg explorations!

~Cardin Science Department

The Home Stretch

2011-02-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

As the weather heats up (at least for today) and February turns to March, we look to the last third of the school year. Next week is interim week, “A Capital Week,” which for many students is the “beginning of the end.” Interim week, a signature program of the Cardin School, takes our students and faculty out of the traditional classroom to learn together for a week of intensive, experiential programs around a specific theme. This year we are exploring our nation’s capital, which is practically in our own backyards. The entire school population will travel to DC to tour governmental facilities, meet with government officials, visit museums and monuments and attend a luncheon at the Israeli embassy. I am sure you will read more about interim week both here and in our school eNewsletter.

Interim week also serves as a renewal week, recharging students and faculty to enthusiastically complete the year. When we return to the classrooms on March 14, we move at lightning speed to the end of the school year. Within what seems like a blink of an eye, we celebrate Purim, Pesach and Shavuot; we remember the Holocaust, reflect on the transition to Medinat Israel, and remember those Israeli soldiers who fell to keep Israel, and those American soldiers who fell to keep us, free. We produce Our Town, acknowledge our athletes at the sports banquet, and celebrate our entire student body at the Awards Ceremony. The junior class travels to look at colleges. The seniors are the busiest, preparing for AP Exams and finals, the prom, their senior Israel experience and graduation.

Come and join us as we complete the final third of the 2011-2012 school year!

~Barbie Prince
Head of School

Literary Reflections

2011-02-17T13:51:00.002-05:00

As winter — though it hardly seems apropos to call it that — descends and we enter another spring, I want to take this opportunity to share 2 of my favorite spring poems. Poetry, like the weather, can change our moods, for the better or worse. When we experience a poem, we, like the changing weather, adapt ourselves to it. The first poem was one of Wordsworth’s earlier poems. It blends the light, playful air of spring with the freedom of thought. Read it below, and let me know what images stick out for you

Lines Written in Early Spring William Wordsworth (1798)

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
n that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower, The periwinkle trailed its wreaths; And ’tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

In the second poem that I am going to share, is by Robert Herrick. What strikes me about this poem is the strong images of brooks, blossoms, birds, etc… Each one conjures up a sense of the freedom in spring, of the joyous youth and innocence brought about by the season. What mood does this poem leave you with?

Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Hesperides (1648)

I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers:
Of April, May, of June, and July flowers.
I sing of Maypoles, Hock-carts, wassails, wakes, Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.

I hope you enjoy these poems as much as I did; they offer us a glimpse into our upcoming season: spring. May you have a warm winter and a light, playful spring.

~Joel Neft
English Instructor

Class of 2007 Cardin Alumni Get Ready to Move On

2011-02-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

As a parent of two Cardin graduates from the Class of 2007, I am frequently asked how the girls are doing. Four years ago, daughters Chelsea and Johanna were looking forward to high school graduation and exuberant about college acceptances. Now they are only three months away from college commencement and exuberant about their future.

Last week Chelsea received an acceptance to the Social, Decision, and Organizational Science doctoral program in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland. She will spend the next five years working in the Mind Perception and Morality Lab of Dr. Kurt Gray. Chelsea’s interest in moral judgments and their real world implication may well have been sparked by the integrated curriculum she experienced at Cardin. Who knows how many other students in Mr. Cantor’s AP Psychology course will go on to obtain their PhD? For an idea of what Chelsea will be researching, check out a presentation by Dr. Gray delivered a few months ago at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgnR3iIjO_c .

Johanna also received an honor last week. The President of Franklin & Marshall College requested that Johanna introduce David Ferriero, a guest speaker invited to address the full campus community. Mr. Ferriero was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Archivist of the United States responsible for overseeing all branches of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the 13 Presidential Libraries. Johanna worked as an intern with the Legislative Center of the NARA last summer, a wonderful experience which motivated her to apply to Masters programs in Public History – a specialized field of history linking archival and library sciences with outreach to the public. When he thanked Johanna for her introduction, Mr. Ferriero commented that NARA would be delighted to welcome Johanna back to work at the Archives. Next month Cardin students will stop at the National Archives as part of their Interim Week activities. Perhaps one of them will be the next Cardin student to be inspired by the power of seeing primary source documents.

As the first Cardin graduates complete their college studies this spring, we are equally proud of them. They made their mark on campuses across the county and will now enter various fields of scholarly work and professions, well equipped to become leaders of tomorrow.

~Jan Schein
CFO, Financial Literacy Instructor

Spanish Celebrations

2011-02-11T12:53:00.000-05:00

During the frigid weeks of January, a Spanish class at Cardin was learning about “celebrations”. One of the prevalent customs in the festivities of Spanish cultures is the breaking open of a container filled with candies and toys. While the custom is believed to have originated in China, in Italy in the 1600’s candies were placed in mud jars and then broken open with a stick. These celebratory customs were brought to the Spanish-speaking world by the Italians and Spaniards and have been adopted into these cultures. Celebrations unite family and friends during joyful times and sad times. The main purpose is for communal support and sharing. So, we can say the candies and gifts in a container which is broken open is a way of sharing. Some children will get exactly what they want, others will leave crying. This is symbolic of the joys and the sadness of life. Both are necessary in our journey.

In the Spanish III class, students created their own craft (a piñata), played a game together (broke it open with a stick to make candies fall out), and gave one another a gift (the gift of sharing the experience together). We talked about the value of family and relationships in the Hispanic cultures and observed that, although there are many variations in how families of other cultures celebrate, the needs and purpose of “celebrations” is the same. Do you ever wonder how our future celebrations will change as the U.S. and Latin America and Spain continue to share each ones’ customs and festivities? For me, it sounds like lots more “fun”.

~Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor

Radical Expressions

2011-02-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

Algebra 2 students are currently working with radical expressions which use the radical sign. The radical sign for square root was introduced in 1525 by Christoff Rudolff (1499-1545) in his book Die Coss (The Unknown). This was the first German textbook on Algebra. It was one of the earliest printed books to use decimal notation and it also introduced the concept x^0 =1. By the seventeenth century, the radical sign was widely accepted. It is believed that Rudolff used the radical sign because it resembled the lower case “r”, for radix.

Arabic writers used the word “radix” (root) because they thought of a square number growing out of a root or being extracted from a root. Late Medieval writers used the symbol Rx to represent radix. The symbol Rx^2 (for square root) was used in 1484.

~Michelle Greenbaum
Math Instructor

Wellness Day

2011-02-08T09:24:00.000-05:00

When you think of what it means to be healthy, what do you think about? Is it the food you eat? Medication you take? The exercise you do?

Last Friday, Cardin students and faculty had the opportunity to explore each of these things during our second annual Wellness Day. From physical fitness testing with trainers from Brick Bodies, to local professionals providing seminars on nutrition, acupuncture, sleep, cravings, and skin care, and then on to fitness classes, we got a taste of it all! Friday was a blast—watching students and teachers hula hoop, participate in Zumba, Yoga, & Core training after a day of learning how to live healthy lifestyles, was incredible. Can’t wait for next year!

~Amy Fink
Coordinator of Student Support Services, History Instructor

Taking Care of Ourselves

2011-02-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

In the Shulchan Aruch (a compilation of Jewish law) we read that “it is a positive commandment to be very careful and guard oneself from any life-threatening obstacle as it is said, ‘… take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously’ (Deut.4:9)”. It is quite fascinating to me, that the rabbis would include taking care of one’s body as a positive commandment. Hillel is famous for calling his Friday bath a mitzvah, as he perceived it as taking care of the divine image and likeness. In Judaism we do not encourage ascetic behaviors nor do we treat our bodies as the enemy of spirituality, but rather we take care of them.

Today at Cardin we all participate in Wellness Day. Both students and teachers will enjoy various lectures lead by experts in the field (on subjects ranging from acupuncture and dietary choices, to the science of sleep and skin cancer prevention) as well as a number of physical activities. I, personally, look forward to a class in Mixed Martial Arts and a workout to strengthen my body’s core. Students and teachers can also choose a yoga or zumba class, or even try to become a hula hoop king or queen.

This day is not just a “fun day”, which would be very appropriate for Rosh Chodesh Adar, but also a day of learning and living Torah – we are fulfilling the mitzvah of taking care of our health and well being. And because we are taught that ein kemach ein Torah, ein Torah ein kemach – “where there is no physical nourishment there can be no Torah, where there is no Torah, there is no way to acquire physical nourishment," we will also enjoy a salad bar lunch. Put on some comfortable clothes and join us for Cardin Wellness Day!

~Rochel Johanna Czopnik
Judaics Instructor

Call Me An Optimist

2011-02-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy winter, not that I'm complaining about the snow days and delays, but it's starting to get a little ridiculous. Today is Groundhog's Day. An old friend used to say that it was the most optimistic day of the year. We all go around hoping that the little guy will see his shadow, giving us a break on the winter season. And today, he did see it, which for me, brightened an otherwise dismal day in just the smallest way. You see, today I learned that a former classmate of many Cardin students passed away suddenly on Tuesday. It's a devastating event that made me want to hug my own children a little tighter. It's tragedies like these that make you realize how fragile life is. As the school counselor, I met with all of the students who were personally affected. I also contacted each of their parents in an effort to keep the lines of communication open. And in another small way my otherwise dismal day was brightened. I took pause to reflect on how close we are in the Cardin community. How much we care about one another. And how we support each other when needed. Call me an optimist.

~Jackie Villet

School Counselor

Icy Roads and Salt

2011-01-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

On a day like today, when the roads are a combination of snow, sleet, and ice, you might get the curious question from so many kids: “Why are the putting salt on the road?”

The answer is: Freezing Point Depression. A common example is the lowering of the freezing point of water (a solvent) when salt is added (solute). The combination of salt and water freezes at a lower temperature than 32 degrees Fahrenheit resulting in a slushy road-way and not a frozen one. A great way to experience this phenomenon with your kids at home is making ice cream in a bag. You’ll use rock salt and ice to get a solution that is below the freezing point of your favorite ice cream ingredients (mine include the whole milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla). Put the ice cream mixture into a sealable sandwich bag, put that in another sealable freezer bag, add ice and salt, close and mix for 20 or so minutes.

The following sites have some great instructions that are easy to follow:

http://crafts.kaboose.com/ice-cream-in-a-bag.html

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/homemade-ice-cream-in-a-bag-684806/

http://www.ehow.com/how_4879437_ice-cream-bag-minutes.html

~Dean Whitfield
Math and Science Department Chair

הכל התחיל משיר לט"ו בשבט

2011-01-14T11:39:00.000-05:00

לפני כשבועיים חשבתי לשתף את חבריי לעבודה בשיר ספר שמתאים לט"ו בשבט. כוונתי הייתה ללמוד אותו מחדש עם חבריי לעבודה. "הקולגות" אהבו מאד את השיר וחשבו שאולי כדאי יהיה לנו ללמד את התלמידים שלנו את השיר.

התהליך החינוכי התחיל "שם". ישבנו חבריי ואני למדנו ונתחנו את השיר. הרעיונות עלו ושצפו אותנו את מוחנו ואת רגשותינו והתאהבנו מחדש. נשאלה השאלה, כיצד נוכל לרגש את התלמידים ולגרום להם להתאהב בשיר וברעיונותיו ...

כעבור שבוע,

חגיגת ט"ו בשבט. שחקנית בקהילה מציגה מונולוג של השיר. סופר ומשורר מהקהילה לימד את הילדים לכתוב שיר חדש תוך שימוש בפורמט שהשיר הקיים מציע. אני שרה את השיר ומורה אחר מלווה אותי בפסנתר.

תלמידים מציגים את שיריהם מול חבריהם בבית ספר.

הכל התחיל משיר אחד קטן אך גדול של , נתן זך, "כי האדם עץ השדה".

אנחנו אנשי חינוך אחראיים ללמד לעניין ולרגש את התלמידים שלנו, להעניק להם חוויה משמעותית שתשמש להם מקפצה לחשיבה גבוהה, ביקורתית ומעמיקה יותר.

הכל התחיל משיר קטן ובהחלט לא נגמר "שם"

~Beatrice Maimon

Hebrew Instructor

On Snow Days

2011-01-12T12:21:00.000-05:00

One of the “benefits” of working at a school is the deliciousness of snow days and delays. As much as anyone loves school (and believe me, teachers at schools like Cardin do!) there’s nothing quite as precious as an extra hour of sleep in the morning, often unexpected, sometimes anticipated. Snow days not only provide a break to the monotony that can so easily characterize the dark days of January and February, they also remind us of our place in the universe – there’s a lot we can control, but certainly not everything. “Weather events” serve as a warning that we humans are limited, and to some extent we must accept this and deal with it. Our attitude can affect our experience: if we think only of the clearing of our cars, we will miss out on the winter wonderland that glistens around us. Something I’ve learned to appreciate in my years at Cardin is how our head of school determines what will be the school’s response: we have time off when we genuinely need it, not as a reflexive reaction to the threat of snow. A week ago, snow was predicted but no more than a dusting appeared – but Baltimore and Howard Counties had decided too early and delayed school for what was essentially a non-happening. In the case of Cardin, we reacted to the actual event and didn’t lose valuable school time. On Wednesday, January 12, 2011, however, we did open two hours late, and the sun dazzling off the snow lit up the many classrooms with large windows.

~Leslie Smith Rosen
Dean of General Studies

Snowy Trivia

2011-01-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

As we progress into winter, we are constantly surrounded by rumors of snow. Students everywhere are wearing their pajamas inside out in hopes of having a snow day.

Here are some Snowy Science Facts:
 It’s not true that no 2 snowflakes are alike.
 Snowflakes are composed of crystals—the more crystals, the larger the snow flake.
 There are 6 main types of snowflakes: columns, needles, plates, dendrites, columns with plates, and irregular.
 One year Valdez, Alaska received 260 inches of snow.
 New York State has the snowiest cities in the United States (you can vouch for this if you’ve been to Buffalo).
 To be classified as a blizzard, wind speeds must reach 35 mph and visibility less than a ¼ mile.
 Billions of snowflakes will fall during a single storm.
 The average snowflake falls at 3.1 mph.

~Ms. Alexandra Sloane
Science Instructor

Tu B'Shevat in Israel

2011-01-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

חודש שבט הוא החודש האחד עשר אם מתחילים את השנה לפי חודש ניסן שהוא החודש הראשון לפי התורה, והחודש החמישי אם מתחילים את השנה מחודש תשרי שהוא החודש הראשון לפי הלוח היהודי.
המשנה קבעה את ט"ו בשבט כראש השנה לאילנות. מימי התלמוד ועד עתה ט"ו בשבט נקבע כחג.

במשך הזמן, החג קיבל צביון עממי, ומנהג אכילת פירות יבשים מארץ ישראל נשתרש בחג. בישראל תלמידי בתי הספר יוצאים למקומות שונים ונוטעים עצים
.
ט"ו בשבט הוא החג המדגיש את הקשר שלנו לארץ ישראל.
רבים הם הילדים והילדות שהשם שלהם קשור לטבע כמו: טבע, סתיו, שחר,
לעצים כמו: אילן- אילנה, אורן- אורנית, שקד, גפן ועוד...
לפרחים כמו: נופר, שושנה, ורד,
למים כמו: יובל, ירדן, ימית, אביטל,
בגולה נוהגים לתרום כסף לקרן הקיימת לישראל האחראית על נטיעת העצים ביערות ישראל.

~Zohara Chaban
Hebrew Instructor

The Voladores de Papantla

2011-01-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

I spent winter break in Mexico city from Dec. 25th until Dec. 31. Mexico D.F.,usually hustling and bustling with traffic and people, quiets down
significantly. Business activities slow down, or close down for Christmas
celebrations. Driving into the city from Metepec,(where I was staying)can
take up to two hours. With so many people out of the city I was able to
reach the center of Mexico D.F. in about half the time. On Thursday, Dec. 30 I visited the Museum of Anthropology. The voladores de papantla were perfoming their ritual ceremony at the park near the Museum of Anthropology. The “voladores” are believed to have originated in pre-colonial central Mexico in a region called Veracruz. It is said that the ritual was an attempt by the native people to please the gods during a period of drought. The “voladores”, or “hombres pajaros”, climb up a 30 foot pole. Tied to the pole, they launch themselves into the air. One dancer remains on top of the pole turning the wheel to which the flyers are attached and slowly releases rope as the “voladores” slowly descend to the ground.

Watching this ritual is a breathtaking experience. There are no safety nets. This was just one of many obvious expressions of the integration of traditional cultures into modern Mexico.

~Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor

New Tool to Combat Cyberbullying

2011-01-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

Today I read an article about a new program called MouseMail which will provide parents with a new weapon against cyberbullying. MouseMail works by filtering children's emails for inappropriate words and unknown contacts and forwards these messages to a parents' account. The chairman of the board of Safe Communications, Les Ottolenghi, says that the system is "designed to help a parent manage their child's relationship with the Internet and their relationship, in turn, to their child."

While I'm sure many kids would be disappointed by their parents' involvement in their personal life, I'm thrilled to read that programs and others like it exist. I understand that policing an adolescent's emails and texts is an impossible mission for parents, which is where MouseMail would come in handy in helping protect children from dangers that are so foreign to us adults. Bullying has tamped up to stratosphere-ic levels in recent years making the need for systems like this all the more imperative. G-d knows, parenting is hard enough and we could use all of the support we can get!

~Jackie Villet
School Counselor

Personal Finance Students Go Catalog Shopping The "Old Fashioned" Way

2011-01-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

If your house is anything like mine, you’re still digging out from under the mountain of catalogs that arrived in December. Although online shopping has taken the lead in off-site buying, those glossy catalogs are still used to grab your attention and entice you to send Aunt Susie a basket of Wolferman’s muffins, or your brother-in-law a snazzy gizmo from Sharper Image. When surveyed, I discovered that all of our seniors had shopped online and paid for their purchases with the click of the mouse, but few had ever had to wrestle with reading the small print on an order form in a catalog and write a check to pay for their purchase. As a culminating activity to our unit on banking, the students in Personal Finance had that opportunity during their last class in December.
Each student received a catalog and a sample checkbook (courtesy of our friends at Susquehanna Bank) and told that they could buy anything in the catalog up to $250. The class was cautioned to be aware of possible sales taxes and shipping fees. Completed order forms and checks were reviewed for accuracy. The class discussed why some vendors must charge sales tax and others have no such legal requirement in Maryland.

With the advent of electronic banking and money management software, this generation of young people may not have to struggle over pencil and paper bank reconciliations, but they do need an understanding of how to monitor their money as it travels through the banking system. Our classroom catalog shopping experience was an enjoyable way to help demonstrate that lesson.

~Jan Schein
CFO, Instructor Personal Finance

Enjoying Winter Break

2011-01-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Winter break is just that- a time for a break. It allows students, faculty and families a time to recharge, reflect, spend time with family, take trips and gear up for the rest of the school year. I know that I needed those 10 days to NOT get up at 5:30 (I was successful 30% of the time!), NOT put on my “school clothes” and NOT have meetings every evening. I also used the time to clean out closets, drawers and cabinets, finish a crafts project that I started this past summer, visit some museums with my son, and catch up on some book and anime series.

An example of how the Cardin students see each other as family is illustrated by how often they made plans to see one other. It began on the Thursday prior to break when I overheard students planning lunches, movies and sleepovers. Throughout break they got together in pairs and groups to see one other. Only at Cardin? Probably not. But, when potential families and students perceive the size of Cardin as a negative, this is a shining example of how it is not!
Happy 2011!

~Barbie Prince
Head of School

The Pythagorean Theorem

2010-12-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

The Geometry class has been working on problems involving the Pythagorean Theorem and the Distance Formula, which is derived from the Pythagorean Theorem. This right triangle relationship was named for Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician, who lived in the sixth century B.C. He founded a school for the study of philosophy, mathematics, and science. It is believed that an early proof of the Pythagorean Theorem came from this school. It is known that the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese were aware of this right triangle relationship before the time of Pythagoras.

Today, the Pythagorean Theorem is one of the most famous theorems in Geometry. More than 100 different proofs exist, including a proof discovered by future U.S. President Garfield in 1876.

~Michelle Greenbaum
Math Instructor

Completing the Square

2010-12-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

All over America, Algebra II and Precalculus students are learning how to complete the square.

Completing the square is an algebraic trick we use to solve quadratic equations. Consider this one:

It can't be factored or solved on sight. What to do? We realize that looks an awful lot like . Thus, we add to both sides of our original equation to get

The rest of the solution is as easy as square rooting both sides and doing some minor simplifications.

Ta-da!

Although gajillions of methods have been used to solve quadratics throughout history, completing the square is the one most commonly used in American high schools to derive important results such as the quadratic formula.

Now watch me use it to demonstrate that :

What went wrong? The first five people to let me know at tbryant@shoshanascardin.org will be mentioned in my next post.

~Todd Bryant
Mathematics Instructor

Entering This Shabbat With Repentance On My Mind

2010-12-17T08:23:00.000-05:00

On the Hebrew calendar, today is the 10th of Tevet, a minor fast day, lasting only from sunrise to sunset.

Today, we enter Shabbat fasting, to commemorate that on this day, the King of Babylonia laid siege to Jerusalem and beleaguered it till its final conquest.

According to the rabbis, the essential significance of a fast day is not primarily to evoke grief and mourning, rather the aim is to awaken our hearts toward repentance.

And it struck me, that Shabbat provides a good model for thinking about repentance. So, as we begin to daven Kabbalat Shabbat, and the 10th of Tevet draws to a close, let us consider the three main ideas in the experience of Shabbat: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption.

These ideas which we are supposed to open ourselves to on Shabbat, can also instruct us on repentance, as the 10th of Tevet is supposed to do.

The theme of the Biblical passage quoted in the Friday night service points to creation:
“The heavens and the earth, and all they contain, were completed. On the 7th day…God ceased from all God’s work of creation.”

Shabbat asks us to cease from activity in order to complete creation. As Shabbat asks us to contemplate the beauty of creation, repentance asks us to contemplate our behavior.

The theme of the Shabbat morning service deals with revelation: “May Moses rejoice in the gift of Torah He received.”

For Shabbat, revelation is the discovery of the meaning and beauty of creation. It turns us toward the Torah to bring us closer to God and to one another. For when we know the meaning of things, we come closer to being in the image of God, especially in our actions toward other people. In repentance, we also need revelation, to discover the meaning and morality of what we have done, and how we can do better.

The Shabbat afternoon service pronounces redemption: “You are One and Your Name is One.”

After opening ourselves to creation and revelation, we let go of the old week and prepare for the new challenges of the work-week. We become refreshed and renewed. In repentance, we also let go, forgive ourselves and take action to repair what we have done.

As we travel through these three stages – creation, revelation, and redemption – on Shabbat and in repentance, we become new, we are given a second chance, ready to start the new week, with a strengthened spirit and extra-soul.

~Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaic Studies

College Applications

2010-12-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again; the time when high school seniors rush home to frantically check their mailboxes for decisions from their priority and early applications. The Cardin students have experienced great success with applications so far this year. Even at this early stage in the year, there are already a few seniors who know exactly where they will be attending college next year.

It is important to remember that this is a very personal process. Every student is different and it’s crucial to be sensitive to each child’s experiences. There is no perfect formula for college admissions and disappointment is a natural emotion in this process. As a supportive community, we should not put more pressure on students by asking them about their impending college decisions. By May 1, everyone will have a place to go. The process always works itself through and it’s important to remember that every child is unique. There are over 3,000 colleges in the United States and students may take their own path to get where they want to go.

Cardin students thrive wherever they go. I am happy to share the news that Julia Minor ’07 will be the first Cardin graduate to obtain a college diploma. Julia will be graduating from the University of Pittsburgh this weekend with a double major in Political Science and Religious Studies and a minor in Public Service. Mazel tov to Julia and her family!

~Hallie M. Schein
Director of College Counseling

Cardin Athletics, What's Important?

2010-12-14T08:50:00.000-05:00

As I started to write for this blog, I asked myself that one simple question, “What is important to our community in regards to Cardin athletics?”

So, what is important? Is it the wins? Is it the popularity? Is it pride? Is it the sportsmanship? Is it the character-building opportunities? Is it the effect it has on admissions?

Honestly, the list could go on and on, but the truth is, that it’s all of the above. Cardin prides itself on a value system focused around sportsmanship and healthy competition. I am reminded of this every time I watch one of our sporting events, but was most recently reminded of it during our AIMS visit this past week. Going over our program with the AIMS committee, I realized just how important our athletics program has been, currently is, and will continue to be to our school. To summarize what our athletics program is all about I’ll quote an excerpt from our website:

"Athletics is an integral part of the total education process at The Shoshana S. Cardin School. Our competitive team sports program focuses on mastering sports skills while encouraging physical fitness, teamwork, leadership, discipline, loyalty, and a sense of healthy competition. In addition, Cardin Athletics provides an occasion for a shared experience with all members of the school community, building school spirit and unity."

Now, reading that and then going out and watching one of our basketball games, everything starts making sense. With the support of our community, the leadership and determination of our coaches/teachers, and the drive and willingness to learn of our students, our athletics program becomes important in all aspects of our school.

So, what is important?

Is it the wins? Of course it is!! We are a competitive high school program!!

Is it the popularity? Of course it is!! There are few things in life which serve such a positive purpose in a high school student’s life, while also being the “popular” thing to do.

Is it the pride? Of course it is!! We have high school students competing and pushing themselves to their physical breaking points. Pride is a necessity to sustain the ups and downs of athletics.

Is it the sportsmanship? Of course it is!! Our students and coaches know that they are representing Cardin and that a strong value of our school is Derech Eretz. So at all times we must consider how we are conducting ourselves with propriety and respect in relationship to others.

Is it the character-building opportunities? Again, of course it is!! Leadership, discipline, hard work, perseverance, accountability, and this list never stops.

Is it admissions? Yes, and this is probably the one area where people are affected and nobody ever knows it. Athletics is one of the driving forces behind a student's decision about where to apply. Even if a student never plans on playing a sport, knowing that the opportunity to be proud of his or her school due to athletics plays an important role in that student’s decision. How we look, how we act, and how we play directly affects the greater community’s perspective of our school. When we have a full gym of excited fans and we have a team that looks and acts like they want to go compete, we are selling our school.

Our school is an integrated machine and every aspect of every department plays a vital role in the life of our school. Our students work extremely hard in the classroom and after a more than 8 hours of academics, a large percentage of these students dedicate another 2-3 hours to our school through participation in athletics. It’s obvious that athletics at our school is important for numerous reasons, and due to the hard work and dedication of our students we are able to have a strong athletics program.

So come out and support our students as they make it possible for Cardin to shine outside of the classroom. See firsthand just how well our students represent our school and how important it is that we continue to support and encourage them. The next home games are Thursday, December 16 with the girls playing Key School at 4pm and the boys playing Waldorf at 5:30pm. All home games are at the Park Heights JCC.

Special thanks to the seniors on our basketball teams: Hadassah Emuna, Shira Glushakow-Smith, Ally Richmond, Beth Zaleon, Joey Danick, Alex Verovsky, Steven Verovsky, and Rubin Waranch. Also, thanks to the senior managers, Daniel Solomon and Zevi Lowenberg.

~Foye Minton
Athletic Director and Dean of Students

Celebrating Rosh Hodesh

2010-12-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hanukkah is the holiday of lights and heroes. It is quite appropriate to talk about our heroines on a day traditionally dedicated to women – Rosh Hodesh. To celebrate it we remembered and learned about over thirty great Jewish women, who are a source of inspiration to us today.

Among them were some well-known names, like Henrietta Szold, Hannah Arendt, Sarah Bernhard or Emma Goldman. There were also women famous in their fields: science, medicine, physics or astronomy, like Helen Brooke Taussig, Hertha Ayrton or Fay Ajzenberg. We learned about a big number of social activists and politicians, like Shulamit Aloni, Rosa Luxemburg, Bella Abzug and Ernestine Rose, among others. We learned about women passionate about art, like Molly Picon, Annie Leibowitz or Nelly Leonie Sachs.

Among them we encountered an illiterate Israeli immigrant fighting for the right to education and the advancement of women, partisans giving up their lives for others, scientists struggling with sexism and anti-Semitism, doctors saving lives under dire circumstances, activists fighting for equality and workers’ rights, educators, actresses, physicists, writers, politicians, mothers, daughters… heroines.

Our students noticed a lot of common traits among them: they were dedicated, strong, involved, winsome, independent, wise, tenacious, perseverant, creative, accepting, influential, and full of determination and passion.

We asked the students to imagine what the message would be from the heroines to us today. Here is some of what they said:

“Fight for truth.”
“Make a difference.”
“Work with others who share your vision.”
“Let us grow stronger each day.”
“Always do what you can to help.”
“Sometimes you have to break the rules.”
“Be passionate.”
“Fight for equality and justice.”
“Women can do anything if they try.”
“Don’t let your gender limit you.”
“Don’t shy away from your passions and helping others express theirs.”
“You can’t stop women from talking.” and
“Stay true to your religion, culture and education.”

May these words inspire all of us!

~Rochel Joanna Czopnik

Judaic Studies Instructor

History

2010-12-07T16:14:00.000-05:00

Helping students grasp the importance of world events that occurred in the past.

Inspiring students to learn about their past and find their academic passion for the future.

Sharing our thoughts and opinions regarding why and how events occurred.

Trust in this generation to lead our world to peace.

Objectively analyzing events and interpreting their influence on today.

Re-examining long-held notions through fun projects and learning experiences.

Yesterday’s events, today’s understanding, tomorrow’s successes.

~Amy Fink ~Ari Isaacs
History Instructor Class of 2011

Chanakah Lights

2010-12-04T17:59:00.000-05:00

Repeat after me…peer-sue-may knee-sah. Nice job!

Pirsumei nisa are two Aramaic words which mean “publicizing the miracle.” That’s the phrase the Rabbis used to explain why we light the Chanukiya at the doorways or on the windowsills in our homes – to publicize the story of Chanukah to passersby. It’s a concept uniquely associated with Chanukah.

It’s interesting that we place the Chanukah lights on the windowsill and go out of our way to draw the attention of people to what’s going on inside our homes. Many of us are probably uncomfortable with the idea of people peering into our homes on a regular basis, but for Chanukah, that’s exactly what we encourage.

In the original Temple, the Beit Hamikdash, there were strategically placed windows. The Yalkut Shimoni, a collection of midrashic commentary on the Torah, tells us something interesting about those Temple windows. He says that while castle windows might be narrow on the outside and widen towards the inside, the Temple windows were just the opposite. They were narrow on the inside and widened towards the outside. The purpose he explained was to demonstrate architecturally that the Temple was a source of light for the community and perhaps even the world. The energy and spirit of the Temple was launched into the world through windows specially designed to amplify and disperse the energy. It so happened, that one of those windows was opposite the menorah, the 6 branched candelabra that was kindled each night by the High Priest. The menorah in the Temple was its eternal light and that light was a beacon to be projected and shared with those outside the Temple.

While our chanukiya is really not the same as the Temple Menorah, the idea that we light it at the window for all to see is strikingly similar. Our homes, ideally, are mini Temples and the love and warmth and values that begin there and are (hopefully) displayed there should be shared with those who might be looking in.

Here at the Cardin School, we try to remember that our windows are wide on the outside and we endeavor to share the light of Torah, the light of community and the light of authentic Jewish values with all who might choose to look in.

Chag Urim Sameach.

May we all have a joyful and light filled Chanukah!

~Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky

Judaics Faculty

Love For Reading

2010-12-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes English teachers get upset if our students don’t seem to love reading as much as we do. In the days when some of us grew up, books were frequently the main source of entertainment: we escaped to the lands of Oz and Tolkien’s Middle Earth, traveled to Treasure Island, and visited Ann Radcliffe’s gothic castles or Jane Austen’s drawing rooms.

One of the explanations for a decline in reading books is that today’s students have more entertainment options than we did at their age. Video games, digital music players, and DVD rentals, for example, offer far more choices to fill up the precious, elusive leisure time that could also be spent curled up with a good book. The most recently cited “culprit” for stealing reading time is the Internet, particularly the social network sites…

But instead of being a grumbly old teacher who complains about “kids these days,” I prefer to look at things from a more positive perspective:

Maybe students aren’t reading as many full-length novels—but whenever they’re on a computer, they’re likely still doing some reading. The Internet could be considered the world’s biggest book (and one that changes by the second!).

As part of my teaching job, I get to make students read GREAT classic stories they might not otherwise read on their own time. I wonder if I should assign another, really big book…

I could give extra credit points to any students who actually finish reading the entire Internet… Good luck!

~Dr. Norman Prentiss

English Department Chair

Gratitude and BLEWS

2010-12-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

I had such an enjoyable Thanksgiving and feel especially grateful at this time of year. As always, my holiday began with a fun road race called the Turkey Trot. It’s such a great community event and I always feel ready to eat my heart out after running that 5k!! I was then off to Allentown to spend the weekend with my entire family – three sisters and brother in laws, 11 nieces and nephews, and one very proud mom. We cook, shop, sing, and laugh for four days straight. Coming back to work on Monday, I felt recharged and enthusiastic about being in such a warm and cohesive environment.

As luck would have it, last night this feeling of gratitude continued when I had the opportunity to attend the BLEWS, The Black-Jewish Forum of Baltimore’s Annual Dinner Meeting. They honored State Senator Delores Kelley and Councilwoman Rikki Spector for their exemplary public service and contributions to interracial understanding and cooperation. It was exciting to be sitting along side other attendees such as Councilman Cark Stokes, Bernie Berkowitz, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. It was humbling to hear about the continuing efforts of the BLEWS members, and the honorees in particular, toward advancing social and economic justice for all. I have a great appreciation and a whole lot of gratitude for these leaders who don’t just walk and talk the "walk and talk". They do what it takes to inspire those around them to make the changes necessary to advance Baltimore.

~Jackie Villet
School Counselor

AP Physics Students Make Hovercrafts

2010-11-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

In our AP Physics class, we were tasked with the assignment to construct a small hovercraft capable of going across a classroom on its own. We could only use computer fans and motors to keep the vehicle hovering. The hovercraft needed to go straight while hovering, and had to be able to race with the hovercrafts of the rest of the class. My hovercraft had a large Styrofoam [piece], while others used a garbage bag for a skirt in order to allow it to hover. One of the biggest problems that we all encountered in the building process was finding a way to cancel out the rotational inertia of the fan that was allowing our projects to hover. The fan would make the hovercraft spin around and it was hard to make it go in one direction. Some people in the class used two fans at the end to push it, or angled [their] back fan to cancel out the central fan, while others used a motor and a regular fan to push it. In the end, Steven Verovsky’s hovercraft narrowly beat out Mr. Whitfield’s fan to win the AP Physics championship. Naturally, my fan broke before the race and one of Alex Verovsky’s fans blew out after one race.

The Race Participants

(Mr. Whitfield, Alex Verovsky, Daniel Solomon, Steven Verovsky)

~Daniel Solomon

Class of 2011

Sustainability

2010-11-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy time with our family and friends we often focus on abundance. This time of year we enjoy plentiful food as we indulge in the holiday feasts. This is usually not the time of year we focus on preserving natural resources and living sustainably (using renewable resources).

Cardin’s biology classes have just finished learning about ecology and conservation. We reflected on the resources we use at school and in our homes by taking the carbon footprint quiz (www.myfootprint.org). Many of the students found this to be eye-opening. We compared the amount of resources we as Americans use to the resource consumption of other nations.

Together, the students brainstormed some ideas about how we can conserve resources. Some suggestions include:

• Reducing water consumption by doing full loads of laundry or taking shorter showers
• Using energy saving appliances
• Strive for a waste-free lunch (pack only reusable containers)
• Unplugging devices you’re not using (chargers that are plugged in still use energy)
• Eating locally grown food
• Eating seasonally available food
• Carpooling or taking public transportation or even walk (it’s also a healthy option)
• Consider buying a hybrid vehicle or more fuel efficient car
• Encourage your politicians to pass environmentally-friendly legislation

We hope you will find some of these friendly reminders helpful as you celebrate the holiday season.

~Ms. Alexandra Sloane
Science Instructor

A Day of Interaction, Understanding, and Cooperation

2010-11-18T14:45:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, November 17, the 9th, 10th, and 11th graders joined 35 students from the St. Frances Academy, a Catholic school, in sharing an experience at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. The purpose of our trip was for both groups to gain greater insights as to the commonality that both faiths share. Small groups were formed, comprised of members of both schools, and students went on an information scavenger hunt learning from an exhibit that details Jewish influences, relationships, and policies of Pope John Paul II.

The second aspect of the field trip was exploring the Lloyd Street Synagogue to learn about it’s transformation from a Catholic church to a synagogue. Students from both schools participated in a show and tell that described religious ritual artifacts from both faiths, and compared and contrasted their function. Common ground was established and understood by participating members.

The experience accomplished all of its goals, and it was a joy to observe students from both schools interacting, discussing the information from the exhibit, and enjoying the experience together. Cooperation and understanding was the theme for the day.

~Robert Cantor
Social Studies Chair

Fear Not the "B" Word

2010-11-16T13:42:00.000-05:00

“How to Save on (Nearly) Everything,” “60 Tricks for Enjoying Life on Less,” “Save $1000 this Month,” “142 Ways to Save Time and Money,” “12 Sneaky Ways You Can Save $5,000” – seems as though every magazine cover these days promotes an article on how you can save money. Interestingly, the word “budget” is very rarely used in these headlines. Just like the word “diet,” the term “budget” has been perceived as a negative tool in the battle to manage your money. Over the past two weeks the Personal Finance class has been learning not to fear the B-word. We’ve discussed how taking the time and energy to discover where your money has gone and plan for where it will go helps you meet your goals. Those goals may be short-term, such as being able to buy prom tickets, or long-term, such as being able to go to college or buy a car. It takes planning to reach goals.

The students practiced preparing a personal budget in class as we played our own game of life. Each student received an “Income Card” disclosing their annual salary and monthly net pay. They were also dealt a random “Expense Card” with details of their fixed and variable expenses – car payment, rent, gas, food, and entertainment. Every card also required the student to record an expense of “savings” at 10% of their net pay each month. Then, as they calculated whether they needed to cut back on expenses or had money to allocate as they wished each month, I distributed two more “Surprise Cards” representing how reality sometimes forces us to make adjustments to our plans.

As we summarized the experience of making a spending plan, the students understood that budgets offer flexibility and the freedom for them to take control over their money. Hopefully, that lesson will remain with them for many years to come.

~Jan Schein
CFO, Personal Finance Instructor

Hebrew

2010-11-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

בכיתת המתחילים למדנו שיר על ה"שלום" כל תלמיד נתבקש לצייר את בול השלום האישי שלו. התלמידים ציירו בולים ססגוניים בצבעי הקשת ואמרו שכך הם היו רוצים לראות את העולם. שכל הארצות יפסיקו להילחם ויחיו בשלום זה עם זה.

סידני: " אני רוצה שהילדים (יהיו) שמחים"

גויי: "אני רוצה שלום בין לבנים ושחורים... בכל העולם"

טובי: " אני רוצה שלום בכל השפות..." הוא כתב שלום בעברית, באנגלית ובערבית.

בן: כתב את הרעיון שלו בסמלים של שלום ואהבה. "לא למלחמות, כן לשלום"

השבוע ביקרה אותנו המדריכה מנטע, התלמידים היו נהדרים, השתתפו יפה בכיתות והעמידו את בית הספר שלנו באור חיובי מאוד.

כל הכבוד לכל התלמידים בקרדין יישר כוח!

~Morah Zohara Chaban
Hebrew Instructor

Cultural Literacy

2010-11-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year: the week I show the great classic (and possibly the finest movie ever made), Citizen Kane, to the seniors as part of Senior Seminar. We’ll finish watching it today and then spend tomorrow discussing it – everything from the plotline and symbolism to the directorial choices and camera angles. It’s a great, great movie, and part of the “cultural literacy” that’s so important to have. Friday my seniors and I will be listening to music – we’ll explore the differences between Classical / Romantic music and the beginning of the moderns – like Stravinsky and Gershwin. We’ll probably touch on jazz and the beginnings of rock ‘n’ roll. In my freshman class, now that they have spent time studying the story of the Iliad and several books from the Odyssey, we’re enjoying a movie of the Odyssey produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Next week the freshmen and I will invite our art teacher into our classroom so we can make shields in the manner of the great ancient Greek hero, Achilles. And of course this weekend starts the auditioning process for the play….there’s always something exciting going on here at Cardin!

~Leslie Smith Rosen

Dean of General Studies

Cardin Scholars Program

2010-11-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

Details of the new Cardin Scholars Program were revealed at our Open House on October 31st. For those unable to attend the Open House here is a description of the program:

The Shoshana S. Cardin School is a co-educational college-preparatory school for grades 9 through 12 that pursues the rigorous integration of Judaic and general studies and achieves excellence in both. Guided and informed by Torah, the School transcends denominational affiliations. As members of a pluralistic school, students and faculty who vary in philosophy, theology, and ritual expression participate fully in an environment that fosters respect, acknowledges differences, and encourages growth. The School’s dynamic learning community inspires its graduates to engage in life-long learning, to fulfill their responsibilities as Americans, and to be committed members of the Jewish people.

The Shoshana S. Cardin Scholars Program recognizes highly motivated students who exemplify the mission of the School and who demonstrate a desire to learn, talent in a particular discipline, leadership potential, and commitment to activities beyond the classroom.

Cardin Scholars will work with a specialist in their discipline throughout their four years at Cardin, and will meet several times throughout the year for additional enrichment opportunities.

Up to ten incoming students for the class of 2015 will be granted scholarship awards of up to 80% of tuition for four (4) years, to be applied against school tuition upon enrollment in 2011-2012. Scholarship recipients are also eligible to receive financial aid in accordance with the tuition assistance criteria.

Disciplines
Athletics
Community Service
Hebrew Language
Judaic Studies
Leadership
Literary Arts
Math
Performing Arts
Science
Visual Arts

Eligibility and Application Process

All interested students are invited to apply to Cardin in order to be considered for these highly valued awards. To further promote opportunities at Cardin, the school will encourage rabbis, community leaders, and school administrators to nominate qualified students. Family members of current employees or Board members are not eligible to apply.

Only students who have submitted a completed application to enroll in ninth grade may compete to be a Cardin Scholar. Additional documentation to complete will be detailed on the Cardin Scholarship form. Forms will be available by December 1, 2010. The deadline to submit material to be considered for a scholarship is January 28, 2011.

For more information about the Cardin Scholars Program, please contact Anne Tanhoff Greenspoon, Director of Admission at 410.585.1400, ext. 207 or agreenspoon@shoshanascardin.org .

Found Poetry

2010-11-05T10:17:00.000-04:00

Pirke Avot teaches us that in order to know where we are going, we need to know from where we came.

Today concluded a very special week with artist-in-residence Betty McIntire. Our 9th and 12th grade students re-read their Bar and Bat mitzvah Torah readings in order to see how they connect NOW to their portions. Betty led several workshops in which she instructed them on how to make found poetry collages. Using the words of their Torah portions, each student made a collage. They turned out amazing and to be poignant reminders and arrows pointing to the people they have become.

My Torah portion was and still is Lech Lecha. Abraham has always been somewhat of a mentor to me. He speaks to me, as a visionary, as living in the present with a dream of the future; as someone who had a dream of the future and held on to it despite the many obstacles that seemed to make the dream impossible.

Here is my found poetry:

Be A Blessing
And you shall receive a great reward - An exceedingly heavy burden
Exceedingly
Exceedingly
Many
In peace
At a ripe old age

May we be granted the vision of Abraham to always see beyond the reality of the present, seeing the blessings of future multitudes in each and every Jew.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaics

Spanish

2010-11-04T15:40:00.000-04:00

Much of this semester has been spent on the students and I getting to know one another. Classes have had to adjust to a few changes in schedule and placement. Through this process students are learning how to be flexible and adapt.

An important part of learning a language is learning about the culture. In a Spanish IV unit on identity, ¿Quién soy en realidad?, we analyzed some prints of the well-known Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. I chose this artist due to the myriad aspects of her own identity that she expressed in her art. Frida's cultural identity (Jewish father and indigenous Mexican mother), her physical ailments, and her infertility were all vividly portrayed in her art.

Spanish II and III students shared some Pan de Muertos, a sweet bread eaten on the Day of the Dead, November 2nd. We discussed the symbolism of this day, how it is celebrated in different states in Mexico, and even worked on simple tissue paper flowers and “papel, picado”, ornaments.

~Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor

Understanding Adolescence

2010-11-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I had the great opportunity to attend the AIMS Conference with thousands of educators from all over Maryland. I chose two incredible workshops that supported my growing knowledge on what makes adolescents tick. The first seminar was titled, “The Adolescent Brain: Open during Reconstruction.” Did you know that the adolescent brain is not the same size as an adult brain, and that it isn’t fully developed until early adulthood (around age 25)? Interestingly, the frontal lobes are the last to mature and those areas control decision making, planning ahead, impulses, higher-ordered thinking, and reasoning. It’s no wonder that these teenagers we work and live with can’t operate the way we can.

The second workshop, “Understanding and Working with the Challenges of Adolescence” provided superb insight and understanding into the different “selves” of adolescence, which include physical, emotional, thinking, academic, social, and spiritual selves. An interesting note, among many that I took away from this training, was that on the adolescent journey, teenagers attempt to form an identity, increasing their risk-taking behaviors. Risk-taking can be appropriate, such as pushing oneself to join a sports team or register for an upper-level class and it’s up to the adults around them to encourage these kinds of challenges.

I could go on all day about the information that was presented and I’d be happy to. Please contact me at jvillet@shoshanascardin.org if you’d like to continue the conversation.

~Jackie Villet
School Counselor

Is Slavery Acceptable from a Jewish Perspective?

2010-11-02T15:46:00.000-04:00

This is a question that my 9th grade students discussed in a class the other day. Most of them agreed that oppression is not compatible with Torah teachings. Yet, we learned that there were Southern Jews who did own slaves. How could they justify their behavior?

Our tradition emphasizes obligations toward our fellow human beings. From the prohibition against oppressing a stranger and the commandment to pay the worker a just wage on time, through prophetic calls against social injustice to the great cry to never forget our own experience in Egypt, these should teach us empathy and solidarity with all the underprivileged and oppressed of the world. The Talmud even tells us that if we see evil happening and we are able to do something, but choose to do nothing, we are as accountable as the evil doer (Shabbat 54b).

Our tradition also tells us dina d’malchuta dina, “the law of the land is the law”: we are obligated to follow and obey secular laws established in the state we made our home (Baba Kama 113b). Most of the time, this rule is not an issue. I understand why taxes and traffic rules are necessary. But it may become an issue if the laws clash with Torah teachings.

If we live under laws we find morally wrong we have a choice. We can either stand up, or we can do nothing, justifying our decision with the rule “dina d’malchuta dina”. That was the decision made by many of the Southern Jews in Antebellum America. They owned slaves and some participated in slave trade. Did they struggle with their decision? Or was it a no-brainer? My students made a great comment – in order to react to an evil act one needs first recognize it as such. It requires sensitivity to the suffering of others, courage and independent thinking. It takes selflessness and a set of priorities where the dignity of the other is placed high on top.

We know also about numerous Jews who chose the first option – to protest unethical laws through peaceful acts of civil disobedience, joining organizations supporting abused workers, or empowering underprivileged minorities.

Each of us has a chance to interpret our tradition in a personal way. Each of us has a choice.

~Rochel Czopnik
Judaics Instructor

Debate: Should Nora have left?

2010-10-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”

Joseph Joubert

At the end of A Doll's House, the protagonist, Nora Helmer, has to make a decision: Stay at home with her controlling, ego-driven husband, or to leave, setting a new paradigm for women. If she leaves, her 3 children will be raised without a mother. Torvald's treatment of Nora until this point in the play leaves much room for empathy; and indeed, most readers accept her decision to leave as a natural consequence of his treatment. But, upon further examination, Nora's decision is complicated: Just like her friend, Christine, Nora will risk social depravation without a husband. So, having set up the premises, my 10th graders engaged in an important debate: Was Nora right to abandon her husband and kids at the end of the play?

The 2 sides, affirmative and negative, spent time preparing their cases, crafting arguments around Nora and Torvald's relationship with a focus on societal expectations. The debate, just like the conclusion of the play, gave the audience a window into Nora's difficult decision. Below I will chronicle some highlights from the debate:

1st Affirmative (Nora was correct in abandoning her husband and children): The 1st affirmative came out strong with arguments that Nora could not develop as a person if she stayed with Torvald. This, they argued, was a basic human right that he had denied to her. They followed up this argument with a discussion about Nora’s inability to parent her children in her current condition — here they argued, that she was incapable of being a mother-figure for them.

1st Negative: (Nora was incorrect in abandoning her husband and children): The 1st negative came back strong: They argued that given the societal expectations placed on Torvald (and the family), should Nora leave, he would have his reputation damaged. Further, they argued, Nora chose to forge the signature on the document — whether or not it was necessary — and therefore Torvald had a right to get upset at her. They concluded with remarks about Nora’s sense of selfishness driving her decision to leave.

After both sides had the opportunity to ask questions, the debate moved into closing remarks. Here, students again emphasized their main points: The affirmative discussed Nora’s right to pursue her own life, free from Torvald; the negative reworked their argument about Nora’s dishonesty through the play.

Most impressive of all — though there were many impressive aspects— was the spirit in the debate; students presenting cogent, thoughtful arguments and engaging in the great intellectual tradition of debate. Students respectfully listened and responded to arguments from the other side, acknowledging the legitimacy of the points, but using sources from the text to refute them.

As election season wraps up, I am reminded of the importance of civil discourse, whereby disagreeing sides can come together — not to coalesce about their similarities — but instead to share in the ancient art of debate; a tradition that my 10th grade students engaged in this last week.

~Joel Neft
English Instructor

AP Latin

2010-10-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

Even though I love teaching Vergil’s Aenied, I do have one major complaint with the AP approved course syllabus. While the curriculum does suggest that students have some familiarity with the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, it tends to use these texts to establish the epic tradition in which Vergil is writing and then simply to place them as mere background information for the Aeneid. In other words, knowing the basic elements essential to epic poetry and learning a few characters and events, for the purposes of the AP exam, can replace the reading of the Homer, which it absolutely cannot. This is not to say that one can’t read and enjoy the Aeneid independently from its predecessors. Quite to the contrary, it is a beautifully written work with well developed characters and exciting narrative. Nevertheless, Vergil was writing for an audience that had grown-up with, and had been educated by, the Homeric epics. Therefore they knew these poems inside and out. It was this intimate knowledge of the Iliad and the Odyssey, on which Vergil would rely when he would virtually transpose Greek passages from these epics into his Latin text, but with a twist on character, circumstance or context. What might strike a modern reader as copy write infringement was an ancient poet’s way of shouting out to his audience, telling them to compare his text to those that came before, and to use theses intra-textual connections to enhance the meaning of his work.

In AP Latin we recently worked with dialogue between Juno and Aeolus, king of the winds. In the conversation, Juno, the queen of the gods, approaches Aeolus, a lesser god, and asks for a favor - that he release the winds to create a storm on the sea that will destroy Aeneas and the Trojan fleet. We looked at the structure and language of Juno’s speech, which begins with flattery, slides in the “ask” and then finishes with a bribe - a beautiful nymph as a new bride for Aeolus. Juno’s supplicating demeanor and the bribe, in particular, strike not only the reader, but even Aeolus as little odd and unnecessary. In fact, Aeolus basically responds, “you don’t have to do anything for me. I have to carry out whatever you order,” and proceeds to unleash the fury of the winds. Yet this scene is not so awkward, when viewed along side a scene from Book XV of the Iliad, in which the god of sleep, Hypnos, refuses Hera’s (the Greek Juno) request to put Zeus to sleep while the other gods rejoin the fighting in the Trojan War. Fearing Zeus’ reprisal, Hypnos rebuffs Hera, until he realizes that she has something he wants - one of the graces as his wife. When Hera agrees to this quid pro quo arrangement, Hypnos, puts Zeus to sleep. Regardless of whether Juno in the Aeneid really feels that she has to take this deferential tone with Aeolus or whether she just wants to cut to the chase, skip the ensuing negation similar to the one she had in past (the Iliad) and thus hurry the Trojan destruction; Aeolus does not react as she expects and she only expects a particular reaction because of the scene in the Iliad. In fact, it is not clear if Aeolus ever takes her up on her offer. He simply obeys.

~Maureen Beabout
Latin Instructor

Pluralism in Action

2010-10-22T10:24:00.000-04:00

As we were studying the first mishna in Berachot and came to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion that we may recite the evening shema “when the kohanim enter the Temple to eat their teruma”, the hands shot up in the air. “We looked at the commentary”, the students said, “and we see that Rabbi Eliezer means that we can say the shema at nightfall, when it’s dark, because that is when the kohanim could eat their terumah food.” I congratulated them on figuring that out. They continued, “but if he meant nightfall, why didn’t Rabbi Eliezer just say that? Why the reference to the destroyed Temple and to no longer viable kohanim and teruma foods?"

“Excellent question,” I said.

Just then Rabbi Seltzer walked into the room…and a magical moment of pluralistic Torah learning began.

I, an Orthodox rabbi, answered the students’ question by pointing out that the Rabbis of the Mishna would constantly refer to the Temple and the rituals performed there not only to remind the people of their glorious past but also to emphasize their unshakeable faith that the Temple would be rebuilt and the practices of old will once again resume.

Rabbi Seltzer, a Conservative rabbi on the other hand, offered that the Rabbis understood the realities that lay before them and grasped that Judaism was forever changed by the loss of the Temple. The reimagining of Judaism required radically new thinking that made reference to the past as a way to establish credibility and authenticity. Their view of the future did not necessarily encompass the old ways of the Temple.

Two rabbis…two opinions.

And then the students began offering their ideas and opinions about what the Rabbis might have been thinking. There was no shouting, no dissing, and no rolling of the eyes.

There was conversation and dialogue. There was respect, integrity and a sense of community.

There was Torah.

And there were smiles on the faces of two rabbis at the Cardin School.

~Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky
Judaics Instructor

Bully Prevention Awareness

2010-10-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

October is National Bully Prevention Month! Last week marked the kickoff of the counseling department’s Bully Prevention initiative. Mrs. Villet and Ms. Schein spoke to the students about the recent media attention on bullying. Bullying can be physical, verbal, and non-verbal. The students discussed the recent Rutgers tragedy and other teenager suicides as a result of bullying. As a community, we want to make sure no student ever feels that desperate or left out.

The 11th graders participated in a classroom activity with Ms. Schein where they learned about many different types of bullying and the effects on victims, bystanders, and bullies. The students made posters advocating against the different types of bullying. These posters are displayed in the modulars and are meant to teach other students about the different types of bullying and how to recognize and prevent these types of behaviors.

Throughout the month, Mrs. Villet and Ms. Schein will continue to work with students, faculty, and parents on increasing sensitivity and empathy and creating a school culture free of bullying. The Cardin students always show tremendous derech eretz and the counseling department is hopeful that Cardin students will continue to be role models for tolerance and acceptance throughout our community.

~Hallie M. Schein
Director of College Counseling

Making Rock Candy

2010-10-19T14:13:00.000-04:00

Given the time of year and all that candy in the aisles at your local grocery, the science department thought it might be nice to try and make your own candy at home.

Making rock candy is a lesson in supersaturated solutions, evaporation, crystalline structure, seeding, and deposition. Great vocabulary words for any budding scientist and all well worth the google search.

There are a number of recipes, but this is my favorite from “The Accidental Scientist, Science of Cooking” http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html

Gather:

• 4 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• a small saucepan
• a wooden spoon
• a candy thermometer
• a small, clean glass jar
• a measuring cup
• cotton string
• a weight to hang on the string (such as a screw or galvanized washer)
• waxed paper
• a pencil (to suspend the string in the jar)

Directions:

1. Heat the water in the saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.

2. Completely dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, stirring continuously with the wooden spoon until the solution grows clear and it reaches a rolling boil.

3. Remove the solution from the heat, and then carefully pour it into the jar. Cover the jar with a small piece of waxed paper.

4. Tie the weight to one end of the string, and then tie the other end to the middle of the pencil. The string should be about two-thirds as long as the jar is deep. Dip the string into the sugar solution, remove it, lay it on a piece of waxed paper, straighten it out, and let it dry for a few days.

5. Gently suspend the prepared string in the solution and let sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for several days. You can check each day to see how much your crystals have grown. It’s tempting, but don’t touch the jar until the experiment is finished—it usually takes about seven days.

6. At the end of the week, the crystals on your string should be clearly defined, with sharp right angles and smooth faces of various sizes. In the field of crystallography, these are called monoclinic crystals. Their shape is determined by the way the individual sugar molecules fit together, which is similar to the way the shape of a pile of oranges is determined by the shape of the individual oranges and the way they stack together.

Additions:

• Try adding food coloring or flavoring to your sugar syrup before making the rock candy.

~Dean Whitfield
Math and Science Chair

Cardin Athletics

2010-10-18T12:05:00.001-04:00

The fall sports teams are moving along well with cross country in meets nearly every week and the girls and boys soccer teams continuing their full schedule.

In cross country, Zevi Lowenberg leads the pack, placing in the top 5 in every meet this year. Close on his heels, Ze’ev Beleck is running well, clearing the top 10 in the conference on a consistent basis. All of the runners continue to dedicate hours of running each week preparing for what is for surely going to be an exciting Conference Championship on October 28 at the Jemicy School.

Prior to the beginning of the girls soccer season, the boys soccer team kicked off their season in a situation that was less than ideal. Going into their first game, the boys team had multiple injuries putting them in the position of having to play a man down, or even having to forfeit. Arielle Bodner of the girls soccer team offered to play for the boys simply so they could have enough players for a complete team. The exciting part of this story is that the boys ended up winning the game 3 to 1 and Arielle scored two of the goals. Since that game, the boys have recouped and now have a full squad, playing very competitive soccer both in and out of conference. The team is led by goalkeeper, Matt Danoff, and stopper, Alex Verovsky.

The girls soccer team have also dealt with a numbers issue. It’s been a tough season and the girls have played some really competitive soccer over the last few weeks, but just couldn’t find a way to get into the win column. Last week all of that changed. The team refocused its efforts on communication and all-out hustle. In doing so, they jumped out to an early lead against Cristo Rey and never looked back. The final score was 3 to 1, but the more impressive score is that all of Cardin’s goals were scored by different girls, none of which were the leading season scorer for the team, Arielle Bodner. Showing that type of teamwork and positioning says a lot about this team. Early in the game, 9th grader Jessica Miller took advantage of a crossed pass by Bodner to start the scoring. In the second half, more impressive passing and communication took place as Leah Prince, Ally Richmond, and Chelsea Connor (Waldorf) scored off passes from each other.

Overall, the fall sports teams are doing very well and continue to improve. Please come out and support our students as they represent Cardin on the athletic field.

You can see all of our schedules on www.highschoolsports.net. Keyword: Shoshana S. Cardin School

~Foye Minton, CAA
Dean of Students and Director of Athletics

Engaged in History

2010-10-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

9th and 11th graders have been actively engaged in some exciting history projects! We aim to achieve a deep understanding of the material and think beyond the text when exploring history.

This week in U.S. History, students are studying the American Revolution. For many years there has been a debate as to whether this was truly a revolutionary war or whether it was simply a war for independence. Though we have not come to a consensus as a class, the discussion was lively and fun! In addition to our discussion of how to classify this war, in two groups, we created journals from the perspectives of the British and the Colonists as they entered the war, and what they wanted out of it. They reflected on battles as though they themselves were fighting. It was amazing to watch students try and understand the perspectives of the people directly involved in the war.

While the eleventh graders were studying about the American Revolution, the 9th grade world civilizations courses began to study about Ancient Greece. We started with politics, culture, and geography, and we’re moving into literature and leadership. Students will be exploring the influence of Greece on our society today, and next week they will present PowerPoint presentations on people and events from Ancient Greece.

~Amy Fink
History Instructor

Oobleck

2010-10-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

This week, chemistry students are learning about the states of matter. We know that there are three states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas. However, what happens when something doesn’t fit nicely into one of those 3 options? To explore this, the students made oobleck, a substance that’s sort-of-a solid, but sort-of-a liquid too.

We tried out two recipes to see what would work better.

Recipe 1: 2 tsp water, 2 tbs glue, 2 tbs borax, and food coloring

Recipe 2: 1 cup water, 1 ½ cups cornstarch, and food coloring

As a class, we had lots of fun playing with the oobleck and learned that this is a “non Newtonian fluid” because it has variable viscosity. We then discussed the difference between compounds and mixtures and the differences between chemical change and physical change.

We will fondly remember playing with oobleck as we examine more properties of matter and change this year in chemistry!

~Alexandra Sloane
Science Instructor

A Hebrew Debate

2010-10-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

My Hebrew III-02 and III-01 class are learning about “youth movements” and about uniforms. When we finished learning the unit, in order to practice the vocabulary and the grammar we learned, I divided the students into two groups and they had debate for and against wearing uniforms at Cardin. Here are some of the ideas the students brought up in their debate:

Kate Scher:

"אני לא רוצה ללבוש תלבושת אחידה כי אני רוצה להיות מיוחדת. אם אני לובשת תלבושת אחידה, אני לא מרגישה מיוחדת. וגם, תלבושת אחידה היא סמל לעולם הישן! וילדים אוהבים ללבוש מה שהם רוצים ולא מה שההורים אומרים להם ללבוש."

Adina Golob:

"אני כן אוהבת תלבושת אחידה כי בבוקר אני עייפה מאוד ואני לא צריכה לחשוב מה אני לובשת... וגם כל הילדים לובשים אותו הדבר." "

Arielle Bodner:

" אני אוהבת תלבושת אחידה כי כל הילדים ניראים אותו הדבר וככה לא יודעים למי יש כסף ולמי אין כסף. וגם אם יש לנו תלבושת אחידה, הילדים לא חושבים על אופנה והם לומדים יותר טוב... " "

Avital Luny:

"אני לא רוצה ללבוש תלבושת אחידה כי אני אוהבת בגדים אופנתיים, האופנה יפה ואני רוצה ללבוש בגדים אופנתיים. " "

Yaakov Weinstein:

" בית ספר קרדין לא צריך תלבושת אחידה. הבגדים שהילדים לובשים עכשיו בסדר! אם כל הילדים לובשים חולצה לבנה ומכנסיים כחולים, זה משעמם מאוד! אם בית ספר קרדין רוצה תלבושת אחידה אז רק אחרי השנה הזאת..."

~Morah Zohara Chaban
Instructor of Hebrew

Connecting With An Audience

2010-10-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

Cardin had been abuzz about the recent publication of an essay by a current senior, Alex Hershon. Alex's essay, "A Kid and His Kindle," was published in The Reader, an internationally respected literary journal. We're all proud of Alex's accomplishment--writing the essay, submitting it, and getting it published where his words can be widely read.

That's one of the big points of writing, isn't it? When your work is published, your ideas and images and stories connect with an audience. Publication can take many forms, especially with today's technologies: in addition to print books and magazines/journals, there's eBooks (as Alex talks about in his essay), online magazines, and online blogs.

There's also an "old fashioned" way to share your work with people in your community: the high school literary magazine.

A school literary magazine's main goal is to offer young writers their first chance at publication. It provides a showcase for many different types of writing: fiction, poetry, essays. It offers a nice way for artists and photographers to share their creativity as well.

The Cardin literary magazine is currently open for submissions, and we're interested in seeing all varieties of creative work from students (and--dare I say it?--from faculty). Help your work connect with an audience--send the editors some of your creative work to be considered for publication in the school literary magazine!

Cardin had been abuzz about the recent publication of an essay by a current senior, Alex Hershon. Alex's essay, "A Kid and His Kindle," was published in The Reader, an internationally respected literary journal. We're all proud of Alex's accomplishment--writing the essay, submitting it, and getting it published where his words can be widely read.

That's one of the big points of writing, isn't it? When your work is published, your ideas and images and stories connect with an audience. Publication can take many forms, especially with today's technologies: in addition to print books and magazines/journals, there's eBooks (as Alex talks about in his essay), online magazines, and online blogs.

There's also an "old fashioned" way to share your work with people in your community: the high school literary magazine.

A school literary magazine's main goal is to offer young writers their first chance at publication. It provides a showcase for many different types of writing: fiction, poetry, essays. It offers a nice way for artists and photographers to share their creativity as well.

The Cardin literary magazine is currently open for submissions, and we're interested in seeing all varieties of creative work from students (and--dare I say it?--from faculty). Help your work connect with an audience--send the editors some of your creative work to be considered for publication in the school literary magazine!

~Dr. Norman Prentiss
English Department Chair

Personal Finance

2010-10-05T15:47:00.000-04:00

Wise money management skills do not come easy for many people. Most of us never received formal education in budgeting, saving, and spending. Thankfully, the 12th grade students in Personal Finance are being introduced to the basics of financial literacy. Many of the topics we cover are suggested by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), an independent nonprofit organization committed to educating Americans about personal finance and empowering them to make positive and sound decisions to reach financial goals.

Recently, NEFE commissioned a study examining impulse buying which showed that 80% percent of American adults say they’ve made impulse purchases in the past year. The NEFE survey found that 66 percent of adults who have made an impulse purchase this year say they later regretted that decision. Controlling our spending impulse is an important lesson to learn. Perhaps all of us would benefit from reviewing the following tips from NEFE.

~Jan Schein
CFO and Personal Finance Instructor

Take Control of Your Spending with These Tips:

• Prioritize. Before you head to the store, make a list and stick to it. You will avoid falling prey to enticing retailer displays and coming home with all sorts of stuff you don’t need.

• Return. If you end up buying something you don’t need, return it immediately. If you feel that you are unable to return to the “scene of the crime” without either spending more or exchanging for a lower-priced item, ask a spouse or friend to run the errand for you.

• Save receipts. Keep all receipts in a designated pocket of your purse or checkbook for easy recovery.

• Keep the tags on. Resist the urge to rip off the tag on an item after you buy it. It could have a defect you don’t see in the store, or you could decide you don’t like it the next day.

• Be patient. While shopping, if you see something you like, leave the store for 30 minutes. You might find you don’t want the item as much as you thought.

• Use cash. Leave your credit cards at home, and shop with cash. That way you know you won’t have enough money to buy extra stuff, even if you are tempted.

• Find a buddy. Shop with a trusted friend or relative who will tell you “no” if you feel the urge to spend needlessly.

• Avoid retail therapy. If you have had a bad day, the last thing you should do is go shopping. Find another activity, such as exercise, to make you feel better.

Math

2010-09-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

The Algebra and Geometry classes are off to a strong start this year. Algebra 1 students begin the year by learning about expressions and simplifying numerical and algebraic expressions using number properties. They review the use of exponents, solve simple equations, and solve word problems by translating English phrases into algebraic expressions. Soon, students will begin to use logical arguments and justify steps in solving equations.

Algebra 2 students begin the year by reviewing sets of real numbers and real number operations and properties. They write and solve equations in order to solve word problems. Students review exponential and scientific notation, and use properties to justify algebraic statements. In addition, the standard class will study analyzing and displaying data using frequency distributions and histograms.

Geometry students are introduced to the basic elements of geometry: points, lines, planes, segments, rays, and angles. Students learn the difference between a definition, a postulate and a theorem. They are also introduced to reasoning skills which they will use throughout the course. Students begin with inductive reasoning (making predictions and conjectures based on patterns they observe). This type of reasoning will lead them to a study of deductive reasoning (proving conjectures using a logical argument) in subsequent chapters of the textbook.

I am pleased with the progress students have made so far. I am looking forward to the rest of the school year.

~Michelle Greenbaum

Transitions

2010-09-27T11:52:00.000-04:00

Transitions are difficult. We have high expectations for our teens to be able to transition well. At this time of year, we expect students to have made the transition from waking up at their leisure during the summer to waking up early for the school day. We expect them to be able to transition from class to class, on time and with all supplies. And as we wind down the fall chaggim season, we expect them to transition from 2 or 3-day school weeks to 5-day school weeks.

As I observe our Cardin students, I see that they easily live up to our expectations. They come to school cheerful – if sleepy – with smiles on their faces, ready to start each new day. While they had fantastic summers, on USY on Wheels, at camp, working, or just hanging around, Cardin students are prepared and excited to learn this school year. I’m excited, too – my before-school excitement jitters start over again each week as it feels as if we are transitioning anew after each chag – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and later this week, Simchat Torah. I enjoy the holidays, spending time with my family and time alone contemplating what 5771 will hold and what 5770 did hold, but I also enjoy Cardin and look forward to really beginning the rigorous academic school year next week.

~Barbie Prince
Head of School

We Are Family

2010-09-17T09:34:00.000-04:00

I will never forget when I interviewed for a job at Cardin almost five years ago. I came early for the interview to provide me with time to observe behavior of students and faculty on a one-hall school. My first impression was of the informal, warm interactions that was a universal for the entire community of administrators, teachers, and students. I knew at that moment that this was a culture that was a perfect match for my values and philosophy of what a school can be. Fortunately, I was hired to work at Cardin.

Entering my fifth year, I am proud that my initial observation has not changed. Cardin is a different kind of school. A small but pluralistic group of students learn to respect each other, value their differences, and develop an attitude that the possibilites of life-long friendships are part of the Cardin culture. Teacher-student relations are friendly, but clear-cut role divisions are understood. Many alumni communicate with teachers via email, facebook, or visits to the school years after graduation (four graduation classes so far). At Cardin, we are family. Please hum the music from the famous song of this title (I love the song, but I still am reminded of the 1979 World Series with the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates. Ouch!). I invite anyone to visit Cardin and enjoy this experience. Student maturation and growth takes on many dimensions. Attending a small school in a loving environment has an impact beyond academic studies. This is the Cardin difference!

~Bob Cantor
Social Studies Chair

College Counseling

2010-09-15T08:15:00.000-04:00

The college application season has begun! Cardin seniors have already started narrowing down their college lists and submitting college applications. In order to best support our students, the college counseling department has several events this fall to help families with this process. Ms. Schein is working closely with the other AIMS College Counselors to create community programming that will help educate our independent school communities. Here are a few of the upcoming events for Cardin students and for AIMS students.

Cardin College Night – Thursday, September 16, at 7pm in the Moadon. This is an informative meeting for all Cardin parents and students but is geared mainly at 11th and 12th grade families. I will speak about the college application process and our guest speaker will be Dale Bittinger who is the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at UMBC. Mr. Bittinger has served as the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation at UMBC - the University of Maryland, Baltimore County since 2005. He began at UMBC in 1999 as Assistant Director before moving to Associate Director. In 2007, the Chronicle of Higher Education named him as one of the "Ten Influential Admissions Deans/Directors." He holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from West Virginia University and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Policy at UMBC. Mr. Bittinger will speak about “Finding Your Best Fit.”

PSAT – The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, October 13th at Cardin. This exam will be given to all 10th and 11th graders during the school day. More information will be emailed to 10th and 11th grade parents and students will learn more about the PSAT in their classes.

AIMS joint Financial Aid Seminar – Wednesday, November 3, at 7 pm at Gilman School in the Alumni Auditorium. The AIMS schools will sponsor a joint financial aid talk for all AIMS students grades 9-12. The keynote speaker will be Vincent Amoroso, Director, Office of Student Financial Service at Johns Hopkins University.

JCC College Fair – Sunday, November 14, from 1-3pm at the Owings Mills JCC. This free event is geared towards 11th and 12th graders. The college fair is a great chance to learn about several colleges from admissions and alumni representatives.

~Hallie Schein
Director of College Counseling

Cardin Athletics

2010-09-13T14:41:00.000-04:00

This year Cardin will be fielding 10 varsity sports teams including boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, and boys and girls tennis. Our fall sports teams, cross country and soccer, have started practices and will start playing in games this week. Please check the schedule at www.highschoolsports.net for updates on games, stats, and highlights.

We are excited about this year’s sports teams. Both soccer teams won last year's conference championships and are returning most players. With the largest grade in the school being our senior class, we are looking for great chemistry, leadership and experience to be the strong points of our teams. Our students do a wonderful job of representing our school and being ambassadors for our school through sports. Come out and support their efforts.

~Foye Minton
Dean of Students and Director of Athletics

Science Fun

2010-09-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

How many drops of water can you fit onto a penny? Ten, Twenty, Thirty? Do you have a guess? Try this experiment at home in your kitchen. All you need is a dry coin, an eye dropper, and some water. Drop one bead of water at a time onto the middle of the penny slowly and build to as many as you can. Try different techniques and locations on the dry pennies. When you are done, go ahead and do a little research into cohesion and adhesion of water. For a twist, try rubbing a drop of dish soap (ahead of time) onto a penny and challenge a friend to match you drop for drop (they get the dish soap penny).

For more activities and fun with coins visit the U.S. mint website under educators:
http://www.usmint.gov/

~Dean Whitfield
Science and Math Department Chair

As Time Goes By

2010-09-03T09:34:00.000-04:00

May it be Your will, Lord Our God and God of our ancestors, to renew this year for us with sweetness and happiness.

In a bit of coincidence, two students who asked me to write college recommendations, mentioned that I had known them from birth. This means that I have been around here for a pretty long time and it has got me feeling a little nostalgic. So, this year, as I dip my apple slices in honey, I will think of:

~Young students of mine who have fallen in love and asked me to officiate at their weddings
~Students who I once advised, advising me
~Families gaining generations before my eyes
~Cardin graduates who keep in touch
~The constant evolution of my understanding of Torah and Judaism
~Hiring my mentor, Rabbi Zaiman, who once hired me, and seeing his students thrive in his classes.
~Apples dipped in honey every year!

~Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaic Studies

Back to School, Again

2010-09-02T15:07:00.000-04:00

There’s a certain “something” about going back to school, and one can feel it almost palpably at Cardin. For myself, this is my 45th (!!!) back-to-school in my life, 29 of which have been “on the other side of the desks” – but it’s still exciting and a little nerve-wracking (after all these years, I don’t sleep well the night before, so full of anticipation). There are “new school year’s resolutions” (be more organized, keep on top of things better, and so forth), new supplies (nothing like the smell of freshly-sharpened pencils), new classes (tend to be quiet at first, then quickly become more confident at this school), and so forth. For those of us who’ve been around the institution for a few years (I was part of the founding faculty), there are “old” faces to greet (how did your summer go?) and “new” faces to meet (hi, welcome to Cardin). An anecdote: you know what a special place Cardin is when graduates of the opening class (’07) come back to see old faculty, and to help set up the school, as happened with me this past Sunday. This year, things are a little weird – just over a week’s worth of classes, and then 4.5 days off for Rosh Hashanah – a somewhat foreshortened week thereafter, for Yom Kippur, and then two very short weeks for Sukkot and Simchat Torah….and then September’s over! I wish everyone the best of luck for the coming school year – may it be a year of learning and growing, challenge and opportunity, sweetness and laughter!

Leslie Smith Rosen
Dean of General Studies

The First Day of School

2010-09-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome Back Cardin Community! This new school year, like all that I can remember, is filled with fresh clean notebooks, confusing locker combinations, and of course, excitement. Our first day started with a school-wide gathering in Minyan and ended with a school-wide gathering that included ice cream sundaes, laughter, and reflection. I imagine our freshmen parents dropped their kids off feeling a mixture of emotions – enthusiasm for what’s to come, and sadness for the loss of their “little ones”. I know a lot about this blend of feelings first-hand since I brought my youngest child to school for her first day of kindergarten today. I’m sure we also share a comfortable feeling of relief knowing that our children are in really capable hands.

Jackie Villet
School Counselor

Rabbi Chaitovsky blows
the shofar for Elul.

A wave hello from the Cardin community.

Ruach!!

Miles Greenspoon, Shira Glushakow-Smith,
Leah Prince, and Adina Golub are happy to see each
other after the summer break.

Adina Shanholtz, Yeri Robinson, Ze'ev Beleck and Joey Danick
pose for the camera.

Deena Lucas and Dora Safanova

Back to School Picnic

2010-08-31T17:02:00.001-04:00

Last evening CAPTS, Cardin's parent association, sponsored a picnic for the Cardin community. Cardin faculty, students, families, and some alumni celebrated the beginning of the 2010-11 school year. The picnic capped off a successful day of new student orientation, leadership training, and a senior class luncheon. Thank you to CAPTS for helping to set the tone for a wonderful new year.

Mrs. Prince and Coach Minton welcome everyone to Cardin.

Ms. Villet visits with Cardin alum Sam Auerbach.

Freshman Jordana Lachow
enjoys her first picnic.

Jessie Garber, Beverly Rogers and her mom Miriam enjoy the food.

Shira Glushakow-Smith, Arielle Bodner, and Kate Scher
pose with last year's yearbook.

Daniel Solomon, Zevi Lowenberg, and Rubin Warach
celebrate the beginning of their senior year.

New Hebrew faculty member Morah Maimon enjoys the picnic with her daughter.

Beth Zaleon enjoys the evening
with her dad, Jeff Zaleon.

Awards Ceremony

2010-06-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

The Shoshana S. Cardin Awards Ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 8th. Many students were recognized for their accomplishments and achievements over the course of this school year. Below are a selection of pictures from the ceremony.

Mazal Tov!!

Kehillat Kodesh- Community of Sacredness

Adin Reisner, presented by Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky

Kehillat Kodesh- Community of Sacredness

Zevi Lowenberg, presented by Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky

Chesed- Service & Action

Bobby Weinstein, presented by Ms. Jacqueline Villet

Female Athlete of the Year

Mollye Lipton, presented by Coach Foye Minton

Keter Shem Tov- Crown of a Good Name

Kayla Reisman and Mollye Lipton, presented by Mrs. Barbie Prince

Keter Torah- Crown of Torah

Gabe Baraban, presented by Rabbi Stuart Seltzer

Restaurant Fun From The Science Department

2010-06-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

For some family fun while you wait for your food I offer the following demonstration:

Set the Stage:

1. Place an ice cube from your drink on the table.

2. Offer the following challenge to your loved ones: “Can you pick up this ice cube with only this string (cotton works best)?”

3. Watch with glee as they struggle.

The Solution:

1. Soak the string in your water glass.

2. Lay the wet string across the top of the ice cube.

3. Poor salt liberally over the top of the ice cube covering the string completely.

4. Wait 20-30 seconds.

5. Lift the ice cube by pulling up on both ends of the string.

6. Be sure to ask the following question: “What’s happening here?”

The Learning:

Salt and many other compounds have the ability to lower the freezing point of water. This is called Freezing Point Depression. We add salt to road ways, anti freeze to cars, and rock salt to ice cream makers all to lower the freezing point of water. The water in the string actually freezes to the ice cube because you have lowered the temperature of the now salty, water slush, on the top of the cube.

~Dean Whitfield
Math and Science Department Chair

This Week in Israel's History

2010-05-28T09:02:00.000-04:00

השבוע לפני:

ב- 16 בחודש מאי 1990 נבחרת ישראל בכדור-רגל ניצחה את נבחרת ברית-המועצות בתוצאה 3 לישראל 2 לברית המועצות.

ב- 18 בחודש מאי 1965 אלי כהן "האיש שלנו בדמשק" הוצא להורג בתלייה אחרי שהואשם בריגול לטובת ישראל.

ב-18 בחודש מאי 1950 "מבצע עזרא ונחמיה" – עליית יהודי עירק לישראל.במהלך המבצע עלו לישראל 130.000 יהודים.

ב- 21 בחודש מאי 1948 הוקם חיל האוויר.

ב- 23 בחודש מאי 1960 אדולף אייכמן נתפס בארגנטינה על-ידי "המוסד" הישראלי והובא למשפט בישראל.

ב- 24 בחודש מאי 1995 החלה ההתישבות בחבל לכיש בנגב.

ב- 25 בחודש מאי 1991 "מבצע שלמה" העלאת יהודי אתיופיה לישראל. במשך 24 שעות נחתו באדיס אבבה 36 מטוסים ישראליים והביאו עימם 14.000 יהודים.

ב- 28 בחודש מאי 1948 הוקם צבא-ההגנה לישראל- צה"ל.

~Morah Zohara Chaban

Instructor of Hebrew

Latin III Reads Pygmalion

2010-05-27T15:40:00.000-04:00

With just a few days remaining before the end of the year the Latin III class at Cardin elected to get a taste of ancient Epic poetry, as a prelude to next year’s study of Vergil’s Aeneid. The students, with a little coaxing from their teacher, decided to go with two selections from Ovid’s Metamorphoses: the stories of Pygmalion and Daedalus. We began with the tale of Pygmalion, the mythical sculptor who falls in love with his own creation, later brought to life by the goddess Venus after the artist's many prayers. This story holds particular interest to this class since it was the inspiration for George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion and thus the Lerner and Lowe musical My Fair Lady, this year’s theatrical performance. With little time to focus on the intricacies of style and language, we are looking at the broader theme of an artist relationship to his work and the way in which a poet can reflect on the process of writing while telling such a story. In other words we are taking a metapoetic look at Ovid’s Pygmalion. The students recognize the worry with which Pygmalion retouches his statue, fearing that a “bruise/blemish” might appear similar to the results a writer might experience from over editing. They appreciate Pygmalion’s dressing and decorating of the statue, as one might embellish a piece of writing, while he also sees that his work is no less beautiful bare, exemplary of the concise and straight forward narrative. In the end the creation, whether it be a sculpture, painting, essay, or poem, is no less alive to the artist, than Pygmalion’s statue come to life. It is something that its creator must accept and cherish, regardless of any perceived flaws, as representation and part of him/herself. And just as Pygmalion spends the rest of his days with his statue turned wife, so to an artist must live with his work.

~Maureen Beabout
Latin Instructor

Development and Advancement

2010-05-26T10:59:00.000-04:00

The word development is a noun. In checking out the thesaurus, I was not at all surprised to find that synonyms include evolution, making progress, boost, buildup, spreading, maturing and growth. During this academic year, the development office at Cardin has indeed taken steps forward. Our initial goal was, in fact to boost and build up the image of the school. In conjunction with our marketing professionals, we have moved in that direction. Joining the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce certainly enhanced our visibility and engagement in the community. The Cardin school is clearly evolving. Advancing from the early disappointment at the loss of the Rosewood property to the wonderful news that we will build a permanent home at Oheb Shalom was indeed an example of progression and growth.

In many institutions the development office is called the office of advancement. Advance is defined as “steady progress”. What a perfect description of our school! In the past seven years, Cardin has grown, improved and gained in stature, all synonyms for advancing. Advancement suggests progression that is bigger, more or beyond expectations. At this juncture in our history, The Shoshana S. Cardin School is on the cusp of moving beyond our greatest dreams and expectations.

Clearly, the goals of this office include procurement of funds and to that end our Annual Fund Drive for the Shoshana S. Cardin School continues to solicit gifts to boost our general operating budget. We have been diligent about building a culture of philanthropy.

It has been a defining year at Cardin. As we move into the summer and construction plans begin to develop, we are proud of our advancement and look forward to continued positive forward movement. Let all of us who are committed to the distinctive mission of this school, continue to spread the word about our unique identity.

~Marjorie R. Hoffman
Director of Development and Marketing

Cardin's Israel Dance Group Performs

2010-05-25T10:06:00.000-04:00

Pictured above (l-r) are Mollye Lipton, Ally Richmond, Kayla Reisman, Allison Waskow,

Adina Shanholtz, Deena Lucas and Morah Zohara Chaban.

The Cardin Israeli Dance group recently performed at the end of the Amazing UnRace program sponsored by the CJE. In a thank you letter to Cardin, Amien Frost Kelemer from the CJE writes:

“Dear Cardin students.

Thank you so much for the special touch you added at the finish line of the Amazing UnRace. It was great to see you all decked out in your purple t-shirts inspiring others to dance and creating an “Israeli Avirah”!

You worked really well together as a troop... It was clear that each of you has special talents that I hope you will treasure and use often throughout your life! The treasures are not only the skill of dance, but the appreciation for a unique Israeli experience as well as the poise, self-confidence and leadership each of you exhibited.

Thank you for your efforts to get to the JCC on a Sunday and hope you enjoyed it as well."

Revisiting Shavuot

2010-05-14T16:56:00.002-04:00

It used to be that Shavuot, which we will celebrate on May 19-20, was the Rodney Dangerfield of Jewish holy days…it got no respect! That always bothered me because when you really think about it, Shavuot is IT! It’s the holiday of holidays marking the event of events – the revelation of God and the giving and receiving of Torah at Mt. Sinai. In essence, Shavuot is the most important of all our chagim and it is one deserving of our utmost respect.

Fortunately, Shavuot is getting more respect lately. Each year, it seems that more and more Jews across and beyond Judaism’s denominational spectrum celebrate the chag with tefillah/worship, family (dairy) meals and Torah study, often in the form of an all night Torah-thon called Tikkun Lel Shavuot. For those who participate, staying up into the wee hours to study Torah says that Torah is meaningful and indicates a desire and an openness/readiness to receive the Torah once again. One popular legend has it that the Israelites overslept on the morning that the Torah was to be given and that our staying up all night is a corrective to that original mishap.

Still, there is a way to go. Shavuot is not as popular as the other two Biblical pilgrimage and harvest festivals, Pesach and Sukkot, nor does it have the appeal of a Chanukah or Purim. Something is missing.

Perhaps seeing Shavuot in relation to the holiday which precedes it on the calendar may help. There is no escaping the connection between Shavuot and Pesach. The Torah has us actually count the days between the two holidays. It may not seem like the most significant ritual but it is both significant – and fundamental.

The Exodus is great story. It tells of how a crushed and afflicted group of slaves could triumph over tyranny and oppression. It elevated human dignity and freedom into ultimate values cherished by all who would consider themselves civilized. We then count the omer, because the freedom story, at least for us, does not end there. It culminates seven weeks later, on Shavuot, when we stood at Sinai in covenant with God.

Shavuot transforms the Exodus from a great story into OUR story.

Allow me to quote these words from Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth, and one of our time’s most erudite and eloquent spokesmen. In discussing the relationship between Pesach and Shavuot, he writes,

Freedom...is not just the overthrow of a regime, the end of a period of persecution. It is the long slow process of building a society that respects the human person, built on the foundations of law and righteousness, justice and compassion. No people, no faith, have had a more exalted vision of law as the architecture of freedom - law as the word of God, the defence of liberty, and the guarantor of the equal dignity of rich and poor, strong and weak. Without law and the ethics it embodies, freedom becomes the possession of the few, not the many, the manipulative but not the vulnerable.

That was the towering insight of the Torah. It was as if God had said, "By bringing you out of Egypt, I have given you the possibility of freedom, but now you must make it a reality. I cannot do it for you, but I can show you how it is to be done. Here are My laws, My statutes and commands. Live by them and you will create a great society. Abandon them and you will become like every other nation in history. You have only one thing that makes you different - My Torah, your constitution as a people."

This is the deeper significance of Shavuot. The message of Shavuot is the essence of Judaism. This is indeed a holiday that deserves our utmost respect.

Yes, indeed…Shavuot is IT!

Chag Sameach…

~Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky

Oral History in the Classroom

2010-05-13T10:12:00.000-04:00

My tenth grade Modern Western Civilization class is involved in an oral history project focusing on a grandparent’s family history developing stories that relate to immigration experiences, family life, social activities, education, religious practices, community involvement, or other pertinent activities that impacted this person and their family. The model for this exercise is taken from a wonderful website, http://www.centropa.org/. Centropa has generated over a thousand narratives of survivors of the holocaust ranging throughout Central Europe. Centropa has developed tools to create narratives utilizing family pictures as a foundation to explore their stories. Their techniques are quite effective in exploring family histories, and I encourage all to explore the website to learn about Jewish culture before, during, and after World War II in Central Europe.

Cardin students have continued the Centropa tradition and have forged wonderful bonds with grandparents in the exploration of their family histories. It has been fascinating how many of our families at a small school have histories that connect with each other in a myriad of ways. Our students enjoy this activity and always seem eager to share their stories with the class. Family stories provide tremendous opportunities to personalize history and enhance understanding of the events of the twentieth century. Ask any of our tenth graders to share their stories with you.

~Bob Cantor
Modern Western Civilization and Psychology Teacher

Learning To Be A Critical and Independent Thinker

2010-05-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

The Internet is amazing. It offers us access to vast information, opinions, and perspectives with simple clicks and keystrokes. Yet as it goes with most good things, too much can be a bad thing. Relying too heavily on the Internet can hinder our ability to think independently, to make solid judgments, and to learn constructively.

There are sites out there that can tell you how to be a better parent, or how to write a paper, both of which can be very practical and helpful. The problem arises when we allow ourselves to rely so heavily on outside resources such as these that we lose our ability to think critically. If we can't develop our own processes to solve a problem or, for instance, even create a thesis statement, what results is diminished individual convictions or, worse yet, an absence of any real opinion or point of view whatsoever. In short, information on the Internet can go from guiding your point of view to actually being your point of view.

Just last night, my husband and I had a lengthy conversation about this very topic. He feels that I have grown so dependent on external resources that I've started to lack the ability to make my own opinions and question my own beliefs. As hard as it is for me swallow, he may have a point. I'm a big believer in authenticity and passion, and I shudder at the thought of this electronic thing, the Internet, making decisions for me, yet I can see how it can happen. So, it's something I need to monitor and regulate. This doesn't mean I'll stop using the Internet; I just need to make sure that it's complementing my own thoughts, not manipulating them.

Luckily, our students are at a point where they can create habits of independent thinking and genuine learning. As the significant adults in their lives, let's encourage healthy use of the Internet to help ensure we raise a generation of educated AND independent thinkers, as opposed to either/or.

~Jacqueline Villet
School Counselor