October Newsletter (2009)

Message from the President of JPPS-Bialik

If I began by telling you how much work is being put into finding the right governance model for JPPS-Bialik, you wouldn’t believe me. Trust me, though, when I say that the Governance Committee Co-chairs Jamie Malus ’81 and Len Lewkowict ’81 are engaging all of us at the board level in some very important discussions, and therefore, I urge you to read their article in this newsletter that serves as an update on their progress. It is clear that JPPS-Bialik benefits from a very dedicated and passionate group at the board level. We are very fortunate.

I am proud to announce that, at the JPPS-Bialik Annual General Meeting on September 29, the Nachum Wilchesky Memorial Educational Leadership Award was inaugurated. It will be bestowed upon a JPPS-Bialik teacher, administrator, educational staff member, or lay leader demonstrating outstanding teaching excellence or innovative and inspirational leadership in the field of Jewish education. Mr. Wilchesky’s own high personal standards have indeed been transferred to the character of this award, for recipients will be selected only as frequently as deemed appropriate (no less frequently than once every two years) by a special committee struck by the Board of Directors of JPPS-Bialik.

To further ensure that the award’s principles are met, this aforementioned committee will be staffed by members from both within and from outside the JPPS-Bialik family. Nominations for the award may be received at large and must be submitted to the JPPS-Bialik Board of Directors c/o Head of School Laurence Fhima, at laurence.f@jppsbialik.ca.

We are very grateful to the Wilchesky family for having so graciously agreed to this award. They signed the award and bursary fund agreement at the reception, the proceeds of which are directed to financial aid. In fact, a number of other agreements were also signed, including one for former JPPS teacher Mrs. Chaia Libstug, who took the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her parents (Mora/Lererin Rosenblum) and ensure the long-term future of the school by asking that donations be made to her family bursary fund in her memory when the time comes! Now that is planning!

It is not unlike what the late Lawrence Bessner did when he left a provision in his estate for JPPS-Bialik. His nephew Kenneth Lawrence Bessner, a liquidator of the Estate of Michael Lawrence Bessner, has a grandson, Andrew Mann ’09. When Shirley Schneider passed away this year, the family took steps to have donations made in her memory to her late husband’s fund and updated it to include both of their names. Parents of JPPS graduates Laurence (Lorry) Schneider, JPPS Class of 1965 and Brynah Schneider, JPPS Class of 1968, they were strong supporters of JPPS-Bialik.

Particularly poignant for me personally was an agreement signed by my parents establishing the Edna and Larry Cohen Fund for Bialik’s Leo Roskies Library. This is a remarkable gesture on the part of my parents, who, I know, made many personal sacrifices to ensure that my brothers and I were able to attend JPPS-Bialik. And now, they want to do their part to ensure that JPPS-Bialik remains healthy and strong for generations to come. We are indebted to each and every one of these individuals for building on the legacies of those who came before us and to all the others who make gifts like these or volunteer their time for the betterment of our students and community. We should all take great nachess in the generosity of the JPPS-Bialik mishpucha. Midor L’dor.

Arnold Cohen ‘82

Message from the Head of School

You can always tell when your child is thriving and happy. Parents know! And that is what they witnessed firsthand at our CPE, JPPS, and Bialik open houses this past month. Student ambassadors were happy to direct, proud teachers were only too eager to chat with parents, and parent volunteers, alumni, and gleaming facilities all appeared in a haimish setting. We couldn’t be more proud to share with parents our dedication and commitment to excellence based on a pluralistic vision of Jewish continuity. In fact, it is timely for us to be reminded of our mission statement, as it drives all that we do on a daily basis. Like all mission statements and schools, these are living, very human endeavours that require constant vigilance and review if we are to truly pursue a model learning environment, as described in our mission statement below.

“JPPS-Bialik is a Jewish school, founded and based on a pluralistic vision of Jewish continuity. JPPS-Bialik is committed to academic excellence. Our school aims to create a model learning environment where individuals can gain confidence to become productive people within the Quebec, Canadian, and global communities.

“Our students develop a strong Jewish identity by studying Yiddish, Hebrew, and Jewish history, and by experiencing Jewish culture and traditions.

“The creation of the State of Israel is one of the seminal events in Jewish history. Recognizing the significance of the State and its national institutions, we seek to instill in our students an attachment to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of responsibility for their welfare. Our school’s goal is to graduate committed Jewish young adults who are prepared to meet the challenges and responsibilities of their future endeavours.”

Laurence Fhima

Message from the Principal and Educational Director, JPPS

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

In the past year CJA has lauded the value of tikun olam in its mission statement and campaign and even followed through with financial support for initiatives.

During our last professional development afternoon, on October 21, our grade 4 teachers spent their time at CJA to learn more about their contribution to Jews in Montreal in order to educate themselves before launching a new grade level project “Mission to Montreal”.

Students today need something to help them organize their formal and informal learning experiences. Themes that promote respect, responsibility, understanding and treating others well, and decision-making transform the learning environment into partnership, enthusiasm and enjoyment.

The social learning will be incorporated into direct and indirect instruction throughout all areas of learning. Tikun Olam/Mission to Montreal will be infused into academics in such a way that it is “added in”, rather than simply being “added on”. Research shows that when we interact with our environment, it becomes a two-way process; as we change it, it changes us!

Adina Matas

Message from JPPS Home and School

JPPS Home and School has been very busy during the high holidays, providing students with honey for Rosh Hashanah and cake and grape juice in the sukkah for Sukkot. As always, hot lunches are being served on a very regular basis, and class photos have also been taken, with the help of H&S volunteers. We are also very hard at work planning our upcoming Chanukah party. It is sure to be a huge success. The exact time, date, and location will be announced very shortly. Speaking of successes, the Entertainment Book sale has come to an end. We more than tripled our book sales this year, and a HUGE thank-you goes out to all of the parents who helped support this initiative!

JPPS-Bialik in the News

The Karnit Goldwasser visit in early October garnered some nice media attention as the Jewish Tribune (October 7) printed an article and photo, while the Canadian Jewish News (October 15) printed a photo of Ms. Goldwasser conversing with a student.

As mentioned last month, Bialik will have regular appearances in the Suburban sports section. Secondary V student Ethan Gordon, the Bialik Bulldogs’ official beat writer, had his first story published on October 21! Check out all the details on the Bialik Bulldogs’ foray into the GMAA’s Division 1 league here: http://www.thesuburbannews.ca/content/en/2546.

“Re-leaf” from Raking Pains

At this time of year you may be getting your exercise by raking leaves. Raking is a physical activity that can help individuals stay active, but raking is often accompanied by the strains and pain associated with repetitive motions. Fortunately, raking injuries can be prevented by following a few guidelines.

The following recommendations from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and Action Sport Physio Montreal West will help minimize the risk of strains and sore muscles:

Raking tips:

• Pace yourself by completing the work in 20- to 30-minute segments. Take frequent breaks and/or change to a different raking activity.
• Hold the rake handle close to your body to help maintain good posture while raking.
• Keep one hand near the top for better leverage and use your arms and legs more than your spine. Ergonomic rakes often have padded handles to reduce strain on the hands and wrists and have special handles that encourage good posture by ensuring that the elbows are bent slightly.
• Change sides frequently and avoid twisting from the waist. When raking, the tendency is to plant the feet in a fixed position and rake in several directions from that position. Instead, place one foot ahead of the other, which allows you to shift forward and backward easily as you rake.

Bagging Tips:

• When bagging leaves, lift manageable loads. Keep your back straight and use your legs to do the lifting. If you have to stoop, face the pile of leaves and don’t twist as you lift.
• Don’t try to overreach to get those last few leaves.
• When lifting the bag of leaves, tense your stomach muscles to give your back additional support and keep the bag close to the body. Keep your back straight while lifting with the legs.
• Don’t pile too many leaves into one bag, especially if they're wet—it will be heavy and awkward to lift.

The team at your Action Sport Physio is always looking out for your health and is driven to make sure that you are geared to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me; I am available anytime to answer your questions.

ASP Montreal West wishes you a healthy and pain-free fall!

Marisa Vincelli, Client Service Representative
T: (514) 495-9292 or mvincelli@actionsportphysio.com

JPPS’s Good Choices Policy

Our mission at JPPS is to develop the moral and intellectual strengths that will best equip our students to lead fulfilling, purposeful, and productive lives.  It is our belief that, in preparation for assuming the responsibilities of being good citizens of the school and the community, each child should be taught and shown the importance of making good choices. 

Our Good Choices Policy is founded on the essential virtues of:

• Caring
• Fairness
• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Citizenship

We expect that each student will demonstrate responsibility for his/her actions. A good choice would be to:           

• demonstrate self-control,
• be accountable for choices made,
• act dependably,
• do what is right.

We expect that each student will demonstrate respect towards school-wide guidelines. A good choice would be to:

• line up alphabetically in single file
• walk silently through the halls so as not to disturb other classes
• walk, not run, in hallways and on stairs
• refrain from eating in the halls and stairwells
• get permission to leave the classroom
• get written permission to leave the school
• behave appropriately and respectfully on school outings
• respect school property
• use appropriate and respectful language and tone

In the lunchroom, a good choice would be to:

• be respectful towards the lunch supervisors
• sit properly in seats and raise a hand to ask for help
• speak quietly and use good eating manners
• ask permission to leave the lunchroom to go to the washroom
• take responsibility for cleaning the table area before being dismissed
• wait quietly in their seats until dismissal
• be silent immediately when the lights are turned off
• refrain from sharing food

In the school yard, a good choice would be to:

• show good sportsmanship
• never throw snowballs or play on snow hills
• never play with rocks, sticks, and other dangerous objects
• play only with foam sports balls
• line up immediately when the bell rings, in alphabetical order, facing front and ready to enter the building quietly.

We expect that each student will demonstrate respect towards others. A good choice would be to:

• be respectful to classmates and all staff at all times

Rough play and fighting is never acceptable. This includes punching, pushing, hitting, tripping, kicking, etc., whether it is playful or not.

In cases of inappropriate behavior, students may:

• be required to complete assignments as determined by a teacher or the administration
• be required to have a Parent Notification Form signed by the parents or guardian
• be accompanied by a parent or guardian to a meeting to discuss the behavior
• lose recess, privileges (e.g., field trips)
• may be required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian on school outings
• be detained in school for detentions (at least one day’s written notice will be given prior to the in-school detention)

At the administration’s discretion, physical fighting or rough play may result in an immediate out-of-school suspension for one or more days. Parents will be immediately informed of their child’s aggressive behaviour. All documentation regarding inappropriate behaviour will remain in the student’s file for the entire school year.

JPPS Good Choices Parent and Student Pledge

I acknowledge that I have read and reviewed with my child the JPPS Good Choices Guidelines.  We (parent and child) agree to comply with the guidelines and with any other rules, policies, and procedures adopted by JPPS from time to time.

We wish to be part of the JPPS community and we understand and agree that it is a condition of admission to and continued enrolment in JPPS that we comply with all of the rules and that failure to so may result in disciplinary and/or other appropriate action, as determined by JPPS.

October Alum of the Month: Ann Lang ’95, CBC Radio’s Star Broadcaster

I sat down with Ann Lang ‘95 after personally having witnessed what was unmistakably one of the longest days at work. Usually, Ann is a member of CBC Radio One’s Homerun (3:00 to 6:00 PM on weekdays) writing and broadcasting team. But today, thanks to the untimely absence of not one, but two co-workers, Ann was forced to take up the helm of the traffic reporter, essentially doubling her amount of work.

“Most days are not like this,” Ann assured me, “but some are.”

A graduate of the Concordia Communications program, Ann began her flourishing journalistic and broadcasting career by performing public relations duties for a high tech company in the business-to-business world. For someone like Ann, a woman with plenty of creativity combined with a strong and passionate interest in current affairs, it took very little time (only seven months) to realize she needed something else to spark her interest. “If I was going to work 40 hours on something, I’d better like it.” She then decided to go back to school in order to obtain a master’s degree in journalism, a choice that ultimately set Ann on her current path.

After completing several internships at local media outlets, Ann knew that broadcast journalism was her niche. Even doing the overnight (12:30 AM to 5:30 AM) news broadcasts for a period of time on CJAD did not phase her, although she “developed a new appreciation for those who always work the overnight shift” as she found that it required a few days to recover from working those shifts.

Ann’s big journalistic break occurred while she was producing a documentary for one of her master’s degree classes. While she would eventually win a highly prestigious Canadian Association for Journalism Excellence Award for her documentary on Canadian military families, the true prize was the fact that she got noticed by the CBC, for she used their facilities in order to actually produce said documentary. Ann would eventually be hired as a “casual” CBC employee, and as the old saying goes, one thing led to another, and soon enough, Ann found herself being a regular team member on the Homerun show.

Turning to Bialik, Ann explained that high school was integral in teaching her vital work habits and how to “soak up information,” a truly invaluable skill in the journalistic field. On the topic of favourite Bialik memories and teachers, Ann’s time as fashion show MC stood out, as well as her “hair-dying” experience with her friends during the Stratford school trip. Regarding teachers, I would be remiss if I did not transcribe the words she had for Mrs. Smajovits, my mom, who, as many know, used to spend many periods working with students in need of organization:  “When I saw how she volunteered her time to help kids organize themselves, it showed that she really cared about your transition to high school. She is just the warmest, nicest person, and it’s a joy every time I see her.”

On advice for current and future graduates, Ann says to “try as many things as possible,” much as she did. Finally, on the notion of whether or not she has made many mistakes while on air, she grinned and declared, “ Of course I have. But I’m always reminded that it’s just a few seconds of radio; it’s not heart surgery.”  As if heart surgeons needed any more pressure…

David Smajovits ’00

Wilensky-esque Specials Make JPPS Lunchtime Cultural Events

If you take a gander at the JPPS-Bialik calendar, you may notice that the type of JPPS hot lunches served are displayed on the date they are offered. A keen eye will not miss the words “Wilensky Specials” next to the sandwich-like image. For those unfamiliar with JPPS hot lunches, a deliciously amazing (but kosher) facsimile of one of Montreal’s gastronomical icons (the restaurant was opened in 1935 by Moe Wilensky) is available at JPPS!

Apologies to the eggroll or felafel days, but you just can’t beat a Wilensky Special!

Simchas and Condolences

Mazel tov to:

• Lee Zenter on his engagement
• Tal Finkelstein ’00 on his engagement
• Morty Antal's son on his recent bar mitzvah
• Shoshana Fleischer on a new grandchild
• Cindy Schneider's son, Noah, on his bar-mitzvah on October 24th
• Matthew Halickman, former JPPS student, on his upcoming bar mitzvah

Extra mazel tovs are in order to:

• JPPS staff member Courtney Sculnick for her wonderful initiative to raise money for the “Coins for Comfort to the Feeling Bedder Campaign,” which is committed to replacing all the Jewish General Hospital beds with new, modern ones over a three-year period. She raised $367 dollars by way of a book sale with the students.
• Recent Bialik graduates Lauren Pinkus ’08, Michelle Cola ’07, and Cassandra Levy ’07 were all recipients of the Ruth & Michael Rosenthal Family Student Leadership Award established to honour post–secondary school students active in volunteer work.

Condolences to:

• Sari Olishansky, who lost her grandmother
• Ruth Dixter, who lost her mother

Donor Listing

The following individuals and organizations have made donations to JPPS-Bialik from September 24, 2009, to October 22, 2009. These donors will also be included in a year-end listing according to their level of giving in the JPPS-Bialik annual report. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped facilitate JPPS-Bialik's role in nurturing Jewish identity and culture while continually pursuing cutting-edge competitiveness marked by academic rigour and excellence.

• Illana Assouline
• Janice and Nat Bernstein
• David Bloomstone '84
• Joseph and Sylvie Bodokh
• Aimee Brender '84
• Eileen and Isaac Burbela
• Jason and Cory Camlot
• Jeffrey Carman '84
• Cynthia Cooperstone '84
• Howard and Vivian Dawang
• Barry and Elena Diner
• Ms. Ruth Dorenfeld '84
• Marty Dorfman and Cindy Pellatt
• Mr. and Mrs. David Druker
• Joanne Ferstman '84
• Antony and Brenda Flanz
• Franklin Mintzerg '84
• Franklin Property Management Services
• Cheryl and Frank Fried
• Donna Garber '84
• Victor Glazer
• Vivian Glenns '84
• Joanne Godel '84
• Julie Godel '84
• Mary Grace and Darren Goldenberg
• Patricia Goldman '84
• Jonathan Goodman '84
• Ellen Greenfield '84
• Janice Gross '84
• Marcia Gurman
• Steve '84 and Debbie Gurman
• Christopher Hosein and Yael Acre
• Carrie Stacey and Steven Jast
• Denny Josepovici and Ronit Ziegler
• JPPS Home and School
• Brian Katchan '84
• Amy Katz
• Evelyn Seidenfeld Katz and Stan Katz
• Dr. Dyan Kimia '84
• Richard and Caryn Kirsch
• Knowlton Kotansky '84
• Daniel and Michelle Laxer
• Resa Leinwand '84
• Leithman & Glazer
• Bob Levi
• Michael Lipman '84
• Rhonda Lisbona '84
• Lydia and Larry Long
• Marsha and Michael Lustigman
• Rita Manaster Schick
• Doris Mann
• Liza Mauer '84
• Jeffrey Mendel '84
• Robert Mendel '84
• Ruth Mendell
• Lisa and Joe Minichiello
• Jeffrey and Karen Moness
• Meyer Nahon and Inna Sharf
• Sheila Nemtin '84
• Sydney Pell '84
• Jody Quint '84
• Michael Raffoul '84
• Stephanie Reiter '84
• Darrin and Natalie Rosenthal
• Dr. Brynah Schneider JPPS '68
• Robin Alexander '86 and Andrew Schwartz
• Susan Schwartz '84
• Alana Soiferman and Stuart Shiveck
• Alana Silverman '84
• Jonathan and Darlene Singerman
• Ellen Smiley
• Avrom Gomberg and Barbara Szeicz
• David Tanenbaum '84
• Robert Tarasofsky '84
• TCBY Yogourt
• The Gurman Foundation
• Eric Tordjman '84
• Traiteur Bongiorno
• Bruce Turriff and Hindy Bernstein
• Dr. Theodore and Lisa Wein
• Richard Wellen '84
• Steven and Davina White
• Lorne Wilansky and Mindy Goldberg
• Heidi Witt '84
• Jacob and Kay Wolofsky
• Lisa Wolofsky '84
• Mark Young