REFLECTIONS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

This week’s parsha, Naso, covers many topics, which I encourage you to delve into both this Shabbat and over Shavuot, including: the topics of purity, Sotah, the Nazirite, the priestly blessings, and the offerings of the tribal leaders.  However, what I want to explore in this column is the concept of continuity. 

Naso begins where Bamidbar left off; counting the Levite families and assigning them responsibilities. Couldn’t we have read a few more pasukim (verses) last week and finished the topic? Perek 5, which begins with the new topic of purifying the camp, seems like a great place to begin.  Besides, Naso is a long parsha, covering 176 pasukim.  I bet the Ba’al Koreh (torah reader) wouldn’t mind reading a few less lines this week! 

However, each parsha is very much like an individual school year in that neither stands alone. The parshiyot, when taken together, form the Chumash (5 books of Moses).  This is similar to the way that a student’s years at Cardin combine with their prior and future schooling to form a life-long quest for knowledge.  The Chumash, like the four years of high school, is also part of a greater whole: the Tanach.  This is similar to the way that each school year builds upon the lessons learned in previous years.  The knowledge gained and memories made this year will not be completely forgotten come fall.  How many times does a math teacher or Judaic studies teacher say, “remember what you learned about this topic last year?”

Therefore, as we complete another successful year at Cardin, we look at the continuity of the school, the students, and the community.  We look back and finish the year with commencement exercises in which we pause, as a community, to simultaneously reflect on our place in the school and look ahead at our responsibilities as we move forward.  Each chapter of our lives, whether it is the weekly parsha or a school year, does not stand alone but is a component of us as a whole – a whole learning community.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Barbie Prince

GOOD & WELFARE
Save the Date!
Honor the wonderful Class of 2008. Join us on Thursday, June 12 at 10:30am for Commencement Exercises.

CLASSES IN ACTION
Hebrew
Morah Abraham and her senior students said Shalom with a party. 

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Lag B’Omer
On Friday, May 23, Cardin celebrated Lag B’Omer with a Color War! Each grade came to school dressed in their grade’s color and showed their school and class spirit. Students participated in six activities: Jewish trivia, spelling bee, tug of war, soccer, banner, and cheer. We spent the afternoon outside cheering on our teams and racking up the points! When all was tallied, the tenth graders won the color war (and enjoyed a prize of Klondike Bars). The scores were all very close, but everyone had a great time and joined together with excellent spirit! 

Annual Awards Ceremony
The annual Cardin School Awards Ceremony was held on May 29, 2008.  Along with the entire student body, the chapel was filled with doting family members, faculty, and distinguished members of the Baltimore community and Cardin School Board.  The crowd was entertained by vocal performances from Sophie Bass ‘08, Emily Boling ‘10, Tara Lichtenstein ‘10, and Daniel Eisenberg ‘08.  As part of the Awards Ceremony, a new group of students were inducted into the Shoshana S. Cardin Chapter of the National Honor Society.  The following students were inducted:  Amy Gartner ‘09, Sophie Solomon ‘09, Shachar Binyamin ‘10, Nathaniel Conn ‘10, Mollye Lipton ‘10, Kayla Reisman ‘10, Adin Reisner ‘10, MariAnne Skolnik ‘10, and Allison Waskow ‘10.  The ceremony concluded with a special presentation from CAPTS to the graduating seniors.  Randy Gartner, President of CAPTS, presented a framed class picture to Avi Zaleon ’08, grade representative and SGA President.

After introductory remarks by Rabbi Stuart Seltzer the following awards were presented:

Departmental Awards

• Outstanding Achievement in English – Sophie Solomon ‘09
• Outstanding Improvement in English – Alyssa Miller ‘09
• Outstanding Achievement in French – Emily Boling ‘10
• Outstanding Improvement in French – Nadav Klein ‘08
• Outstanding Achievement in Hebrew – Allison Waskow ‘10
• Outstanding Improvement in Hebrew – Jeremiah Feldstein ‘11
• Outstanding Achievement in History – Jeremy Hiken ‘09
• Outstanding Improvement in History – Joseph Danick ‘11
• Outstanding Achievement in Judaics – Abby Grobani ‘11
• Outstanding Improvement in Judaics – Sam Auerbach ‘09
• Outstanding Achievement in Latin – Sophie Solomon ‘09
• Outstanding Improvement in Latin – Daniel Posner ‘08
• Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics – Nathan Krasnopoler ‘09
• Outstanding Improvement in Mathematics – Reuven Birnbaum ‘08
• Outstanding Achievement in Science – Matthew Marcus ‘09
• Outstanding Achievement in Spanish – Segev Goldberg ‘10
• Outstanding Improvement in Spanish – Mark Mazer ‘08

National and Regional Awards and Recognitions

• National Latin Exam awards – Gabriel Baraban ‘11, Abby Grobani ‘11, Daniel Eisenberg ‘08, Lynn Bachman ‘09, Mark Rogers ‘09, Sophie Solomon ‘09, Nathan Krasnopoler ‘09
• National French Exam – Emily Boling ‘10, Nadav Klein ‘08, Katie Mikhalnyuk ‘08
• American Association of Teachers of French, Outstanding Senior in French Award – Katie Mikhalnyuk ‘08
• NETA Completion Certificates – Sophie Solomon ‘09, Katie Mikhalnyuk ‘08, Gabriel Baraban ‘11, Shachar Binyamin ‘10, Segev Goldberg ‘10, Adin Reisner ‘10, Kayla Reisman ‘10
• National Financial Literacy Challenge – Jeremy Meyers ‘08, Byron McKenney-Powell ‘08, Todd Weinstein ‘08
• JTS Ahavat Torah Award – Sophie Solomon ‘09
• Bank of America Student Leader – Benjamin Verovsky ‘08
• Pepsi/Greater Baltimore Urban League Scholarship – Byron McKenney-Powell ‘08
• Rensselaer Medal Scholarship – Nathan Krasnopoler ‘09

School Awards

• Chesed (Service and Action) – Beth Zaleon ‘11
• Citizenship – Sophie Bass ‘08, Alex Lichtenauer ‘08
• Leadership – Caitlin Greenberg ‘08
• Ahavat HaAretz (Love for Israel) – Shachar Binyamin ‘10
• Kehillat Kodesh (A Community of Sacredness) – Gabriel Baraban ‘11
• Keter Torah (Crown of Torah) – Scott Burstyn ‘08

Prom
On May 29, Cardin Juniors and Seniors (and their guests) soared “Out of this World” at the 2008 Cardin Prom. Dressed to impress, students danced the night away! While at prom, students were presented with awards voted on by their peers. And the winners are:

After prom, students had a blast at the Mitchell David Teen Center playing video games, pool, and hanging out with their friends at a party planned by a committee of Cardin parents.

ALUMNI UPDATE
After their first successful post-Cardin year, our alumni are coming home for the summer.  Arielle Miller, ’07, arrived at Kennedy airport on Tuesday after a wonderful year in Israel participating in Young Judea’s Year Course.

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