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February 17, 2016
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8 Adar I 5776
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Pardes Jewish Day School provides a rigorous, experiential education grounded in Jewish history, culture and values. This monthly newsletter highlights examples of classroom learning designed to meet and exceed state and national standards. Our students are well prepared for entry to the finest high schools and colleges and serve in a multitude of leadership roles.
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9 Adar I
Thursday
February 18, 2016
Pancake Breakfast
12 Adar I
Sunday
February 21
Panther Classic Family Fun Bike Ride
8:00 am-12:30pm
19 Adar I
Sunday
February 28
All School Showcase
1:00 - 3:00 pm
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Monday
February 29
Lower School
Dr. Seuss Week
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All School Showcase Invitation
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Sunday, February 28th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm
You won't want to miss this event! The whole family is invited to this exciting program! Allow your children to show you their wonderful work on display in their classrooms. Visit the next grade level for a sneak peek of what is coming next year.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
Talia Khan
 Alumna Talia Khan attended Pardes from 2005 through eighth grade graduation in 2012. She is now a senior at Xavier College Preparatory.
When asked asked about the greatest benefits of attending Pardes, Talia mentioned the sense of community and genuine interest, on the part of the teachers, in her success. "Pardes gave me the opportunity to learn about my history and Jewish identity in a way that I wouldn't have been able to anywhere else. I was able to study the great Jewish thinkers and ask questions about the Torah stories. This has contributed to my readiness to ask questions and search for answers that aren't always clear. It has also led me to dedicate my life to
Tikkun Olam.
I want to leave the world better than I found it by serving others and solving problems that impact humans and the environment."
Talia has several favorite memories of Pardes. She loved the short story project in seventh grade English class as well as Rabbi Allouche's Jewish History class in eighth grade. She also mentioned the labs she completed in science classes, especially the murder mystery they had to solve in eighth grade forensics class. "I also loved that my teachers took a special interest in my well-being," she added.
As a student at Xavier, she has enjoyed learning about the Catholic faith and sharing information about her Jewish background with others. Talia is part of a program at Xavier called
Great Books
.
Great Books
is a four-year integrated program of English, Theology, and Social Studies for the top 10% of students in each grade.
"Through Great Books and my own personal motivation, I have taken 10 APs in all four years of high school. At Xavier and Brophy I have done the musical theatre productions. I am president of the Classical Music Club, and I am National Honor Society Historian. I also participated in student council during my freshman and sophomore years. In October of 2014, I began doing extracurricular biomedical research at a lab for Barrow Neurological Institute. Over the past summer, I was awarded the
Ben and Catherine Ivy Neurological Sciences Foundation Scholarship
, which funded my work for a lab at TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute)," she explained.
Talia has been accepted to several universities and is still waiting to hear from others. She has been accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and The University of Chicago. She plans to study Biological or Molecular Engineering and Computer Science with a Music minor.
We are very proud of Talia's accomplishments and wish her continued success in all of her future endeavors!
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Eighth Grade
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Eighth graders have been
involved in an in-depth study
of the early history of the United States. With the theme of
America, the Story of Us
, students have used skills of historical and geographical analysis to understand ideas and events that have strengthened the country. The eighth grade therefore has continued to reference and celebrate our Constitution! The emphasis on democratic ideals, immigration and migration, citizenship and the personal character traits of each president have made their way into many class discussions. Recent discussions have focused on the role of Jews in the Civil War and how they were able to maintain their Jewish identity. Students debated the issue of slavery from a northern and southern Jewish perspective, citing Jewish texts. In addition, students created special seders on the battlefield through a journal entry where they had to describe in great detail how they would scavenge for the main elements of the holiday. Even writing from an 1862 perspective, many students were able to share much of their own personal connections to Judaism. They wrote about how they would simply be able to recite the seder from memory, not having a Haggadah while away from home. Others remembered how to shoo a mother bird away to take an egg from its nest, and still others took risks and used plants/shrubbery as a substitute for the bitter herbs. Students were a bit surprised to learn that six recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor were Jewish and even more impressed to know the telegrapher who was responsible for sending Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was also Jewish! We will soon trace our own roots to America through a unique ancestral history project.
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Seventh Grade
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Seventh grade social studies includes studies in the Fall of Rome into the Middle Ages and Renaissance continuing through the Age of Enlightenment.
As part of their studies, the seventh grade has just completed research on influential people and events of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. After extensive research on major events in the 12th-16th centuries, the students wrote argument essays where they persuaded readers to believe that their century was the most influential. For their research on influential people in the 15th-18th centuries, they focused on the research process, learning how to read and cite primary sources. After extensive research, they presented an abstract (a plan of what they would write a paper on) of their influential person. They learned about scientists (Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton),
leaders (Ferdinand and Isabella, William and Mary, and Marie Antoinette),
thinkers (Sir Francis Bacon and John Calvin), and artists (Cervantes, Bach, and Handel).
Currently, seventh graders are learning about the most influential poet and playwright of the Renaissance, William Shakespeare. They will be reading and performing crucial scenes from his play,
Romeo and Juliet
. As we approach the 400th anniversary of his death on April 23rd, students will be well "versed" in his original words and phrases.
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Sixth Grade
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Sixth graders study Social Studies in conjunction with Language Arts  to create a Humanities program. Students learn about ancient civilizations including Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, and Greece. They combine fiction and nonfiction texts with the visual and performing arts to acquire knowledge for each of these fascinating civilizations. The students also use a combination of tools in which to demonstrate their knowledge. They are proficient in Google documents to outline the text as well as presentation software to create movies or slideshows. Additionally, they have opportunities to create maps or dioramas.
After having completed units on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, the sixth grade is currently learning about China, which coincided with the Chinese New Year. They created 3-D maps to show the different geographic regions of China, as well as Chinese Fortune Cards which were created to promote good luck in the new year. They are also studying the dynasties, empires, and philosophies of ancient China using nonfiction texts. They will be moving on to Greece upon the completion of the China unit.
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Fifth Grade
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 After completing student-designed colony board games and presentations, the fifth grade has moved on to REBELLION! Fifth graders got a small taste of the colonial experience when they were upset about the Stamp Act and the lack of representation in Parliament. Students were given jelly beans to use as tax payment for wearing certain clothing, shoes, and even eyeglasses. Jelly beans taken by tax collectors in a simulation experience helped students to understand why Americans were upset with the British tax laws after the French and Indian War.
This week the fifth grade continued exploring the roots of rebellion as they learn about the Boston Massacre, the Intolerable Acts, and the Boston Tea Party. A high interest, top secret, "I Spy" research game serves as the segue into the Revolutionary War as students will be given secret identities in teams. Their mission will be to try and find out the identities of their classmates!
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Fourth Grade
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On February 14th, Arizona celebrated its 104th birthday. The  fourth graders marked the day with learning, a special activity and of course as with all parties, a birthday treat. Each student was challenged to give Arizona a unique birthday gift. The students wrote a description of the gift as well as an illustration. It was so exciting to see their creative juices flowing. Trees/plants/gardens, clean air, ocean/water, increased tourism, domes, a snow making contraption, and a scorpion eliminator were all mentioned as ideal birthday presents for Arizona!
The fourth graders have been "traveling" around the United States as they are learning about each of our country's five regions. So far, they have explored the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest regions. They have learned about each of the region's economy, climate, natural resources, products, landmarks and culture. The next stop is the Southwest. During their stay students will learn about the states in this region as well as an in depth study of their home state. The students will each research one of the five Cs as well as an Arizona city. They will be responsible for designing a slideshow to teach their classmates what they learned. In addition, they will study the history of the state flag and seal. The final destination will be the West. At the end of the journey, students will be able to correctly identify each state's capital city as well as the state's location on a map.
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Third Grade
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In social studies, third grade students are learning about the Three Branches of Government, Bill of Rights, and the Preamble to the Constitution. Next month they will be learning about other forms of government and what it takes to run a government. As a culminating project, students will discuss and create their own country.
Law Related Education (LRE) is also an important aspect of social studies as it relates to our Civics unit. Officers Anthony Wells and Jason Glenn have been teaching LRE units since the end of November. Some of the areas which have been taught are Respect for the Law and Stranger Danger. Students have been going through various simulations on how to respond if approached by a stranger. The next unit will be Refusing Harmful Substances.
Map skills are continually being reinforced in third grade. Students are becoming familiar with a variety of maps and learning how to read them. Third graders can be a terrific source on their next family trip!
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Second Grade
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Pardes second graders are learning about economics as part of the Social Studies curriculum. After reading the story,
From Wheat to Bread
, teachers used it as a springboard to discuss economics from the standpoint of producers and consumers. Students also examined the concept of goods and services. Each student created a collage entitled
Goods and Services
. Students glued magazine pictures into the appropriate column and discussed why the picture belonged in the chosen category.
Lastly, we watched a video focusing on needs vs. wants. Students created lists of needs and wants, and from this activity came some wonderful questions and group discussions. Some of the issues the class debated were money, homes, clothing, health, family, and religion. It lead to great conversation with the students as they reflected upon their wants vs. needs.
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First Grade
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The first grade classrooms celebrated Presidents' Day by honoring two important presidents who were both born in February--George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. First graders may know the names of George Washington and Abe Lincoln and may even know their faces on American currency; but they recently explored the lives of these two presidents more in-depth. Students have been exposed to many rich resources while learning about the interesting lives of these presidents--biographies, nonfiction articles, educational video clips from
Discovery Education
and
Scholastic News
. Through various activities, first grade teachers have had the opportunity to emphasize key social studies concepts such as time, continuity, change, power, authority, and governance.
After learning about each of these presidents, students are able to compare and contrast the lives of Washington and Lincoln. The students learned about their childhood, where they lived, their previous jobs, and of course, how they both worked hard to create and hold the United States together. Ultimately, first graders have a true understanding of why the country honors these two particular presidents.
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Kindergarten
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 The Social Studies curriculum in kindergarten is integrated into themes and cross-curricular units of study. Kindergartners started in the month of February learning about Groundhog's Day; the students made their own predictions and explored animals and hibernation. Next, they traveled across the globe to China where they were introduced to the celebration of Chinese New Year and the symbols of the festival. Several activities related to the Chinese New Year were added into their literacy and math learning. Kindergarten also celebrated Arizona's birthday, learning the famous
I Love You Arizona
song and discovering the state bird, tree and animal.
At the end of the month kindergarten begins its gingerbread unit with a special focus on
Me on the Map
. Kindergarten students each create an individualized book starting with themselves and then enlarging from their house to their school, their city, their state, their country, and their world. Parents and family members from across the world send postcards to the classrooms signed from our 'gingerbread friend' who is on the run! The children enjoy charting and mapping where the runaway gingerbread man is visiting and things he is experiencing on his journeys. It is by far a kindergarten favorite!
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Math
Problem of the Month |
Exciting News - Pardes Mathletes Do It Again!
At the Middle School level of the Math Olympiad, Ethan Cohen scored 4/5 and now has a cumulative score of 17 after four competitions. This is pretty amazing! Ben Brodsky, Risa Farber and Matthew Finks all scored 3/5.
At the Lower School level, Zachary Etzioni, Christopher Lessler and Anya Machbitz all scored 3/5.
Congratulations to all our Mathletes. The final competition will be on Friday, March 11.
The following problem was given to students in grades 6 - 8 on last week's Math Olympiad competition. Are you as smart as a Pardes Mathlete?
Suppose 2x - 3y = 10 and 4x - 5y + z = 37. Find the whole number value of y + z.
If you are able to complete this problem, please email your response to Bethany Spector at [email protected] by noon on Monday, February 22.
Go Pardes Mathletes!
Mazal Tov to the following people, who successfully answered last month's Math problem:
Ira Azulay
Alan Finks
Ariella Friedman
Jennifer Mason
Robin Rosenbloom
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