Mazel tov, Class of 2021!

Meira

Ike

Leah

Robbie

Sam

Daniel

Tomer

Ronit

Surprisingly, we have come to the end of another school year. To put it into simple words: WOW, have we accomplished a lot this year! Allow me to highlight just one example of creative out-of-the-box learning that is Akiba-Schechter. As you know, a few weeks ago, the State of Israel found herself in a difficult position once again. Here in Chicago, many felt their emotions torn between their open-minded Western values and their support for their religious homeland, which quickly became an issue of identity. Can I be a Zionist and remain true in caring for the less fortunate (a clear biblical mandate)?

This question, among many others, was asked by our students, particularly our 7th and 8th graders. As I walked into class one day, a 7th-grade student began raising this discussion and was looking for serious answers. Given her concern and seeing the other students' faces eagerly awaiting my response, I scrapped the planned lesson for the remaining weeks of school and asked the students to open their computers. I then assigned each student a different news outlet from the New York Times, to The Daily Wire, to Haaretz, to Al Jazeera, to Prager University. Our goal was to research the underlying issues of the current hostilities and a possible plan for everlasting peace. Each student needed to learn from left and right-leaning news sources. That is to say, we need to learn from all narratives, all perspectives.

This past Monday, the 7th and 8th grades were treated to a Zoom presentation and discussion with Dr. Daniel Aschheim, the Consul for Public Diplomacy for the Israeli Embassy to the Midwest. Students asked questions and engaged in dialogue to understand the different narratives but also how to interact with people who hold a different view.

May all of your students go from strength to strength as they continue their learning journey! Shabbat Shalom!

Mazel tov to the Kindergarten! Wednesday's graduation was beautiful!

A big thanks to Kindergarten teacher Jamee Rubin for orchestrating a fantastic year, and to Morah Schinasi for adding the Hebrew component. Have a great summer, and see you in first grade!

Last Friday the ZoomRoom preschoolers celebrated a year of learning and growing and their last day of ZoomRoom. They all enjoyed their year together and they now have a class family, which they drew on their last day. For sure they will remain close and keep in contact, because that’s just what family does!

Upstairs Preschoolers drew a picture of their story about aliens and robots.

1st/2nd graders made "elephant toothpaste" for their final science experiment of the year. Students tested what happened when they combined hydrogen peroxide with a yeast mixture (and food coloring, of course!) -- and then compared that to what happened when they also added soap to the ingredients. Both times their efforts resulted in a foamy solution flowing out of the top of the bottle, but students observed many differences, too, including texture and flow speed.

Art teacher Dara gave the 3rd/4th graders a pile of scuba goggles left over from last year's project, which had made use of materials donated by Dive Heart (see What to Do with all that Amazing Scuba Gear? - December 2019) The 3rd/4th grade artists brainstormed ideas of how to modify, embellish, and decorate the goggles. Soon they split into groups and got to work incorporating the goggles into scenes they then wrote about. They painted, glued, wrote, and created over several weeks!

5th/6th graders doing their final presentations on their research project on how Akiba can reduce its environmental impact.

It wasn't C-SPAN. Nor was it PBS. If you joined Akiba-Schechter online on Thursday, June 3, you witnessed the 7th and 8th graders moderating a panel discussion entitled “How Accessible is Safe Drinking Water in Chicago?” It was the culminating project of a nine-week interdisciplinary study.

Mazel tov to 6th grader Sami Berlin, who celebrated her bat mitzvah with a girls/women's minyan at Akiba last week. Thank you for sharing your simcha with us!

Thank you to our lovely PTO, who gifted our staff with personalized stationary and a gift card as a thank you for an amazing school year. You have been terrific in cheering us on and planning fun events despite all the hurdles of this year.

Our Friday, June 4 Day of Learning was dedicated in honor of Sami Berlin's Bat Mitzvah. Sami, we are so proud of you, and you bring us so much nachas everyday! Mazel Tov! Love, Papa Lenny & Grandma Phyllis