This Week at Yavneh Academy

December 31, 2020 | 17 Tevet 5781 | ויחי

Early Childhood Department

Ganon Bet Welcomes Winter

Brrrr! It’s really cold outside and that means one thing…winter is officially here!

Ganon Bet welcomed the season of winter into our classroom. We compared many differences among the seasons such as the way we dress and the trees outside, just to name a few. We enjoyed playing in the snow last week and this week we brought that winter feeling into our classroom. We practiced writing our names, counted the letters in our name and used “snowballs” to then build our name. We decorated the snowmen & hung them in the hallway to share our love of winter! We also did a science experiment mixing conditioner & baking powder that looked and felt just like real snow.

We had SNOW much fun!!!

Gan Gimmel Emulates Yaakov Avinu

When discussing Parshat Vayechi this week, we learned that Yaakov knew his children very well and gave them brachot corresponding to each of their unique traits. We extended this idea into a conversation about how Hashem made each of his creatures special. We read the book Marsupial Sue by John Lithgow about a kangaroo who didn’t appreciate her unique quality of hopping and tried instead to be like other animals, with disastrous results. We then shared what makes each of special and created our own class book highlighting our unique traits.

Lower School

Mazal tov Kitah Bet!

Mazal tov to our Kitah Bet students who received their Chumashim this past Sunday. All of the students and their families participated (from their cars) in a very special Chumash Celebration Parade at Yavneh. Cars were decorated, treats we distributed, students each had a turn at the celebratory photo booth, and of course their Chumashim were presented by Rabbi Penn and the morot. Throughout the week in the evening, each class had a special premiere showing of their Chagigat Hachumash. Everyone was able to watch comfortably from their homes and celebrate the students beginning to learning Torah.

Click HERE for more photos!

Third Graders Begin to Learn Rashi

Over the last two weeks in 3E we have begun two units that work hand in hand. Last week we introduced Rashi to the students - we learned about Rashi's life and about why he is the parshan that we start with learning in 3rd grade. Students have begun getting used to "Rashi's script" letters and will be ready to delve into his interpretations of Torah in just a few short weeks! In addition, this week in Ivrit we are learning "milot sheila" - question words, and how to form full sentence answers to questions that are asked. We are excited for these units to be brought together when the students will formulate Rashi's questions and answers on the psukim in their own words!

Fourth Graders Learn about Energy

Fourth grade students at Yavneh are wrapping up an interactive unit on energy! They learned about renewable and non-renewable energy sources, force, friction, potential vs. kinetic energy, and energy transfer… all with the aid of fun hands-on activities to support their understanding of concepts. Our students worked together to develop a clean alternative energy plan for a fictional U.S. town, discovered how force is related to energy output, and how they could use Dominoes, and the transfer of energy, to construct a Rube Goldberg contraption of their own to make things happen. Finally, teachers from our tech department came in and guided students as they constructed a circuit of their own and helped them discover what actually happens when we "flip a switch!"

Middle School

Mazal Tov!

This past week, we had the privilege of celebrating Emanuela Milman’s Bat Mitzvah together in school. During our 6^th grade minyan, Emanuela gave a beautiful Dvar Torah. Students listened to her wonderful words and thoughts; her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were able to watch the celebration via Zoom, while her brother Michael was able to listen in from the back of the gym. After a few rounds of song, students finished tefilla, and were able to enjoy some delicious cupcakes courtesy of the Milman family.

Yad Leah Coat Drive

Yavneh Academy and its Chesed Team were proud to participate in the The United Yeshiva Coat Drive for Yad Leah. Hundreds of coats and cold weather items were collected in our Yavneh lobby. On Thursday, our Yavneh Academy Chesed Team sorted through the items to ensure that no ripped or stained items were sent. Before beginning the sorting of the clothes, a description of the Yad Leah “stores” in Israel was given to the students. They could thereby understand that Yad Leah tries to maintain the dignity of the recipients by allowing them to actually shop for the clothing they need. It is therefore important that whatever we send is in good condition and will make the recipients feel good about their new clothes. The students then wrote meaningful cards in Hebrew sharing “warm wishes.” They decorated the cards with colorful pictures of warm coats and patriotic images of Israel’s partnership with the United States. The cards were then placed in the pockets of the coats being donated. Items were then folded and placed in boxes to be shipped to Israel.

We are so proud to have been able to provide our “family” in Israel with both physical warmth and warm wishes!

Click HERE for more photos!