Gan Bet Explores Light

In discussing the ‘Holiday of Lights” (Chanukah), we brainstormed different sources of light, such as natural resources, like the sun and fire, as well as man-made sources like light bulbs and computer screens. We then learned the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque objects and practiced identifying each based on how much light is able to pass through the object. The children worked in pairs to test their predictions by experimenting with flashlights and various materials, including wax paper, sunglasses, plastic measuring cups, blocks, magnifying glasses and many more classroom items. They then created their own Chanukah-themed "stained glass" transparent window decorations to hang!

Caring for Shelley the Russian Tortoise

The students in Ganon Bet are so kind. They use kind words and have kind habits. When they see someone needs something, they immediately rush to help, whether it’s to get a needed item, share a toy, and especially to help clean up. Their kindness extends to animals as well. We share our classroom Russian Tortoise named Shelly. She has been kindly cared for by students in Yavneh’s preschool for over 20 years. They are gentle with her in the classroom and even take turns bringing her home as a Shabbat guest!

During indoor recess, Ganon Bet learned about chess with Rabbi Knapp!

Math Counts Program

Our Grade 1 mathematicians and special guests enjoyed an evening of hands-on, fun math activities. Activities included calculating the distance of their paper airplanes’ flight path, skip counting through a hopscotch board, guesstimating quantities, and playing with patterns. Yavneh’s MATH COUNTS program reminded everyone that math is embedded in everything that we do and can be appreciated in exciting and engaging ways. Mazel tov to our guesstimation winner whose guess was 1 number away from the actual number of dreidels in the guesstimation jar.

Fourth Graders are Learning about Chanukah

This week, fourth graders continued our exciting Chanukah Station Rotations. We deepened our understanding of the historic story, laws and customs of Chanukah through different modalities. The students enjoyed working independently, in partners, playing games and working with the teacher at the different stations. 

First Graders Use Bee Bots to Tell a Story

Mrs. Domb’s first graders retold the story Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox through the use of Bee Bots.  Each group had to program their Bee Bot to go to a character on the storyboard while sequencing and retelling the story.  It was a challenge to program the Bee Bot to go

right or left but 1C preserved and did it!  They are budding engineers!

Making Olive Oil

Yavneh first graders experienced the exciting process of making their own olive oil. They pitted and crushed the slippery olives with their hands! They squeezed the olives in the olive press, turning them into olive juice. The students learned about using centrifugal force, the force of spinning in order to separate the oil from the juice. Lighting a chanukiyah with oil that the students made by themselves was an unforgettable experience!

Yavneh Robotics Team Competes in 1^st Competition of the Year

 Yavneh Academy's inaugural robotics team, led by Gilit Herman, is off to a great start. The team, made up of dedicated 7th and 8th-grade students, worked hard to build and code their VEX robots to compete in the CIJE Robotics Competition this past Tuesday. The tournament was a lot of fun and a great experience for the students. Their hard work paid off, as two of the teams made it to the playoffs. The students demonstrated their skills and teamwork, making us all proud. The students will continue to work on their robots and look forward to competing in the next competition in the spring.

Seventh Graders Learn about Techeilet

One of the great halachic discoveries in the past few decades is the renewal of techeilet, the light blue dye that the Torah commands us to include as part of our tzitzit. Our 7th grade students had the opportunity this week to learn about how techeilet is made and to actually make the dye and see how it turns from clear to blue when correctly processed (and how the same ingredients could turn purple if not dealt with correctly). While the process was a bit smelly (ok, it was a LOT smelly), our students were given a unique opportunity to witness and participate in a real life example of the intersection of Torah and science. Our thanks to Mr. Joel Guberman from Ptil Techeilet for his masterful and engaging teaching of this fascinating topic.

Sixth Graders Research Mesopotamia

In 6th grade Social Studies the students researched important people and events from Mesopotamia. After organizing their information in a graphic organizer, the students learned how to input and arrange data in Google Sheets. The Google Sheets template allowed each student to generate a digital interactive timeline that showcased the events they researched. Additionally, each student designed a 3D model that highlighted part of their research. Students made dioramas of Sumerian scribes and warriors with beautifully painted backdrops. Large models of the Ishtar Gate, Ziggurats and city-states transformed the classroom into ancient Mesopotamia. The classes enjoyed utilizing their research, technology and art skills to deepen their understanding of Mesopotamian history.

Sixth Grade Trip to High Exposure

This past Saturday night, the 6th graders enjoyed a fun night out at

High Exposure. Students took turns climbing the various walls, including tall pipes, rock walls, and a giant Rubik's cube wall. Students enjoyed trying to scale Ninja Warriors ramps and various other Ninja activities. They had fun challenging each other to games of dodge-ball, and other amazing activities. What a great evening!