Enjoy Kushner Connections Weekly Newsletter

January 11, 2024/ 1st of Sh'vat 5784/ Parsha Vaera

Candle Lighting: 4:32 PM

Early Childhood/Lower School

First grade has been learning about Canada for social studies. While looking at the map and the topography of the country, they discovered that a big part of Canada is a part of the arctic circle. The students then brought some of that weather into their classroom with a crossover science project by making their own snow!

EC4 is planning ahead for their parsha project this week. The students learned about the makkot in their parsha study and worked on a "makkah wheel" that will be used as one of the pages for their Haggadot.

Second grade students are learning about sound in science. They participated in hands-on centers using different items and tuning forks to test vibrations and how it travels.

The month of Shevat is a special time to focus on the importance of berachot. On Tuesday, January 16th (6’ Shevat), we will be holding our Annual Bracha Bee for Gan through 4th grade. This week, classes conducted the first round of the bracha bee to crown the class champions who will proceed to the final round. Mazal tov to our class winners from this week's first round of Bracha Bee competition! They will be competing on stage in the Auditorium demonstrating their bracha skills to all on Tuesday morning. EVERYONE is still participating in the final round! We will be running a simultaneous digital Bracha Bee for our students in the audience and a grand prize winner will emerge from the seats as well. Therefore, everyone is encouraged to keep working on their brachot - New packets have been distributed to our winners. You can also access the packet here.

Middle School

Nitsan Galinsky, Ivrit teacher Mr Galinsky's daughter joined Mr Galinsky's Middle School class. She spoke about her experience growing up in Israel, the Zofim (Israelו scouts),volunteer work during her gap year in Beit Shemesh and the Keshet project (creating young leadership in Israel) and her service in the IDF. The kids were engaged and asked Nitsan many questions.

In order to help visualize the math that they're learning, sixth graders were involved in a math activity with a clothes-pin number line. Students had to compare and order fractions, decimals and percents. It was a little tricky to keep adding those tiny numbers like 0.05%. Students did really well working together to figure it all out.

The new Ivrit program in JKHA Middle School, "Cinema 76" launched with its first screenings. Groups of students within each Middle School Ivrit class were assigned a location in Israel ranging from a city to a kibbutz or moshav that they had to research. The group then had to make a movie about the place with a detailed rubric of what to include about their assigned location. The first group of classes debuted their films as classmates gathered in the “Cinema” to watch their "films" while munching on popcorn. In the videos, while speaking in Hebrew students introduced themselves, and spoke about their location, the weather there, and where it is on the map of Israel. They then talked about its history, what there is to do there, why does it have its name, including pictures and videos. We can’t wait for more “screenings," taking place this Friday.

To fundraise for their yearbook, the 8th graders decided to throw a movie night after school for all of Middle School. The event was a huge success today with students enjoying watching Toy Story while munching on snacks and supporting the yearbook efforts!

High School

A group of 11th and 12th grade RKYHS students have been participating all year in the SOAR (Seminar on Antisemitism and Racism) program with students from St Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ. After visiting St Benedicts Prep last Friday, the RKYHS students were excited to welcome their friends from Saint Benedict’s Prep to school today, providing them the opportunity to share their Jewish pride and their pride in their school. On of the most beautiful parts of the SOAR program has been the friendships that have developed and flourished between the students, and the participating students from both schools welcome each opportunity where they are able to spend time together. Their morning began with a challah bake, they then heard from JKHA student Annie Orbach about the school's namesakes, followed by a tour of the school that focused on the many areas dedicated to those who perished and survived the Holocaust and honor our alumni in the IDF. The amazing day concluded with a lively tisch with the entire 11th and 12th grades complete with potato kugel and singing and dancing, followed by lunch. The RKYHS SOAR students look forward to more learning and community building events with our two communities in the future.

Organized by the RKYHS Chesed Executive Board, the Peer Tutor Program connects RKYHS students in need of assistance in a certain subject with peer tutors who have volunteered to assist them with their studies. Students benefit from working with a fellow student who is skilled in a subject area. The program has recently launched in the Middle School as well, pairing Middle Schoolers with RKYHS tutors. The peer tutors who have so generously given of their time to help fellow students gathered for a well-deserved pizza lunch this week. The RKYHS Peer Tutor program is run by 11th graders Aidan Korish and Eden Fusman together with 10th graders Sophia Steiner and Jacob Adler who have recently been appointed to help oversee the Peer Tutor program for Middle School.

Ninth grade art elective students have been busy in the ceramics studio forming creations while learning about this medium. They are currently up to the glazing stage and their works will then be fired in the kiln in the school's ceramics studio.

Rabbi Kirsch's Sociology Class heard from guest speaker Mrs. Eta Levenson, who shared facts, figures and resources about suicide prevention, representing the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Mrs. Levenson became an advocate for suicide prevention after her son Eric Levenson (JKHA '01) took his own life. She is committed to continuing his legacy and in ensuring that others do not suffer or feel stigmatized because of their challenges.

Tenth grade art students displayed their creativity and talent in their recent project. They were tasked with taking a branded item from the every day and altering it in its messaging - i.e. "frownios" vs cheerios, "Top secret" vs Pop Secret, and then depicting their new item and its new focus in paint form. The students had a blast coming up with their products and creating their finished works.

SPORTS

Members of the RKYHS Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams traveled to Boston last weekend to participate in the Maimonides Invitational Basketball Tournament where they competed against host school Maimonides, Hanc, Kohelet in Pennsylvania, and Farber Hebrew Day School in Michigan. The athletes enjoyed getting to know the students from the other schools and spending Shabbat together. Congratulations to our teams on their wins throughout the tournament. Seniors Maya Bank and Craig Silberger were selected as first team all stars and Junio Emily Tennenberg and Senior Yarin Krasner were selected as second team all stars. Special shout out to Maya Bank who sunk a half court buzzer beater shot. View the video here!

Congratulations to the RKYHS Boys JV Basketball team on their tonight over Heschel 63- 57!

Congratulations to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Hockey team on their win over MTA 8-5!

Congratulations to the RKYHS Boys Varsity Hockey team on their win over JEC 10-0!

ALUMNI

Mazel Tov to Melyssa (JKHA '09/RKYHS '13) and David Mandelbaum (RKYHS '13) on the birth of a baby boy!

Mazel Tov to Shaina and JJ Baron (JKHA '04) on the birth of a baby girl!

Mazel Tov to Avigayil and Perry Raskin (JKHA '09/RKYHS '13) on the birth of a baby boy!

Mazel Tov to Nikki (Goldberg) (JKHA '11) and Izzy Freidman on the birth of a baby girl!

Mazel Tov to Esther and Moshe Longman (JKHA '14) on the birth of a baby girl!

Mazel Tov to Danielle (Stark) and Joshua Blank (JKHA '09/RKYHS '13) on the birth of a baby boy!

Mazel Tov to our newest Kushner Couple, Miriam Edery and Jonah Eisenberg (both JKHA '16/RKYHS '20) on their recent wedding!

Mazel Tov to Leenoy Havov (RKYHS '22) on her engagement to Eli Enakab!

Thank you to Ron Sroor (JKHA '10/RKYHS '14) who came in to guest lecture in Mr. Berger's RKYHS Media Arts Elective class. He is a Youtuber (Artist and 3D Animator) and shared his experience in Youtubing and Content Creation.

DIVREI TORAH

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