This Week at Yavneh Academy

December 30, 2021 | 27 Tevet 5782 | וארא

Early Childhood Department

מה חסר (What is Missing)?

The Ganon Aleph children enjoyed playing “Ma Chaser?,” an interactive game to learn Hebrew words for winter clothing. We introduced four items, kfafot (gloves), tsaif (scarf), kovah (hat) and me’il (coat) and reviewed them several times before beginning the game. We laid a bag on top of the items while all the children closed their eyes. At this time, the Morah removed an item. When everyone opened their eyes, we all asked together, “Ma Chaser?” The children raised a quiet hand to share the answer of what is missing. This game helps to promote memory recall, incorporate Hebrew language, and involves patience, listening, as well as good sportsmanship.

Powder Pictures

In conjunction with our winter unit, each child created a winter themed picture using chalk. It was very exciting to draw with this new art medium. After learning that works of art are given titles by artists, each Gan Hey artist had the opportunity to title their design. Our class has been enjoying looking at our beautiful and creative ‘Powder Pictures’ in our classroom gallery!

Lower School

Chayei Sarah - in Comic Strip Form

Third graders have been designing beautiful comic strips as a final project on Chayei Sarah. Students planned out how to divide the story to allow the reader to be carried through the journey of eved Avraham through their artful hand-drawn creations. Students titled each picture with key pesukim from the story as a narration tool. Finally, we put them in our Chumash journals so we can keep them forever!

Second Graders Examine the Constitution

The second grade students have been examining the United States Constitution, specifically the famous portrait of the Constitutional Congress of the 1700's. They noticed that in that portrait there were only white men. They questioned why there weren’t any men of color or women at all. This extremely important document that governs our entire nation did not represent all the people of our nation. To that end we drew our own pictures of what that same portrait would look like today.

Fifth Graders Study Owl Pellets

5A students had the opportunity to dissect owl pellets, and use their newly acquired knowledge of food chains and ecosystems to identify what the owls ate! Students were tentative at first, but some partners had to play rock, paper, scissors in order to figure out who got the first stab! Students worked in small groups to analyze, discuss and brainstorm - and what a rich experiment and learning experience this turned out to be! We are so proud of our observant scientists!

"Gross and cool!," said almost every 5A student!

When Life Gives you Lemons……Make a Battery!

The fifth graders who participate in the STEM elective have been studying electricity and circuitry. This week, the students made batteries using lemons, pennies, and nails. It required several lemons that were wired together to light up a single LED bulb. The excitement was ELECTRIFYING!

Grade 5 Sheva Brachot for Morah Mikayla - Mazal Tov!

Middle School

Shnayim Mikra Siyum

Our Middle School students celebrated the first siyum of the Shnayim Mikra program this week. Over 25 students successfully learned all or most of the parshiyot in Sefer Bereishit with at least one translation and commentary over the course of the past three months and were treated to a delicious lunch of pizza and ice cream. After eating, students were shown a video where each one of them shared something new that they had learned in Sefer Bereishit, and then played a Kahoot reviewing facts from throughout the Sefer. The siyum concluded with a short shiur from Rabbi Ross about some of the major ideas in Sefer Shemot, which many of our students have begun learning as well. Additionally, students who chose to take weekly quizzes about the parsha received a Sefer by Rav Asher Weiss about parshat hashavua. A huge Kol HaKavod to the many students who have made this learning a part of their weeks, and a special thank you to Mr. Rossman for all of his work in coordinating the program.

שבוע השפה העברית

Last week in Middle School, we focused on the development of the Hebrew language in our Ivrit classes. We learned about Eliezer Ben Yehuda who renewed the Hebrew language. We delved into his life story and watched a documentary in which his nephew speaks about the Ben- Yehuda family. He spoke of the sacrifice the entire family made to achieve the goal of reviving the Hebrew language to become a spoken language. Our students played games, read stories, created projects related to Eliezer ben Yehuda works. 8th grade students wrote a biography on the author Deborah Omer, who wrote the book ‘HaBichor L’Beit Avi’ and worked on book reports about the first boy who spoke Hebrew, Itamar Ben-Avi.

Yavneh's 79th Annual Dinner will be on January 15th 2022. To make a contribution please visit www.yavnehdinner.com Looking forward to celebrating with you!