8th Grade Girls Participate in Friendship Circle

I just wanted to share my experience with the 8th grade girls yesterday. They were so amazing, energetic, involved, attentive, and dedicated. I was so impressed with how they interacted with the Friendship Circle members. It was a huge success!
Barbra Solomon

 

Rabbi Kessel's Shabbaton

Rabbi Kessel's class embarked on a shiur shabbaton in Clifton, NJ this past weekend. The boys were greeted at the door with mini hot dogs and soda, a foreshadowing of all the good food that lied ahead. Friday Night, the boys davened in Kol Yeshurun followed by a delicious seudah with Divrei Torah by Eli Schloss and Matthew Ganchrow. The boys then went to the Beis Medrash for an hour night seder followed by a late night Chulent! Shabbos morning began with the shiur making their own minyan with every bar mitzvah boy splitting up the laining. The Seudas Shabbos featured more delicious food, singing and divrei torah from Joe Baron and Avraham Kahan. In the afternoon, the boys relaxed and had a very intense pool and mini-hockey tournament. As Shalosh Seudos rolled around, the boys had worked up an appetite, however the highlight was the singing led by Ben Antosofsky and Eitan Waldman. After Maariv and Havdala the boys went home uplifted and well fed. The shabbaton was summed up by Matthew Ganchrow "it was the best 25 hours of my life!"

6th Grade Ivrit Project

As an introduction to middle school, our 6^th graders learned in their Ivrit classes about important Jewish historical figures who revolutionized Jewish life and Torah education, the effects that they had on their world, and their legacy to us today. Some of the personalities we studies include:

• Eliezer Ben Yehuda(אליעזר בן יהודה)  – The father of modern day Hebrew who believed that the Jewish language would unify the Jewish people and link us with our shared history.
• Baal Shem Tov –(הבעל שם טוב) The founder of the Hassidic Movement who believed that everyone could serve Hashem in his/her own way.
• Sarah Schenirer – (שרה שנירר) The founder and visionary of the Bet Yaakov Movement, which changed how Jewish girls would be educated.

The song by Arik Einstein,(אריק איינשטין) "אני ואתה" ,which led to a discussion of how every person has the capacity to change the world in a unique way;

Students were given an assignment to identify, research and create a poster or Powerpoint describing an historical figure of paramount importance. Please take a look at just a few samples...

Morah Shira Greenspan 7G Debates: To king or not to king?

In their study of I Shmuel 8, the seventh grade girls have been engaged in a heated debate over whether or not it is the right time to fulfill the mitzvah in Devarim 17:15 of appointing a king. The students developed and supported strong arguments for and against the resolution: the time for the appointment of a king of Israel has arrived. Using professional and respectful language, 7G then presented their cases and responded to the points made by the opposing side. Congratulations to all of the debaters on a job well done and for arguing so strongly and respectfully in the name of the leadership of Am Yisrael.

Rabbi Cohn - Distance Learning- Honors Girls' Gemara

Three years ago Rabbi Hagler presented me with an interesting challenge. He suggested that I become the Gemara “rebbe” for the 8^th grade girls at Noam teaching from my home in Yerushalayim. As I have had the privilege of teaching 8^th graders for many years, and it had been such a rewarding experience, I jumped right at Rabbi Hagler’s offer and I am now in the midst of my third year teaching at Noam via Skype.

The most surprising success of this experiment is what I was most nervous about. Would it be possible to form a teacher-student relationship via a computer screen? I can answer a resounding yes! Mind you, that I see them for only one period a day and I do not have the luxury of “hanging” with them during recess or lunch, but yet I feel that I know the girls, their learning styles and strengths and weaknesses, and that they know me.

Self discipline is the credo of the class, and in some ways that is the most important life skill which the class is able to impart. While I can see and hear everything in the room the lack of a physical presence might be an invitation for irresponsibility or laxity. The girls have risen up to the challenge and have taken responsibility for themselves and their education which ultimately is the goal of middle school education. In fact, my favorite moment is when the girls take a test with no proctor physically in the room, and are governed by their own conscious and by the knowledge that they are being trusted and respected and that is more than sufficient reason to abide by the highest standards of behavior.

So, how does the class work? Yeshivat Noam has invested in technology, that provides a crystal clear Skype connection (at least most of the time) allowing a feeling as if I am in Paramus. The distance learning room is furnished with excellent sound and the class size has been a maximum of 15. In addition to Skype we use “Team Viewer” so that as I type notes on my computer screen the girls see it on the smart board. This provides us with the technology that we need in order to learn together effectively.

Gemara learning on the 8^th grade level is an amazing and mesmerizing experience. Students have learned the basic methodology and flow of the Gemara in grades 6 and 7 and are now prepared to think about the Gemara a lot more and to begin  to use the text as a tool to start figuring the Gemara on their own. The transition from being a learner of the material to becoming an active participant in the process of learning is of course what תורה שבעל פה is all about.

Finally, as I sit in my home in Yerushalayim teaching the students of Noam, the connection to ארץ ישראל and specifically to ירושלים עיר הקודש is enhanced. I do my best to convey to the girls the unbelievable זכות we have to participate in the miracle of שיבת ציון and I try to take every opportunity to share with them the small things that make Israel so special.

I am thoroughly enjoying the experience!

Mrs. Shapiro - SLS - 8th Grade

In 8th grade Student Learning Skills class with Mrs. Shapiro, the students have been working on various study skills and reading text skills over the past months.  Recently, the students were assigned a research project in their Social Studies class where they have to research one shtetl in Europe in depth or compare two shtetls from different sides of Europe.  The students created 3-Dimensional organizers to help them organize their research and thoughts in a logical order.  

To make your own you will need the following materials:

• File folder
• 3 envelopes cut in half
• index cards
• tape/glue
• pen/marker

-Open the file folder and glue/tape 5 of envelope pockets to the folder.

-Label each pocket-- the information that will be written in that paragraph

and a letter identifying the pocket “number”

-On the front of the file folder write down the sources you will be using labeling those with numbers

-When you begin to research, write facts down onto index cards.  Label the top of the index card with the corresponding pocket number and source number.

-After research is complete, take all the index cards from one pocket and organize them in a logical order based on content.

-Use the notes from the index cards and combine them with other facts to create a paragraph.

Mrs. Tabak - SLS - 7th Grade

In the seventh grade Student Learning Skills class, students have the opportunity to sharpen skills that allow them to be better-prepared students.  We touch on a range of issues from the more basic, such as organizing a locker or binder, to the more complicated, such as organizing a study guide for an upcoming test.  Over the years, many resources have been culled and used by teachers to enable their students to create and reach goals.  

One resource that can be modified depending on the level and skills of each student is The Essay Machine (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y2OKvHBW9fZ_UBui9a3LOEDJtXKw4TqLXP2hdprfVGo/preview).  Contrary to what it sounds like, this is not a website that will create an essay for the student.  Instead, it breaks down the general format of every essay and allows space for the student to write.  

Another excellent resource for teachers and parents alike is http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/project_graduation/online_tutorials/english/materials/reading_middleschool.pdf.  This article is replete with exercises that strengthen skills such as pre-reading, predicting, inferring, questioning and summarizing.  It also contains test-taking strategies and helpful hints for research projects.

    Finally, teachers, parents and students may often wonder why certain study habits are better than others, and the following article sets out to answer this question https://imageserv7.team-logic.com/mediaLibrary/15/Research_On_What_Type_Of_Study_Techniques_Work_Best.pdf.  This article goes through ten commonly-used study habits and classifies them as either low, moderate or high-utility strategies.  The authors also note how various factors may impact the given strategy.  These factors include: learning conditions, type of student, learning materials, ways of measuring student learning and implementational issues.

    These are simply three of many useful websites that can be found on the Internet.  While they may be well hidden beneath virtual piles of Facebook messages and Youtube videos, such resources are valuable to anyone trying to enable a student to reach his/her fullest potential.  

Dr. Malki Lanner - 8B Chumash

In Morah Malki's 8B Chumash class, the boys are working towards advancing their textual and methodological Chumash skills.  They are being exposed to classical Rishonim (eg. Rashi, Ramban, S'forno) and learning through their texts as well as learning their overall methodology and approach.  The boys are also being exposed to later commentaries (eg. Rav Hirsch, Rav Soloveitchik, Rabbi Menachem Leibtag) in order to become familiar with contemporary thought and learning styles.

6th Grade Science - Density Fun! Aliza Chanales

The sixth graders have been studying density in science class. After learning about the abstract concept, students worked in groups to study and analyze three fun applications of density's impact on the sinking and floating of everyday objects and people.  We used a "Predict. Observe. Explain" structure to keep track of what was happening and to begin to piece together a rich explanation of why it was happening. In one experiment, students built "lava lamps." A bottle filled with oil and a little colored water is ordinary, but add an alka seltzer tablet to create some carbon dioxide and all of a sudden you get bubbles rising and falling.  The gas gets trapped in a water bubble making it less dense than oil and causing it to rise. When the bubble pops at the top, all that is left is water, which sinks back down, and the process repeats.  A similar thing happens to some beans in vinegar when you add baking soda.  The gas creates mini life jackets for the beans, making them less dense by increasing their volume without adding much mass.  Perhaps, most interestingly though, we investigated why we float so easily in the Dead Sea.  When salt dissolves in water, it makes the water more dense, making humans (or, in our model, some boiled eggs dubbed Eggbert/Eggbertina) relatively less dense.  It was magical to see the egg float in the middle of the glass - right between the fresh water and the very-salty water! It was even more magical to hear students comfortably use their scientific knowledge to explain what they have seen and experienced, and to begin to see other everyday occurrences in new ways. Consult your local sixth grader to try these demonstrations at home!

Density Fun! - slideshows

7th Grade Social Studies - Nelson Mandela

The seventh grade students spent today learning about a great leader, Nelson Mandela.  They learned about South African's struggle for racial equality and Mandela's important role in helping that happen. The student's also learned about Mandela's complex view of Israel. We discussed how on one hand he believed in the State of Israel, but on the other hand he was very pro the Palestinians and close to Arafat and Gaddafi. We spent time discussing how even people we admire and respect, can also do things that we disagree with.

Chanukah Video 2013

Dear Parents, Grandparents and Friends,
This week at Yeshivat Noam was filled with ruach and inspiration in celebration of Chanukah. The amount of time and talent dedicated to programming by our administrators and teachers resulted in memorable and exciting experiences for our students. Please take the time to watch this video and use it to engage your students  in conversation about Chanukah at Yeshivat Noam.
Chanukah Video 2013
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Chaim Hagler Principal

Color War Day 2!

Students returned today dressed in color for day 2 of color war. The day began with tefillah and then went right into the Apache relay. Students then participated in zimriya, art presentations, stomp presentations, chulent tasting, digital divrei torah, shiur, girls vs staff basketball game, boys vs staff basketball game, and lastly our annual Chanukah chagiga. The day ended with a special performance by the girls' exploratory choir group led by Morah Shira and the announcement of the winning team...............Aish!!!!!!!!!!!

Color War Day 2 - slideshow

" The Full Spectrum of Torah" Color War Day 1!

Color War Day 1 Happy Chanukah! - slideshow

Color war broke out on Wednesday and the students returned today ready to participate dressed in yellow for "or", red for "aish", blue for "mayim", and green for "aitz". Students competed today in events such as hockey shootout, musical chairs, Taboo, dodgeball, Jenga, gaga, dreidal spinoff, knowledge masters, chulent cookoff, team cheer, 3x3 basketball, European handball, Solomon says, Pictionary, team flashmobs, domino menorah and most importantly tefillah and shiur. There was something for everyone. Stay tuned for Day 2!