6B2 Halacha with Morah Shira

Why doesn't the Rambam defend himself with someone like Rav Moshe Isserles challenges him? The Magen Avraham and the Chofetz Chaim agree on so many things; were they best friends or something? 

As 6B2 begins their study of relevant topics in halacha this year, such as hilchot brachot, hilchot kibud av v'em, and Shabbat (to name a few), we have begun to contextualize the various sources and de'ot that will guide our learning. Each student researched a posek from the 7 eras of poskei halacha. After creating posters that summarize key facts about their poskim, the students hung each one up as a reference for us on our class timeline of poskei halacha. We have already been able to reference it this week! The Shulchan Aruch (Rav Yosef Karo) and the Mishneh Torah (Rav Moshe ben Maimon) came up as we began to prepare for Yom Kippur! 

6th Grade Math- Ms. Aliza Chanales

Dear Dr. Math

The sixth graders in Ms. Chanales's math class have skipped several years of schooling and have received their doctorates in mathematics. Imaginary students from around the world write to them, seeking their advice and guidance on how to solve problems or their wisdom for explanations about why some of their favorite rules and algorithms work. The goal of this assignment is to help students move beyond using standard algorithms to compute. We want them to understand how these procedures developed and why they work. The students have done an exceptional job stepping into the role of Dr. Math and their ability to both understand and explain math is amazing! Feel free to send us your own math queries. 

Here is a sample of some letters and their responses:

Dear Zero Hero,
Your thought is a common one and I would like to help you resolve it. You are correct that 0.8 is the same as 0.80. This applies only to decimals and not numbers higer than 1.00. If you would "add" a zero to 800 you would get 8000. The reason that you can "add"a zero (change its place) to decimals is that you are not changing its value.You see,decimals are like fractions. For this particular question you have to divide the following (0.8) 8/10=.80 and (0.80) 80/10=.80. After dividing it becomes clear that they are equal. Also, your teacher is correct that you aren't really adding zeros. The value of 0.80 and 0.8000 are the same. While the value of 80 and 8000 aren't. I hope this helps make your head less fuzzy. Sincerely, Dr. Math (Binyamin)

Dear Missing the Point,
You are missing the point here. The reason you line up the decimals is so that you can add thousandths with thousandths and hundredths with hundredths and tenths with tenths and ones with ones and tens with tens and hundreds with hundreds... you get the point. if you didn't line up the decimals you'd be adding tens with hundreds and ones with tenths and everything would be messy because each of those are different sizes. That's why it's so important to line up the decimals.
-Dr. Math (Eitan)

Dear Borrower Worrier,
First of all it's not like borrowing sugar from your neighbor. This borrowing is if you have a number 800.5-6.7 you have to take the 800 and change that to a 700 so you can make the next number 10 tens. Which equals a hundred , which is the hundred that we took off from the 800 to make it 700. Then you have the next column. you just added a ten for the tens column but there's nothing to subtract there. But then you look at the next column and you see that the bottom number is bigger then the top number. So you take 10 and make it a 9 and you cross out the 0 and make it a ten because ten ones are equal to one ten. So now you can subtract those two numbers. But than you have to do the same thing for the next column to make sure that you can subtract the top number to the bottom.
From,
Dr.Math. (Eli)

6G Tefilla with Ms. Senders and Morah Shira

The 6th grade girls have risen to the challenge of creating a meaningful tefilla experience for themselves. "We get to daven together every Shacharit," one girl said, "And we chose special themes for each day of the week to help make each day special and then we have something to look forward to."

Our weekly schedule, designed by the girls themselves, goes as follows:

• Meaningful Move Mondays- we watch a meaningful video and discuss its impact on our tefilla
• Talky Tuesdays- we talk about a part of tefilla that we are unfamiliar with (like Tachanun or Slichot) so that we can grow in our understanding of be'ur tefilla
• What We Want Wednesdays- we emphasize our bakashot for Hashem and practice using respectful language that is appropriate for such asking
• Thoughtful, Thankful Thursdays- gratitude and praise become the focus of our tefilla. We engage in meaningful activities to help facilitate and encourage this
• Flappy Focused Fridays- we take an extra moment to focus our kavanah before each individual part of tefilla as well as revisit the section we learned about on Talky Tuesday and try our best to say that new part with extra umph.

Through the initiative of these driven and passionate students, our tefillot are ready, more than ever, for 5775! Shana tova!

Yeshivat Noam Administration Bakes Honey Cakes for Faculty

We, the administration,  worked long and hard to make these sweet and delicious honey cakes for each staff member at Yeshivat Noam.  Today we went room to room to deliver over 100 cakes to each faculty member and to say shana tova to each of them and to their students.  We thanked our teachers for all they do each day and the students responded by giving their teachers a round of applause.  

Our teachers are truly what makes our school stand out as exemplary, Thank you to each and every Yeshivat Noam teacher for all you do each day.  

Rosh Hashanah 2014- Shana Tova!!!

7G Chumash Bamidbar with Morah Shira Greenspan

Sefer Bamidbar comes to teach us, among many things, how to build an ideal community. The pillars of an ideal community are the יחיד (the individual), the כלל (the larger group), and Hashem (the religious binding of the community). 7G started off the year by connecting themselves as individuals to a larger group. Each girl took a "quiz" that evaluated her unique attributes and choices to determine which shevet she belongs in. While this quiz is not halachically valid for determining such information, it served the educational purpose of highlighting the role the role of the individuals in the making of a larger whole. As we approach each new topic in Sefer Bamidbar we revisit our question of "How is what the Torah teaches me here telling me about strengthening each of the pillars of the community?"

Most recently, we learned the Ibn Ezra's peirush to the question of why a Nazir brings a kurban chatat (a sin offering) upon completing his/her period of nezirut. According to the Ibn Ezra, the sin of the Nazir is that by living an elevated life, they have separated themselves from the community- a severe sin. By learning Sefer Bamidbar, we hope to strengthen our understanding of how we can be a part of building an ideal Klal Yisrael.

7G Navi with Morah Shira Greenspan

 

We could not ask a better perek to start our learning of Sefer Shmuel. It just so happens to be the haftarah for the first day of Rosh Hashana. 7G has been pulling meaningful lessons, halachot (as we saw in the gemara in Brachot 31b) and themes from the inspiring story of Chana. Most notably, we saw how when Chana asks Hashem for something, she does so in the context of how being given what she is asking for will facilitate her building a relationship with Hashem. While the answer to our bakashot may often be "no," (as we saw in the moving story of Nachshon Wachsman), every communication we have with Hashem is an opportunity for us to build our relationship with him. 

Following Chana's model, each student went into the Beit Knesset (the closest thing Yeshivat Noam has to a Mishkan until Morah Malki's 6th graders build one) and chose a place to daven that most spoke to her. Each student did her best to speak truly from the heart, as by Chana, "הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ." They spoke loud enough so that they could each hear their own tefilla but not too loud that it could disturb another davener nearby- just like Chana, "רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת, וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ." We were careful to model our bakashot, requests, to Hashem after what Chana did in our perek. Just like she went beyond simply asking Hashem for something, so to, we asked Hashem for things we wanted most within the context of how it could help us achieve a greater closeness with him.

We hope that by modeling our own tefilla after that of Chana, we too can be worthy of building inspiring relationships with Hashem. 

Chumash - Mrs. Benjamin 6th Grade

Mrs. Benjamin's 6th grade Chumash class has gotten off to a fantastic start! Students began the year by reviewing Chumash skills that are essential when learning Chumash, both as a group and independently. All students displayed a true sense of excitement towards beginning Parshat Yitro. Using the website Themercava.com

 

, students were able to interact with the posukim on an in depth level. After posukim were read aloud from a Chumash, students took turns to highlight portions of the posukim on the smart-board in order to break down different parts of the text and translate it to English. Students color coded both the prefix and suffix in many words and underlined shorashim. This activity provided students with a hands on approach towards learning Chumash and was enjoyed by all ! 

 

Commemorating September 11 in the Middle School - Rabbi Jeremy Hellman and Mrs. Ricki Kurtz

Yeshivat Noam commemorated 9/11 with two very meaningful programs. In the morning, 5th-8th graders gathered in the middle school gym to learn about the events of that fateful day. Additionally, they were honored to hear from David Gluck, brother-in-law of 8th grade science teacher Mrs. Barbara Seghal. Mr. Gluck, who worked on the 11th floor of one of the Twin Towers, told stories about 9/11, including how he carried several people down numerous flights of stairs to safety.

In the afternoon, the Yeshivat Noam Middle School gathered in the Beit Knesset for an inspiring program to learn about the term “Meaningful Adjacency.” Through discussions with peers, presentations from teachers, and enlightening videos, the students learned how the designers of the 9/11 memorial placed the names of the victims on the monuments. Names were placed not at random or alphabetical order, but were specifically placed next to individuals that they worked with or next to people that they had unique relationship with.

To help concertize this idea, students heard an emotional presentation from the family of Mr. Abe Zelmanowitz. Mr. Zelmanowitz, a worker on the 27th floor at the World Trade Center, decided to stay in the building with his friend Mr. Ed Beyea, a quadriplegic who was not able to go down the stairs. The family spoke of his amazing qualities and how he was a true Mekadesh Shem Shamayim, someone who sanctifies the Name of God. The students were truly inspired by this unique story. Yeshivat Noam must thank Facing History and Ourselves, who with our new partnership, was able to bring the Zelmanowitz family to the school.  

Abe Zelmanowitz 1946- 2001

Mr. David Gluck carrying a woman out of the building on 9-11

"Game Based Learning" in Math - Ms. Deena Bloom

Don’t mistake September for a “review only” in middle school math. This week, 6th and 7th graders used their skills to tackle new math concepts without even realizing it! The 6th graders applied what they had learned about place value and numbers less than 1, (decimal format) to play a card game.  Students competed against each other in small groups to shade the correct number of hundredths. They had to choose the “right” card to come as close as possible to 2 without going over. The 7th graders practiced order of operations while putting together a 9 piece puzzle. Their challenge was to solve complicated expressions including exponents and parenthesis...most of the time both were in the same expression! Students worked in groups of 2 or 3 to check each others work and solve the puzzle.

7th Grade English - Mrs. Sarah Blum

Mrs. Blum's 8th grade English classes read and analyzed the vignette "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros, a Dominican writer.  In the story, the narrator compares her name, using beautiful, sensory language, to a color, a number, and music.  The narrator discusses her namesake, how she feels about her, and how her name sounds "like silver..."  After pointing out the numerous metaphors and similes, the students then had to think about their own names.  The boys and girls wrote their own vignettes, modeled after the one by Cisneros.  They had to really think creatively and in an "out of the box" kind of way to determine which color, number, and music their name reminded them of.  In addition, students did some family research into who they were named after to write about their namesake.  

Here is a sampling of some of the beautiful writing by our 8th graders:

"My name is light silver like a new diamond ring."

"It sounds like a jungle with all of its beautiful creatures..."

"The color of my name is purple because it's fun and beautiful and it happens to be my favorite color."

"My name is jazz music.  My name is calming, yet assertive."

"...is the strum of a guitar with perfect pitch."

New Solar Panel Presentation by Expert Ms. Aliza Wasserman - Ms. Barbara Sehgal- 8th Grade Science

This week the 8^th grade was able to meet with Aliza Wasserman from the National Governor’s Association.  Ms. Wasserman, analyzes various issues in the areas of electric and environmental policy, including utility business models, analyzing state pathways for federal greenhouse gas rules, energy efficiency, shale development and hydraulic fracturing, economic development, renewable energy and water.( http://www.nga.org)  Ms. Wasserman explained  the fundamentals of how energy travels to our homes and how the solar panels being installed on the roof of our middle school will have an impact not only on the YNoam's energy bill but also support the energy needs of  the community around us.   Ms. Wasserman was excited that YNoam was aware of the possible problems linked to energy consumption and the need for alternative renewable energy like our solar panels.    She spoke about Global warming, climate changes and how this might occur.  Ms. Wasserman extrapolated what might happen to mosquitoes, poison ivy, polar bears and other environmental concerns if we do not start thinking about more efficient and renewable energy platforms.  Ms. Wasserman also gave a gift to the 8^th grade class.  It was a set of 6 solar panel-motorized toys.  She hopes that as the students play with them they will explore and learn more about alternative energy solutions.  You could already hear the whispers as the students left the assembly, about what they might build for this year’s Earth Expo!  A heartfelt thank you  to Mrs. Samara Wasserman (MS English) for working with her sister in-law and bringing this presentation to YNoam.  To read more about Ms. Wasserman and the National Governor’s Association click on this site: http://www.nga.org/cms/home/about/nga-expert-profiles/col2-content/nga-center-for-best-practices/content-reference-12@/aliza-wasserman.html

7th Grade Science Measures Volume - Mrs. Miriam Shteingart

This week, students in Mrs. Shteingart’s 7^th grade science classes began building their lab skills by working on understanding volume and learning how to measure it. In order to put this skill to the test, students spent a class in the lab becoming familiar with graduated cylinders, beakers and test tubes by measuring and mixing different colored solutions. They also got a good feel for experimental error and trial and error as the lab proceeded. Each group started the class with a yellow solution, blue solution and red solution. Following a guided procedure, students added very specific amounts of the solutions to one of six test tubes. They were then told to remove different amounts from one test tube to add to another. Colors began to mix and change and the excitement level of what was being created rose quickly. It was amazing to watch the care with which students handled all the equipment and how they spent time pouring back and forth between the graduated cylinders and beakers to make sure the volumes they were using were exact. Students were not informed in advance of what the end result of the lab activity would look like but were told that once they were finished, if they had completed the procedure properly, the correct answer would be clear. As they finished up the activity, the answer was indeed obvious and we were left with a lab full of amazing rainbows!

Oooh! A Mystery Tube! - Ms. Aliza Chanales - 6th Grade Science

The sixth graders came to science class the first week and encountered a Mystery Tube.  At first, it appears simple: a cardboard tube with string coming out of it. But once you start pulling on the strings, the mystery begins! The strings move in strange ways, each one seems connected to all the others.  The students worked together to use indirect observation to make a claim about what was inside the tube.  They substantiated their claim by designing two dimensional (drawings) and three dimensional (toilet paper roll) models that behaved similarly to the actual tube.  Students came up with so many different, but all possible solutions.  As a class, we then discussed how there are many things in science we wish to study, but cannot observe directly because they are too big, too small, or too inaccessible.  The ability to use behavior and indirect observations to draw conclusions about the structure of objects is important. And, of course, scientists are constantly creating models to explain the phenomena they experience.  When we begin learning about atoms, students will be able to connect these experiences to the abstract world of these teeny-tiny things which make up our world and which have kept scientists interest since for centuries!

 

Game Based Learning in 8th Grade Chumash- Morah Shira Greensan

There is a growing movement in the world of education which encourages that kids learn by doing what kids do best: games! This week, Morah Shira's 8th grade Chumash classes began their study of Perek 23 of Sefer Vayikra which highlights all of the d'orita holidays. In teams of 6, each team member took on the mastery of one of the mo'adim. They intricately reviewed each of the psukim pertaining to their mo'ed in preparation for the big competition.
After their chabura prep time, we reconvened to determine which team had collectively mastered their mo'adim most successfully. The students had a mere few minutes to organize various, out of context facts and details quoted from the psukim into the different categories of each mo'ed. In this high energy game of matching and memory, students were engaged in the learning process 100% of the class time. Now that they are well versed in the basics of the psukim, they are ready to begin delving deeper next week.

We look forward to announcing the winning teams, the teams who most accurately matched the facts and details to their appropriate mo'adim, on Monday.

 

 

 

Middle School Physical Fitness Program - Rebecca Jessin- Dube Zone

DubeZone is thrilled to be running the physical education program at Yeshivat Noam Middle school this year. We will be introducing a new customized curriculum for both the girls and boys.

The boys program was developed as a comprehensive and multifaceted curriculum that consists of over 12 individual PE units. Several new units include,  strength and agility training, track, and fitness challenge. The  program will also include all major sports, focusing on skill development , game concepts and fitness benefits with each lesson plan.

The newly designed girls program will expose students to new categories of physical fitness in an effort to motivate and keep them excited to participate and feel confident. A highly specialized female PE instructor has been chosen to introduce the girls to new activities including Zumba, Hip Hop, Yoga, African Dance, Fitness Training, Track and Pilates. In addition, the curriculum includes several units of sports including basketball, soccer, and volleyball to develop and enhance their athleticism.
DubeZone is focused on building strong minds to complement strong bodies. Our coaches teach the core principles of sportsmanship, self confidence, teamwork, discipline, and good-natured competition.

To be continued.... Mrs. Malka Shapiro

To be continued…

As the new year begins, I am very excited about our school's new LMS, Schoology. Schoology offers so many great features and I am slowly trying them out with my various classes.  The discussions feature intrigued me and I decided to incorporate that feature in my 8th grade English classes.  I post a question or thought about the day's reading and students have an open forum to reply to me as well as their classmates.  This is a great way to continue our discussion about the text outside of class!  The continued discussion on Schoology also lends a to a great conversation starter for class.  I'm excited to find more ways to continue the discussions outside of class.

Morah Yehudit Attends Partnership2Gether Seminar in Israel!

This summer I joined the Partenership2Gether Seminar that is run by the Jewish Agency for Israel. We were 8 teachers from Northern NJ and 8 teachers from the city Nahariya in Israel.  We participated in a 7 day intensive curriculum building seminar in Israel.  

The primary objective of the seminar was to find ways to incorporate lessons about Israel as the Jewish, Biblical and modern homeland, as well as lessons on Jewish identity, from cultural, historical, religious and modern perspectives, into existing curricula at regular intervals during the course of the academic year.  

Another important goal was to establish a rapport that will result in building meaningful personal and academic relationships between the students of Yeshivat Noam and the students in Nahariya through the course of the school year.

I’m very excited to incorporate this curricular partnership to our existing Ivrit curriculum.

שנה טובה

המורה יהודית ליב

Spotlight on Middle School Teachers - Mrs. Patricia London

Mrs. Patricia London is a learning specialist who has joined our faculty this year. Below is her statement of philosophy on educating children:

In order to achieve, a child must have the confidence to first “try.” As a certified learning consultant and a former member of a multi-disciplinary child study team, I know it is important to make careful observations about how children learn. My background as a special educator, school psychologist and learning specialist, enables me to analyze how a child at any age masters a task. Studying a child’s strengths and weaknesses has helped me to identify those strategies that a teacher should attempt for successful learning to take place.  

My personal philosophy of teaching is that failure is never an option for a student. Instead, I feel that making accommodations, differentiating instruction, and providing alternative approaches to a task help a child who is overwhelmed.

I personally enjoy working together with teachers to develop problem- solving models that they can use with a student and also pass on to parents. I try to break down the diverse needs of a student and then help him understand what he is being asked to do on an assignment. Having a child think about what is involved in an assignment, talking about the steps necessary, and discussing a strategy, has allowed me to help a wide range of students become better learners. 

My philosophy thus includes identifying the needs of a child and using diagnostic prescriptive teaching. Because every child wants to learn and every teacher wants to be successful, the goals of my own sessions with students are clear. When a child begins to improve academically, self -confidence and self-esteem empower him in the classroom. By understanding himself, a youngster is able to plan ahead, balance a schedule, and make more of an effort to attempt a difficult assignment. I therefore believe it is important to analyze the “whole child” as a learner, not merely the subject that he is trying to master. A child with any kind of learning difference may need a little more time or an explanation repeated in other words. There is always a celebration when a child “tries his or her best.” 

Providing children with opportunities to try a different strategy, teaching them to verbalize what they need to do, and observing them internalize an approach that works is gratifying to me as a teacher.

I Love Yeshivat Noam First Day of School Video

Click below to see our first day of school video!!
I Love Yeshivat Noam First Day of School Video!

Welcome to Middle School 6th Graders! We are so glad you are finally here!!

Sixth Graders had a super start to middle school today.  They participated in Limmud Torah, Advisory, Technology Training, Rules and Expectations, Locker and Binder Organization, and Schedules!  

To give you a sense of how we inducted the students into our middle school culture, below is a summary of what Ms. Chanales (6th grade team leader and 6th grade science teacher) did with the students during that session:

Advisory

This session will be an introduction to advisory and to some of the language and goals that we will be using in sixth grade this year.

• Brief class discussion on how you can “train your brain” to think in certain ways.
• Each group will get a phrase that we are going to encourage sixth graders to say this year.  They are: I don’t know that yet…, Ooooh! A Challenge!......, I’ll give it a try…., Let’s figure this out together….., Of course I’ll help……., Thank you
• Each group will talk about why somebody would say those things; Brief share. List values on board.  
• Each group will make a speech bubble poster with their phrase.  They will make a 30 second skit, set it in a given location (classroom, lockers, gym, lunch) which ends in one or character saying the phrase.

During the Technology orientation Mrs. Kurtz (6th grade English teacher) oriented students to our Google Apps. Below is a presentation that you or your children can continue to refer to. It was created by Mrs. Kurtz:

Tutorial by Mrs. Kurtz on Google Apps

We can not wait to start "official" class with your children.  We look forward to a fantastic year!