Oct 30th – Nov 3rd

We use this assessment twice a year (beginning & end) and look into all four skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

There are two main goals for this test. The first is for the school to assess a student’s progress through the year as well as across the grades.
The second is to see patterns of progress which will help adapt our curriculum and instruction as needed.

The test does not impact a student‘s grade and is not factored into this semester’s grade.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yehuda

This week 7th graders began investigating how the period of upheaval after the fall of Rome influenced the time period known as the Middle Ages. We finalized our Julius Caesar Film Festival entries, as well as our essays. I loved seeing the students grow in a short time in their ability to cite and analyze text. I’m excited to read the essays and provide feedback for their writing. The next book we’ll be reading is an adaptation of the epic poem Beowulf, by Robert Nye. We’ll also be resuming our vocabulary study this upcoming week with a week 7 quiz on Wednesday.

The beginning of Bmidbar (Numbers) focuses on setting up the community of Bnai Yisrael so they are ready to go into the land of Canaan. So far, a census has been taken; each tribe has been given an “assigned seat” in the camp; and special roles have been delineated for the tribe of Levi and for the Nazir. This week we focused on the Nazir: a person who vows to God to refrain from eating grapes or drinking wine and who cannot get a hair cut or have contact with a dead person. Why on earth would a person choose to set themselves apart in this way? 7th graders suggested that there are some people who like to be different, or who might feel more of a connection to God than to people, and the role of the Nazir allows for them to play a part in the overall community. Finally, students did skits, made raps, or designed posters to demonstrate their understanding of Pesach Sheni and discussed whether or not it’s good to give second chances.

I look forward to meeting with you at conferences!

Shabbat shalom,

Jessica

The seventh graders have been developing skills in algebra: writing linear algebraic expressions and simplifying them using distributive law by combining like and unlike terms.

It is officially November and that means the 7th grade has 1 month until STEAM fest where they will present their Rube Goldberg machines! At this point, many groups have a few separate modules of their project functioning and they will soon be putting the parts together. Many groups are also tackling the most challenging parts of their machines at this time, but they are determined to make them work! We are so proud of the perseverance being shown in the science room everyday!