October 8, 2020
HUMANITIES
Right now, 7th graders are working diligently on their creative project in response to the summer reading of The Outsiders. Students are working on either an illustrated timeline of scenes from the book or creative first-person narratives from the perspective of imagined characters who witnessed scenes from the book. Their creativity is flowing!
In Social Studies, students’ knowledge of the geography and spelling of all fifty U.S. states has improved impressively, which will help them as we study our country’s history throughout the year. We continue having weekly lessons on topics related to the upcoming election including how to have civil discourse and dialogue, differences between the two main parties, and key political issues such as climate change. Like much of the rest of the country, the students are eager, opinionated, and excited to see what happens!
HEBREW
Dear parents,
So excited to write our first real blog of the year!
We have finished our back to school review unit. The students took a test and the grades are in Jupiter.
These days we will focus on formally evaluating our students in the four skills- reading, writing, speech and listening and we will get in touch with you as per the results.
I wish everyone a healthy and safe Sukkot.
Hag Sameach,
Andreea
להורים שלום,
אני כל כך שמחה לראות וללמד את ילדיכם.
בשבוע שעבר עבדנו על סיפור קצר עם מוסר השכל שנקרא ״מעשה בסכין מקושטת״ על פי סיפור של יהודי קווקז. השבוע הקדשנו את זמננו להערכות התלמידים בתחומי שונים, כגון האזנה, כתיבה והבנת הנקרא. ב במטרה להבין כיצד אנחנו יכולים לסייע ולקדם את התלמידים בעברית.
חג שמח!
אילנה
SCIENCE
We started science these last two weeks with excitement and enjoyment under the new course theme. Within an environmental science theme we will be focusing on the engineering process in order to create inventions to solve environmental problems. We started science by exploring the simple machines and applying that knowledge in using levers and pulleys. Students needed to use a ruler and balance different amounts of pennies. Then students need to create 4 different pulley systems and discover how the system reduced the amount of effort to lift a large weight. The energy level and enjoyment within these first classes has been amazing. We cannot wait to continue with the introduction to engineering as we prepare for our first individual micro STEAM project.
MATH
The 7th Grade has spent the past few weeks learning about and mastering Integers. They’ve completed various tasks on Mathspace and Khan Academy to strengthen their skills regarding concepts such as Integer Operations, Absolute Value, and Integer Word Problems. Yesterday, the 7th Grade was surprised to learn that every assignment they’ve done on Khan Academy since September went toward helping children in need around the world.
Khan Academy runs a motivational program called LearnStorm at the start of each school year where students in a class work together as a team to gain levels with every assignment they complete. This year, Khan Academy and UNICEF Kid Power collaborated to develop mid-program level prizes that allow students to give back globally!
Through the hard work of the 7th Grade, each pod was able to earn a meal for a family in need, 25 water purification tablets that each treat 100 liters of water which provide children and their families with proper water, sanitation and hygiene, a jump rope for a child in a school, refugee camp, or child-soldier rehabilitation center around the world, and a therapeutic food packet for a severely malnourished child around the world.
Way to go, 7th Grade!
JUDAIC STUDIES
7th grade has been tracing the development of holidays from Torah through the Mishna and the Talmud. Most recently, we learned about a discussion in the Mishna: can a person sit in the sukkah, but keep his table in his house — and lean out of the sukkah into his house in order to eat? Students discussed the symbolism of being in a house vs being in a sukkah, and thought about what kind of person would not want to fully commit to being in the sukkah.
As we move into our first Torah unit of the year, studying Bnai Yisrael’s journey in the book of Bmidbar/Numbers, 7th graders made “maps” of their own personal life journeys. They chose moments that helped them grow and learn about themselves, and considered the question of why God didn’t just magically transport all of the Israelites to the land of Israel — why make them walk there when God is all-powerful and could beam them up? Students had amazing ideas and thoughts about the role of a journey in helping people to mature and change.
Looking forward to continuing to study this amazing story with your children!
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach,
Jessica
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