More than 40 fourth through eighth graders attended The Purim Ball, at the Academies at GBDS on Saturday, March 7. Our GBDS students were joined by others from a variety of local youth groups and schools. They literally took the ball, playing volleyball to start their evening. Demonstrating lots of energy with several spirited games, everyone who wanted to play was included. DJ Willy Wilson got the excitement going for the second hour using music and games. The ball bounced from musical chairs, name that tune, and the limbo, to more. The fun continued with the game "Coke and Pepsi" and a dance contest. It was terrific to see our middle school students socializing and connecting in ways that develop their extra-curricular social world. Students had a great evening experiencing a bit of Purim fun while dancing the night away. We look forward to next year and even more students having a ball. 

Finding the Real 

Meaning of Lost Treasures
By Amy Silna Shafron

   

Our Middle School students were thrilled to meet Yaron Svoray who was again at school on March 13th. The well known author and lecturer picked up where he left off back in December, shedding light on his undercover adventures in Germany. "This man, a cousin of the historian, began telling me about their Neo Nazi group and all of their activities. He was proud of it and was inviting me along. Right then I knew I had to forget about the diamonds waiting on the hillside. I knew I had to remain there as a spy until justice was done." The full story is, of course, provided in the feature film "The Infiltrator," with Oliver Platt.

You could hear a pin drop as Yaron explained to the students that he will spend the rest of his days unearthing stolen Nazi loot. "Each item we find is a treasure, not because it is necessarily worth thousands of dollars, it is a treasure because of the stories it tells. A found watch with the engraving "To Ada" was the precious object of a woman on the way to the camps. When she buried it she wanted us to tell her story. She wanted us to tell the world NEVER AGAIN. What happened to the Jews is undeniable. Each item found is momentous. It shows the world we are here and the Nazis didn't win."

Yaron Svoray is featured in the first of many TORCH TALKS: Celebrating Courage, Igniting Community. Please join us on March 29th at 4:30 pm at Temple Israel in Ridgewood as Yaron shares his wit, brilliance, and vitality with our Jewish community. All proceeds benefit our Day School. $36/adult, $25/ student.

On Tuesday, March 10, the third grade continued their exchange program with The New Jersey Japanese School, by visiting their school for a wonderful morning experience.  Students felt as though they were literally transported to Japan, as all the signs, posters, and students' work decorating the hallways and the classrooms are entirely in Japanese. The two groups enjoyed several ice breaker games, including a fun chair game where each team tried to take away the other team's chairs. The Japanese 3rd graders taught their GBDS peers how to play a traditional Japanese card game, Katura. At the end of the morning our students wished the Japanese students well as they were about to end their school year, which runs according to Japan's academic calendar and ends in March.

To pilot Google Classroom in GBDS, the 8th graders were given the chance to test it out.  Morah Sarit's class used Google Classroom to work on their Yerushalayim and other Israeli cities project. The students gathered information and created different presentations using Google Docs at home and in school.  Google Classroom enabled the students to collaborate and gather information on their topics as a whole class and easily conduct conversations without needing to all be in the same location! Morah Sarit was able to monitor and facilitate each student's, as well as the whole class', progress using the special features of Google Classroom.  She also could as provide feedback and comment on their work in real time. The students  found it very helpful to have their questions answered right away and know if their work was heading in the correct direction rather than having to wait until class met to get input.

The recent Israeli elections also provided an opportunity to experience the benefits of Google Classroom. Our 8th graders joined their twin school in Nahariya to participate in a mock election. In class, Morah Sarit first taught her students about the election, then expanded their learning by incorporating aspects of a flipped classroom.  By posting links on Google Classroom, Morit Sarit enabled students to access informative readings regarding the election and the different political parties in Israel.  This helped them make informed decisions about the issues and vote for a political party along with the students in Nahariya.  The students felt that this was a great way to learn about the election process in Israel and to feel part of the larger community. 

The Academies' PTO has donated $1000 to help finance the mid-April Israel trip for our ten eighth graders. The PTO's support reinforces our belief in the trip's importance to the curriculum and ability to offer a life changing experience for these future leaders in the Jewish Community. Our students will travel with thirty-two other 8th graders from the Schechter schools of Manhattan and West Hartford, CT.

Seeing Israel along with their peers enriches the students' experience, providing an amazing view of history, Hebrew language, and contemporary Israeli life. Knowledgeable teachers and guides will lead our students through the desert, cities, and mountains to experience Israel in unparalleled ways. We believe that the PTO support is a huge statement of commitment and reinforcement for this educational experience. On behalf of our students, parents, and teachers, we  thank the PTO for their generosity. 

Can you Hear Us!

  By Robin Kelly

   

The fifth grade Science class has been studying the properties of waves in various mediums to the sounds that they hear.  The children's labs ranged from examining wave motion in a wave tank to the examination of the sound pitches they created and heard.  As part of their curriculum Dr. P. Connelly from Valley Hospital gave the class an informative presentation on the ear and its function.  The children learned how the auditory process works and what can affect their hearing.  The children also benefited by having Linda K speak to them about her personal experience of having cochlea implants and how it took her from being deaf to having the ability to hear.  Both speakers completely engaged, our students and answered their thoughtful questions. 

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