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November 18, 2015
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6 Kislev 5776
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Pardes Jewish Day School provides a rigorous, experiential education grounded in Jewish history, culture and values. This monthly newsletter highlights examples of classroom learning designed to meet and exceed state and national standards. Our students are well prepared for entry to the finest high schools and colleges and serve in a multitude of leadership roles.
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6 - 8 Kislev
Wednesday - Friday
November 18-20
5th Grade Los Angeles Trip
10 Kislev
Sunday
November 22
Free Family Fun and Nosh
3:30 - 5:00 pm
12 Kislev
Tuesday,
November 24
1st Grade Play
9:00 am
Sanctuary
13 Kislev
Wednesday, November 25
Special Persons
Day
8:30 - 11:00 am
11:00 am
School Dismissal
14-15 Kislev
Thursday-Friday
November 26-27
Thanksgiving
No School
21 Kislev
Thursday,
December 3
Kesher "Puts It Together"
8:30 am
26 Kislev
Tuesday, December 8
Grease - A Chanukkah Musical
7:00 pm
28 Kislev
Thursday,
December 10
"Latkes and Legacy Event"
8:45 am
29 Kislev
Friday, December 11
Pre-K Playdate
9:00 am
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
Sky McGee
Sky McGee began her Pardes education in fourth grade and graduated from Pardes in 2012. Now a senior at Phoenix Country Day School (PCDS), Sky has many wonderful reflections on her time at Pardes.
When asked about the greatest benefit of attending Pardes, Sky explained, "I learn best by having close relationships with my teachers, and Pardes does exactly that. I attended a public school before I decided to go to Pardes, and I soon realized how helpful small class sizes were. The teachers at Pardes really care about how much their individual students achieve and grow while at Pardes, and that is rare to come by in our current educational system."
Sky also saw many benefits to attending a Jewish day school. "I really enjoyed learning about Judaism, and I feel the core values of Judaism really create a great environment in which kids learn and grow. The values that Pardes stands by and the Jewish faith really allow kids to grow into mature and honest young adults. I know I have become a better person after attending a Jewish day school."
At Phoenix Country Day School, all high school courses are honors courses. For her first three years, she took a math course, an English course, a science course, a history course, and a language course. With the additional space in her schedule, she could add as many electives or independent studies as she wanted. During her junior and senior years, she has really become interested in history and social justice. "The history electives have taken up most of my schedule this year due to my increased interest with all the atrocities in the world. I have also created an independent study called
The Betrayal of Children
. In this independent study, I research about child trafficking, child soldiers, and child slavery. By the end of this semester, I will be giving a presentation on the information I have gathered about the crimes committed against children," she explains.
Sky participated in team sports during her time at Pardes. Athletics continue to play an important role in her life. Since her freshman year, she has been a part of the PCDS Women's Varsity basketball team. When she is out of season, she helps coach the middle school girls' basketball team and also privately trains some of them on the side. Participating and helping out with the athletic program takes up quite a bit of her time, however, she actively participates in PCDS's Key Club. This year, she created her own club called
Mentoring Matters
where an underclassman is paired up with an upperclassman based on similarities and personalities. Mentoring Matters is currently the largest club at PCDS with 125 members!
Like most of our graduates, Sky felt that the transition from Pardes to high school went smoothly. "Academically, Pardes prepared me by the type of work I should be producing for my classes. I always get high remarks for my work ethic and that is because of how much my teachers pushed me to produce my best work. I did not have a hard time transitioning into the social life at PCDS because of how close in size PCDS and Pardes are."
Sky isn't sure of where she will be attending college yet; however, she is applying to schools in Arizona and California. Her top colleges right now are University of San Diego, University of Redlands, and Occidental College. She plans to double-major in Social Justice and Pre-Law. "My goal is to become an attorney and fight for the rights of children throughout the world. My life mantra is to 'be the voice for the voiceless', so I plan on doing exactly that by working with and for children across the globe."
We are so proud of all of Sky's achievements and wish her continued success on her educational journey!
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Kindergarten Explores Five Senses with Pumpkins
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Last Thursday, kindergarten students were divided into small groups and rotated between different stations and participated in the following activities focusing on the five senses:
Portrait of a pumpkin:
The children observed a pumpkin, describing its size, shape, color and markings. Then they explored the inside of the pumpkin to learn more about seeds, fibers, and pumpkin meat; examining with a magnifying glass and estimating how many seeds they thought were inside the pumpkin. After, the children removed seeds, washed them and glued them into a pumpkin book. They labeled the seeds, meat and fibers with words.
Math & Pumpkins:
The next center provided the opportunity for the children to put their math skills to work by measuring, weighing and  doing a sink/float test. The children made estimations as to how much they thought our largest pumpkin weighed and then they weighed the pumpkin to see if their guesses were too light or too heavy. Next, they made predictions about the circumference of the pumpkin and cut string to the length they thought would fit around it. Then, they tested their string to see if it was too long, too short or just right. The students made a graph of their results. Lasty, they used a small, medium and large sized pumpkin and made predictions if each one would float or sink and then tested their results and wrote their observations.
The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin:
In a Vine through Time the children listened to
Pumpkin Pumpkin
by Jean Titherington and then were given a fold out book. The children used different media and art materials to represent the stages in the life of a pumpkin, a seed being planted, a pumpkin vine growing, yellow blossoms appearing on the vine, blossoms giving way to tiny green pumpkins and green pumpkins growing and turning orange in the sun.
As a final culmination activity, the children planted pumpkin seeds in plastic bags to start the pumpkin life cycle in the kindergarten classrooms. The children will observe the changes that will take place over the next two weeks and record them into a journal.
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First Grade are Scientists!
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In first grade students are learning about what scientists do. They learned that scientists observe, measure, and record different things from the world around them. Pardes first graders see themselves as scientists and learn to use their five senses to explore our big world. They are even eager to record their findings in their science notebooks.
The children are learning about the many tools that scientists use to examine and observe. Some tools that first graders have used are handheld lenses, microscopes, rulers, anemometers, thermometers, and barometers. They have also learned that there are many different things that scientists study and observe such as weather, animals, plants, insects, rocks and space.
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Second Grade Studies Space
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 Second grade recently wrapped up their unit on space with in-class
presentations. Each child had to research a planet or space object at home. They answered questions and made a model to show the class. They also had to present their topic and answer their classmates' questions. They all showed what experts they had become over the course of their research! They displayed incredible confidence as they took their turn in front of the room.
The models were made in various ways and with multiple materials, including paint, clay, wire, electric lights, and buttons. Each project was unique and clearly represented their assigned object. It was a wonderful way to culminate the second graders learning and showcased all that they learned!
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Third Graders Study Life Science Topics
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The third grade classes recently completed a unit in which they learned about plant and animal cells. As a result of the unit, students can now identify and label parts of both cells. Students enjoyed the use of new microscopes to view plant and animal slides. Additionally, students constructed models of each cell using colored Play-doh as a way to help them truly understand each part within the cells.
Currently, third graders are learning about the structure of plants. Students will focus on the five main parts of a plant which are seeds, leaves, flower, stem, and root system. Students will engage in activities that include planting seeds, known as germination, and observing how a basic plant goes through the life cycle process. The students hypothesized what is needed to allow a seed to grow successfully. The observation will take place over a few weeks and students will record what they see.
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Fourth Grade Gets Charged Up
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The fourth graders have been "super charged" this month!
They  learned that all objects are composed of atoms that contain positive and negative electric charges. Using plastic wrap, they charged the wrap using a cotton cloth. A positive and a positive push away from each other and a negative and a positive attract. By charging the plastic wrap students were able to see which objects would stick to the plastic. The class discovered that this was a form of "Static Electricity."
Students then learned about "open and closed" circuits. In order to make a circuit the students needed a copper wire, a bulb, a battery, tin foil and masking tape. The students developed a quiz board along with an answer key. The quiz board worked because the students laid the tinfoil between a question and then an answer. They then covered the tin foil with masking tape. The masking tape acted as a conductor and enabled the circuit to send its message to the correct answer. If the player got the answer correct, the light bulb would illuminate. Students really got a "charge" from this experiment.
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Talk to Fifth Grade for Nutrition Guidance
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Fifth grade has been studying nutrition...from nutrients to well-balanced meals to GMO's to alternative diets. Through class research, google presentations, class discussions, and personal investigation, students have enjoyed learning about the many foods (healthful and unhealthful) that they put into their bodies as well as how to keep a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and exercise.
They have learned to create meals that meet the requirements of a vegetarian diet or gluten-free diet, and they have discovered the severity of food allergies such as those present with some of their classmates (especially nut/seed allergies). Students have also learned about some of the ingredients present in some of the foods they eat on a regular basis, such as hot dogs and jello, and about the value of reading food labels before buying/eating anything. They even discussed how advertising plays a part in their diet.
Lastly, students gained knowledge about diseases and deficiencies associated with nutrition (obesity, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies) and the way culture affects diet. Safe to say, every fifth grader now thinks a little differently about the foods they choose to (or choose not to) eat!
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Sixth Grade Examine Earth's Environment
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The sixth graders completed an in-depth unit in Earth Science that covered Earth's energy, resources, environment, and conservation. They learned what energy is, where we get it, and how we convert it to a usable form. The students created commercials highlighting an energy source, outlining its use, explaining whether it is renewable or nonrenewable, and attempting to "sell" its benefits while giving disclaimers of its drawbacks. They also used their creativity and the engineering process to create a wind-powered machine. The best designs successfully used wind power to lift at least 30 paper clips in under ten seconds!
 Other lessons, discussions, and activities engaged the students and helped them understand the effects of natural and human processes and materials on Earth's environment. At the end of the unit, students researched a topic of their choice and created a cross-curricular project. During Humanities, Ms. Abrams taught them how to write a persuasive essay on the topic, beginning with an outline and strong thesis statement. During Science, they created a persuasive presentation, complete with facts to back up their opinion and a call to action. They spoke passionately to their classmates on their topic, attempting to convince them about their point of view. Most importantly, they connected what they learned in school to their own lives and the world around them.
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Seventh Grade Delves Deep Into Cells
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Seventh graders are delving deeper into their knowledge of the cell. They have studied the basic road map of the cell, and now they are learning more about the chemical make-up and responsibilities of the individual organelles that are found inside eukaryotic cells. The students just finished their cell structure projects where each student created a three dimensional model of a eukaryotic cell. The projects look great! Feel free to stop by and see them hanging in the classroom. Students will be extracting DNA from strawberries in class this week. It is an experiment 100% completed by the students on their own. This will build on our knowledge of the cell as they discover more about the chemical make-up of the cell membrane and the chemical composition of DNA. Not only will the students realize they are eating strawberry DNA when they eat strawberries, but they now realize that no matter what it is- if it was living- it has DNA!
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Eighth Grade is Into The Elements
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Eighth graders are learning about the atomic structure of the elements and how it relates to the periodic table.They are also studying how these subatomic particles make up the world around them and how they interact with each other. Students are in the process of our element project which is comprised of three elements (not a pun): a research sheet, a fictional story, and an in- depth Bohr diagram of the specific element. The students know how to calculate valence electrons and draw Lewis structures. The next experiment will have the eighth grade students composing a flame test which means that they will determine an unknown substance due to the flame that it gives off when it is placed into a flame. It is going to be a great experience and a great introduction to flame elements in the lab!
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Did You Know?
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The science textbooks used in grades six through eight are high school level textbooks. Sixth grade students study earth science, seventh grade students study biology and eighth grade students study chemistry and physics.
Pardes students elected their first Chief Science Officer (CSO) last spring. Eighth grader Ethan Cohen is one of the inaugural class of 120 students across the state participating in the CSO program. It was started to give a voice to students in the national conversation about STEM education.
Pardes Middle School students participate in the Arizona State Science Fair.
Over 1,000 students in grades five through 12 across Arizona participated in last year's event. To qualify, students must have placed first in a category and
division in their school, district, or regional science fair. Sixteen Pardes students qualified to compete for honors at the fair. Seventh grader Raechel Rawicz received two awards at the state level.
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Elementary Math Olympiad News
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A group of 4th and 5th graders competed in the first of five Mathematical Olympiads of the 2015-2016 school year. This is the first time ever that Pardes has hosted an elementary division team and we are thrilled to announce that Christopher Lessler, fifth grader, had a perfect score of 5/5. Zachary Etzioni, fifth grader, scored 4/5 and Sam Brodsky and Ayelet Jaffee, fourth graders also scored 4/5. Additionally we had quite a few achieving 3/5. "This shows that Pardes has many amazing mathletes in grades 4-5," said Mitch Flatow, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs. What an exciting morning we had at school. Go Pardes mathletes!
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Zero Hour
Problem of the Month |
The following problem appeared on last year's Elementary Olympiad and was also given to students in Mr. Flatow's zero hour enrichment for grades 4 - 5. Are you as smart as a Pardes Mathlete?
The sum of the page numbers of Chapter 3 (of a certain book) is 374. If there are 11 pages in Chapter 3, on what page does chapter 3 begin?
If you are able to complete this problem, please email your response to Bethany Spector at [email protected] by noon on Monday, November 23.
Go Pardes Mathletes!
Mazal Tov to the following people, who successfully answered last month's Math problem:
Ira Azulay
Halle Farber
Dayna Feldman
Susan Finks
Ariella Friedman
Rabbi Tracee Rosen
Robin Rosenbloom
Marnee Spierer
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