Volume 4, Issue 6 | December 5, 2025

From generational celebrations to practicing generosity at the PTA Chanukah Boutique, from STEM experiments to early Hebrew literacy, from Chanukah math to a schoolwide tree-planting initiative, Mercaz students were engaged, curious, and busy this week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening around school. Scroll to the bottom for upcoming events!

Around Mercaz Academy

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Generations of Joy at Mercaz 👵👴

We’re still glowing with nachas from last week’s Grandparent and Someone Special Day events. One of the highlights of our year, the celebration gives families a rare glimpse into their children’s school world. By welcoming grandparents and special visitors into their classrooms, students get to play host – introducing family to friends and teachers and taking well-earned pride in their work and their school.

And the kvelling definitely goes both ways. Visitors, seeing students thriving and happy, enjoy confirmation of what they’ve always known: their grandchildren are the smartest, kindest, and most talented kids in the world.

But the day is about more than family bonding or even the beautiful keepsake crafts they created together. It reflects Mercaz’s core belief that learning doesn’t begin or end at a classroom door; it grows from the relationships that surround every child. Education is a shared endeavor between teachers, family, and the wider community – and on this day, that partnership comes to life with purpose and intent.

This year’s program was split between upper and lower grades. On Friday, grades 1–6 welcomed their visitors to create special intergenerational art pieces, followed by a moving concert of Hebrew and English songs. On Monday, our youngest learners had their turn: toddlers enjoyed their own in-class program, while the rest of the ECC joined kindergarten on stage for three sweet tunes before making family-tree projects with their visitors.

Relatives traveled from near and far to be part of the day. One grandparent shared, “It’s wonderful to spend time with the kids and do something creative together.” Another added, “I’m always impressed by the love and care this school pours into educating our grandchildren.”

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every grandparent and special someone who joined us for this wonderful day, and to every person who generously sponsored the event and supported Mercaz in honor of the occasion. You are a big part of how our school thrives, and we appreciate you more than we can say!

🎁 Learning to Give at the PTA

Chanukah Boutique 🛍️

This week, Mercaz students were empowered to practice their real-world shopping skills at the PTA-sponsored Chanukah Boutique fundraiser – and, most importantly, to think of others while doing so! With a variety of gifts for a range of ages and recipients to choose from, children had hands-on lessons in budgeting, comparing prices, handling money, making thoughtful decisions, and planning for the future. As they selected presents for family members (and often a little something for themselves), PTA volunteers encouraged students to consider what their loved ones would appreciate most and helped them tote up their totals. Students bubbled over with excitement as they chose gifts for siblings, parents, grandparents, babysitters, and even teachers, letting their natural kindness and generosity shine bright.

In the Classroom

📞 Fourth Grade: Picking Up Good Vibrations in Science

Fourth graders explored how sound energy travels by designing and testing their own communication devices. Using simple materials like plastic cups and string, students discovered how vibrations can transmit messages without electricity. They fabricated and tested different designs to see which worked best – and also learned what caused their devices to fail, blending engineering and experimentation to deepen their understanding of energy transfer.

While no one is likely to trade in their smartphone for a paper cup anytime soon, fourth graders gained appreciation for how sound travels and the science behind everyday communication.

🍪 First Grade: Making the Words of Torah Sweet

Throughout the year, first graders learn Hebrew vowels in a hands-on (and tasty!) way. To introduce each new vowel—like this week’s chirik—students use edible manipulatives: snack foods, such as Oreos, Twizzlers, veggie straws, and marshmallows, that they can build into vowel shapes, making the learning fun and memorable. After practicing the “hard reading,” teachers continue to reinforce the vowels with different, tangible modalities like creating nekudot out of Play-Doh and playing games where they roll dice, move pieces, and advance only if they can read the vowel paired with different Hebrew consonants. By using multiple tactile ways to reinforce vowel sounds, teachers strengthen early Hebrew literacy and ensure that the words of Torah are truly sweet in our students’ mouths!

🕎 Nursery Aleph: Chanukah by the Numbers

Nursery Aleph is getting into the Chanukah spirit with an exploration of the holiday’s traditions and miracles through the lens of shapes and counting. After learning the story of Chanukah, students worked together with sponges and paint to create a beautiful menorah decoration for their classroom that became a springboard for building early math skills. The lesson included counting candles for each of the eight nights, noticing how one candle is added each day, and exploring the shapes of Chanukah, like rectangular candles and circular latkes, as part of their two-week unit on shapes and number sense, combining holiday wonder with meaningful learning!

GrowTorah

🍃 Planting a Garden Rooted in Teamwork 🙌

We completed our tree planting project with a true community effort in the GrowTorah garden this week! Students worked side by side to finish the work they began two weeks ago, digging wide, deep holes, preparing the soil, and learning about the mitzvah of kilayim as they made sure each tree had the space it needed to thrive. By the end of the day, every single class at Mercaz (and even Rabbi Fogel!) had taken part in planting, turning the garden into a shared accomplishment that reflects the strength of our Mercaz community. Now that they are safely in the ground, we can’t wait to watch our trees grow!

We also connected our gardening to last week’s parsha, Vayeitzei, where Yaakov discovers that a place can be holy even before we recognize it. In that same spirit, we added holiness to our own garden by making a bracha on fresh herbs like fennel and donating sage to a food pantry as tzedakah. We wrapped up with important garden maintenance, preparing everything for the winter ahead—leaving our garden cared for, nourished, and ready for new growth in the seasons to come.