MIVASERET MERCAZ
מבשרת מרכז
|
|
This week, we counted 100 days of school, studied brachot and the human body, painted and glazed, communicated in Braille, taught and baked and learned and got ready for Purim. Scroll down for a glimpse of a week in the life of Mercaz Academy... |
|
Students Create
Asher Yatzar/Digestion Fair
|
|
"Asher Yatzar" and Digestion Unite Body and Soul |
Fifth and sixth graders collaborated to create a wonderful fair to educate all at Mercaz Academy about every aspect of the bracha “Asher Yatzar.” This fair culminated the school-wide, co-curricular examination of this bracha, said after using the bathroom and reflecting our appreciation of the wise way in which Hashem created our bodies...
|
|
|
|
Fourth Grade STEM Class Explores the Digestive System Via Slime |
The fourth grade has just learned about the digestive process as part of our co-curricular exploration of “Asher Yatzar.” Mrs. Gonzalez-Spagnuolo and fourth grade students had been discussing the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach to break down foods during digestion. How does this acid not break down the stomach tissue as well, wondered the fourth graders? They got a practical demonstration by creating their own stomach mucus in the form of slime. Using glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, and a little food coloring, the students made their own slime and saw for themselves how surprisingly thick and protective it can be. Best of all, they got to take their slime home to show their families.
|
|
Fifth and Sixth Grade Artists Design Permanent Asher Yatzar Reminder Tiles |
Fifth and sixth grade students have designed and glazed beautiful ceramic tiles for installation outside the Mercaz Academy student bathrooms. Each sixth grader painted a Hebrew letter in a block or script font on a ceramic tile, and fifth graders decorated them with a colorful background they designed themselves. After students applied glaze, Mrs. Danziger fired the tiles in the school’s kiln. The letters, placed together, spell “Asher Yatzar,” and will serve as a permanent reminder to say the correct bracha after leaving the bathroom. Thank you to the Vilkas family for their generous donation of ceramic wall tiles to Mercaz Academy some years ago, making this project a beautiful and long-lasting one.
|
|
The First Grade Welcomes Guest Reader–Grandpa! |
The first grade received a surprise treat when grandparent Jack Rosmarin dropped into the class as a guest reader. Mr. Rosmarin read Happy Birthday, Mrs. Millie by Judy Cox, approvingly described by the students as “very silly.” The children loved the story, and Leo's grandfather helped make the day one the class will remember for a long time.
On that note, March is Read Across America Month, and the first grade loves grandparents as guest readers! Please contact Mrs. Wald at rwald@mercazacademy.org if you would like to participate.
|
|
Kitah Bet Turns Things Around for Adar |
|
Some Kitah Bet students took the phrase “v'nahafoch hu” (“and it was turned around”) from Megillat Esther rather literally. Morah Tikva Goldberg was surprised to see these students lined up for dismissal with frontpacks instead of backpacks but, after they explained that things get turned around for the Jewish people in the month of Adar, she had to concede that they were correct–and clever and creative as well.
|
|
|
Nursery Bet Codes Cyberball |
Nursery Bet was very excited to meet Sphero, a robotic ball that follows the coding instructions sent to it from a control screen on Mrs. Last’s iPad. Mrs. Last showed the Nursery Bet students that Sphero could play Tag with them, using her iPad to make Sphero chase them around the room as they gleefully dodged out of the way.
Then the students were given the iPad to program Sphero themselves, moving the code blocks on the screen to control direction and speed. In fact, Nursery Bet tested a new program to make Sphero move faster, with the speed increased by the noise level in the room. Students had to scream very loudly to get Sphero moving as fast as possible and, as expected, Nursery Bet rose to the challenge, causing Sphero to reach truly impressive speeds.
|
|
Kindergarten and Fifth Grade Collaborate to Count 100 Days of School |
The time has flown by, but Mercaz Academy has been in session for 100 days, and the kindergarten decided to celebrate by thinking about what 100 looks like. The kindergarten students found common items in their home and counted out 100 of them–drinking straws, Cheerios, and pennies, for example. These were placed into clear plastic bags and displayed on their hallway bulletin board for all to see. Beyond having students gather 100 of various items, Morah Batsheva also arranged a 100 Days Fair for the kindergarten, with six different 100-themed activities. Mrs. Papaccioli’s fifth grade math class guided the kindergarten students through the stations... Read more and see photos!
|
|
|
|
Second Grade, Inspired by Helen Keller, Writes in Braille |
Some of the second grade reading groups read a biography called I Am Helen Keller, by Brad Meltzer. They learned that Helen Keller was both blind and deaf, but loved to read. Helen Keller used an alphabet called Braille, a system of raised dots that are felt rather than seen. Mrs. Liz Danziger and Mrs. Laura Paul gave each student a piece of cardstock, a pencil, and a Braille alphabet so these students could try writing and reading in Braille for themselves.
The second graders used their pencils against the cardstock to make bumps on the other side. They ran their fingers over the page and felt the bumps, checking the pattern against the alphabet to decipher the messages. These second graders were so excited to discover an entirely different way to communicate!
|
|
Kitah Daled Students Use Paper Dolls to Study Weekly Torah Portion |
|
Kitah Daled is learning about this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Tetzaveh, which discusses the clothing worn by the kohanim (priests) and the kohen gadol (high priest) in the Beit Hamikdash. The class was delighted to get a different sort of parsha lesson when Morah Levy handed out kohen gadol paper dolls. Students learned all the details of the kohen gadol’s garb and used the text to color his paper clothing and dress him in accordance with the instructions in the Torah. Students learned that some commentators have differences of opinion about the meaning of the finer details, so the class generally followed the view of Rashi in outfitting the kohen gadol. The Urim v’Tumim hidden in the kohen gadol’s breastplate, which is not extensively described in the Torah text, was represented by a scroll with the Shema prayer printed on it. Kitah Daled enjoyed bringing their crafting skills into this hands-on examination of the parsha.
|
|
Social-Emotional Calming and Breathing Techniques for Second and Third Graders |
The second and third grade students learned to surf the waves of “big feelings” with help from the school counselor, Mrs. Stephanie Bobroff. Students discussed how to recognize “big feelings” starting to build inside, identifying a fast heartbeat, sweating, or an upset stomach as possible indicators. Second and third graders know that there are techniques to use to prevent these feelings from becoming so big that they are swept away by them.
Third graders worked with starfish breathing, spreading the fingers of one hand and slowly tracing it with a finger, in rhythm with their breathing. Second graders made breathing sticks, stringing beads on a pipe cleaner and moving the beads up and down in rhythm with their breathing. Both groups found the activity surprisingly relaxing, and are now well prepared to deal with big emotions before they grow too large and take control of their behavior.
|
|
Third Grade Takes Over Teaching About French Explorers |
Third graders took over the teaching in their Social Studies classroom for a unit on French exploration and settlement in North America. Mrs. Paul divided students into four groups, each of whom would cover an area of French settlement to teach to the rest of the class. The students discussed the French explorers like Vasco de Gama and Samuel de Champlain, the exploration and settlement of St. Louis, Quebec, and the Great Lakes region, the French and Indian War and the Louisiana Purchase. These third graders conveyed their information with enthusiasm and accuracy, and made colorful posters to summarize the material. They also had fun–and an upside-down classroom with students teaching is the perfect celebration of the month of Adar as well. |
|
What’s a Hamantash in Hebrew? Hint: It Involves Ears |
Kitah Vav student Ilana Aminov partnered with Morah Carmit Akhavan to teach a lesson–entirely in Hebrew–on how to make hamantashen. Using new vocabulary added in their Purim unit, Ilana guided her classmates through the baking process, from adding ingredients to mixing them, from rolling the dough to filling and pinching the corners to form triangles. In addition to their baking vocabulary, students learned that, in Hebrew, hamentashen are called oznei haman, Haman’s Ears. After the lesson, each student happily took home a bag of homemade (schoolmade?) oznei haman to share with their families.
|
|
|
|
Monday, March 6
-
1:45 dismissal: Ta'anit Esther
- 2:45 dismissal for ECC Afternoon Enrichment
Tuesday, March 7
- No school: Purim
- Family Megillah Reading and Breakfast Seudah: Shacharit 8:00 am, Megillah 8:45 am, followed by Seudah
Wednesday, March 8
Tuesday, March 14
- Scholastic Book Fair
-
All Grades Except Second In-person Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, March 20
-
Second Grade Only In-person Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, March 22
- Author visit, grades ECC-3, Meish Goldish
Tuesday, March 28
Wednesday, March 29
- Model Seder, grades ECC-3
Monday, April 3 through Sunday, April 16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
