Sixth Grade Preview

Last week, rising sixth graders got a full taste of Middle School life during their visit, spending the morning exploring what awaits them next year. Students met several of their future teachers, experienced the robotics elective by programming floor robots, and worked collaboratively to make guacamole as part of a team building activity. They also participated in a Beren Bagel showcase, where students interviewed one another and practiced communication skills. Current Middle School students joined the experience by sharing their favorite sports, why they enjoy them, and how staying active supports both their academic focus and personal growth. The morning offered a warm, engaging preview of Middle School life, and the community looks forward to watching these students continue to grow and thrive next year.

Book Talk in Action

This week, Middle School students in Ms. Ruben's class are wrapping up their third quarter independent reading projects by sharing the books they chose to read on their own, both in class and at home. Each quarter, students select a title that reflects their personal interests, building ownership of their reading journey. After finishing their books, students create Google Slides presentations to introduce their stories to classmates, highlighting main characters, key plot points, favorite moments, and recommendations for future readers.

Crafting Tradition

This week in Social Studies, seventh graders have begun the next stage of their challah cutting board project with the glue up process, an exciting step where individual pieces come together to form a finished design. After planning their patterns and preparing their materials, students carefully assembled their boards, learning the importance of precision, patience, and teamwork. This hands on project blends creativity with practical skills, giving students a meaningful way to connect cultural tradition with craftsmanship while bringing their designs to life.

Turning Trash Into Treasure

All throughout the week, students in Mr. Duke's classes began work on the “Trash Into Treasure: Campus Cleanup Art Project.” Working in small groups, students are helping beautify RMBA’s campus by collecting litter and other discarded items and transforming them into sculptures and decorative creations. This project blends environmental responsibility with creativity, encouraging students to see new possibilities in everyday materials.

Reaching for the Stars

This week, Mr. Simon’s third grade class learned about Mae Jemison, the first African American astronaut, who dreamed of space from a young age and worked diligently to achieve her goal despite facing discrimination. Inspired by her story, the students reflected on their own dreams and shared essays about careers in the hotel industry, acting, medicine, and professional singing. The class proudly presented their aspirations, celebrating ambition and perseverance.

Exploring Fruit Traits

In fourth grade science, students explored the traits of fruits and practiced classifying them based on observable characteristics. They examined features such as seeds, skin texture, color, shape, and whether a fruit had a pit or multiple seeds. Working like real scientists, students sorted fruits into groups using shared traits and explained the reasoning behind their classifications. This hands-on investigation helped them understand how scientists organize living things and make sense of the natural world.

From Plan to Project

Ms, Morrison's second graders have been hard at work creating their own dioramas! Each student selected a topic of interest, including animals, sports, businesses, and buildings. The class began by carefully planning each project, designing a title, sketching a diagram, brainstorming materials, and writing a simple plan before building. Watching their ideas come to life in three-dimensional shoebox scenes has been a joy. From detailed animal habitats to bustling city buildings, students are developing planning, organization, writing, and creative thinking skills. The class is excited to display their finished masterpieces!

Diving Into Data

This week, Mrs. Schneider’s first grade class explored the world of data! Students learned how to collect information, create graphs, and interpret their results. To expand their research, they took a walk around the school and surveyed several high school teachers and students. The first graders were thrilled to practice their interviewing skills and gather real-world data firsthand.

Kindergarten Starts Here

This Tuesday, we were delighted to host our Kindergarten Preview for EC4 parents. Families had the opportunity to hear directly from our Lower School principals, guidance counselor, and kindergarten teachers about what to expect in the year ahead. The session highlighted what the transition to Kindergarten looks like at RMBA and shared practical ways parents can begin preparing their child now for a smooth and confident start. Thank you to all the parents who attended and engaged so thoughtfully. If you were unable to join us, please feel free to reach out to Jen Kopciel, Admissions Coordinator, with any questions. We’re here to support your family every step of the way.

President's Patterns & Play



Morah Aviva's students began a unit on Presidents and Money. They learned about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and the American flag, discussing its colors, stripes, shapes, and basic money concepts, including beginning addition and subtraction. After a group lesson on the flag’s measurements and patterns, students painted their own flags and learned about the qualities and contributions of each president. They also traced and created side portraits of Washington and Lincoln, labeling their work with the presidents’ names. The week concluded with engaging multisensory activities for the letter “Nn,” including bear counter searches, stamping in kinetic sand, tracing with beans, and finding the letter in a poem.

Tzedakah Boxes to Science Experiments

Morah Aliyah's EC4B class has been busy exploring money and learning about past U.S. presidents! Students created painted cups to make their own tzedekah boxes and practiced putting pennies in them. They painted, cut, and glued U.S. flags to take home, and discussed how a president is chosen, even holding a classroom election to select their End-of-Year Party theme. In ABCs, the class reached the letter “Nn,” dotting stars on a night sky with Q-tips to strengthen fine motor skills. Students also enjoyed Share and Tell and began a coin-cleaning experiment in the science center, learning to experiment, explore, and observe. The week was filled with creativity, discovery, and fun as the class looks forward to the 100th Day of School celebration.

Exploring Blessings Through Hands-On Fun

This week, Morah Sandy's students wrapped up their unit on before brachas (blessings), learning the blessings we say before eating. For hagafen (blessing over grape juice), they mixed paints to create purple and practiced pouring “juice,” combining fine motor skills with a sensory experience. For shehakol (blessings over food), students sorted foods into milk or meat categories and enjoyed a number-matching game using toy eggs.

A Week of Brachot

EC3B enjoyed a joyful week of learning and exploration! Students practiced food brachot Shehakol and Mezonot (blessings over food) through hands-on tastings and their Brachot Café dramatic play in the kitchen center. They explored how rain helps plants grow with sensory bins and a rain experiment, and learned from Parshat Mishpatim about keeping meat and dairy separate while strengthening fine motor skills through coloring, cutting, and creating take-home placemats. The class also celebrated Presidents Day, learning about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, exploring coins and dollar bills, and making special president puppets. The week was filled with brachot (blessings), creativity, and discovery!