A Killer Performance

A Family Reunion to Die For kicked off on Wednesday night with a fantastic first performance at the DeLuxe Theater. Our talented cast and crew did a wonderful job keeping the audience captivated and guessing which bed-and-breakfast guest, or family member, was behind the murders. A special thank you to Ms. Sarah Reitman, the play’s director, for her leadership and dedication, and to all of the parents who helped shuttle students back and forth throughout the week. There is still one more chance to see the show tonight (Thursday) at the DeLuxe Theater. Tickets are still available and may be purchased online or at the door.

H-Town Heat Squad

The heat was on this past Sunday at the Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff, and RMBA was proud to be part of the fun! Teaming up with United Orthodox Synagogues (UOS) as the H-Town Heat Squad, we had a wonderful time bringing great energy, community spirit, and plenty of flavor to this beloved Houston event. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, voted for our chili, volunteered their time, and helped represent RMBA with such warmth and enthusiasm. We are especially grateful to Matt Riklin for leading our team with his delicious recipe and helping make the day such a success. From the friendly competition to the community ruach (spirit), it was a fantastic day all around, and we loved sharing it with so many members of our RMBA family and the broader Houston Jewish community.

Critical Thinking in Action

Middle School students in Ms. Ruben’s English Language Arts classes are beginning a new novel study unit centered on the theme of Transformation Through Conflict. Through literature and media across genres, students will strengthen their critical thinking skills as they analyze different perspectives on the topic and consider how these ideas connect to their own lives.

Stepping Into Navi

This week, students in Rabbi Ouzzan’s 8th grade Navi class brought Tanach to life by acting out the scene in which Tziva aligns himself with King David and claims that his rival, Mefiboshet, is attempting to seize the throne in Jerusalem. Featured in the scene are Joel G. as King David, Kfir T. as Tziva, and Reem O. as Mefiboshet.

A Sweet Success

This past Saturday night, approximately 175 guests joined us for RMBA’s Candyland event, an evening filled with sweetness, community, and support for our school. Guests enjoyed a lively silent auction featuring an exciting mix of prizes and experiences, a raffle, delicious crêpes and churros, a nostalgic candy store, and a beautiful dessert selection that made the evening feel both festive and memorable. The program was made especially meaningful by remarks from Head of School Rabbi Jordan Silvestri and senior Matan Chen, whose heartfelt words reflected the deep impact RMBA has on its students and community. As Matan shared, RMBA is a place where students are truly known, supported, and never given up on, a powerful reminder of why this school matters so deeply. A heartfelt thank you to our event chair, Lisa Silver, for her extraordinary creativity, vision, and hard work in bringing Candyland to life. We are so grateful to everyone who attended, supported, donated, bid, and helped make the evening such a wonderful success.

View the Candyland photo album

Geography Comes Alive

This week, students in Mr. Simon’s third grade class explored the geography of Japan. They learned many fascinating facts about this island nation of approximately 127.5 million people, including that Japan is an archipelago, a chain of islands roughly the size of Montana. Students also discovered that about 70% of Japan is mountainous and that it is home to 10% of the world’s active volcanoes. Japan is known for its many rich cultural contributions, and its geography is truly one of a kind.

Hands-On Learning

Upper School students in Mr. Duke’s Social Studies classes have been engaged in meaningful hands-on projects across subjects. Inspired by the poetry collection I Never Saw Another Butterfly, students are creating handmade butterflies for a Yom HaShoah installation at our school. At the same time, seventh graders have completed the first few batches of challah cutting boards, showcasing both creativity and craftsmanship in the classroom.

Art in Bloom

Spring has arrived in the art room. Ms. Duke’s middle and high school art students recently studied artist Georgia O’Keeffe and her close-up flower paintings. Inspired by her work, each student selected a flower to recreate using oil pastels while practicing color blending and creating smooth transitions. Soon, these beautiful floral artworks will line the hallway for all to enjoy.

Spring in EC4

Morah Aviva’s EC4A class has been fully immersed in Pesach projects and spring activities this week. Alongside multisensory letter “Rr” stations, students eagerly explored a variety of Pesach-themed trays and hands-on activities, including matzah puzzles, an Eser Makkot (10 plagues) sensory and manipulative assortment, and a one-to-one matzah counting activity. The children have also been working on multi-step Seder plates and their own individual Haggadot (Passover Seder books).

As part of their introduction to spring, students learned how to transform primary colors into pastels during a teacher-guided science lesson. They then put that learning into action by creating pastel flowers with forks and painting spring background scenes with thick brushes. Their beautiful work is now proudly displayed on the outside classroom bulletin board.

Preparing for Pesach

Morah Aliya’s EC4B class is in the middle of an exciting Pesach unit. Students have begun creating their own Haggadot and are learning about each part of the Seder, with every new page adding to their excitement. During morning centers, they worked on matzah puzzles, Eser Makkot science activities, Pesach-themed counting cards, and silly faces for their Pesach puppets, which will go home closer to Pesach break. In ABCs this week, students reached the letter “Rr” and enjoyed Share and Tell with ribbons, rockets, race cars, and rings. They also practiced matching sight words and blending sounds to strengthen their pre-reading skills. In math, they counted the plagues and learned about the Egyptians at the splitting of Yam Suf (the Red Sea), along with Nachshon, who stepped forward with complete trust in Hashem. To round out the week, students decorated pillowcases with fabric markers to use at their own Seders as they learned about reclining like kings and queens.

Learning Comes Alive

This week, students in Morah Sandy’s EC3A class have been busy learning about the double parsha, Vayakhel–Pekudei, and getting ready for Pesach. As part of their parsha learning, they discovered that Hashem asked Bnei Yisrael to bring donations to build the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary, and that the work was done every day except on Shabbat. To bring the lesson to life, students created their own Mishkan craft complete with “donations” of fabric, coins, and gems. In preparation for Pesach, students also explored the concept of the 10 Makkot, singing about them and wearing masks that depicted the plagues.

Supporting the RMBA Journey

The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) application deadline is quickly approaching on Tuesday, March 17, and we strongly encourage all families to apply. TEFA can provide meaningful tuition assistance, making a Jewish day school education more accessible and helping families invest in their child’s future at RMBA. Even if you are unsure whether you qualify, applying is an important step and may open the door to valuable support. To help families complete the process, our final TEFA parent support session will take place on Monday, March 16, during Lower School Parent-Teacher Conferences, from 8:00–9:30 AM in the lobby. We encourage families to stop by with questions or for assistance before the deadline.