Robert M. Beren Scholars Program

Last week we were thrilled to announce the Robert M. Beren Scholars Program for the 2025–2026 academic year, a one-time special initiative, honoring the legacy of Mr. Robert M. Beren z”l. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, four outstanding RMBA students (grades 8–11, one per grade) will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. Students are invited to apply by submitting a 250-word reflection on how they embody Mr. Beren's values. Recipients will be announced in December 2024, and their work will be showcased at our March 2025 Gala.

Deadline to apply: November 15, 2024. Additional details on application form.

Taking Risks in Education

We are proud to share an inspiring article by RMBA’s own Rivkie Gottlieb, Lower School Judaic Studies Principal, featured in the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. In Setting an Example by Taking Risks, Rivkie explores the importance of modeling courage and resilience for students. Read the full article here.

Mayan Writing

This week Eighth-graders in Mr. Duke's social studies class studied the artistic writing system of the ancient Maya and learned to use an epigrapher's syllabary to write their own names in Mayan logographs and syllabograms. The students then made foam-carving prints of their name creations. 

Understanding Place Value

It was an exciting week in Ms. Morrison's 2nd grade class as students explored the concept of place value! Using place value chips, they visually represented numbers to enhance their understanding of their structure. After demonstrating the numbers, they practiced adding 2, 20, and 100 more to build their skills in number manipulation. Students also created their own visual models by drawing representations of the numbers and the changes. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they learned to break down and rebuild numbers in a fun, interactive way!

Brain Function

This week, Mr. Cell's 11th-12th grade AP Psychology class focused on the workings of the brain and central nervous system, consolidating what they had learned in their biology classes.

Journey of Teshuva

This week, students in Morah Roza’s 4th grade Judaic Studies class learned about the seven steps of Teshuva (repentance) and had the opportunity to experience each step firsthand. Through engaging activities and discussions, they deepened their understanding of this meaningful process in preparation for the upcoming High Holidays.

Mastering Narrative Structure

Middle school students in Ms. Ruben's English Language Arts classes worked diligently this week on their first essay of the year. This quarter, they are focusing on narrative structure, crafting essays that incorporate exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Buzzing into Rosh Hashanah

EC4B absolutely loves insects, so this week, Morah Elisheva's class focused on a very special and festive insect—the honey bee, the only non-kosher bug that produces a sweet kosher treat! The students discussed what it means to be an insect and, more specifically, an eusocial insect. They enjoyed finger painting honeycombs and went outside to practice the Waggle Dance and Circle Dance, which scout bees perform to guide their sisters to nectar. In addition, they decorated hexagons and created their own paper mosaic honey bees. They are also excited about baking honey cakes, a sweet treat for the new year! In their morning meetings, they’ve been counting down to Rosh Hashanah and singing a special song to learn the shofar calls. The class is thrilled to hear Mr. Bootin blow the shofar each morning as we all approach Rosh Hashanah.

Adjective Adventures

This week, Mr. Simon's third-graders studied adjectives and discovered that the best way to apply what they learned is by writing stories! Some students crafted tales about a big white dog, inspired by a character from Stone Fox, while others wrote stories featuring the color blue. They even illustrated their stories to bring their narratives to life!

Hexagons & Honey

Bees, honey, hexagons, and more! Morah Aviva's EC4A class has been busy this week continuing their learning and preparations for Rosh Hashanah. While exploring bees and their hives, they introduced a new shape to the Math Center: the hexagon! Students engaged in forming hexagons with Play-Doh and geo boards using rubber bands. They also practiced their counting and fine motor skills by counting seeds in an apple as part of a seeds number correspondence activity. Additionally, they worked on patterns for their bumblebee mats, which will be used as table pieces for their families during Rosh Hashanah. Lastly, the class had a great time focusing on the letter Dalet in their Alef Bet, engaging in fun cognitive and fine motor activity pages to reinforce their Hebrew letter recognition.

Protecting Texas Wildlife

This week, seventh-graders in Mr. Duke's Texas History class conducted research projects on threatened and endangered wildlife species native to Texas. They also explored conservation efforts aimed at protecting and nurturing these fragile populations.

Thank You!

We are so grateful to our families, grandparents, board, alumni, faculty, and staff for their generosity and support! We are blown away by the success of our Annual Campaign Kick-off Giving Day. Together, we raised $35,864 for RMBA's annual campaign, achieving an impressive 75% participation rate! Our work is not done as we embark on raising $1.5 million through our annual campaign. Stay tuned for our progress and ways you can help! A special thank you goes out to our Grade Parents, who tirelessly supported our efforts during the Giving Day Campaign. If you haven’t had the chance to donate yet, it’s not too late! You can still make a difference by visiting our donation page here. Thank you for being an essential part of our community and for supporting Robert M. Beren Academy!

Creative Art

This week in Morah Tsippi's EC2B class, students began decorating a unique Rosh Hashanah art book. Each page represents an important item related to the holiday, and the children used various art mediums to enhance their creativity and fine motor skills.

The Seven Species

This week in Morah Sandy's EC3A class, students learned in Parsha Ki Tavo that the first ripe fruits of the Seven Species are set aside for the Bikkurim (first fruits offering). They practiced naming the seven fruits, counting them, and playing a memory game with fruit cards. The students then created a collage featuring the seven fruits in a basket.

Dot Day

This week in the library, Ms. Emily, our librarian, read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds to the students. The story follows a girl who makes a mark and takes it to places she never thought possible. Students across EC, LS, and US, along with some teachers, joined in the celebration of International Dot Day by creating their own marks. This special day celebrates creativity and art, providing a wonderful opportunity to inspire!

Apples and Bees

This week in Morah Clara's EC3B class, students enjoyed counting apples and bees, learning about the parts of an apple, and tasting three different varieties: green, red, and yellow. Afterward, they dipped apples in honey while sharing what they learned about bees. The class also had fun making Rosh Hashanah placemats and bees, utilizing their fine motor skills.