MIVASERET MERCAZ
מבשרת מרכז
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This week, we came back from our vacation rested and ready to take on the world. We jumped back into our studies with energy and glee, reading, researching, and revealing what lies underneath the surface we see. Scroll down for a glimpse of a week in the life of Mercaz Academy... |
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Grandparents, Will You Read Us a Story...at Mercaz Academy? |
At Mercaz Academy, we know that reading aloud to children has clear cognitive benefits, and strengthens children’s social, emotional, and character development. Reading daily to young children, starting as early as infancy, can help with language acquisition, communication skills, social skills, and literacy skills.
As grandparents, we bring a special enthusiasm to the time we spend with our little ones. Grandparents help children learn by playing, talking, and reading together, while giving them focused attention to help them bloom and grow... Read more
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We were so happy to see that Punxsatawny Phil saw his shadow--we're hoping for six more weeks of winter, and maybe even some snow! We saw our shadows at Mercaz Academy today, too. |
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First Grade Uses Literature to Launch Rock, Paper, Scissors Battle |
The first grade celebrated World Read Aloud Day by listening to the book The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, by Drew Daywalt. The class loved the book, a tale of the epic quests that brought together the three legendary fighters. Each page of the story featured a battle between one of the three hardened veterans and other common household items that they met in their (house-based) realm. Students made predictions about who would be victorious in each battle–and when the story was over, the first graders started their own spontaneous game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Mrs. Wald and her students, still reveling in the joy this story brought to their classroom, would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who reads aloud to children.
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Third and Fourth Grade Students Really Cooking in STEM |
Third and fourth grade students, continuing their research on energy sources, investigated solar energy–and designed and built their very own solar ovens. Students discussed engineering concepts with Mrs. Gonzalez-Spagnuolo and used thermometers to measure the heat generated in the oven for their initial tests. The students were delighted to discover that all their ovens were successful in capturing solar energy. When the weather grows warmer, third and fourth graders will take their ovens outside and attempt to melt crayons in their ovens, hopefully preventing at least some dryer disasters in the process. |
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Kindergarten Inspired to Leadership Through Parshat Hashavua
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This week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, features the amazing Exodus from Egypt experienced by the Jewish people, and Mercaz kindergarten students loved learning about the miracle of the splitting of the Yam Suf (Red Sea). Students were especially intrigued by Morah Batsheva’s recounting of Rabbi Yehuda’s explanation of these events from the Talmud.
In this midrashic account, B’nei Yisrael knew that Hashem would split the sea, but it hadn’t happened yet and everyone was reluctant to be first to enter the water. Nachshon ben Aminadav bravely stepped up and walked into the waves and, in response to his valiant leadership, Hashem split the sea. The kindergarten students were inspired by Nachshon’s courage, and discussed the importance of being brave, taking chances, and leading others to do right.
The kindergarteners re-enacted the story, following Nachshon into the water, and created an art project that splits open to display B’nei Yisrael crossing the Yam Suf. They also wrote the name of the parsha in Hebrew. The Mercaz Kindergarten looks forward to leading the ECC with bravery and confidence as they go forward into the school year.
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Third Grade Students Learn That Sometimes Art Can Be Found In What Isn’t There |
Third graders are using masking to create “Birch Trees in Winter”--but this sort of masking has nothing to do with faces. Mrs. Danziger showed students how to use masking tape to prevent certain areas of a paper from absorbing color. Then, using both wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor application techniques, the third graders painted the entire paper. When the colors dried, the masking tape came off, and students loved seeing that there were white birch trees outlined against the vivid color. In the next step, the students will use a printing method called stamping to add black outlines and ring markings on the bark. |
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What Happens in ECC Afternoon Enrichment on Tuesdays? |
Continuing our series on ECC Afternoon Enrichment, “Tech Tuesday” brings Director of Technology Mrs. Last to the Nursery Bet classroom. Between 2:00 and 4:00 PM, when regular school hours have ended, students who participate in afternoon enrichment love to unleash their inner “code warrior.” Nursery Bet students work with iPads running Coding Safari, which teaches pre-coding logic like pattern recognition and algorithms; and Touchtronic Letters, which helps with letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and word building.
During this time slot on Tuesdays, Nursery Aleph students build gross and fine motor coordination with Music and Movement, taught by Morah Barbra Cohen. Morah Barbra’s musical skill is well recognized–she performs with the Shireinu Choir of Long Island–and she incorporates rhythm, dance, fingerplay, and instruments into the program. Students love dancing with scarves, playing rhythm sticks and tambourines, and expressing themselves creatively through movement and song. This week, they enjoyed learning a Tu B’Shevat song called, “If I Was a Tree,” as well as dancing the roles of trunks, branches, and apples.
Watch this space to see what happens in ECC Afternoon Enrichment on Wednesdays….
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Fourth Grader Donates Books to Mercaz Library |
A fourth grade student made excellent use of her vacation time by reading some new books gifted to her by her grandparents. The books were a set of thirteen graphic novelettes about the lives and adventures of the Tannaim, rabbinic scholars who contributed to the compilation of the Mishnah. This student enjoyed them so much that she asked her grandparents to donate a duplicate set on her behalf to the Mercaz Academy school library, so her friends could read them as well.
Mercaz librarian Francie Goldberg was delighted to add these fun and accessible titles to the school's catalog. “So many of our students will love these books,” said Morah Francie, “especially the fifth graders, who are studying Mishnah this year.” The fourth grader agreed, explaining, “They were very good, and I really liked the fact that they were comic books. Kids think comic books are more fun to read.”
Thank you for sharing these wonderful books with us!
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Reading Is Fundamental in Hebrew, Too |
Once again, older students (in this case, Kitah Hay) got together with younger students (Kitah Bet) for a fun storytime, done completely in Hebrew. Ulpan teacher Morah Carmit Akhavan offered Kitah Hay a selection of Hebrew language picture books from which to choose. Students selected books to read to the younger children–but they were not allowed to use any English to explain the text. Kitah Hay students enjoyed the challenge of using gestures, sound effects, and Hebrew words already in Kitah Bet’s vocabulary to get their stories across. Kitah Bet loved being with the older students, hearing engaging stories, and learning new Hebrew words.
However, Kitah Bet also got a turn to be the admired older students reading to the youngsters. These students brought the Tu B’Shevat mini-books that they wrote in Hebrew with Ulpan teacher Morah Levana Gil to the kindergarten room. This time, the Gan students were the adoring audience as Kitah Bet students read them their very own books in Hebrew.
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Kitah Daled Explores Their Roots |
In preparation for the upcoming holiday of Tu B’Shevat, Kitah Daled has been working on a different sort of tree–a family tree. Students acted as family historians, gathering information on at least three generations and learning more about their own and their ancestors’ Hebrew names, Hebrew birthdays, and origin. After much research, the calculation of many Hebrew birthdays, and some fascinating stories about how and why their families came to the United States, fourth graders have completed a three-generation family tree in Hebrew–and built a deeper understanding of their individual family Jewish journeys. |
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Sunday, February 5
- Mercaz Mustangs basketball at Mercaz, 11:00 am
Monday, February 6
Tuesday, February 7
- Info Night: Early Childhood and Kindergarten, 6:00-7:15 pm
Thursday, February 9
- Mercaz Mustangs basketball at HALB, 7:30 pm
Monday, February 20
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No school: President's Day
Monday, March 6
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Early dismissal: Ta'anit Esther
Tuesday, March 7
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No school: Purim
- Megillah and Meal
Wednesday, March 8
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