This Week at Yavneh Academy

January 29, 2026 | 12 Shvat 5786 | בשלח

PARSHAT HASHAVUA

EARLY CHILDHOOD

In this week’s Parshat Beshalach, B’nai Yisrael finally leave Mitzrayim. But how do they know which way to go without Waze or Google Maps? They follow Hashem’s cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night! The Pre-k children did the same this week as they “travelled” all around Yavneh!

What do families and trees have in common? They both grow! The class learned that trees and families grow larger and larger and each branch is like another member of the family. The class has been working very diligently on their family trees by adding on Hebrew names of their families. They are also collaging, coloring, tracing and measuring to create their family masterpieces.

LOWER SCHOOL

Students had an action-packed Character Day celebrating creativity and a love of literacy. Beloved author and educator Lisa Lesnick delighted our younger readers with a special reading of her book, The Shabbos Squabble. The fun continued with festive parades, a lively read-aloud of Enemy Pie, and a delicious, hands-on activity in which students created their own dirt pies to enjoy with friends.

Throughout the day, students shared their favorite stories and discovered new ones, sparking excitement for new books. Character Day officially kicked off our second annual read-a-thon! Don’t forget to log your child’s reading for grade-wide prizes!

PHOTO GALLERY

This week, our first graders began a new math unit about the calendar and measuring time. We had a blast exploring ordinal numbers. Students practiced lining up using ordinal words like first, second, and third. After practicing ordinal numbers, students enjoyed a sweet math challenge! They read clues to help color a giant ice cream cone with 10 scoops, making learning both fun and delicious.

The 4th graders have been enjoying learning about Yaakov's family in the Chumash. They each created a timeline to show the ups and downs in the life of Yosef. After learning about his misfortunes they are excited to see him rise up to become the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt. They can't wait to continue learning about what happens to him and the rest of his family!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

On the Tuesday before break Rabbi Yitzy Haber addressed the 7th graders to launch their next unit in Advisory, "When Life Gives You Lemons - Coping With Adversity In Life." Rabbi Haber shared his inspirational life story demonstrating through his humor and emunah how it is possible to cope and grow through life's difficulties. Students left the presentation laughing and inspired.

This week, a group of 7th and 8th grade Civic Spirit Club members traveled to the Eastern District Court in Brooklyn, NY, for Middle School Civic Spirit Day. After opening remarks from Civic Spirit leadership, students received an intensive overview of the judicial system from Second Circuit Court Judge Joseph F. Bianco. Judge Bianco shared his personal journey to the bench, emphasizing the importance of perseverance through the challenges of law school.

One of the day's highlights was learning about and then witnessing a live naturalization ceremony. After Judge Bianco explained the path to citizenship, students participated by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance alongside the new citizens and handing out American flags. This moving experience brought the 14th Amendment to life, as students watched individuals from 24 different countries join the family of America. Afterward, students participated in breakout groups to analyze the Oath of Allegiance and the responsibilities that accompany the protections of citizenship.

The program also offered a deep dive into legal careers. Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys and a Federal Public Defender shared their differing perspectives on the justice system, discussing high-profile cases and the complexities of prosecuting and defending serious crimes. To conclude the day, students participated in a mock trial, assuming the roles of judges, attorneys, and jurors to deliberate on a case.

This marks Yavneh Academy’s third year participating in this event. Reflecting on the experience, students noted how much they enjoyed learning about the various roles within the court system, particularly discovering how much more time and effort goes into building a real world case compared to what they see on television.

Our Chesed Team was proud to join this past Wednesday together in tribute to Sharsheret. Sharsheret Pink Day is coming up on February 11th, and this Chesed Team event was meant as a time to prepare for the big day. Sharsheret’s role was explained and what we, as Middle School students, can do to help those who are ill. First, students took three pink post-its and were asked to write on each post-it: 1. An act that they will try to do in the merit of someone who is ill. 2. Words of encouragement they can use to support someone ill. 3. Something they can do to cheer someone up who is going through a tough time.

All those post-its were used to create a poster with the word Sharsheret that will be hung up on Sharsheret Pink Day. Students then decorated hats with Pink Day slogans and images to wear on Pink Day. They also created pink chains to hang up on Pink Day and decorated posters with inspirational slogans and the Sharsheret and Yavneh logos on them for that day as well. Students left the evening inspired by the work of Sharsheret and psyched for Sharsheret Pink Day!