March 26, 2026 | 8 Nisan 5786 | צו | | Gan Yavneh brought the excitement of Passover to life with a hands-on matzah factory experience led by Rabbi Mendel! The yeladim had so much fun grinding wheat into flour, mixing it with water, and rolling out their very own dough. With big smiles and lots of energy, they carefully poked holes in their creations, just like real matzah bakers. It was such a great way to kick-off our Pesach learning! | | |
Gan Bet has been fully engaged in the Chag of Pesach! The class has enjoyed learning about the Pesach story, tasting maror and charoset, and using various materials to imagine how their seder will look. This week, we made our own matzahs! The students enjoyed learning the entire process, from starting with a stalk of wheat to creating the dough.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
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Gan Hey just wrapped up an amazing week filled with fun learning, exciting experiences, and meaningful activities that truly brought the spirit of Pesach alive in our classroom.
Our dramatic play area was transformed into a lively Matzah Factory! The kids eagerly built a Matzah oven, carefully removed chametz from the kitchen, and personally made their very own Matzah. Then, they transported it to a pretend store where they created and exchanged pretend money while selling their Matzah to one another. This interactive play was not only a huge hit but also encouraged teamwork, and creativity and brought lots of laughter throughout the week.
At our writing center, each child chose a character from the Pesach story. They created beautiful pictures of their characters and wrote detailed descriptions about their chosen figures and the scenes they imagined. It was truly amazing to watch their storytelling skills blossom alongside their artistic expressions.
The highlight of our week was definitely the matzah baking experience. The children ground wheat into flour, made their very own matzah dough, baked it, and then enjoyed tasting their freshly made Matzah. This hands-on activity made the holiday traditions come alive in the most delicious way
| | Second grade students took on an exciting STEM challenge: building a “pyramid of pyramids” using only toothpicks and glue dots! They put their engineering skills to the test as they explored structure, balance, and design, working carefully to figure out how to construct and stack their creations successfully. With Pesach right around the corner, it was a fun, hands on way to think like real engineers! | | |
Kitah Alef has been working so hard to learn all about Pesach. The students have done projects and have been singing songs to get in the Pesach mode.
All the learning culminated in a fun Model Seder, where the students went through the parts of the seder by singing, drinking, and eating their way through the Haggadah.
We can't wait for our seder to show off how much we know!
| | Students in 5th grade have been building their descriptive writing skills by focusing on sensory language. Students enjoyed several immersive experiences with different smells, tastes, sounds, textures, and sights. With the help of a reference sheet of sophisticated adjectives, some new words added to students' written work including glossy, coarse, springy, velvety, glistening, tangy, and vibrant. 5th graders are excited to take their readers on many more sensory adventures! | | After recently exploring leaders with hearing and vision impairments, learning about assistive resources, and designing their own inventions to help others, our Grade 3 students had an exciting real-world connection. The students were fortunate to meet individuals who train and work with guide dogs, bringing their learning to life in a meaningful way. Students were thrilled to meet a playful puppy and discover the many steps involved in becoming a fully trained seeing eye dog. They also learned from individuals who used trained dogs each day. The students asked thoughtful questions, showed genuine curiosity, and especially loved the chance to pet the dogs at the end of the session. | | |
Our Scribble and Scratch artists had a wonderful experience visiting The Jewish Museum on Tuesday. This trip served as a meaningful conclusion to our weekly art club, where students explored the intersection of history and creativity through immigration-related art.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated volunteer, Ms. Bayewitz-Meier. Over the past six weeks, her guidance has been instrumental in teaching our students both artistic techniques and the important historical narratives embedded within their work. We are also grateful for her efforts in coordinating today’s special museum visit and studio session.
| | The 7th grade girls took part in a pre-Pesach learning program with Morah Amster. They delved into the topic of asking questions. Though typically questions are asked to acquire information, Judaism values asking all types of questions, even those without direct answers. The girls learned some Torah sources reflecting on this idea and then related it to the seder night, and more specifically the recitation of Ma Nishtana. Asking questions is an integral part of developing a relationship with Torah and HaShem, especially on Pesach. The girls then each made a seder prop to bring home - a “question asker” (fortune teller style), filled with questions to spark conversation at the Seder. The room was filled with great energy and engagement while learning! | | |
Congratulations to our 6th-grade winners of the Civic Spirit America 250 Design Challenge! Tasked with creating a new symbol to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial, our students showcased a deep understanding of America’s journey since its founding. While developing their ideas, the students learned about the struggles America triumphed over in order to gain its independence. Through a vibrant mix of drawing, painting, and mixed media, they blended historical motifs with present-day symbols of Patriotism that showcase American life since 1776. The students wrote reflective artist statements that accompanied their art submissions. All of Yavneh’s artwork beautifully reflected an appreciation for our country.
Noah Laib and Eitan Segal: 1st Place in the Mixed Media category
Ella Wolman: 3rd Place Mixed Media category
Sophie Sebrow: 3rd place (tie) Painting and Drawing category
Lea Bernstein and Livi Hoenig: Painting and Drawing honorable mention
Anna Herzberg: Painting and Drawing Honorable Mention
| | As we all are getting ready for Pesach, the Yavneh Chesed Team took time to volunteer for Tomchei Shabbos at the Teaneck Jewish Center on Motzei Shabbat packing Pesach packages. They helped organize hundreds of products to be packed, schlepped from the truck, lifted onto carts, wheeled into the ballroom and they sorted the objects for the packages Thank you to the parents who came out as well! | |
All the Middle School students know Mrs. Rubin has a stash of candy in her office that she places in her candy jar to share with them. This week the jar was missing! Who took it? Why would they take it? 7th grade is on the case!
Watch the video to see who our suspects are and the 7th grade forensic team already in action... stay tuned to see how they work through the evidence to find out who did it.
| | Yavneh Academy is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. | | | | | |
