Israel Trip Recap

We were excited to travel with our juniors and seniors to Israel for an unforgettable journey, made even more meaningful by the fact that nearly half of the participants had never been to Israel before. The trip was a powerful blend of touring the land and exploring next-step opportunities, with three days devoted to visiting yeshivot, seminaries, and gap year programs including Hakotel, Mevaseret, Shraga, Lev HaTorah, Sha’alvim, Netiv, Midreshet Moriyah, Harova, MMY, MTVA, Bar Ilan XP, Aardvark, and Year Course. Along the way, our students visited Caesarea, Ein Keshatot, Tel Saki, Yad Vashem, Mount Herzl, Machane Yehuda, Shuk HaCarmel, Nachalat Binyamin, Ir David, Sderot, the Nova festival site and car cemetery, and Tel Aviv, gaining historical context, emotional depth, and a stronger connection to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.

The group also took part in meaningful chesed, volunteering at Neve Michael with youth at risk, at Shalva with children with special needs, and on a kibbutz in the Gaza Envelope. Trip highlights included an Ishay Ribo concert, chocolate-making at the De Karina factory, Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel, dinner at the home of former bat sherut Yael Kalef, an alumni dinner, and leisurely time walking through the Old City. Throughout the experience, our students bonded deeply with one another, creating memories and relationships that will last a lifetime.

A Crucial Discussion on Education: Listening to Today’s Parents

Head of School, Rabbi Jordan Silvestri, recently recorded a video podcast with Corvessa Partners to discuss the evolving landscape of private school education. In the episode, Rabbi Silvestri shares RMBA’s educational philosophy, what makes the school unique, and exciting initiatives on campus, highlighting why RMBA is such an attractive choice for families.

He also offered thoughtful insights on balancing academic rigor with student well-being and navigating the modern school-parent relationship. Drawing on his background in social work, Rabbi Silvestri’s leadership philosophy offers a thoughtful and compassionate approach to guiding the RMBA community.

Listen to the podcast.

Writing Across Texts

This week, Middle School students in Ms. Ruben's class are hard at work on their first integrative essay of the year. This assignment invites them to select at least three texts from the unit and craft a well organized essay that highlights a unifying theme. As they look closely at the materials they have studied, students are learning to make thoughtful connections, support their ideas with evidence, and express their insights with clarity. This project gives them a chance to deepen their understanding of the unit while building strong analytical writing skills.

Math in Motion

Ms. Morrison's fourth graders enjoyed a lively math game this week to practice identifying odd and even numbers. In pairs, students held up a number on their fingers (0–5), revealed them simultaneously, added the numbers, and quickly decided whether the sum was odd or even. Each pair had an “Odd” player and an “Even” player, and whoever matched the sum earned a point. This fast-paced, hands-on activity kept everyone thinking, moving, and having fun while strengthening number sense and mental math skills.

Thanksgiving Break Stories

This week, Mr. Simon’s third graders are learning about irregular past tense verbs. Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs do not form their past tense by simply adding “-d” or “-ed.” Examples include go (went), eat (ate), see (saw), do (did), and have (had). Some change their spelling, while others, like put and cut, remain the same. Students applied this knowledge by writing essays describing what they did over Thanksgiving break, practicing their grammar skills while reflecting on their holiday experiences.

Hands-On Graphing Fun



Second graders have officially begun their graphing unit, and excitement is high! Each morning, students vote on a daily class question and work together to add the new data to their graph. Throughout the week, they practice identifying the X- and Y-axes, choosing appropriate titles, and organizing information clearly. After voting, the class counts the data and records totals using tally marks, helping students connect numbers, tallies, and visual information. This engaging routine strengthens understanding of data collection and interpretation while giving students confidence as they compare results, notice patterns, and discuss what their graphs show.

Building Math Skills

In Mrs. Schneider’s first grade class, students are working hard to strengthen their addition and subtraction skills. They use a variety of tools throughout the classroom to help solve problems, including small manipulatives, a life-sized number line, and collaborative work with classmates. By working together and exploring different strategies, students are building confidence in their math abilities while making learning interactive and fun. This hands-on approach allows them to visualize problems, practice critical thinking, and see how numbers connect in real-world ways.

Spreading Joy

This week Morah Eliana's second grade class created bright and colorful holiday cards for residents of a local senior living home. The students worked with enthusiasm as they decorated each card with bright colors and kind messages. Their project offered a meaningful way to practice giving to others while sharing warmth and joy with members of the community.

Parsha Fun & Fine Motor Skills

Morah Sandy's EC3A students learned about Parshat Vayishlach, focusing on how Eisav and an army of 400 men were coming to see Yakov and the three steps Yakov took to prepare. The class made a craft to practice fine motor skills, representing Yakov’s davening, sending gifts of animals, and preparing for war. They also dramatized the miracle of Eisav and Yakov’s reunion, complete with hugs and kisses. Children enjoyed a sensory activity, searching for animals in shredded paper and using tweezers to place them in gift boxes as if for Eisav. In ASL, students learned the signs for “animals” and “gifts.”

Chanukah Art Contest Winners

RMBA is excited to announce and congratulate our winners of the Chanukah Art Contest! 

• Kindergarten- Beeri Maman
• First Grade- Joy Lugassi
• Second Grade- Dalia Rubenfeld
• Third Grade- Ariel Abutbul
• Fourth Grade- Yehonatan Shitrit
• Fifth Grade- Ariella Harroch
• Middle School- Orin Gonik, Maya Vaknin, Noam Gertler, Emmett Sullivan
• Highschool- Celia Watts, Basya Gottlieb, Shoshana Cohen
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To purchase a card, click here.

Little Lights, Big Smiles

Morah Clara's EC3B students enjoyed a week full of Chanukah light, learning, and joyful hands-on exploration. Students created beautiful Chanukah placemats and learned about brave Jewish heroes like the Maccabees. They marched to lively music, spun dreidels at different speeds, made potato-stamp art for Chanukah cards, and played playful counting games with “latkes” and a pretend frying pan. The class also explored Chanukah through their five senses while learning the brachot (blessings), songs, and traditions that make the holiday special.

Wiggles, Songs, and Chanukah Fun

This week, Morah Aliyah's EC4B class was excited to jump back into learning after returning from break. Despite a rainy day, the class enjoyed Go Noodle, which provided plenty of safe, rowdy, and fun songs to help get their wiggles out. The students are also fully in Chanukah mode, practicing for their performance and incorporating holiday-themed activities into math, science, and enrichment centers. From counting candles and exploring materials to making dreidels to tracing menorahs, the class is celebrating and learning at the same time.

Texas School Choice

On Wednesday evening, RMBA hosted a School Choice Information Session where we welcomed Laura Collangelo, Executive Director of TPSA, to present the state’s final rules for the new TEFA (Texas Education Freedom Accounts) program. Families had the opportunity to ask detailed questions about who qualifies, what documentation is required, and what steps they need to take to prepare for applications opening on February 4. Rabbi Silvestri also outlined the stages RMBA is taking to become a TEFA provider and to serve as a source of support and guidance for our families throughout the process. In the coming weeks, we will be emailing additional resources, and the slide deck containing much of the information shared at the session can be found in the School Choice Information Session Slide Deck.

Community EC Family Oneg

Join us on Friday, December 12, from 8:30–10:00 AM for a community Chanukah Shabbat Oneg for children ages 0–4! Celebrate with songs, dancing, games, a holiday scavenger hunt, and sweet treats, plus plenty of space to run and explore our Magical Forest and Teepee Village. This event is free, but RSVP is required. Thank you to the Houston Jewish Community Foundation for their generous support in helping us create this wondeful opportunity for Jewish families across Houston.

Questions?

Contact Claire Lefkowitz at clefkowitz@berenacademy.org