MIVASERET MERCAZ
מבשרת מרכז
|
|
Mercaz Academy predicted the weather and honored our teachers, used our creativity to escape the box and shared our expertise. We joined a quest for kindness and measured our garden through the lens of halacha. We celebrated our students' wins and mourned our people's losses. Scroll down for a glimpse of the last week at Mercaz Academy...
|
|
TV Weatherman Visits Mercaz, Demonstrates Science Behind Meteorology |
Rich Hoffman, the weatherman for News12 Long Island, visited Mercaz Academy to provide students with a fascinating and informative insider’s view of the science of meteorology. He brought some of the tools of his trade with him, including an anemometer for measuring wind speed, some very complex equations, and even an actual weather balloon. (“How do you blow that up?” one student wanted to know. Mr. Hoffman assured him that he doesn’t do it himself, as it requires a helium pump.)
Mr. Hoffman shared a wealth of information about how he obtains his data and the skills necessary to process it into an actual weather forecast–he has an advanced degree and there’s a lot of math involved. But students were surprised when he demonstrated the usage of another tool he needs to do his job–a makeup bag! Mr. Hoffman explained that everyone on TV has to wear makeup just to look normal, because the lights are so bright.
Although meteorologists usually just predict snow, Mercaz students were delighted when Mr. Hoffman actually made them a handful of snow, and they were all very impressed when the thunderstorm he predicted for approximately 8:00 am the next morning arrived right on schedule.
|
|
Holocaust Survivor Shares Message of Hope and Faith on Yom Hashoah |
On Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, Mercaz Academy in Plainview was once again privileged to welcome Holocaust survivor Mrs. Zelda Polofsky to address its students. Mrs. Polofsky met with the Mercaz students in three different groups, offering strength and inspiration targeted to the ages of her listeners, and blessing them with hope for the future.
Students in first through fourth grade were the first group to greet Mrs. Polofsky. They performed “Vehi She’amda” and “Acheinu” for her, songs symbolizing Hashem's enduring protection through the generations. Principal Rabbi Kalman Fogel explained to the children that Mrs. Polofsky had lived through a time during which there was an attempt to destroy the Jewish people. Mrs. Polofsky added that she was delighted to hear the songs of Jewish children in a Jewish school as an expression of the Jewish future, and offered her assurance that the current enemies of Israel would also be unsuccessful. “We didn’t have an army to protect us then,” she told them. “But now we do, and I know that everything will be okay.”
The fourth grade listened as Mrs. Polofsky recounted her early life in a small shtetl before World War II. The fourth graders were captivated by her stories of life without electricity, her father’s compassion for others, and the now-vanished world of her first eight years.
Mrs. Polofsky provided more detail as she shared her story with the older students of grades five and six, speaking of the tragic death of her mother and of the benevolent Polish farmer who sheltered them in the bitterly cold winters. The students posed questions that were thoughtful and poignant, with one wondering how Mrs. Polofsky maintained her faith in Hashem amidst adversity, while another asked why she chose to remain steadfastly Jewish despite her tribulations. Mrs. Polofsky explained that, even in the darkest moments, she felt the presence of Hashem and witnessed His intervention. Asked what motivated her to persevere, she responded with a smile, “Because life is good!”
“We are so grateful that our students had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Polofsky,” Rabbi Fogel told parents after the presentation, “and for the invaluable insights they’ve gained from her remarkable journey of faith and resilience.”
|
|
Have We Mentioned Our Incredible Robotics Team? |
|
Kindergarteners Learn How to Control Robots From Experts: Our Robotics Team! |
Members of Mercaz Academy’s accomplished Robotics Team conducted a special hands-on lesson for kindergarten students, teaching them how to use iPads to control the robots the team used at the CIJE Robotics Tournament. Excited kindergarteners listened carefully to their instructions and took turns putting the robots through their paces, enthusiastically coached by team members.
Not only was this fun for our kindergarteners as well as our robotics champions (have we mentioned that they won third place in a field of 82 other teams?), it ensured that the school will continue its winning ways long into the future by passing down the team’s expertise to the next generation of competitors.
|
|
Robotics Team Celebrates Their Win at Build-Your-Own-Sundae Party, Receives Certificates of Achievement |
Mercaz Academy’s Robotics Team, who achieved an impressive third place finish in a field of 82 teams at the CIJE Robotics Competition in March, finally got a chance to celebrate their win at a Build-Your-Own-Sundae party this week. Ed Tech Director and Robotics Coach Lynda Last brought in ice cream, waffle bowls, and what seemed like every possible topping for these talented team members, and they built their sundaes with as much enthusiasm as they had devoted to building their robots (though with considerably more whipped cream).
The party concluded with the presentation of certificates of achievement, and the students present in the cafeteria cheered for each winner as his or her certificate was awarded. We can’t wait to see what happens in next year’s competition!
|
|
Out-of-the-Box Thinking in Nursery Bet |
Nursery Bet students are exercising their creativity, visualization skills, and imagination with a new addition to their week: Thinking Thursday. Every Thursday, students receive a worksheet with a simple symbol on it–for example, a circle, a number, or a letter of the alphabet. Today’s page featured a simple horizontal line. Students were then asked to use their imagination to complete the sentence, “It’s not a line, it’s a….” and draw their idea on the page.
The creativity constantly bubbling under the surface in the Nursery Bet classroom exploded as the line became a chocolate bar, a robot’s belt, and even a unicorn. The artistic techniques used ranged from a simple toy box to the detailed intricacy of a strawberry ice cream cone with sprinkles. And the lessons in out-of-the-box thinking–the importance of creativity, and the uniqueness of every individual’s vision–will serve as a foundation for their problem-solving for a lifetime.
|
|
Counselor Corner: Third Grade Launches Quest for Kindness |
Third graders have been on a quest to foster kindness at Mercaz! Boys and girls teams are searching for 30 opportunities to compliment and/or show compassion for their fellow students, as well as opportunities to include students with whom they don’t usually interact by playing together at recess. When the two teams have documented 30 of these connections, they will embark on another quest as a reward: a class treasure hunt. (The third graders are making good progress, having already achieved enough points for a mid-quest ice cream party.)
In addition, the two teams came together to create a very special puzzle. Each student received a puzzle piece on which to write ways in which they can support each other or make the classroom community stronger. Then they put all the pieces together in a tangible display proving that everyone’s contributions are necessary to complete the community puzzle.
|
|
Mitzvot Teluyot Ba’Aretz: Parshat Kedoshim and Kilayim in the GrowTorah Garden |
In the Mercaz GrowTorah garden, we have been focusing on mitzvot teluyot ba’aretz, the agricultural commandments that apply only in Israel. This week’s parsha, Kedoshim, mentions some of these, and our students learned about the mitzvah of kilayim, the prohibition against cross-breeding different species. Farmer Menuchah led students in a discussion of the rules of kilayim, explaining that, in an Israeli vegetable garden, vegetables of different species must be planted at a distance of a little more than a tefach (handbreadth) apart. Students then imagined that our GrowTorah garden was in Israel and used a ruler to measure the distance between the different plants, determining which plants would be kosher and which would be kilayim there.
Mercaz students also learned about companion planting, the agricultural practice of planting specific plants next to each other in order to benefit one or both of them. For example, many plants deplete nitrogen from the soil, so some students planted peas in the vegetable garden to add nitrogen to the soil. Students ended the lesson by harvesting fresh herbs, both for themselves and to give as tzedakah to a food bank.
|
|
Teacher Appreciation Week |
|
With the help and leadership of the PTA, students (and their parents!) have been showing their love for Mercaz staff members in some very tangible ways to mark Teacher Appreciation Week,. On Monday, teachers were presented with school umbrellas. Tuesday brought a shower of complimentary notes from students. A delicious breakfast for the staff was served on Wednesday, and today, teachers received flowers from the students. Also today, a sushi lunch for the entire staff was sponsored by the Morey family.
Teachers agree that it’s been an amazing week, and thank everyone for their kindness and love.
|
|
Most of our students didn't want to reveal their Mother's Day secrets, but the Toddlers are happy to let you know that you'll be getting some beautiful gifts from your children on Sunday! |
|
|
|
Monday, May 13
Tuesday, May 14
- Yom Ha'atzma'ut: Parade and dancing, 9:00-10:00 am (ECC parents only)
Wednesday, May 15
- 1st grade trip to Long Island Museum, 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Thursday, May 16
- 5th & 6th grade trip to Philadelphia
Sunday, May 19
Monday, May 20
- 2nd Grade trip to Planetarium, 9:45 am-2:15 pm
Tuesday, May 21
- Author Visit: Douglas Florian, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Wednesday, May 22
- ECC Pajama Night, 6:00-7:00 pm
Sunday, May 26
Monday, May 27
Wednesday, May 29
- PTA Lag B'Omer BBQ & Bonfire, 6:30 pm
Sunday, June 2
Wednesday, June 5
- Yom Yerushalayim
- 5 & 6 Grade Mishmar Dinner
Monday, June 10
- 3rd & 4th grade field trip to Planting Fields Arboretum State Park, 9:15 am-1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 11
-
EARLY DISMISSAL, 1:45 PM: Erev Shavuot
Wednesday, June 12-Thursday, June 13
Monday, June 17
- 6th Grade Class Trip, 9:00 am-6:30 pm
- Last day of classes for 6th grade
Tuesday, June 18
- Kindergarten Graduation, 9:00 am
- Sixth Grade Graduation, 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 19
- Nursery Aleph Graduation, 9:00 am
- Nursery Bet Graduation, 10:00 am
- Toddler Graduation, 11:00 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
