Getting Into the Classroom

 Earlier this year I directed my teachers to think about times in which they could invite parents into the classrooms in order for the parents to get a feel for what actually is transpiring and to get parents to have access to our school during the school day, so that they can look at our displays and classrooms, pick up on the excitement and enthusiasm, and appreciate the level of the work that our students are producing.  I did not want this to be a “show piece” that required hours of work, preparation, and rehearsals on the part of the students or the teachers.  That would prove to be counterproductive.  What I wanted was for the parents to see what the students normally do and how comfortable they are with their required work, and how excited they are to share it with others.  These visits should be on a small scale, so that parents, grandparents and relatives can share the time in a meaningful way with one child, and not feel rushed or conflicted about which child gets the parents’ undivided attention

Brittney Friedman's first graders have been working on a habitat project, and this morning they got to share those projects with their parents.  Each student had selected an animal to research. Brittney had prepared worksheets for the children to complete as they were researching their animals.  From the information on their worksheets, they created sentences and paragraphs about the size, diet, life span, and environment of their animals.  They wrote out these answers by hand into individual booklets, which they all read perfectly, and accompanied their written explanations with their own drawings.  Finally, they all created individual dioramas of their animals in the appropriate habitat.  All this work was accomplished in school, without the input of the parents.  This project incorporated many of the best practices in twenty-first century education – higher order thinking, even for first graders, researching with technology, expository writing which includes correct grammar, handwriting, and artistic creativity, as well as the ability to articulate the information they had uncovered. The children were absolutely delighted with their own work and the work of their classmates.  Not only did they become experts on one particular animal, like tarantulas or river otters, but they quickly integrated all of the vital information from their classmates’ projects, as well. That made them experts on nine different animal species. The entire presentation took just under 20 minutes!

 

 Throughout the year, parents and family members will have opportunities to share the educational experiences of their children in a variety of different venues and formats.  Look forward to a sophisticated project coming up in sixth grade next week and our Chumash presentation in December.

Who Will Live and Who Will Die?

This morning the junior high students and the 11^th and 12^th grade girls had the privilege of hearing from Leah Kaufman and Helen Yermus, two Holocaust survivors and long time friends, who each shared their unique stories.  Leah was born in Rumania, while Helen was born in Kovno, Lithuania.  Both were very young children at the time of the NAZI conquests of their native countries, who witnessed first hand the unspeakable brutality of the Nazis and their supporters.  They spoke with great emotion and quiet eloquence about their earliest memories, their fear and hopelessness, their yearnings and sufferings, about finding themselves orphaned and alone in the most treacherous of all circumstances.  They shared with their audience those few words or unspoken signs that forced them onward, that kept them from surrendering to the fate of their friends and family.  Their childhood was abruptly stolen from them. Overnight they learned to live by their wits and cunning, in order to survive.  Like so many other survivors, they were plagued with questions like, “Why was I spared?”  Both women, whose experiences were so different, yet at the most basic level, so similar, came to the same conclusion.  We were spared to speak the truth, to tell our stories, to keep alive the memories of our past, of our loved ones, of our tradition and heritage, to educate the next generation of Jews.  We are that next generation.  It is up to us now to deliver those messages.

Leah Kaufman’s experiences can be found in her profoundly moving autobiography, Live! Remember! Tell the World! The Story of a Hidden Child Survivor of Transnistria.  Leah is the mother of Dr. Seth Kaufman and the grandmother of Jonah, Talya, Elaina, and Ariana Kaufman.  Both Leah and Helen are in Memphis to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Talya to Aryeh Sand.

A Day in the Life

6:30 – Wake up

8:00 – Daven Shachrit with the GMSG

8:30 – Teach Jewish history in the GMSG

10:15 – Pre-K 4 comes to the office to invite me to their Shabbat Party on Friday.  In keeping with the Parsha, they are inviting guests to their “tent”; complete comments on report cards for high school classes

11:30 – meet with Office Staff

12:00 – Teach  AP US Gov

1:00 – Grab some sloppy Joes from the hot lunch line; ( Sandra looks at my purple hat and purple dickey and asks me if I know it is purple day in pre-k 3);chow down while visitors roam in and out of my office, apologizing for interrupting my lunch ( no problem – I don’t like eating alone!!)

1:30 – Return tray to the kitchen, encounter Barbara Kutner on the way – make an appointment to visit the pre-k 3 room dressed in purple; return to office to attack emails; office in an uproar – Where is the banner from last year’s tournament?  Ahh Erica to the rescue!! Check on ads – for house on Conwell, for high school open house.

1:50 – Samantha stops by to remind me to visit the pre-k ( good thing, I was so absorbed in the emails I didn’t look at the clock!) I, in purple, was given the royal treatment by the pre-k.  I visited their “tent “and was provided with hospitality –a bag of SkoobyDo  cookies that got the pre-k 3 students drooling, and got to share their circle time ( them on the floor, me on a chair); Chany drops off paintings made by high school students to judge for their Renaissance Fair – I can only say “wow!!”.

3:30 – Meeting with a parent – First remark – “Don’t worry Mrs. Kutliroff, everything is fine.  My son loves this school.  Conversation about possible joint programs with other Jewish children in the city during Chanukah – following up on the good vibes of the “Shabbos Project” and thinking about ways to expand on the concept and include more members of the community.

4:30 – Try to sneak out to vote; caught up in the hallway to discuss recent issues that have presented themselves over the course of the day.

5:15 – Vote at Shady Grove elementary school

6:00 – Prepare dinner ( easy – we still have leftovers from Shabbat); catch up on the day with Jerry

8:00 – Attend meeting of Alumni Committee

9:30 – Think about newsletter article for this week – read through relevant section in Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s memoir , LISTENINGtoGOD, finish cleaning up from dinner; final view for the day of family Whatsap – Is Gavi really going to be on “X Factor Israel?” Check on election results – Yup, I knew it – a Republican sweep!!

10:45 – Settle in bed with A Murder in Lemberg, the latest selection for the Jewish Book Club at Baron Hirsch; can’t really fall asleep – muse about the day – What a wonderful life I have; I feel blessed!!

"The Right people at the right place at the right time"

“The right people, at the right time, in the right place” – Our

school has been in existence for 65 years and with G-d’s help will be around for another 65 years.  But, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are here because some very selfless , committed people had a vision and were willing to see that vision through, and that in each succeeding generation, there were torchbearers to light the way for the next generation.  Once a year, during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a small group of dedicated fundraisers make their calls for our operational campaign.  They need to raise nearly $700,000 to keep our school running, and they do a remarkable job.  What always impresses me is the very significant number of contributors to this event.  Ninety-one families pledged at least $1000.  Scores more made smaller contributions.  This truly demonstrates the breadth of community support there is for our school.  Yes, we need more donations.  Yes, we need donors who can pledge and fulfill those pledges with larger donations. But, we also need to be thankful to all of those people who continue to support and work for our school’s success. 

Over seventy people attended a celebratory dinner last Thursday evening At Dr. Joe and Cindi Weinstein’s gracious home. A delicious repast was prepared by Heart and Soul Caterers.  Rabbi Feigenbaum extended greetings from the Vaad HaRabbanim and Dr. Joel Siegel spoke as President of the Board of Directors and I spoke as Interim Dean.  To lighten the mood a bit I began with “The top Ten Reasons to Be a Donor to the MHA/FYOS.  You can look below to see that list.

Let me begin this evening with the top 10 reasons why you should be a donor to the MHA/FYOS. Please forgive my irreverence. We’ll start in reverse order.

Reason #10:  So that we will have a school for the children of all the new Jewish doctors that Project Move to Memphis is going to bring to town.

Reason #9:  So that we have a school for the children of the next kosher gourmet restaurateur who comes to Memphis.

Reason #8: So that we can provide ruach to the Orthodox shuls on a Shabbat morning.

Reason #7:  So that we can provide the next, and the next, and the next   NCSY Midwest regional president.

Reason #6: So that we can have 1 good kosher steak dinner a year.

Reason #5: So that we can maintain a repository for gently abused high mileage vans and minivans .  By the way, we really appreciate them.

Reason #4:  So that we can provide Josh Kahane with the opportunity to pad his resume with 10,000 hours of volunteer-related work in his next profession, as CFO of a Fortune 500 company.

Reason#3: So that we can single-handedly keep the last remaining shop of spare parts for ancient air conditioners open and flourishing.

Reason #2: So that the community will have continuous opportunities to do hachnochos orchim -  to have teens from around the country and young men and women from Israel at their weekly Shabbos tables.

And, all kidding aside -

Reason #1:  So that we can provide an authentic Jewish education to the children of Memphis. Tennessee.

Hebrew Immersion Works

For the past 6 years the school has been seriously committed to improving our Hebrew language program.  The best way to do this is to begin when the students are young and immerse them in all aspects of the language: listening, speaking, singing, reading, writing.  The more Hebrew that they hear spoken, the more comfortable it becomes for them.  Not every word needs to be translated. The meaning of many words can be derived from context, body motion, pictures and illustrations,and even facial expression.  I did not have the privilege of attending a Hebrew Day School.  I had the traditional after school experience.  Picking up the Hebrew language proved exceedingly difficult for me.  But, I can contrast that with my knowledge of Yiddish.  From birth on, I was exposed to Yiddish.  All of my grandparents and their siblings spoke it, as did my parents.  I never had a single formal Yiddish lesson; I never asked anyone to translate a single Yiddish word into English.  Yet, by the time I was 7 or 8 years old, I could understand everything that was said to me in Yiddish.  I was discouraged from answering back, and encouraged to answer in English, so I never got comfortable speaking the language, but to this day I still understand a good deal of spoken Yiddish and because the language uses the Hebrew alphabet, I can struggle through a bit of reading.

As I walk the halls of the school the smile on my face broadens as in room after room children are speaking, reading, writing and listening to Hebrew.  Now that the program has been in progress for a number of years, we have students in the junior high who have been immersed in Hebrew for quite some time and can discuss ideas and stories and write creative and expository essays in Hebrew.

The links below are to conversations in the 11th and 12th grade honors Hebrew language course taught by Hemda Booth.  Before the recordings the girls discussed with their teacher the recent events in Gaza.  The pictures were taken in Shimshon Soleman's  junior high Hebrew class.

                           

ברית (חמדה) חלק  1.wmv <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6jBAxwF2tMOZkVCMEpsT0hyWHM/edit?usp=drive_web> ​​ עברית (חמדה) חלק 2.wmv <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6jBAxwF2tMOSEN6cVF3bUZFcFU/edit?usp=drive_web> ​בינ"ו

Sometimes you just have to smile

Last Friday I was walking down the hall, when something caught my eye in the kindergarten class room.  There seemed to be some older children milling around, so I went in to investigate. To my gratification and exultation, Mrs. Martin's 5th graders were reading with the kindergartners.  They were spread all over the room.  Some were sitting with their arms around each other.  Others were relaxed on the floor.  Some of the kindergartners were reading to the 5th graders. Everyone was totally absorbed.  It was a very sweet moment.  Shortly after this, the children were dismissed.  The fifth graders came out of school with the biggest smiles on their faces, still talking about the experience,

 This is only one example of the partnerships we have between classes.  It is one of the great advantages that we have because our school houses students in pr-k 3 all the way up to 12th graders.  The interactions between the older and younger students throughout the year is a shining example of how we promote both leadership and respect, warmth and understanding.  We have the

opportunities to send many important messages home with our students.  Enjoy the pictures below.

Journalism at MHA

Perhaps you are unaware of the journalistic efforts of our students.  They are quite impressive.  Today saw the publication and distribution of both the Junior Journal, our Junior High publication, and the CYHSB Weekly, the boys High School publication.  Coming soon will be the GMSG Weekly.  The Junior High publication comes out monthly.  The boys High School newspaper comes out weekly, and the Girls School entry comes out biweekly. These are all available in the local synagogues on Shabbat.   New this year is the High School Creative Journal which will highlight creative endeavors of the students in a number of different areas.  I am especially proud of these publications.  They show initiative, real journalistic style, and a commitment to finding meaningful and noteworthy topics to address.  They are excellent examples of collaborative learning, not just between students, but between students and their faculty advisors, Talya Tsuna and Ashley Brown.  My husband has always said that any program or publication should be of a caliber that it interests anyone, not just a small, specific audience.  These publications have universal appeal.  They are written thoughtfully, with humor, and reflect contemporary issues and concerns in all areas – the arts, sports, politics, and reflections on school events,  a  little bit of something for everyone! Best of all, there is always a substantial d’var Torah, and a recognition of the importance of upcoming yom tovim and the moods that each one inspires.  They always have a very “Jewish touch,” something which should be fundamental to everything that we publish and distribute.  These publications serve as outstanding examples of our mission statement –“The Margolin Hebrew Academy/ Feinstone Yeshiva of the South is a warm, community-focused, value-driven Orthodox Jewish Day School that empowers and inspires its students with the knowledge and skills they will need to meaningfully contribute to all aspects of society.”

Please look for a copy of our publications.

Preparing for Shabbat

What do you do to prepare for Shabbat – to put you in the mood?  Here at the Academy we enjoy a Friday assembly complete with d’var Torah and class presentations.  Mrs. Gersten has been overseeing this project for the past several years now, and like many other events and activities that we all take for granted, it is a sparkling gem.  This past Friday the 6^th graders took control.  They opened with a delightful d’var Torah that involved the entire audience.  After explaining the importance of a king having his own Torah, each child was given a small rolled scroll, complete with ribbon.  They were invited to write into the scroll their favorite mitzvah; then re-roll the scroll and tie it up.  Everyone went home with his own personal “Torah” – what a lovely idea!

The 6^th graders followed this up with a heartwarming and enjoyable video that they made featuring some important aspects of our IKaRR program.  The link is below.  Please watch, enjoy, and “shep nachos,” as the saying goes.

                http://youtu.be/aSi8Pp06pDA

All of this was followed by a cute presentation by the new Torah Metzion Kollel boys.  They acted out a famous Yiddish story which the audience appreciated. 

Friday assemblies take place at 2:15 on long Fridays.  Come by for a smile and a bit of pre-Shabbat inspiration.

Filling a Niche

I firmly believe that The MHA/FYOS fills a special niche in the day school world.  We are an Orthodox school that is committed to both a superb Torah and General studies education.  We are also committed to the state of Israel and to teaching about Israel and Israel advocacy.  We participate in the Torah Metzion  and Bat Ami programs, and each year bring young men and women to Memphis to oversee Israeli programming in addition to enhancement and enrichment of our Torah studies program.  This year we welcome  Zeev Leib, Hagai Gross, Ran Albaz, Moriya Ben Chemo,  and Noemi Tenenbawm.

 We also take advantage of members of our local Memphis community who have expertise in the area of Israel affairs.  Last Friday the junior high had the privilege of hearing from Adam Groveman, who attended our school in the past, and this morning from Rebbetzin Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, a much admired and respected teacher in the GMSG.  Adam talked about the history of Israel’s relationship with Hamas and Gaza and referred to a recent trip that he took to Israel and the effect that the thousands of rockets have had on the lives of Israelis.  Bluma provided an excellent follow-up with a more political discussion and an explanation of the difference in the tactics used by Israel and Hamas and how these tactics play themselves out on the battle field and in the media.  Bluma also offered the students options for helping the Israeli cause.  These ranged from setting the record straight when you confront friends or acquaintances who do not have all of the most up-to -date, accurate information, to accepting upon yourself an extra mitzvah, or davening for the recovery of a particular wounded soldier , or just doing some extra learning.  She also informed the students about the Bnei Mitzvah program that the Federation has set up.  For every dollar that a Bar or Bat Mitzvah deposits into their account at the Federation, there is a matching donation made, and the child can decide where to earmark his or her charitable donation.  This is a wonderful program, in which we hope to get wide participation.  

Go!

 

Yes, we are off and running.  As I write this, cars are beginning to pull up for dismissal from the second day of school.  Just like arrival in the morning, the smiles on the students' faces are genuine.

We are certainly starting off on the right foot.  As I strolled through the corridors this morning, I passed many classrooms filled with serious students devoted to their davening.  In some rooms you could hear them singing the prayers, halfway down the hall.  The Beit Midresh was full this morning with our students and local residents who joined the minyan. 

As the day progressed I observed circle time in kindergarten, free time in pre-k 4, havruta style learning in Rabbi Nachbar’s class, serious writing going on in 6^th grade,first graders singing at the top of their lungs, songs involving Hebrew letter recognition, and perhaps the most impressive activity of the day , one that drew me in, so that I did not want to leave the classroom, was a junior high Ivrit class led by Morah Shimshon.  There were questions on the board and the students had index cards on which they wrote down the answers to the questions.  They then read their answers aloud.  Everything was conducted in Hebrew  - conversations between the teacher and students and student to student.

There is so much good education taking place at the MHA.  I only hope that I will continue to have the time to peek into the world of the students, and to continue to report back to you on their progress.     

e.

 

   

Getting to Know You

 

Back to School Night - Meet and Greet the Teachers for pre-schoolers - the school has been filled with enthusiastic parents and shy, but adorable 3 year - olds who are walking into the classroom for the first time,four year-olds who seem to have more confidence, and kindergarteners who are already old hands at school, leading in their younger siblings and heading right for the clay, markers and toys left out for them to discover .  Teachers are successfully encouraging the children to recognize their names, place their belongings in their cubbies, and just feel comfortable.  

Teachers and administrators both spoke to parents, acquainting them with all of the programs, forms, folders and digital devices and equipment that all go into making a successful twenty-first century school.  Parents listened avidly to what the teachers had to say and walked away feeling both confident and excited about the learning experience that their children will have this coming year.

Today also found the dormers moving in.  The girls were ecstatic with their make-over, which rivals the new early childhood center.  For this, enormous thanks go to Esther Katz and her volunteers.  The twelve boys and their parent were hard at work shlepping, folding, hanging, and just meeting the new faces and socializing.  Excitement is in the air!

A Growth Mindset

Musings on an in-service session

Dr. Carol Dweck is a world renowned Psychologist, author of many books.  One of her most recent publications is Mindset.  In this book Dr Dweck describes two different mindsets that describe the outlooks and behaviors of people of all ages in today’s society.  Her works are all based on years of clinical studies and analysis.  The book Mindset is written so that her research can be applied to everyone in all walks of life.  She discusses parenting, teaching, and  functioning in the workplace.  Her basic thesis is that there are two main mindsets – a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.  We can see these mindsets in everyone from young children to senior citizens.  What defines the difference between the two mindsets is how you see yourself. 

People with a fixed mindset always want to look smart, always associate with the high achievers, those who are perceived to be the “smart ones.”  They avoid tasks that will show any deficiencies on their part.  They believe that making an effort to achieve shows that they are inherently deficient.  It is a sign that they lack ability. Therefore, they tend to coast along in life.  They generally fail when they have to try hard, because they have never come to appreciate that failure can have a positive outcome down the line. According to their assessment,  if they have the ability, they shouldn’t have to make the effort.  They believe that a set back or a deficiency is a negative measure and reveals too much about them that would embarrass them in front of others.  Hence, they run from mistakes, and avoid challenges that they are unsure of overcoming. 

People with a growth mindset focus on continual learning.  To them life is a learning experience all of the time and at all costs.  If they suffer set backs, which they do, of course, they seek to recover, reassess, and tackle the job again. They are persistent and see the value in learning and growing from their mistakes. People with a growth mindset understand that effort can activate ability over time.  They know and appreciate that even “geniuses” have to work hard and that failure is part of the learning experience.  They turn their mistakes around so that they can capitalize on them and make them part of a larger, overall learning experience.  Unlike their counterparts who have a fixed mindset, people with growth mindsets understand that raw ability is only secondary to success.

As teachers, we ourselves, should have a growth mindset.  We should take risks, learn from our mistakes, understand that our efforts activate our abilities over time.  We shouldn’t shy away from those areas in teaching that provide us with the biggest challenges.

Our students also need a growth mindset.  It allows them to embrace learning, for learning’s sake. They need to better understand the role of effort in creating intelligence.  Most importantly, they need to retain resilience in the face of setbacks.  Students with a growth mindset will be far more successful in life than those with a fixed mindset.  They won’t shy away from learning new skills because they won’t be obsessed with failure.  They will understand the process of learning, not only the data they need to know to pass the tests.  It is this process that separates those who are successful in life from those who tend to stagnate. 

To learn more about Carol Dweck’s work, you can watch some of her videos on you tube or read her latest publications.  

Get Ready, Get Set...

Today the teachers gathered together for their first day of in-service, in preparation for “Back to School Night” on Sunday evening, August 17,  for Early Childhood and Elementary school, “Meet the Teachers” for Early childhood on Monday, August 18, and finally the first day for everyone on Tuesday, August 19.  The lunchroom was filled with excitement and good cheer as old friends touched base about the summer and new arrivals were convivially incorporated.  As feelings of enthusiasm continued, the teachers got down to real work.  This week before school starts has been set aside for classroom preparation, lesson planning, collaborative sessions, but most of all, to introduce and evaluate professional development initiatives that will make for better education for all of our children. 

This year all divisions are focusing on “Making Thinking Visible.”  This educational approach seeks to train students to think more often and more critically, and to become more accomplished problem solvers, by demonstrating to the students, exactly what takes place when one “thinks” about a problem, an issue, a puzzle or conundrum.  This approach attempts to show the students more clearly what steps are actually involved in the thinking process, so that they will be better at applying the procedures to all types of learning situations.  It is truly a skill that will serve them well for the rest of their lives, both in and out of school.  All of the various divisions have been working on applying the methodology in ways that are relevant to them. 

I am also encouraging an initiative called Appreciative Inquiry, introduced to me by Charna Schubert,  which seeks to change the culture – the atmosphere, the morale - of a given group of employees.  This approach was first used in the industrial and sales world to increase output and customer satisfaction.  Many fortune 500 companies have gone through the process.  It is now being used to make schools more productive, by drawing on the inner core of strength of the educational institution.  By determining what works well and why it works, employees can build and strengthen their workplace.  Appreciating everyone’s contributions and establishing an atmosphere in which they can thrive and rise to their potential can successfully turn a culture of negativity into one of positive energy and output.  It allows for employees to work collaboratively to “dream”, “design”, and realize the institution’s “destiny”.  We began the day with a modified version of the process to introduce the concept and get the teachers thinking positively about change.  Rivki Wiener, our much acclaimed second grade teacher, came up with an appropriate catch phrase to describe this initiative – “gratitude attitude!”  Rivki was also the creator of our acronym, IKaRR

One of the highlights of the day was a presentation by Allison Sheppard on technology.  She went through some basics on operating our new computers and offered some trouble shooting hints for us.  She also took us on a whirlwind tour of google apps that we can use – everything from flipped classrooms, to creating you tube videos to setting up blogs.  It was enlightening and peaked everyone’s curiosity.  Allison has generously offered to work with people individually to help hone their own skills. 

There was still time to do some team building activities and to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared for us by Sandra Osdoba.  It was a day of bonding and hard work.

"Extreme Make-over"

The Extreme Make-Over!!

Over the weekend and into the wee hours of the morning, volunteers have been hard at work converting our former computer room into a multi-purpose room to be used by the Early Childhood division.  This wonderful project is being ably spearheaded by our Early Childhood Director, Charna Schubert. All of Charna's staff have made truly noteworthy contributions, but special recognition goes to Kim Minner, her husband David, and their daughter Katie. Kim had been as assistant in the school years ago, but moved away.  We are delighted to welcome her back to the MHA family, and as always, we appreciate all of the work that Katie does for us.  

As you can see this room is in the process of being transformed into a child wonderland, complete with bright colors, lots of pictures, and plenty of shelf space to stack toys, books, and educational materials.  This entire project has been a great collaborative effort.  Charna shared her vision with the other administrators and board members.  The IT people solved all the computer related issues, ensuring that our server would be secure and that there would be school-wide access to our growing technology collection.  Teachers, parents, and students alike, happily stepped up to contribute their time and talents. Steve and his crew have helped in the construction of a wall which will protect our server and still allow the students plenty of room to ride and play.  

We gratefully thank all of those who have made this project possible, and especially the board of directors for approving it and giving us the go-ahead.

Ready, Set ....

Ready, Set …

Teachers have already been hard at work setting up their classrooms.

The Early Childhood division is pleased to have a whole new all purpose room to add to their corner of the school. Charna and her teachers are busy converting the old computer room into a room for indoor play, parties, joint class activities, and events shared by children and parents. Our classrooms are now very well supplied with computers and ipads, so that a room dedicated as a computer lab is no longer necessary. Extra computers will be set up in the library. There are laptop carts for use in the elementary and junior high divisions. High school students are required to have their own laptops and there are extra ones that the administrators can assign to students who do not have laptops. There will be more ipads available for pre-school and elementary use this year, due to a generous grant from the Kohellet Foundation.

This new all purpose room will free up the lunchroom and gym for use by the older students. The new room will be stocked with riding toys and age appropriate toys that encourage healthy physical activity on the part of the students. There will also be room for tables and chairs, and even the possibility of converting part of the play area into a lunchroom facility for the pre-schoolers. The availability of a projector and wifi access will still permit larger group learning opportunities in this room, as well.

Rabbi Baruch and Mrs. Malka Harris are moving in today to 5569 Kings Point. If you see them, please introduce yourself. You will be so glad that you did. They are a lovely family!

A very big “Thank You” goes to Allison Sheppard, our 4th grade teacher and IT specialist who suggested that we could get some gently used furniture from Youth Village, where her mother, Paula Jordan, works. We did, and I think our teachers will be pleased with their “new” file cabinets, storage cabinets, and book cases.

What's New at the MHA/FYOS?

What’s New?

I am pleased to announce that we have a number of very impressive additions to our faculty. 

Ms Kendra Duncan is our new elementary school science teacher.  She has many years of teaching experience and most recently has been a supervisor for student teachers.  She is warm, friendly and up to date on modern teaching methodology. 

Charlotte Martin is our new 5^th grade teacher.  Charlotte is also a veteran teacher who brings an excellent skill set to the classroom.  She is a reading specialist who is certified to teach everyone from the gifted to the dyslexic student.  She has taught very diverse populations and has wonderful stories to tell.  She is very experienced in setting up  a classroom that focuses on differentiation and encouraging each student to rise to their potential.

We have hired two new couples for the upper school Torah Studies Department.  Rabbi Boruch and Mrs. Malka Harris are coming to us from Boca Raton, Florida.  Rabbi Boruch will be  an upper school Rebbe and Mrs. Harris will teach in the girls school and direct programs and activities for the girls.  Both of the Harrises come with the greatest recommendations for all that they do, and will be sorely missed in Florida.

 We will also welcome to our faculty Rabbi Moshe and Shira Nachbar who were at the JAM program at UCLA last year, doing kirov work on campus.  Both Nachbars are experienced in kirov work both in America and in Israel where they resided for a number of years. Rabbi Nachbar will be a Rebbe in the CYHSB and Mrs. Nachbar will be a mechanechet in the GMSG.

We will have two Bat Ami girls this year, Moriya Ben Chemo and Noemi  Tenenbawm.  They have both worked with children in Israel over the past Year and are excited to be coming on shlichut to Memphis.

In addition there will also be 3 new bochurim from Torah Metzion.  All are 5^th year students in Hesder Yeshivot in Israel.  They are Zev Leib, Ran Elbaz, and Hagi Gross.  They have trained together as a trio through Torah Metzion to make their experience the most worthwhile possible.  They compliment and supplement each other and are full of energy and talent. 

The girls dorm this year will be located at 5514 Laurie Lane.  The house mother will be Malkah Harris, the sister of Rabbi Harris from Baron Hirsch.  Malkah is a licensed nurse and is really looking forward to her position.  Esther Katz has agreed to supervise the girls dorm this year and is filled with lots of good ideas to make sure that the operation runs smoothly and efficiently, with lots of nurturing and care.  The girls and boys in the dorms this year will also take advantage of an expanded “adopt a family “ program.

Stand with Israel

The Israel Rally at Temple Israel yesterday was very moving.  It was gratifying to see so many members of the MHA/FYOS family there, including students, and former students.  All of the points made, by all of the participants, from their individual perspectives, all held firm to the belief that as American Jews we must give our total support to Israel during this crisis.  We must do all that we can to persuade the world, our political leaders, our friends, that no country should ever have to face hundreds of rocket attacks daily,  that a terrorist organization committed to the destruction of another country refuses to accept a cease fire, while at the same time stashing weapons in schools, hospitals, and UN protected facilities, that Israel deserves the right to exist and to have safe and defensible borders, free of tunnels built underground for terrorist invasions, that Israel is a nation which values life and even in time of war, attempts to warn its enemies of an impending attack so that civilian casualties will be kept to a minimum. We all have a responsibility to support Israel financially, emotionally, and by attending events like this one which will attract public attention.

Excerpts from Patrons Meeting Address, July 20, 2014

Sometimes we are too close to a situation to be able to view the entire picture objectively.  To many of us, the grass always seems greener in someone else’s yard.  As MHA/FYOS stakeholders, you have much in which to take pride.   For a community our size we continue to accomplish at levels beyond reasonable expectations.  This can be seen most clearly in the comments that accompanied our SAIS accreditation.  The accreditation team was indeed impressed with what we are doing academically, through professional development, and with technology.   One of the evaluators was himself a day school administrator from a larger, wealthier school whom we still managed to impress.  Many thanks go to Rabbi and Mrs. Perl and Sandra Gersten, who all coordinated the effort, and to the full faculty for gathering all of the documentation needed for the accreditation.

Below are some of our major accomplishments and achievements of the past school year.

1.        This year we were privileged to receive a significant donation to our science department that allowed us to purchase the latest electronic and digital equipment to upgrade our entire upper school science program.

2.       The boys in the top Gemara shiur this year had a real yeshiva style learning program beginning each morning with a havruta  in preparation for a shiur given by Rabbi Maimon, the Torah Metzion Rosh Kollel.

3.       The boys in the upper school were offered the opportunity to participate in the masmidim program, designed to encourage learning for the sake of learning - no tests involved. The boys gave impressive d’vrei Torah, and the program was a huge success.

4.        Nine students, under the continuous tutelage of Shimshon Soleman qualified for the national level of the Chidon haTanach program.  Although we have participated in this program over the years, we have never had this level of success, nor so many interested participants.  Many kudos go to Morah Shimshon and the students.

5.       The elementary school has adopted the Lehavin U’Lehaskel program for this year in Chumash to supplement the Tel Am program which will still be in place.  Students during the last quarter of school began working in the new workbooks in preparation for the upcoming year.  Mrs. Gersten and the Torah studies teachers participated in a webinar on implementing the program.

6.       Maintaining our tradition of sending students to the best colleges, yeshivot, and seminaries, all of our students got into the schools of their choice. Seventeen of our twenty graduating seniors will be heading to Israel in the fall.  We have students attending Barnard, Washington University, and two who will be in joint programs with Columbia.  Many of the graduates qualified for the honors programs at Yeshiva University, Touro College, and the University of Maryland.

7.       To substantiate why our students can get into the best schools, we can look at their success in AP courses.  Nine AP courses were offered this year.  Twenty-nine students, 56% of the 10 - 12th graders, took those courses.  One 12^th grader took 5 AP exams, achieving 2 4s and 2 5s ( 5 being the highest score).  Two 11^th graders took 4 AP exams.  One of those students received a 5 in each exam.  The other student received a 5 in 3 exams and a 4 in one exam.  Three 10^th graders took AP  Psychology exams and each received a 5. All of these scores will be recognized by colleges for college credit.  Several of our students will be able to enter as sophomores in college, by the time they complete their high school education.  Most of these 29 students will be recognized for high honors by the College Board for their achievements. 

8.       The girls high school and boys high school publish newspapers weekly, and the junior high publishes monthly.  The level of journalism in all three of these publications is quite remarkable.  The lead articles are of interest to everyone, not just the students and faculty of the school.  The students have tackled controversial and critical issues, have presented more than one point of view, and have demonstrated significant research in writing these articles. Many students deserve credit for their hard work , as do Ashley Brown and Talya Tsuna for advising the students. 

9.  Under the very able direction of Rabbi Noam Stein, the community service programs in the upper school have been greatly enhanced.  One of the more meaningful projects implemented by the boys was to help a Mississippi farmer clear the debris from his land after a recent tornado - a project which exemplified not only tikun olam, but was a real kiddush hashem.

10.       The Early Childhood division has embarked upon a highly successful project approach to learning,   which has the students and teachers excited.

       11.  Additionally the Early Childhood division has revitalized the EPAC committee, a parent advisory                  committee who meet to advise and assist with programs. 

       12. The Early childhood division also introduced three new clubs this year – ballet, science, and sports                which were enthusiastically attended by the students.

        13.We received a lucrative grant from the Kohellet Foundation to update and replace the computers in              the school.  Many of our computers have the Windows XP operating system which Microsoft is no              longer supporting.  Instead of spending significant funds to upgrade our computers, we will be able               to purchase new ones and continue to supplement our ipad initiative in 4th – 6^th grades as well as to             have additional ones available for pre-k – 3^rd grade. 

          14.  WiFi access has also been greatly improved this year thanks to the new donated access points                      from Ubiqiti Networks and Robert Pera, the owner of the Grizzlies.

         15.  Flag football and golf have been added to our sports program and Coach Nokes was able to get                   a fully-funded baseball stadium constructed on our campus,. 

        16.  We have been asked to partner with Facing History and Ourselves to be one of their select group                  of Jewish Day Schools who will promote a special version of the program geared to North                           American Jewish Day Schools

What happens at school in the summer? 

  Lots!! 

  We are in the process of undergoing our annual face lift – the custodial team is busy painting and waxing our floors to a high gloss.  Camp Shemesh is  off and running with lots of thoroughly delighted campers.  Teachers are already at work preparing for the fall.  Everyone on the faculty attended the Martin Institute at PDS in June.  Rabbi Lubetski has just returned from the Principals Institute at Harvard and Mrs. Gersten will attend a seminar for principals from member schools  of the Consortium of Jewish  Day Schools. Talya Tsuna has attended several Facing History and Ourselves learning institutes and Dave Llewelyn will be part of an AP Environmental Science Institute.   Our high school math and science teachers spent an intensive week collaborating on upcoming courses.  Everyone in the office is busy ordering and winding down from one year while getting ready for the next. Our IT department is at work updating our technology with funding from a generous grant.  Everyone in school will be excited about those upgrades. We are all looking forward to a great school year!!