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!!