Thursday, September 28, 2017

Escape the [Class] Room at Yavneh Academy

Escape the [Class] Room at Yavneh Academy
Similar to Escape the Room, Breakout EDU allows for the facilitation of activities in which students use teamwork and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles in order to open a locked box. This week, the focus in the sixth grade Yavneh Academy technology class was how to effectively use Google Apps for Education on their iPads. The culmination of the week was a Breakout EDU session where the students solved challenges using Google Apps for Education. The excitement and enthusiasm in the room were electrifying!

Yavneh Academy Celebrates 75 Years at Kickoff Carnival

Yavneh Academy Celebrates 75 Years at Kickoff Carnival
Yavneh Academy celebrated the start of its 75th anniversary year on September 17. Parents, students, grandparents, alumni and friends of the school were treated to carnival games and rides, a delicious brunch and tours of newly renovated spaces at Yavneh. Yavneh middle school students ran the carnival games for their younger peers and served as expert tour guides for parents and alumni. Thank you to the kickoff chairs Chaikie Berg, Naomi Berkowitz and Keren Nussbaum for all of their efforts planning the wonderful morning.
The event began with a performance by the Yavneh chorus, followed by words of welcome from Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, head of school, Rachel Jacobs, Yavneh alumna, parent and president of the YPAA and Pamela Scheininger, president of the board. The crowd was especially moved when Saragail Chessin Carpe, Judy Blake and Ruth Brooks, children of the founding members of Yavneh, shared their memories of Yavneh’s earliest years, beginning with five kindergarten students in 1942. Their awe was palpable and emotional, as they took in their parents’ legacy, now 850 students strong.
The family, along with Trudy and George Stiefel, and their son Marvin, presented the school with a check for $150,000, the balance of funds remaining from Congregation B’nai Israel-Ahavath Joseph in Paterson, which has closed. The shul felt a special connection to Yavneh, given the school’s original roots in Paterson, and contributed the funds so that Yavneh can continue its long-standing tradition of academic excellence coupled with a foundation in Torah and midot in a warm and supportive environment.
Yavneh is looking forward to connecting with alumni and celebrating this milestone year with the many families who have been a part of the Yavneh community throughout its history.
Please contact us through https://tinyurl.com/YavnehAcademyAlumni.

Yavneh Students Make Apple Cider

Yavneh Students Make Apple Cider
In advance of Rosh Hashanah, Yavneh Academy early childhood students learned all about apples while using their five senses. To culminate the unit, the children were lucky enough to participate in making apple cider. As John and Eric from Quiver Farms explained the process of making apple cider, the students were able to help, step by step, and produce their very own cider! They loved the way it tasted; so sweet and refreshing. At the end of the activity, some special animals came out to play. A chicken, a rooster and a giant rabbit were brought to eat all of the apple scraps left behind. The children enjoyed getting to know these adorable animals.

Shofar Factory Comes to Yavneh Academy


Shofar Factory Comes to Yavneh Academy
The Shofar Factory visited Yavneh Academy this week speak to the third grade classes. Rabbi Grossbaum explained to the students what kind of animal can be used to make shofarot and how to make one. The students in each class were involved in making a shofar for their class. The children really learned through hands on experience what it takes to make a shofar!

Erev Shabbat Assembly Inspires Yavneh Students

Erev Shabbat Assembly Inspires Yavneh Students
Yavneh Academy’s lower school students started preparations for Shabbat early with lots of ruach and singing at the first erev Shabbat assembly of the year.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Yavneh’s Eighth Graders Conquer the Stony Hills Farm Corn Maze

Yavneh’s Eighth Graders Conquer the Stony Hills Farm Corn Maze
Yavneh Academy’s eighth grade recently had their best trip yet! The grade traveled to Stony Hills Farm where they were divided into color-coded teams and raced to find their way out of a turtle shaped corn maze. What a great way to begin the year—with fun, friends and fresh air! It doesn’t get more exciting than trying to find your way in the maze only to realize that you’ve been going in circles. Though some teams needed to be rescued from the maze, everyone had an awesome time bonding with their teachers and classmates. What a powerful message we learned: Don’t get lost!

When Life Gives You Lemons… Yavneh Students Create ‘The Lemonade Project’

On the week leading up to a new school year, a couple of entrepreneurial fifth graders at Yavneh Academy made an old-fashioned lemonade stand. Each boy went home with a few dollars profit. But when a few days later the boys mixed this concept with a desire to help Hurricane Harvey victims, they gathered a few more friends and helpers and took their lemonade stand to another level. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. These Yavneh Academy fifth graders chose to make a pop-up lemonade stand to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims.
They gathered to make signs, fliers and a hurricane meter shaped like a glass of lemonade. On the meter they set a goal to make $100 toward the cause. They also discussed and planned logistics: what the price of each item would be, where to place the lemonade stand, and what goods to have at the stand. “How could we gather people?” they asked. “We could ride on our bikes and ask people to join!” “We should give out free pretzels so that people are thirsty for lemonade!” Ideas were flowing over a shared pizza pie.
They decided that there would be no “price” and no “customers.” At a charity pop-up lemonade stand, a person could technically show up and donate as much as they wish. A sign was made that said: Lemonade stand. $1 per item. All donations go to Hurricane Harvey victims. Door to door, boys distributed fliers in their Tenafly neighborhood. Parents helped inform friends on Facebook; Kehilat Kesher sent out a community-wide email listing this lemonade stand as one of many ways the synagogue community could help.
The following day, Labor Day, the day before school started, when most students have the pre-school start jitters, these boys gathered together at a park in Tenafly with their lemonade, signs and cookies. They waited and hoped for a few customers. Slowly but surely, local Tenafly neighbors, members of the Yavneh community and members of the Kesher community converged at the stand. Neighbors volunteered their lawns to advertise and place balloons in order to gather more donations. Neighbors walked over, stopped by, chatted and donated. The money jar started filling up and the hurricane meter poured over the top after about an hour.
This lemonade stand truly showed children that they could make a difference and it showed them that a charity lemonade stand can bring many different communities together. At the end of the day, a donation of $2,400 was sent to American Red Cross for Hurricane Harvey. Perhaps this lemonade stand will help inspire your community and many others to come together in an effort to help out Hurricane Irma victims or to support a charity of your choice. Please post pictures of your pop-up lemonade stand with #lemonadeproject #popuplemonade.

Yavneh Academy Runs in Race for the Cure With Team Sharsheret

Yavneh Academy Runs in Race for the Cure With Team Sharsheret
Yavneh Academy participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with Team Sharsheret on Sunday September 10, 2017. A group of parents, teachers, students and alumni joined together to run and walk the race course through Central Park. It was a meaningful way to spend a Sunday morning—being active for a great cause. Kol hakavod to everyone who participated.