Fourth Grade's Virtual Freedom Trail

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Fourth graders worked hard yesterday to set up their virtual Freedom Trail. They made signs and laid down red tape to guide visitors from stop to stop. This morning, family, friends and other MWJDS students walked the trail and learned about the eight stops on which fourth graders presented. Here are some pictures from the event.

Jonathan teaches Livvy and Yonaton about the Battle of Bunker Hill

Hadass presents on the Old North Church 

Sam tells Atid about Paul Revere and his famous ride 

Bryce talks about the Boston Massacre (which was not really a massacre)

Eliana S teaches kindergarteners about the Old Statehouse 

Elliana C presents on Faneuil Hall

Avia teaches Jayden about the Old South Meeting House

Meg tells Yafa about the oldest school in the country, the Boston Latin School

Thanks to all who visited our virtual Freedom Trail this morning. The fourth graders did such a wonderful job and I'm so glad they were able to showcase it to all of you.

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Check Out Our New Torah Readers!

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar, 

Happy Rosh Chodesh! This morning at all-school Tefillah, several students in Gefen and Tamar read from the torah for the first time. Congratulations to Melanie, Amanda M, Amanda S, Jonathan, Hannah, Elliana C, Aiden, Justin, Alyssa, Maayan and Talia! You rocked it!

Meg and Avia led this morning's service

Melanie reads from the torah

Amanda M reads from the torah

Jonathan, Amanda S and Amanda M read from the torah

Amanda S reads from the torah

Hana reads from the torah

Elliana C reads from the torah

Justin and Aiden read from the torah

Alyssa reads from the torah 

Maayan reads from the torah

Talia and Maayan read from the torah 

Because we had so many new torah readers, we all recited the Shehecheyanu blessing at the end of the service. The Shehecheyanu is a prayer said to celebrate "firsts" and special occasions.

Kol Hakavod to our new torah readers!

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Friday is almost here!

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Fourth graders are just putting the finishing touches on their Freedom Trail PowerPoint presentations! Tomorrow afternoon we will lay down the red "trail" that will lead you from stop to stop. We can't wait for you to walk our Virtual Freedom Trail Friday morning!

Friday is also a big day for third graders! Many of them will be reading from the torah for the first time at our Rosh-Chodesh all-school Tefillah, which will take place first thing in the morning.

We hope to see you at these exciting events!

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Hamorah Janis' Weekly Post

This week our special blogger is Amanda S.:

We did our animal research presentation.  It was fun because we got to make a power point presentation for the first time.  

We had hot lunch this week and the food was yummy.  I like the pizza the most!

Gefen finished reading the Dick King-Smith books and made a cube book report.

The girls in Gefen had a lunch bunch with Hamorah Dalia.  We watched an Israeli television program called Israeli Idol.  It is fun to watch because we get to see people trying out and hear the judges vote for the best singer. 

We got to read from the torah which was fun because it was the first time for many of us.  Next Friday we get to read for everyone!

Note from Hamorah Janis:

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe long weekend.  

Our field trip to the zoo is next Tuesday!  Please be sure your child arrives on time that day, since the bus leaves promptly at 8:40.

Some of you asked for a copy of the Cereal Box Commercials.  I will have them for you next week!

Shabbat shalom,

Janis

Hi

Hi,

The best part of my week was finishing my Powerpoint presentation. I liked this because I don't have do it anymore! Something that happened this week which I am proud of is finishing my Powerpoint presentation. I would still like to improve how I read. The hardest part of the week was writing this! I hope that next week I do better on blogging. I would like to compliment Hamorah Amy for helping me with my Powerpoint presentation.

Bye,
Jonathan

our month in reivew

Dear Blog Readers,

The best thing we did this month was almost finishing our k-buddies book. we liked it because we love spending time with our k-buddies. something that happened this month which we are proud of is getting good grades on our spelling tests. We would still like to improve how we get along. The hardest part of the month was our two Hebrew tests. We hope that next month we actually finish our k-buddies book. We would like to compliment Hamorah Eliza for being a great teacher.

Thanks 4 Reading,

Avia Levy, Hadass Novick and Eliana Simons

Soccer

Shalom Friends,

The best thing we did this month was start everyday off with Boys vs. Girls soccer! I liked it because it was a fair game every time, (despite what you would think). Something that happened this month which I am proud of is lighting the candles at Shabbat. I would still like to improve on how I shoot the ball in the goal in soccer. The hardest part of the month was making my Virtual Freedom Trail project. I hope next week so many people don't bother me when I am blogging. I would like to compliment Aidan Kent for letting me be goalie this week.

As Always Stay Cool,
Sam,

This Month

שלום חורים,

The best thing we did this month was play with the chicks and our kindergarten buddies! I liked it because they were so fluffy I was gonna die =:). Something that happened this month that I am proud of is my Freedom Trail Powerpoint. I would still like to improve how I write. The hardest part of the month was working on my math project. I hope that this week we present our Freedom Trail to our parents. I would like to compliment Avia  on how she played soccer when it was boys vs. girls. 

Your Blogger,

Bryce

Meg's Week Review

Hi Peoples,

The best thing I did this week was finish my Freedom Trail stop Powerpoint presentation. I liked it because it took a long time. Something that happened this week which I am proud of is finishing my Powerpoint presentation. I would like to improve how I type. The hardest part about this week was my Freedom Trail presentation. I hope that next week we have a party. I would like to compliment Rav-Hazzan for putting up with us this week.

You're Blogger,

Meg

Come Walk Our Virtual Freedom Trail!

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar, 

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Internet Safety

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

This morning a Framingham police officer visited MWJDS to speak to grades four through seven about Internet safety and cyber bullying. Students learned how to protect themselves from online predators and the signs to look out for. They also learned how detrimental it can be to post private pictures and/or personal information online. We talked about things going "viral." The officer talked about the gravity of Internet crimes also. Students learned the possible consequences that come as a result of doing things like Internet stalking and threatening, etc. The talk was not designed to frighten the students, but rather to keep them safe. We did debrief afterwards in the classroom, but I urge you to revisit the topic with your children at home in case they have any lingering questions or concerns.

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Boot Camp with the Shlichim

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Today the Israeli emissaries treated our third and fourth graders to boot camp! Students needed to do an obstacle course and whenever they spoke out of turn, they were yelled at and had to do push ups. Believe it or not, the students LOVED it.

Here are a few pictures of students on the obstacle course.

Talia makes her way through the obstacle course.

Amanda S hops through the obstacle course.

Aiden completes phrase 1 of the obstacle course.

Ask your children to tell you more about this fun activity.

Best, Hamorah Eliza

Cutest. Picture. Ever.

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Check out the cutest. picture. ever.

That is all.

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Special Visitors Day

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Fourth Grade had an awesome special visitors day. We have been working on a profile/biography assignment and for it, students are in the midst of interviewing one another to write bios about each other. This morning at special visitors day, students used their newly acquired interviewing skills to interview their special visitors. This gave them an opportunity to learn a little more about their visitors. Here are some pictures of Tamar students and their interviewees.

Elliana C learns that her special visitor went to 3 colleges!

Avia learns how her grandparents met and fell in love <3

Hadass learns that her grandma had a pet parakeet

Bryce learns that his nanny's sister has a new puppy named Thaxter!

Eliana S learned that her grandparents both worked at Fenway Park!

Ask your fourth grader to tell you more about what he/she learned in the interview process this morning.

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

The MWJDS Freedom Trail Project

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Fourth graders are hard at work on their PowerPoint presentations about their Freedom Trail stops!

Elliana C. is presenting on Faneuil Hall, Bryce is presenting on the Boston Massacre, Jonathan is presenting on the Bunker Hill Monument, Avia is presenting on the Old South Meeting House, Eliana  S. is presenting on there Old State House, Sam is presenting on the Paul Revere House, and Hadass is presenting on the Old North Church.

Soon we will invite you to walk the MWJDS Freedom Trail, where you will have a chance to view each of the students' PowerPoint presentations!

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Robotics and Yom Ha'atzmaut

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

We had a very fun day today. First we celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut, which is Israeli Independence Day. Here is a picture of Tamar students singing and laughing after having Israel's "birthday cake" after a special Israeli lunch.

We also spent the afternoon doing Robotics, which is our final unit in science this year. In Robotics, students use legos to build robots and then connect their robots to computers, which have coding software the students use to make the robots move and make noise. We are just starting this unit, so students are really just experimenting now. Here is a shot of the coding software screen.

A few shots of the students had at work...

And here is a video of a little robot "creature" made by Meg, Nate and Amanda M.

Hamorah Janis and I can't wait to see what the students create in the science classes to come!

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Tamar Does The Freedom Trail!

Dear Friends of Gefen and Tamar,

Yesterday Tamar went on a field trip to the Freedom Trail. Here is a copy of our itinerary:

The Freedom Trail

Field Trip Itinerary for May 1, 2014

10:00 Tour Paul Revere’s House

11 Tour Old North Church

11:30 Have snack @ Faneuil Marketplace

12:00 Tour Old South Meeting House

12:45 - 1:30 Eat lunch @ Faneuil Hall Marketplace

1:45 View outside of Boston Tea Party replica ships

2:00 Return to school

We had a blast! Most of the students say their favorite "stop" is Paul Revere's House. But all that we did was fun and informative. Students learned a lot. Here are some pictures.

Fourth Graders gather outside the Paul Revere House

Tamar poses in front of a statue of Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride

Fourth Graders smile in the Old North Church. Here, they are on Paul Revere's son's pew. His descendants still own it today.  

Tamar learns about the Old South Meeting House

Another shot of fourth graders at the Old South Meeting House

Next week students will each be assigned a stop on the Freedom Trail to research and, eventually, present on. On Colonial Day II, you will all have a chance to "walk" to MWJDS Freedom Trail. Date is TBD.

Best,
Hamorah Eliza

Hamorah Janis's Weekly Post

Gefen News - this weeks bloggers are Maayan and Talia

This week most of us finished our power point presentations.  There are coming along great.  We included a map, tons of pictures, information, and poems.  May 22 will be the day that we present them to you, our parents.  It will start at 8:30 a.m.  The presentation will be amazing!

We started 3 new books by Dick King-Smith.  All of the books are about animals.  Hamorah Janis will be reading a book called Harry’s Mad also by Dick King-Smith.  The books are called:  The Golden Goose, The Invisible Dog, and The Mouse Called Wolf.

Next week Atid will be showing us how to create robots using Legos.

Hamorah Janis is reading the book Hugo Cabret. We will be watching the movie when we are done with the book.