| | 'Habits of Mind': A Unique Approach to Learning and Teaching by Stanley Hurwitz  This year Kehillah Schechter Academy has launched a collaboration with the internationally renowned institute Habits of Mind (HOM) founded by Dr. Bena Kallick and Dr. Arthur Costa. The initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Nitzan Resnick, KSA Assistant Head of School responsible for curriculum and professional education. Early this year, our faculty was privileged to participate in a professional development session led by Dr. Kallick. 'Habit of Mind' means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known. A primary goal is to teach children to develop, strengthen and utilize skills that will enable them to think critically and be effective, creative problem solvers in the world today. |
| | | Save the Date Sunday, April 22 - Chaijinks
A fun event, a significant fundraiser for the Annual Campaign and a wonderful opportunity to showcase KSA to the larger community. This year we will honor Susan and Stuart Salzberg.
May 2 - Israel Arbeiter
Gallery Program
Featuring Kitty & Governor
Michael Dukakis
May 18 - Grandparents & Special Visitors Day |
| Catch the Purple Spirit of the KSA Hornets
 Organized activities such as sports are an important part of growing up for KSA students in the middle grades. The  passion and the hard work that goes into becoming a team and forging bonds together are great life skills that will serve our children well now and in the future.
Basketball season runs through the middle February and KSA has three teams that play competitively against other schools: Boys Junior Varsity (Grades 6 & 7), Boys Varsity (Grades 7 & 8) and Girls Varsity Travel Team (Grades 6-8). The Hornets started off the season with two important wins, the Junior Varsity Team vs. Sharon Public School and the Varsity Team vs. Schechter Newton. Come on down to a game and cheer for the KSA Hornets.
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| | Moon Journal Exhibit
All first grade eyes were focused on the moon for a very interesting curriculum unit that spanned across general studies, Judaic studies and Hebrew. The children learned about many aspects of the moon both from the scientific perspective as well as in the context of Rosh Hodesh. They also read books about the moon in Hebrew. To further integrate their learning, the students shared what they noticed about the moon with each other and created artwork - mobiles to depict each phase and journals to document their newly acquired knowledge. Finally, parents, special friends and fifth grade buddies visited the classrooms to view the art exhibit and read the wonderful journals. |
| | Calling All KSA Grandparents KSA grandparents enjoy many opportunities throughout the year; volunteering within the classroom, supporting our fundraising efforts, and even cooking together for our much anticipated Grandparents and Special Visitors Day, to be held this year on Friday, May 18, 2012. Pictured (from left) are: Bebe Rosenstein, Enid Stecker, Judy Litwack, Judy Solo, Harriet Sherman (Grandparent Committee Chair), and Florence Lesser Grandparent Committee members who met recently at KSA to help with the annual Grandparent mailing. For information on how to join in the fun, contact Sara Ades Goodwin at 781-969-9400 or sgoodwin@ksa-ne.org.
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| Let the Journey Begin.... By Julia Horowitz "L'chi lach, on your journey I will bless you." As the third graders beautifully sang this song at their milestone event, I had tears in my eyes. This moment in the life of a third grader marks the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning and studying Torah. They have reached a point in their education where they are ready to dig deeper, ask richer questions, and understand at a new level.
I can relate to their feelings because I was in their shoes when I experienced my third grade milestone. I remember looking out into the audience and seeing my parents, grandparents, and teachers watching me as I started this journey. Their proud and loving faces provided me with the support and knowledge that I was not alone in this journey. I felt like a grown-up ready to start this new chapter in my learning. I also remember being surrounded by my classmates and friends. I wasn't alone; we were connected as a class ready to start something new and different together.
Now, as I looked at my students leading T'fillot, singing songs, reading their similes about Creation, |
| Mitzvot Happen Here
As one of their tzedakah projects this year, students in Hana Berman's fifth grade class decided to purchase green grass cheer box kits to ship to American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan through the organization Operation American Soldier. In order to raise the necessary funds for the kits, the students decided to hold a Used Book Fair. They collected used books and sold them to other students, teachers, and staff. During Book Fair hours, the fifth graders divided up the responsibilities of their shop - some students served as the cashiers, some bagged the purchased books and others helped shoppers find books that were of interest to them. When all was said and done, the Used Book Fair was resoundingly successful, bringing in $175 -- well beyond their expectations! |
| A publication of Kehillah Schechter Academy Michael Agus, MD, President, Board of Trustees Marc Medwed, Head of School Fran Kantor, Director of Institutional Advancement Vickie Dyckes, Graphic Design Accredited by AISNE, Association for Independent Schools New England Beneficiary agency of Combined Jewish Philanthropy Member of Solomon Schechter Day School Network
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| Alumni Updates
Class of '99 - Mazel tov to Tally Philosophe who was recently engaged!
- Tali Leff lives in San Francisco and works at StumbleUpon as the Associate Product Marketing Manager.
Class of '01- Jacob Kieval is the Music Coordinator for NBC's The Voice. Their second season premieres on February 5th with a special episode, immediately following the Super Bowl.
- Alex Woogmaster lives in Las Vegas and works as a designer for Wynn Design & Development
- Mazel tov to Daniel Packer on his engagement to Lauren Berger.
- Mazel tov to Yael Werber for her recent marriage to Dave Sachs. Yael is a pre-school teacher at Yaldaynu Preschool in New York City.
Class of '04- Mazel tov to Rafi Spitzer on his engagement to Rachael Besser.
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and sharing a piece of the text, I knew they had made it. I could tell by their proud smiles and confident voices that they were experiencing what I had felt. Together as an entire third grade, the bond between them all was evident. Their journey is beginning and the joy and eagerness I get from being able to guide and experience this journey with them is incredible. They are ready, I am ready, and we are taking off to new exciting levels of learning, questioning, and understanding the Torah. Julia Horowitz is a third grade teacher at KSA and an alumni of the school, class of 2002. The third grade milestone is Bereshit - The Book of Genesis, In the Beginning. |
| Modern Figure Sculpture in
the style of Alberto Giacometti  Sixth grade students created sculptures based on the work of Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). Known for his tall, gaunt, figurative
sculptures, Giacometti once said that he was not casting human figures, rather, the shadows they cast. |
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Kehillah Kids Programs
KSA's Kehillah Kids programs offer fun activities for
prospective students and their parents. Coming up:
Wednesday, February 8 - Tu B'Shvat Song &
Story Hour
Thursday, March 8 - Purim Song & Story Hour
Tuesday, April 3 - Passover Song & Story Hour
There is no charge but pre-registration is requested.
Contact Sandi Morgan Dunn, Director of Admissions
at: smorgan@ksa-ne.org or 781-769-5555.
For more information, visit our website at:
www.ksa-ne.org |
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