http://meyeracademy.com/school-life/publications/cat_view/86-the-meyer-post

A blog in three parts:

 

Part one.

I. Wednesday afternoon.

 

We just had one of the most amazing experiences, one I did not expect yet I am not surprised that happened.

 

After a great day (Tuesday)  in Latrun, visiting a farm and Neot kedumim we arrived at the Kibbutz. We saw a very nice Shavuot celebration and then went to dinner. As we were eating I felt that we are not truly feeling the atmosphere of the Chag – so when we were done with the food, I started singing. Slowly some students joined, and then others, there was still a group of students whom still “did not get it” – but I did not give up. We kept singing Zemirot louder and louder, the atmosphere became energized and eventually even the “stubborn” students – those unwilling to let go of their image for the sake of a spiritual experience gave in. We ended up dancing around the dinning room, jumping up and down, and singing until our throats hurt.

We then went to the Moadon – the clubhouse we had a room in. We first summarized the day as we always do. I was so happy that half the group said how singing after dinner was their highlight of the day, they used words as; family, friendships, spirituality, joys. It was all so positive that I decided to offer them a “Tikkun” – usually on Erev Shavuot Jews stay up all night studying Torah – to “fix” the mistake done by the fact that in the past we built the Golden calf as we waited for Torah. I offered them to have a “tikkun” a fix for the 8^th grade. They had a safe space to thank a member of the group or to apologize to any one in the room.

I will let your children tell you what was said in the room, but I will summarize by saying that we – the staff- all cried at the end from the things that were said, the love and forgiveness that was displayed. We were so proud of them and so happy they could use this time in Israel to become the support group they will need as they continue to high school.

 

At midnight – when we were finally done- 20 students stayed to study with me. I was in shock (yet again) from the level of discussion – at Meyer when they study the text and talk about it in Hebrew the conversation is limited. Here we read in Hebrew and English and discussed in English. It took us 2 hours to go through the first 7 phrases ! we talked about conversations, about immigration – what not. It was incredible.

We had to stop at 2am because there was an issue I had to address but if it were not for that – they would have gone on and on.

On Wednesday morning we prayed and did study text – we had a long discussion about the nature of people – are we good or bad? Again the students had amazing insights and it was clear that they are capable of studying a text and analyzing it in a very high level – more important even, is the fact that we no longer have to deal with issues relating  to behavior, we have created a group atmosphere that participation, volunteering, being serious and opening up and sharing feelings is the behavior that is rewarded. The few that had a hard time at the beginning have changed direction and are even among the leaders of this change.

Example: In the first two days it was hard to get a volunteer in the group – today before I finish asking 15-20 hands are  in the air. If  3 months ago at the Meyer when I tried to have a circle in which they would share feelings all I received was giggling – now we have a circle every night to talk about the day and it goes on forever and ever.

 

II. Thursday afternoon: We just finished our first day with the Israeli Kids. The connection was immediate and strong. When we arrived to the beginning of the hike they stood out side our bus and each student was screaming the name of their American friend. With in moments the conversations were flowing. By the end of the day, as we left the site of the kayaks on the Jordan River, some were already having a hard time to say goodbye.

 

I’m sitting in the front seat of the bus, the laptop is on my lap, to my right and left – the golden-brown thorn fields of the Golan Heights. Farther away in the distance I can see Mount Hermon on one side, still covered with some snow, on the other side the mountains of the upper Galill.

 

It is so beautiful.  I have not visited this area in such a long time, I almost forgot how magical this scenery is.

 

In the back of the bus the kids (I know I should say students but by now I feel like their father so I’ll say kids) are singing. THEY ARE GLOWING WITH HAPPINESS. They are singing in English, and then they switch to Hebrew, and back to English. They are seated in their seats but truly they are one inch above the ground.

In every tour to Israel there is a moment in which you just feel the magic, everything comes together, a harmony that is hard to describe in words. I think this is the moment.

 

A few moments ago, one of the girls came to Ayelet and said “I don’t want to go back home” and in that short sentence she managed to say it all. Today is the moment that the “connection” happened. For the past six days we had to move from a state of initial shock and overcoming tiredness to a state of ecstasy, of being energized beyond anything known before. We had to move from a mindset of  students not very interested in learning to students BEGGING me to stay up late and continue to study with them the book of Ruth. We had to move from being individuals wanting to impress each other by doing inappropriate things to a group that knows why they are here, and does not waste time or energy on anything that is negative. We had to move from a group full with internal problems to a group that will do anything to support others and help them make good decisions.

 

And all of these changes I am describing –and others – actually happened. It is just amazing, I hope that you are able to tap into what is happening here even from far away

 

Part three:

Saturday night:

Its 3am in the morning and I want to post this before going to bed so you can read it before we return home.

Shabbat In Tzefat was magic. Singing Adon Olam on the roof of the Kabbalah center as the sun was setting – priceless. I hope the students will always  know how to bring a part of this shabbat experience to the one they have at home.

So many amazing moments. Students talked about people that effected their lives – and it was so clear they learned so much about them self, about their friends, about what it means to be Jewish.

 I can’t describe them all. But I will when I meet you in less then 48 hours.

Thank you again for allowing us to take your children on this amazing trip

We learn from our students all the time, as much as we had to give this trip – we are all returning richer from what they taught us.

 

Shavua Tov

 

 

 

Waking up really early was the only “bad” part of the day. First thing at 6 a.m., we got on the bus on a drive to Latrun; an Israeli army museum. At the museum, we climbed on tanks, met two Israeli soldiers who talked to us about what it takes to be in the Israeli Defense Force, and learned about the evolution of tanks through the years. After the stop at the museum, we were back on the bus on the way to a Moshav. A Moshav is similar to a farm. At the Moshav, we went on a tractor ride to the fields where we learned about how cabbages are grown and where Etrogs are grown. We also made pita bread and picked eggs from the hencoop. After our trip to the Moshav, we were yet again back on the bus on our way to the Kibbutz. Once we arrived at Shaar Hagolan, we were given our rooms and time to rest. After our rest we went to the Shavuot festival at the kibbutz where we ate snacks and watched different performances from the children and women of the Kibbutz. After our Shavuot festival, we had dinner at the dining hall and sang songs, prayed, and danced in honor of the holiday. Following our fun dinner experience, we had the Meyer 8^th Grade Tikun. We all sat in a circle and had a chance to say Thank Yous and Apologies to friends and classmates whom we never had a chance to address. After our group Tikun (which means fix in Hebrew) some children went to bed while the rest of the children stayed to study the book of Ruth with Yaron until 2 a.m. We explored so many ideas and shared many opinions about so many things. It was a great holiday!

On Wednesday, we woke up late because we didn’t have a wake up call. Yaron wanted us to recharge and to revive ourselves. Most of us woke up at around 10:00 am. We all met at our meeting spot and  prayed and studied a text about the ten actions the Talmud deems as most important. We had an intense conversation about how to describe Judaism based on the Shema prayer. We ended up with the words: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption. After studying, we ate lunch around 1:00 pm. After lunch, most of us stopped by the pool for a few hours. Some of us slept in our rooms or relaxed at the tower. At 6:00 pm, we walked around the Kibbutz and saw the cows and the Date trees. We all love the smell of the place. Not. At 7:30 pm, we ate dinner, and everyone got some of the new beverages from the new coffee machine. After dinner, we met at our meeting place and talked together and shared our feelings and experiences over the holiday. We finally went to sleep at around 10:00 pm.

Glogster
Students in middle school  are continuing  to work with Glogster this week.  In an interdisciplinary unit between language arts, Jewish studies,  and technology,  the students will learn a new way to spice up reports and make learning and sharing exciting.  The students will be creating electronic, interactive posters online  in computer class on a Jewish studies topic to be assigned by the Jewish studies teachers.  These posters will be shared online at Glogster.com.

Public Service Annoncements
The sixth and seventh graders continue to create their public service announcements on iMovie.  They are incorporating many of their public speaking techniques which they have just learned in language arts class, as well as research skills and writing skills to come up with wonderful PSA's.  They can't wait to share these later with their parents and friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Monday, April 12th, 2010 we will be honoring the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the holocaust.

3rd to 8th grade students will participate in a memorial ceremony and prayer that will take place in Strauss hall at 8:30am.

Please send 3^rd to 8^th grade students dressed with a white shirt.

If you would like us to light a yahrzeit candle during our service, in memory of a family member please let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The tennis and golf teams finish practice/tryouts this week and will start competing the Wednesday we come back to school after Passover break. Please check the Shabbat Bulletin for dates of our matches. Mr. G.

I am happy to report that I will be returning to school next Monday the 22nd.  I have been in contact with Mr. Risick and the students are at the same place that they would have been had I been in school.   I will be taking the next week to get myself up to speed with the student's assistance as we move forward into the fourth quarter.  I would urge all students to review their papers and make sure that they turn in all missing work by Monday as next week is the close of the quarter.

All classes have binders due this Friday (3/19) and Mr. Risick will be checking them and reporting to me the results of his findings.  I will then enter the grades for binders.  Remember this is a test grade and can do great assistance or damage to the quarter average.   6B must have all the work from the chapters on Greece, Rome and the Middle Ages.  7th must have all the work from chapters 9 and 10 and 8th grade must have all the work from chapters 11,12 and 13.

I am looking forward to being back at class with all my chicks.  I have missed them.  I appreciate all of your good wishes and particularly the students hard work during this time.

 

Sincerely,   Debby Risick

The forms needed to enter are on the Doodle 4 Google site on the "Info for Schools" tab. 
http://www.google.com/doodle4google/info.html

Look at the blue box that says Necessary Forms and print and fill out the Entry Form and the Parent Consent form. Any information about Meyer Academy we will fill in for you.  Also the Doodle Templates are where you can find many versions of the Google Logo for your child to doodle on. Good luck and remember that the deadline is March 19th.

 

*January-February in Art*

Happy New Year!!

Grade 1 : Students enjoyed working on “space drawings” using construction paper crayons on black paper.  Students then had a fun time experimenting with stencils and different materials to create unique projects.  Next they will learn about the famous artist Henri Matisse (ahn-REE mah-TEESS ) and create drawings and cut-paper collages based on his colorful work.  Take a look at this website for some "Fauvist" fun.  "Fauve" is french for "wild beast."   http://www.artbma.org/flash/F_conekids.swf

Grade 2:   Students worked together to create an AMAZING expressive backdrop for their upcoming torah ceremony.  Next they will complete individual drawings of Mt. Sinai after discussing how artists can depict the natural world in different ways, from realistic to imaginative.

Grade 3:  Students are having a blast making unique sculptures out of self-hardening clay.  The clay sculptures will be painted and taken home soon.  If they don’t make it home in one piece - due to the fragile nature of this material - regular craft (Elmer’s) glue should work.  Next they will learn about the art of Georgia O’Keeffe and how she created her extraordinary large scale drawings and paintings of flowers.    

Grade 4:  Students are learning about the American Realist artists Grant Wood, Edward Hopper and Thomas Hart Benton.  Each student will choose one of these artists to create an artist-inspired artwork based on the style and/or theme used by the chosen artist.  They will also learn about methods and techniques of oil pastels.  Next they will learn about the art and life of the famous Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Grade 5:  Students learned about how Vincent van Gogh used color to express his emotion and are creating wonderful  and expressive pastel drawings based on his famous painting Starry Night.  Next, they will learn about the art and culture of Japan and create a number of projects from our studies, including “gyodan” Japanese faux food.

6^th Grade Art Elective:  My wonderful elective class is coming to an end.  They had an amazing art experience creating Abstract Expressionist drip paintings after learning about the life and work of Jackson Pollock.  The new elective starts soon and we will begin with reviewing the basic elements and principles of art.

Grade 7:  Students created wonderful “flip books” showing a simple action or story.  They will soon be working on collaborative door murals for national “No Name Calling Week.” 

Grade 8:  Congratulations on your amazing Maccabiah banners!!!! Students enjoyed the “paper tower contest” to build the tallest structure using only plain paper and tape.  They will soon be working on collaborative door murals for national “No Name Calling Week.”