January Comes to the Primary School

January in the primary school was filled with projects, learning, language and lots of fun.

Nature and the primary school

The HOTAM subject “Us and the Earth” coincided with Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish new year for trees. For the school, the holiday and curriculum are opportunities to reconnect with nature and the outdoors.

The third-grade classes were responsible for opening the subject, which they led through presentations in the various classes and in the school yard. The subject they chose: The Earth is a ball, and the ball is in our court. If we protect the Earth, it will protect us.

As they talked about trees, and how trees can save the environment, the kids got practice in speaking before groups and they gained self-confidence.

In addition, the children had a lesson in recycling when they decorated plastic bottles and then turned them into planters with living plants.

The first graders potted houseplants to take home, and they went into the forest, right outside the school grounds, to work together on building their social network. The calm, green surroundings of nature contributed to their feelings of belonging and starting out on a journey together.

The school’s immediate surroundings are important, as well. The third-graders planted and almond tree and researched the trees planted on the school grounds; and several classes undertook projects to improve the school yard.

celebrating the end of the fall semester

Language

January saw “Hebrew language day,” which is always a reason for celebration and extra-fun learning in the school. The kids went from station to station undertaking challenges on the subjects of synonyms, new words and old, abbreviations, proper pronunciation and more. Afterward, they had a book exchange, in which kids bought books they had already read and walked away with new ones.

Language continues to be a major focus of lessons through the Language Center and those in the classrooms. The sixth-graders had a Tu B’Shvat lesson in the Language Center, and the younger children focused on winter, learning the words for “mittens,” “rain” and “oranges” in both languages. The fifth graders practiced ordering food in a restaurant in both languages.

As the children practice their language skills in the Language Center, the improvement is felt in all aspects of the school week, and the teachers are pleased with the progress, commenting on the way that it makes the rest of the educational program run more smoothly.

Math, Science and Geography

The first graders had a beginning chemistry lesson from a parent in which they made their own toothpaste and watched in awe as mixing two substances together produced a growing hill of colored foam.

Space Day

The second-graders started working in pairs on a project to learn about countries, and they had the sixth-graders come to work with them on their lessons.

The fourth-graders studied animals in their science classes, researching different animals and finishing their section by building table-top models of their environment. They also began learning about fractions by playing a group game that helped them compare different fractions.

The fifth-graders had a two-week session on outer space, leading up to space week. They split up into groups, each one researching a different planet and then preparing a presentation on that planet. On Space Day, they went around to the other classes to share what they had learned.

The sixth-graders focused on the towns and cities in their area, researching them on the Internet, among other resources.

And more

The extra classes included hip-hop, gymnastics, music, young engineers and more.

young engineers

The school library is under new/old management under Hezzi. Students are encouraged to borrow from the library twice a week, and it is open at break-time for children who want to sit and read.

The entire school celebrated the end of the first semester with outdoor games and a performance. They have been enjoying a variety of outdoor activities, thanks to the work of the student council.

The older children were treated to a performance of the play “The Princess Zomoroda” in Arabic.