Monday, May 24, 2010

Fizz, Slime, Goo, and a hypothesis...




A week ago I had the pleasure of taking part in LGA's first ever science fair. It was enriching on so many levels! Every student in grades 3-6 was required to participate and students in k-2 were given the option and many of them took us up on the offer to show off their scientific prowess.

For the most part this was a home-based science fair but many of our general studies teachers put in hours of time to make sure that their students were ready for scientific success. Earlier in the spring when we introduced the science fair to the students, I didn't know what their response was going to be. Would it be met with disdain? Would teachers get a lot of eye rolling from their students because there was an expectation of outside work over and beyond homework? Would parents buy into this home based project learning? I am glad to say the answers were no, no, and YES!

Science is an important part of the week at LGA and many other Jewish day schools throughout the country. Cramming many subjects into a seven hour school day can often lead to making tough curricular choices and too often science loses out. As head of this school, I want to see all of our subject areas get equal billing but realize that sometimes that just isn't possible.

This is where supplementing the curriculum with home based learning can be key. Parent after parent came up to me and told me that they appreciated the chance and opportunity to work with their child for the science fair. And what work it was!

Students charted, they graphed progress, they hypothesized about potential outcomes, they exprimented with new products and tested their scientific selves to create a fair that was both enlightening for all that attended and a lot of FUN for kids and adults.

Some of the creative science projects included (but definitely not limited to.):
  • Can people read mixed up words?
  • Magnetic soccer
  • How different flowers are related?
  • Endothermic reaction
  • A dutch rabbi experiment
  • The chemistry of slime
  • Color changing carnations

We really gave our students an opportunity to explore their passion! Yasher Koach to all of our LGA students. The pictures above are from the science fair. One of the most creative projects came from a 6th grade student who created a hovercraft. It really worked as he lifted his sister up off the ground. The crowd cheered...

Sunday, May 2, 2010

We are so GLEEful...

They call Northampton, "Paradise City" for many different reasons. It is quite a unique place to live. The richness of living in an area where there is a plethora of academia has its' privileges. The arts and culture that pervades many different parts of this valley is prevalent everywhere. We get many performers that much larger metropolitan areas don't because of the intimacy of our space.

LGA has taken advantage of this by hosting an evening called A Night Around the Table: Dinners and conversations with local luminaries. It is modeled after Boston's Jewish Community Day School's Matters of Taste. For this annual fundraiser, members and friends of the LGA community open their homes for an evening of delicious food and enlightening conversation in a more intimate gathering of usually 10-20 people depending on the size of the space. The hosts of the events went all out for their guests and provided unique menus.

Last Sunday, LGA hosted nine dinners. This list of acclaimed speakers captured guests minds and hearts in what can be classified as just a "great night out on behalf of LGA" was so impressive:
Lou Cove, executive director of Reboot
John Darnton, Pulitzer prize winning reporter for The New York Times
Rabbi Art Green, a preeminent scholar of Jewish spirituality and mysticism
Fraidy Katz, Performer of classic Yiddish songs
Patricia MacLachlan, award-winning author of picture books and novels for children (including Sarah, Plain and Tall)
Richard Michelson, Prizewinning poet and children's book author, and art gallery owner
Estela Olevsky, Internationally acclaimed pianist
Eugene Pogany, author of In My Brother's Image
Ilan Stavans, cultural critic, who has been dubbed "the czar of Latino culture in the U.S."

The highlight of the evening for me was the premiere of a new LGA pictorial that LGA board member and executive director of Avoda Arts (a national Jewish arts and culture educational organization), Debbie Krivoy and her partner, Jen Einhorn, who is director of marketing at the Clarke School for the Deaf. Shana Sureck who is a new parent in the school and a professional photographer really got the right shots to make this presentation pop! Marla Shelasky, who is LGA's admissions and marketing professional also got a lot of great shots and lent her advise and eye to the final production. It was a collaborative effort. This short 3 minute presentation captures the school so unbelievably well!

It captures the essence of what I am trying to do...build a community school that highlights educational excellence in a Jewish atmosphere.

Thank you Debbie, Jen, Shana and Marla for helping me memorialize the vision. I hope you enjoy the presentation!