Quarterly Newsletter | Winter 2014

Extending our Holiday Greetings – For Hanukkah, Christmas and the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday! May our small lights merge into one large light of hope and change! The Tovanot B’Hinuch Staff A New Year – New Schools From Jaljulia to Rehovot A new school year has started, and with it widespread and abundant activities and new initiatives at the schools and at Tovanot B’Hinuch. We welcome the two new schools that joined the initiative, which now numbers 16 schools: the Almostakbal Elementary School in Jaljulia, whose principal is Fatina Hagla, and Sinai Elementary School, a religious state school in Rehovot, whose principal is Emmanuel Sbari.

576 students attend Almostakbal, of whom 49 are hearing impaired. The pedagogic principle guiding the school entails experimentation with diverse subject matter, achieved through investigative processes that lead to the student’s growth. The principal, Fatna Hagla, views joining Tovanot B’Hinuch as a large window of opportunity. “Suddenly, I can dream. I used to be surrounded by walls, and now the walls have been torn down. The backing provides us with the needed push to pursue the dream, have an impact, and make a change in society.” According to Hagla, joining the initiative has challenged her to clearly define the vision, examine what makes the school special, and set the proper priorities. Hagla expects that the school will become proactive and enterprising, while being active in the community. “We have to get out of this box that says we’re only a teaching and educational institution. A school, and especially in the Arab sector, must fill the existing leadership void that is being filled with extreme ideas. The only way is through education – the school must assume the responsibility and begin changing the future of the children, the families, and the community.”

Sinai Elementary School, located in western Rehovot, has a student body of 330 who are a human mosaic of children of new immigrant and veteran Israeli families. The principal, Emmanuel Sbari, wishes to turn the school into the beating heart of the community, while instilling the drive to succeed among the students. According to Sbari, “I’ll give it everything I have so that the children receive the most possible here at the school. Because their homes can’t be replaced, this is the place that’s supposed to be an alternative home. My dream is to open the school all year long and extend the school day.” Even now, in cooperation with the Rehovot Municipality and the Ministry of Education, there are talks going on about moving the school to a new building, which will be more conducive to fulfilling the vision. Tovanot B’Hinuch’s work at the school is carried out using a unique and groundbreaking model, under which the Rehovot hi-tech company, Applied Materials, has adopted the school. The company’s CEO, Itai Rosenfeld, serves as the chair of the school’s action committee. The school’s adoption as a flagship community project was launched at the company’s Rosh Hashana ceremony, during which a “wishing tree” was placed at the entrance to its corporate offices. Notes were attached to the trees’ branches, on which the school’s students wrote their dreams (more about the collaboration appears below).

A Spotlight on Activities 50 Volunteers at the Lod Learning Center A special learning center was recently dedicated at the ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering. It is a moving example of how all sectors of civil society can be mobilized for the benefit of the school system and closing gaps in society. Once the school day is over, no informal extracurricular activities had been offered at the school, which is located in Lod’s Rakevet (railway) neighborhood. Therefore, under the leadership of its principal Shirin Natour Hafi, the school has also assumed a key role in the community, achieved through scholastic, educational and social activities held in the mid- and late afternoon hours. The center’s establishment is being promoted by Yoel Admi, a longstanding volunteer at the school, and Fida, the coordinator. The learning center will initially cater to 7th graders, who come to the school with considerable learning gaps. The 50 volunteers will extend assistance to 150 students twice a week, between 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Lunch is provided by Leket Israel. The schedule at the center includes assistance with homework, a light lunch, and Math, English and Hebrew studies. After that, the students take part in diverse enrichment classes: debka dancing, art, gardening, salsa, architecture, and more. About 70% of the classes are taught by various volunteers: high school students taking part in the Personal Commitment Program, graduates of the school through the Juzor Association, college students, Indigo employees, Savyon residents through the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Tchelet Industries, teens doing pre-army service in the community, and other nonaffiliated volunteers. These individuals and organizations view their volunteer work as an opportunity to engage in meaningful social action. We wish the center the best of luck.

Sckipio’s Unique Model A unique volunteer model was instituted at the Herzog Secondary School in Holon last year. Under this model, most of Sckipio’s employees, which is a local hi-tech company, help students with their Math studies. Apart from the scholastic achievements that have been attained, touching and significant relationships have also been formed. 21 engineers (roughly 85% of Sckipio’s employees) take part in the project. They closely accompany 9th grade students who are designated to take 3 study units in Math, with the intention being to elevate them to higher levels. Last year, the group consisted of 9 students who received 20 extra assistance sessions. By the end of the year, 8 of them had advanced to 4 and 5 study units at the high school. Throughout the year, the Math teachers reported that, thanks to Sckipio’s assistance, the students gained a lot confidence and began explaining the material to their peers in the class. The unique model that Sckipio designed together with the school’s faculty is articulated in its successful recruitment of most of the company’s employees, who come in pairs every week and update each other about the students’ progress in order to create continuity. The warm relationships that have been formed led to the students’ being invited to Sckipio’s offices in Holon before Hanukkah. During the visit, the students toured the company’s labs and received explanations about its work from its CEO, Dudi Baum, who described the experience as moving and rewarding. According to Baum, “the company’s employees enjoy working at Herzog and feel a sense of mission to create a change and hope for the children.” At last year’s concluding session, the students gave Gilad Ayalon, who coordinates the project at Sckipio, a heartwarming wall painting that contained their expressions of thanks. “I’m glad I received help in Math from people with a big heart, and managed to approach the goal I set for myself,” wrote one of the students. “Thanks for all the time you devoted to us every week and for believing in us,” wrote another student. Ayalon shared the experience with his co-workers: “They told me that our impact resonates throughout the school. The students tell their friends: ‘I have Sckipio today’ and everyone knows what they’re referring to. Belonging to the Sckipio group is a source of pride because it shows them that someone is wiling to invest in them, and for these children that’s not something taken for granted.”

Sckipio’s CEO, Dudi Baum, emphasizes the company’s slogan: “Giving a little over time.” As he sees it, “giving over time creates a genuine connection between us and the school and the students, and also produces the sense of commitment.” Baum says that the desire to volunteer arose as soon as the company was founded, and the connection that was formed technological achievements – inש with Tovanot B’Hinuch through Danny Biran, who heads the lecturers section, was addition to technological leaders, we’re also social leaders.”

A Ray of Light: The Woman Who’s Teaching the School System a Thing or Two Channel 10’s Friday night news magazine presented a segment on Karen Tal’s unique professional path prior to establishing Tovanot B’Hinuch. The segment opened with the following comment: “An inspiring story of the girl who grew up in an underprivileged neighborhood and promises: ‘I’m going to give the children the opportunities I didn’t have.’” The link to the complete segment (in Hebrew) >>

Prominent Events

Tovanet 2014: A Sharing Experience Hundreds of people – including education activists, social entrepreneurs, key figures in Israel’s economy and society, and numerous volunteers chose to devote the morning of November 14th to a different kind of event – the Tovanet E-Conference sponsored by Tovanot B’Hinuch. Tovanet, held for the third time this year and inspired by the e-conferences that Dr. Yossi Vardi holds in Israel and abroad, offered participants an ideal venue where they could meet directly with different activists engaged in the field, introduce diverse initiatives, share, enrich and enjoy. The event opened with greetings from Yair Seroussi, Chairman of the Board of Bank Hapoalim from the initiative’s founding core group, who praised the many volunteers who work to better the education system. The singularity of the event is that its subject matter is created by the participants themselves, enabling any one of them to list the topic of a discussion/workshop, or any other activity, on a large blackboard, based on which the other participants decide which of the events they choose to attend. The Tovanet 2014 schedule filled up quickly, the names multiplied, and the diverse topics increased steadily – some heavy and serious and others lighter in nature – and deciding which room to enter was not an easy task. A glimpse at some of the different options that were available: MK Amram Mitzna, the chair of the Knesset’s Education Committee, talked about differential budgeting; Remi Samuel spoke about being a “Winner in Life”; Yael Lipman, a member of Tovanot B’Hinuch’s founding core group, moderated a panel discussion dealing with “A Smile in Education – Volunteers in Action”; Eliezer Shmueli, the Ministry of Education’s legendary Director-General, spoke about the rise and fall the comprehensive school; Rabbi Sefi Sherman, the principal of Reshit, a Tovanot school, described his unique plan called “Ten to Ten – A Residential Facility Model at a High School”; the author Yehuda Atlas shared parts of his new book that deals with children at risk. Those who wanted not only to listen and talk, but also to move about, were able to experience the Five Rhythms (Aviya Reches) and Rio Abierto (Batya Oren) methods that are additional tools that can be used in the school system.

We wish to thank all the participants, lecturers, and respondents. We also express our gratitude to Bank Hapoalim for hosting the event at its training center in Shefaim, and to Oscar Ltd. for its production assistance. Together, we are creating a different reality in the school system. See you at Tovanet 2015!

A link to the Tovanet video << Our Principals Meet With the Then Minister of Education In the beginning of September, during the first week of the school year, principals of Tovanot B’Hinuch schools met with the then Minister of Education, Rabbi Shai Piron. At the meeting, the principals presented their broad educational philosophy, according to which the schools are a main anchor in the lives of the students, teachers and community. They also described the relationships between the initiative and the principals, and how Tovanot’s work provides backing to the principals and strengthens the public school system in Israel. Save the Date The ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering will be holding a ceremony to dedicate the school’s library, named after the late Milton Gottesman, on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 4 pm. You’re all invited!

An Assortment of Events Through Pictures

The knowledge coordinators at the John Fishel, from the Diane and Guilford schools gather for a conference Glazer Foundation, visiting the ORT Lod Arab dealing with success measures The Tovanot B'Hinuch community High School for the Sciences and Engineering gathers for a conference at Herzog Secondary School

Allied Group's Yigal Schreiber and Raanan Wisel visiting Guatemala Elementary School in Jerusalem, which was adopted by the company ביקור אלי מילבאואר בבי”ס הנשיא בבת-ים Eli Milbaur visiting HaNassi Elementary School in Bat Yam

Thank Yous and Congratulations THANKS ♦♦To the members of the founding core group who renewed their financial contributions and enable us to enhance and expand the initiative’s activities.

♦♦To our new donors: Morton Meyerson and the David Nathan Meyerson Foundation, Alfred Akirov, and Yoram Petrushka.

♦♦To Eli Milbaur, a member of the founding core group, for his generous donation earmarked for a new science lab at HaNassi Elementary School in Bat Yam.

♦♦To the Dalia and Eli Hurvitz Foundation for its contribution to the intergenerational project between students and senior citizens. It will be introduced this year as a pilot project at four Tovanot schools: the Moriah and Guatemala elementary schools in Hadera and Jerusalem, respectively, and the Remez and Atidim secondary schools in Bnei Brak and Holon, respectively.

♦♦To Da’at Travel and its CEO Yaacov Fried for the field trips they are providing this year to 14 Tovanot schools. The program began with successful field trips for Guatemala and Hadarim faculty members.

♦♦To Ariella Weitz, for her donation earmarked for a new ‘dreams room’ in memory of her granddaughter, Gaya, at Guatemala Elementary School in Jerusalem.

CONGRATULATIONS

♦♦To Dr. Yossi Vardi for receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. For more about the ceremony and the reasons cited for conferring the degree: Link <<

♦♦To Rina and Prof. Yitzhak Zamir, for his being awarded the 2014 EMET Prize for Art, Science and Culture. The prize is awarded annually for excellence in academic or professional achievements that have a far-reaching impact and make a special contribution to society.

♦♦To Shirin Natour Hafi, the principal of the ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering, for being awarded the Governor of Rotary’s Tolerance Shield for 2014. The ceremony took place on December 12th at the Rotary Israel Conference for Interfaith Understanding, held at Beit Hagefen in Haifa.

♦♦To Huli Raz for being appointed chair of the Guatemala Action Committee in Jerusalem. Raz, the CEO of Huli Raz Consultants Ltd., devotes much of her time to volunteer work. We wish to thank Joel Feldschuh for making the connection.

♦♦To Atidim in Holon, for winning differential compensation from the Ministry of Education for improved scholastic, values-related and social achievements in 2012/2013; and to Denmark in Jerusalem, for receiving a reward from the Jerusalem Municipality for improving the measures of the parents’ satisfaction with the school.

♦♦To Levana Dvash, principal of HaNassi in Bat Yam, for being named Woman of the Year in Education (Yedioth Bat Yam, Rosh Hashana Edition); and to Eli Nechama, principal of the Bialik- Rogozin campus, for being listed on the “101 Most Influential People in Education in Tel Aviv” (Time Out Magazine).

StoriesThe Schools from the Report schools Bialik-Rogozin Campus in Tel Aviv - Eli Nechama, Principal No More Racism, It’s Time for Tolerance On November 4th, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day, the Bialik-Rogozin Campus held a special seminar called “No More Racism, It’s Time for Tolerance,” to which representatives from Tel Aviv high schools, the Herzog Secondary School in Holon and other Tovanot B’Hinuch partners were invited. The event was the highlight of educational activities designed to promote humanistic and egalitarian values, protest racism, and encourage teenagers to become proactive for the benefit of other teenagers, regardless of their background. The seminar consisted of circles of discourse and dialog, sessions with the soccer player, Rifat Jimmy Turk, the rapper, Kashi, who spoke about music and identity, and exhibits: The Peace Poster, Co-Existence from the Museum on the Seam, and the Identity Card of the school’s faculty member, Adam Gilboa. There was also a Hyde Park happening, and participants left their mark on a joint work of art created on canvas. The event was attended by Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor, Mahareta Ron Baruch.

Almostakbal Elementary School in Jaljulia – Fatana Hagla, Principal Our Dreams are Our Responsibility After joining the Tovanot B’Hinuch initiative, Almostakbal began a holistic mapping out and assessment of the existing situation. It was the initial stage in determining the course of action that will bring the school closer to the dream shared by its community. Because Almostakbal has adopted scientific and social investigation as a way to promote meaningful learning and personal-social growth, a decision was made to examine the students’ dreams about what the ideal school should look like. The findings of the study were consistent with the holistic map and consisted of three main categories: improving the learning environment, personal- social development, and emotional support. The results of the study were presented to the faculty and the parents’ association, after which they were immediately translated into action in the field. The parents undertook to improve the school’s appearance, and the teachers to deliver enrichment courses in art and dance. The remarks made by the chair of the parents’ association, Mr. Issam, were particularly moving: “It doesn’t make sense that Tovanot B’Hinuch is prepared to support the school and we, the parents, are just observers on the sidelines…starting today, we’re going to stop asking whether the association is filling its role or whether the Ministry of Education is giving us what is needed...the question is what can we give.” The results of the study constitute a foundation for discussions currently being held in different circles at the school, aimed at formulating policy. The students’ dreams were painted on the walls surrounding the schoolyard so that the goal will be visible to those who come to the school and will convey a message that the students’ dreams are our own responsibility.

Sinai Elementary School in Rehovot – Emmanuel Sbari, Principal A Games and Arts & Crafts Happening The joint activities of Tovanot B’Hinuch and Applied Materials at the school were launched at a Rosh Hashana ceremony held at Applied Materials’ corporate offices. The school orchestra played a number of musical selections that warmed the hearts of everyone in attendance. A “wishing tree” was placed at the entrance to the building, to which the school’s students attached notes containing their dreams and aspirations for the future. The company’s employees who had expressed an interest in volunteering in the project were invited to add notes to the tree bearing their names. The tree, with the notes full of innocence and imagination, moved all those present. A special happening was held on the last day of school before Rosh Hashana. Volunteers from Applied Materials led games and ran arts & crafts booths in the schoolyard, and the students could choose between inflatable play equipment, amusement park games, arts & crafts booths, makeup counters, and more. As part of the Tovanot B’Hinuch program, and coupled with improved scholastic achievements in all subjects, the school also hopes to develop the individual treasure found in each child, whether in music, sports, robotics or other areas. The purpose is to show them that their wishes are a wholesome goal to fulfill.

Moriah Elementary School in Hadera – Eti Rokach, Principal Welcome Rain and Bringing People Closer Together On November 11th, students from Moriah joined an initiative held at all religious state schools: a mass gathering to pray for the needed rain and give thanks for the miracles that occurred during Operation Protective Edge, such as Iron Dome’s high success rate. The students viewed this event as an opportunity to get closer to and better acquainted with peers from different backgrounds, and they invited around 100 public kindergarten pupils to join them in the prayer. The kindergarten pupils were guests of the school and learned about the importance of rain, and in particular this year which is a shmita year during which it is forbidden to work the land. Apart from the prayer that was broadcast live, the children also sang rain songs and took part in various activities related to rain. At the end of the day, all the participants felt a great sense of satisfaction because ‘barriers had been torn down’ and people were brought closer to one another.

Remez Secondary School in Bnei Brak– Iris Doron, Principal On November 11th, Remez held an impressive dedication ceremony of the JNF leadership classroom that has empowered the entire Remez community – students, teachers and parents alike. The ceremony was the kickoff of the Remez family’s official participation in a nationwide program that fosters young leadership among students, in areas relating to Zionism and the environment. The open-air leadership classroom that was built in the schoolyard is the first of its kind at a high school in Israel, and will be used for activities and training dealing with the environment and sustainability, geography, and heritage- related topics. The classroom will also serve as a place to gather, rest and play games during recess. The activities in the open-air classroom are run by a group of young leaders who are members of the school’s student council.

Herzog Secondary School in Holon – Dalia Guri, Principal The Midday Track Junior high students at the Herzog Secondary School can now learn all day long. At 1:30 in the afternoon, after most of the students finish their theoretical studies, a ‘midday track’ is available to them. Together with their parents and homeroom teachers, the students choose different tracks that enable them to express themselves and realize their talents. The school’s administration views the midday track as a place where teachers, other faculty members and students can uncover strengths in areas not necessarily related to scholastic pursuits: theater, singing, jewelry-making, martial arts, soccer, Newcomb ball, computer programming, excellence in the sciences, excellence in computers, ‘young doctors’ and fun-filled chemistry. According to the school, this celebration of enrichment and expression of excellence is possible thanks to the support and backing continuously received from the Tovanot B’Hinuch staff. The administration and faculty are pleased to see that the students willingly choose to remain at their “second home” – namely the school – beyond the required hours and take part in activities in which there is quality utilization of their free time.

Branco-Weiss in Beit Shemesh – Avi Orr, Principal A Civics Lesson Straight Out of Reality Tzipi Livni, the then Minister of Justice, visited the school and taught a special civics class. Livni first attended a meeting of the Branco Weiss action committee, where she received an overview from the school’s principal, Avi Orr, and heard about the committee members’ involvement in the school and their contribution to it. Following that, she taught the 12th graders a class whose topic was discrimination and racism in the State of Israel. She first referred to the horrific terrorist attack at the synagogue in Jerusalem, and said that such a despicable attack cannot remain unaddressed. On the other hand, she stressed that the treatment of Israeli Arabs cannot equate the murderers with those who are not involved in such acts, and a distinction must be made between them. From there, it developed into a discussion about the discrimination of different groups in Israel. The students candidly shared their views about the discrimination they have encountered when going to clubs, between new immigrants and those who are not, between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews, between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews, etc. Livni said that discrimination is prohibited by law and we cannot remain indifferent to it, whether we ourselves have experienced it or have witnessed others affected by it. It is imperative to report every manifestation of discrimination and expect a change in the situation.

Shevach-Mofet Secondary School in Tel Aviv – Max Sivan, Principal When a Field Trip Becomes a Research Lab The 9th graders’ annual field trip to the Negev demonstrated that it’s possible to learn and enjoy yourself at the same time. As early as the planning stage, the Science teachers, Olga and Anat, decided to take advantage of the field trip and the “desert laboratory” as an environmental resource for study and investigation. The Ein Avdat nature reserve was chosen as the research site. The students were briefed before going on the trip and came equipped with measurement instruments and notebooks for collecting data from the field. During the field trip, the students identified different natural phenomena, became familiar with new living creatures, heard how those creatures acclimate to their surroundings, acquired new skills, learned how to use new measurement instruments – and all that in an enjoyable manner. The teachers who accompanied the field trip were pleased to note that “the addition of the research component elevated the field trip to a totally different level. For the first time, each student took an active part in the trip, and the overall atmosphere was one of seriousness mixed with experiences.” And what did the students have to say? “We described phenomena and performed measurements in the field…it’s fun to learn new things when you’re with your friends and with the group…we’ll be glad if this happens again next year.”

The link to the activity’s video clip >>

Guatemala Elementary School in Jerusalem – Roni Ohana, Principal Community Morning Community Morning at Guatemala is a festive opening of a special year, in which the school decided to take an active part in the community it resides it. The decision reflects the belief that the community, the surroundings and the people living close to the school make a great contribution to it (numerous volunteers, collaborations, etc.). It also reflects a keen desire to assume responsibility for what is happening in the nearby environment. All Guatemala students, ranging from first to sixth graders, will be doing volunteer work together with their peers from the adjacent school, Reshit, in order to form meaningful and long-term ties between the students. One of the first joint activities that has already taken place entailed building a bench out of recycled materials. It was done on the Municipality’s Clean-Up Day. Community Morning focused on a discussion about the importance of mutual assistance and responsibility. At the opening ceremony, Roni Ohana, Guatemala’s principal, presented the school’s plan for involvement in the community. Ofer Berkowitz, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, spoke about volunteerism from his perspective. The teachers performed for the students and staged a humorous version of the dilemmas and feelings that arise when choosing to volunteer. Eyal Moshe, chair of the Ganim Community Administration, summed up the ceremony, after which the students returned to their classrooms to continue an in-class volunteer activity facilitated by the teachers.

Atidim Secondary School in Holon – Bar Chen, Principal Respecting the Elderly An intergenerational project is underway at Atidim, the result of a collaborative effort between the Orchid Senior Citizens Club in Holon and students from one of the 9th grade classes. The sessions, held once every two weeks, include joint history and civics classes. They enable the students to get to know the senior citizens first hand, become familiar with the wisdom they’ve acquired over the years and with the spiritual meaning of longevity. The topics studied and discussed during the classes focus on values and also lead to some touching experiences. This project is part of an intergenerational program that Tovanot B’Hinuch runs together with the Dalia and Eli Hurvitz Foundation. It is a highly welcome project and one of a number of activities that the school can offer its students so they can learn the value of respecting the elderly. The project educates the students to embrace the values of compassion and caring, aimed at honoring, respecting and underscoring the necessity of fostering the welfare of senior citizens. It is important to the school that all the students be aware of these classes, and learn to honor and respect every person, regardless of his background, whether young or old. The journey that this project takes is entirely one of human dignity.

Komemiyut Elementary School in Bnei Brak – Itzik Marcus, Principal Computerized Elections Komemiyut recently celebrated democracy at the school. In the first half of November, and for the first time in the school’s history, student council elections were held with the help of computers. Assisted by representatives from the elections committee, the students went to the computer lab where they voted using a computerized ballot. At the beginning of the process, the potential candidates worked on their platforms and pitched their ideas to the entire student body. After that, candidates from the third to sixth grades were chosen, who went around to the different classrooms and presented their platforms as part of a fair election campaign. An ‘elections happening’ was held at the height of the campaign, during which the candidates recruited their parents, friends and other helpers to convince their peers to vote for them. They prepared posters, campaign slogans, logos, and stickers with their names on them. Ultimately, two students from every grade were elected. The atmosphere of the event was positive, joyous and colorful. The students gained an in-depth understanding of the meaning of democracy and elections by secret and individual ballot, as well as their impact on their lives at the school.

The ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering – Shirin Natour Hafi, Principal Unique Collaborations This year as well, the ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering in Lod is continuing its unique collaborations with the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Lod District Court, which open new avenues to the school’s students. In a special and moving atmosphere, 25 volunteers from the Weizmann Institute came to the school for the opening ceremony. Their volunteer work this year will be part of a project in which they teach Chemistry, Biology and Math to the school’s students every Friday morning. At the ceremony, the principal, Shirin Natour Hafi, spoke about the singularity of this collaboration and the initiative taken by Prof. Eran Bouchbinder five years ago, when he came to the school and offered to help the students. Another unique project that is continuing again this year is the collaboration with the Lod District Court. Judges and court employees come to the school every Tuesday and deliver lectures to 9th grade students about different legal topics.

Denmark Secondary School in Jerusalem - Yonat Kaufman, Principal A Talent-Filled Recess On November 21st, the school held an “active recess” period during which 9th to 12th grade students played instruments, sang songs and made the time between classes a pleasant one. The students put on an impressive performance, and one could see the results of the work done by Maestro Moti Cohen, who teaches at the school’s music workshop and has an amazing ability to identify the ‘right note’ in each of his students. Uri Kadi did a great job on the drums, Alon is a talented bass player, and Orel, Noelle and Avia sang with a lot of emotion. The talent displayed by Yaron, a ninth grader, which was revealed during the recess, surprised everyone and captivated the audience. The atmosphere was electrifying. All the students were singing and dancing, and the administration even decided to extend the recess period. It was really nice to sing together, especially during these difficult times.

HaNassi Elementary School in Bat Yam – Levana Dabash, Principal A Lab for Life At HaNassi, they believe that exposing the students at an early age to science and technology-related phenomena and processes contributes to developing their natural curiosity and their ability to think critically about scientific processes and principles they encounter daily. The school has created an environment that encourages the students to ask questions, and offers them educational experiences on a developmental track suitable to their age, including: familiarization, experimentation, specialization, and research. The establishment of a cutting-edge science lab at the school has recently been completed, thanks to the generous donation given by Eli Milbaur, a member of Tovanot B’Hinuch’s founding core group. The ultra-modern and state-of-the-art lab is a place that offers experiences and challenges for research and experimentation. It contains diverse lab equipment, advanced messaging and technological means, and numerous gadgets that make studying science fascinating and interesting. Spending time and learning at the science lab become an active experience, which engages the students and adapts learning methods to the 21st century.

Hadarim Elementary School in Or Yehuda – Sarah Peretz, Principal A Behavior Traffic Light Improving the overall climate at the school is the focus of a special program that began operating this year at Hadarim. Reflecting the desire to better assimilate the school’s rules and facilitate a behavioral culture that fosters each student’s growth and the realization of his/her abilities and skills, a campus-wide good conduct program was designed in cooperation with a behavioral analyst, climate team, and the school’s administration. The program divides conduct into three colors: green – targeted and desired conduct that should be reinforced (e.g. sitting appropriately during a lesson or behavior that is respectful to others in the class); yellow – conduct that is inappropriate but does not cross the line (e.g. not doing homework or talking during a lesson); red – conduct that is inappropriate and does cross the line (e.g. verbal or physical violence). A student who has behaved in a way belonging to the red category will be suspended for an hour and sent to a ‘time out’ room at the school. The same holds true for a student who has engaged in ‘yellow’ behaviors three times. On the other hand, one student who displayed outstanding conduct is chosen at the end of every class, and every week, the outstanding student of the week is chosen in every classroom.

www.tovanotb.org

Writing and editing: Noga Shavit-Raz