AIPAC Event a First for Day Schools

קול “רמבם SPRING 2015 dŠryz xii`°oqip°xc` KOL RAMBAM AIPAC Event a First for Day Schools The Maimonides School senior class, accompanied by administrators and teachers, at the AIPAC Policy Conference. The entire Maimonides School Class of ence. AIPAC hopes other day schools will upperclassmen to become articulate and 2015 attended the AIPAC (American Israel soon follow suit. And based on the stu- capable advocates for Israel, and this AIPAC Public Affairs Committee) Policy Confer- dents’ testimony and that of the adults who conference is ideally timed — just months ence in Washington, DC from March 1-3. accompanied them, the experience was before they depart for their gap year in Maimonides is the first American day school profound. Israel, and then go on to their college expe- ever to send an entire class to this confer- “It was a highlight of my Maimonides experience.” rience,” declared Joey Offen of the three-day Rabbi Mordechai Soskil, Middle and Upper event. “I am very grateful to have had the School Judaic studies principal, agreed: “I In This Issue: opportunity to attend.” can’t imagine anything we could have done Naty Katz, Head of School, accompanied better than to help make well-prepared, B'Yadenu Update ..................2 the seniors along with principals, grade excited advocates for Israel.” deans and teachers. Highlights included The policy conference provided both infor- Examining Tzniut ..................3 general sessions for all of the more than mational and emotional connections, he 16,000 attendees; breakout sessions; and said. ”They were able to hear from college Family Profile ........................4 lobbying visits with Massachusetts state students and actually learn what they can Torah and STEM ..................5 senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth War- do,” he said. The conference “gave them the ren, as well as U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy, on opportunity to feel great that Israel has a Class Notes............................6 Capitol Hill. strong commitment to the same democrat- “Support for the State of Israel is core to our ic ideals, human rights, arts and culture that A Family Campaign ..............7 school’s mission, and this experience will have made America such a great place.” no doubt have tremendous and enduring "The kids feel more connected and better News Briefs ...........................8 impact on the hearts, souls, and minds of prepared to be advocates,” Rabbi Soskil said. our seniors,” said Mr. Katz. “We educate our Continued on page 5 1 B'Yadenu Striving to Meet Needs of All Learners B’Yadenu —“in sional development providers to address the teams. Clusters of teachers meet as profes- our hands” — has needs identified. sional learning groups at all faculty meetings been described by Reena Slovin, associate principal, Elementary to share our successes and our struggles. its sponsors as “a School, has been involved with shepherding We touch base, and share progress reports project designed B’Yadenu since its inception at Maimonides. on our experiments. At the end of the year to shift a whole There is a B’Yadenu planning team in the everybody gets to share their results,” Mrs. school — all staff, Elementary School, she said, that includes Slovin continued. administrators, administrators, curriculum coordinators and The teachers are examining students’ “ex- leaders and other teachers. ecutive function skills,” Mrs. Slovin explained: stakeholders — to cohesively and collabora- “Executive function and self-regulation skills tively work to better serve all learners.” Mrs. Slovin described one current objective: “creating an environment in which teachers are the mental processes that enable us to As Maimonides School educators strive to experiment and try new things, collaborat- plan, focus attention, remember instruc- internalize the project, Barry Ehrlich, director ing with and supporting their colleagues. tions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. of curriculum and instruction, suggests that Everybody has to come up with an experi- The brain needs this skill set to filter distrac- the school is not re-inventing the proverbial ment — administrators, teachers, others on tions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, wheel. staff. “ and control impulses.” “B’Yadenu is helping support the kind of “If you want to create a culture of innovation Coaches with expertise in different areas culture that we’ve been working on for and growth, it has to happen among the "are observing the teachers and giving them years, meeting the needs of diverse learners adults as well as the students,” Mr. Ehrlich feedback," said Mrs. Slovin. "The teachers are and challenging teachers to be innovative said. “Principals are challenging teachers to collecting data and measuring their prog- in their classroom,” Mr. Ehrlich said. “It’s a try new things. Teachers are doing the same ress.” resource to help sustain the kind of work we thing with their students.” Also part of the program are periodic faculty know is important.” “Some teachers are looking for ways to surveys “to measure changes in attitudes B’Yadenu is a three-year program to for- improve writing, some are working on a bet- toward their personal growth and collabo- mulate a professional development model ter transition to bentsching at lunch, some ration in professional development,” Mrs. that enables teachers to better meet the on social thinking,” Mrs. Slovin said. Other Slovin said. needs of diverse learners. Six Boston Jewish examples include: The process is gradual, but students and day schools are participants in the pilot, teachers alike are seeing new developments funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and • Finding ways to get students to take more initiative, and be better organized and in the classrooms. In fact, Maimonides has Ruderman Family Foundation. Support also been held up as a model for other potential is provided by the Rabbi Israel and Mildred more independent when working on science labs and science fair projects. B’Yadenu participants. “We were asked to Gandal Goldman Endowed Fund at Mai- present at a B’Yadenu meeting for represen- monides. • Increasing the capacity of strong math tatives from other schools in other parts of The three-year timetable got underway last students to organize and explain their the country,” Mr. Ehrlich said. Maimonides fall, as administrators began implementing thinking. B’Yadenu delegates also presented at the their plans. The first phase was a planning • Keeping Grade 1 students more focused recent National Jewish Day School Confer- year, involving a large group of teachers and and engaged in davening, through adding ence in Philadelphia. administrators across grades and disciplines. stories, songs and movement. (This is one in an occasional series on the The school is now connecting with profes- “There is a wide variety, individually and in implementation of B’Yadenu.) Seventh graders perform daglanut on the Saval Campus courtyard. The precision routine with flags is a staple of Yom Ha'Atzmaut at Maimonides. 2 2 Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z”tl Upper School Lectures Focus Founder Rabbi M.J. Cohn, z”l On Meaning and Role of Tzniut Principal Emeritus Abraham Levovitz, z”l “Learning about the true definition of tzniut was President Emeritus eye-opening. It made me realize that it's not just about an aesthetic representation of ourselves Sam Wald ‘92 (i.e., clothing), but rather portraying ourselves in Chairman, Board of Directors a way that reflects our inner qualities and Torah Jeffrey Swartz values…This was a refreshing and intellectual Chairman Emeritus approach to explaining the basis of tzniut, and I am excited to learn more about this misunder- Nathan Katz ’73 stood topic.” Head of School The sentiments of Shifra Berg ’15, shared in the Barry Ehrlich Upper School newsletter, reflect positive results Director of Curriculum and Instruction achieved so far by a current four-part lecture series for Upper School students that aims to Robin Meyerowitz Early Childhood Director clarify the meaning and role of tzniut. Frederique Smits The approach was directed by the All-School Karyn Spero Administrative Team, as an educational response Director of Institutional Advancement to concerns about the school’s dress code. hear the word tzniut? “I started out my session with some of the most common responses, Faun Zarge Limudei kodesh teacher Karyn Spero coordi- Director of Strategic Engagement nates the program, which is a team effort. Also which had to do primarily with dress,” Ms. Spero involved are Amy Rosen, who heads the Student said. Ami Blaszkowsky Life Team; Molly Boynton, Upper School social Now many students will testify that tzniut refers Director of Admissions worker; Molly’s Middle School colleague Alissa to qualities such as humility, selflessness, and Mike Rosenberg Ovadia; Barry Ehrlich, director of curriculum and compassion for others. Editor instruction; and Brian Cohen, associate principal, The next time the students gathered, the focus Middle School. Naomi Ribner was on context and expectations regarding Designer Each session differed in format, Ms. Spero ex- ways of dress. There are social and professional plained, with instructors and facilitators working standards to meet in any community, Ms. Spero MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL with the entire Upper School, single grades or said. The presentation was handled by Scott genders, or in small groups, depending on the Rabbi Mordechai Soskil Mattoon, Middle and Upper School general Principal, Judaic Studies topic. “There was no specific definition of the studies principal, and Amy Rosen, head of the word/concept of tzniut used for the baseline of Student Life Team. Scott Mattoon Principal, General Studies the program,” Ms. Spero continued. “The goal In April the Middle and Upper School social of the first session was to rethink their under- workers, backed by administrators, conducted a standing and possible pre-conceived ideas of Rabbi Dov Huff ’00 session on “students’ perception of self,” person- Assistant Principal tzniut, based on the various Jewish sources on ally and externally, Ms.

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