Bnei Akiva Schools Newsletter ULPANAT OROT YESHIVAT OR

Bnei Akiva Schools Newsletter
October 11, 2013 * 7 Cheshvan 5774
Join us for our Open House Programs
ULPANAT OROT
YESHIVAT OR CHAIM
Sunday, October 20, 2013
9:30 AM-12:30 PM * at Ulpanat Orot
Sunday, October 27, 2013
9:30 AM-12:30 PM * at Yeshivat Or Chaim
For all Grade 8 Students and Parents
The 21st Century Learning Toolkit and
the Need for Balance
Over the past few years, there has been
increasing attention - in educational
circles and beyond - given to the role of
emerging "touch" technologies in
classroom learning. Tablet computers,
such as the popular iPad, have received
special attention for their relatively low
cost and software development potential. While it may be simplistic
to conclude that these tools alone will radically and immediately
change education, the impact of such technologies is perhaps better
considered through the lens of how they reflect the changing
landscape of learning on a larger scale.
As emerging tools and resources equip students with immediate
access to a wealth of information and abilities to communicate
through a variety of forums, the essential skills that are required to
learn successfully also shift. These tools - and the skills that they
necessitate - comprise what we can think of as the 21st Century
Learning Toolkit. Students require knowledge of how to
access/consume information, create content, and collaborate with
others, but they also require the ability to assess the reliability of a
content source, filter out irrelevant information, and use
collaborative tools responsibly and ethically. When properly
cultivated, these skills can allow students and teachers to leverage
these tools to foster creativity, critically thought, and generative
dialogue.
While these skills were previously viewed as advantageous, they are
becoming essential at the Secondary and post-Secondary levels.
Parshat Lech Lecha
Candle Lighting: 6:21pm
Havdala: 7:29
In this issue
New Mashgiach at Or Chaim
Recent Events
Yeshiva-Seminary Night
First UO Oneg
UO Basketball
YOC Curriculum Night
Bekiut with Akiva Buckman
Chaburah Update
Beit Midrash 9/12 Learning
YOC Grade Reps
Upcoming Events
ThanksLearning Program
Literary Night
Website and Test
Calendars
Online and blended - a combination of web-based and in-person learning models are becoming increasing common, and educational
institutions are beginning to experiment with the possibilities. You
may recall several top-tier universities and colleges in the United
States that created headlines for making a selection of their courses
available on-line and free of charge in an open delivery format. This
is but one example of a trend that requires and signals our collective
attention.
Perhaps the greatest lesson for our children from the fast-paced
proliferation of current and upcoming learning technologies is the
need for balance. Although it is unlikely that one singular learning
tool, or model of learning, will replace our entire existing educational
structure, it is more productive to consider the role of such tools to
complement our existing set of learning resources and skills. Physical
resources - including Kodesh texts, a novel, or a primary historical
resource - still hold a valuable place in our students' learning.
The 21st Century Learning Toolkit is more about an adaptive mindset
than about a particular new gadget. Specifically, while it may be true
that our sons and daughters interact with these technologies as
digital natives, they concurrently require our support and guidance in school and at home - to employ these tools effectively, safely and
responsibly.
FOR STUDENTS
Monday, October 14
Canadian Thanksgiving
- No School
Yu Beit Midrash
Davening & Shiur at BAYT
Tuesday, October 15
Literary Night for
Grade 9 and 11 Students
Tuesday, October 22
Short Day Schedule
Shabbat Shalom
Mordechai Sabeti, M.Ed., B.Sc. (Hons.), OCT
Senior Director of Educational Operations,
Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto
ANNOUNCEMENT
Mashgiach Ruchani
Rabbi Elan Mazer has assumed the role of Mashgiach
Ruchani at Yeshivat Or Chaim, in addition to his
teacher responsibilities. The Mashgiach Ruchani
position aims to nurture religious growth in each
student.
"I will be there for our students, to listen and to advise, when
necessary. My goal is to work with the YOC staff to create an
environment where our students feel comfortable developing
religiously in their own way. It is my mission to empower our
students with the message and ideology of the school, to live as part
of something bigger, to see themselves as a vibrant part of the
rebirth of our nation in the land of Israel as well as the future Torah
scholars and leaders of our community."
- Rabbi Mazer
FOR PARENTS
Tuesday, October 15
Literary Night for
Grade 9 and 11 Students
See all events
ALIYAH
Four 2011 Ulpana
graduates recently made
Aliyah. We wish mazel tov to
Nirelle Blumenfeld, Zahava
Gutenberg, Orit Honigsberg,
and Tiki Yeres.
WEDDINGS
Shira Eklove ('10)
RECENT EVENTS
Yeshiva/Seminary Night
Following an inspiring
introduction by Rabbi Grauer on
the benefits of a year of study at
a religious institution in Israel,
the boys joined Rabbi Spitz who
spoke about Yeshivot in Israel,
while the girls met with Mrs.
Munk to learn about the different Midrasha opportunities. The
presentations touched on the importance of selecting the right school
for each individual, as well as the application process involved.
Thank you to Rabbi Grauer, Mrs. Munk and Rabbi Spitz for arranging
this helpful and informative evening for parents and students.
- Ariela Snowbell, grade 12 student
First UO Oneg
At the first erev Shabbat oneg of
the year, Ulpanat Orot held a
"Minute to Win It" program this
past Friday, inspired by the popular
TV show. It was a great bonding
experience consisting of
challenges that were funny to
watch, and fun for the girls to be a
part of. For example, one of the tasks was a race to blow a balloon and
knock cups off a table. Split up by grade, the girls could cheer on their
peers or participate in the program. Overall, it was a great way to start
out a year filled with fun Friday onegs as a school.
- Adina Saban, grade 11 student
View photos from the event
UO Basketball
After much anticipation and
excitement, the 2013/2014
Cyclones' basketball season is
finally starting. The team of 12 is
pumped to get going down the
court, and is excited to have a full season with our new and amazing
coaches Christine, Anne and Carly. Although we lost our first game of
the season, we played with our hearts and have made a tremendous
improvement since last year. We are all ready to compete this year and
win the championships! Go Cyclones go!
- Eliya Herman, grade 11 student
YOC Curriculum Night
Rabbi Grauer opened the evening with a few words in memory of
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The remainder of the evening was focused on
teachers' curricular goals. Many parents attended a very successful
evening. View Photos from the Event
and Amitai Koschitzky
FUNDRAISING
OPPORTUNITIES
Ulpana's fundraising committee
is creating a cookbook and would
like to recipes for appetizers this
week. Parents and students are
encouraged to submit recipes
to ulpanafundraising@gmail.com
Yeshivat Or Chaim Student
Council invites students to create
a design for the Shabbaton
sweatshirts. The individual who
creates the design that is chosen
will receive a prize. Students
should submit their design to
Yaakov Spivak or Jeremy Piwko.
Bekiut w/ Akiva Buckman
Last week, during lunch, the
Yeshiva University Bekiut
Program started at YOC. Three
times a week, students devote
their lunch hour to learning extra
gemara that is purely lishma.
This year, the Gemara that is
being taught is Masechet Taanit.
Akiva Buckman, leader and
teacher of the program, always
makes sure that the shiur is
interesting and engaging. An
added bonus to the program is
that once a week, pizza is served
to all participants. Interested
students who have not yet attended a session are encouraged to join.
- Uri Frischman, grade 12 student
Chabura Update
David Elhadad, Yosef Herzig, Max
Greenberg, Yaakov Spivak, Rabbi
Mordechai Torczyner
In our halachah chabura, we have
been learning about the laws of
reciting berachot before and after
learning Torah, and whether reciting those berachot is a biblical
mitzvah or a rabbinic mitzvah. We searched for the origins of these
berachot and discovered that they come from the pasuk (Devarim
32:3), "When I call in the Name of Hashem, give honour to our G-d,"
or from the berachot recited before and after eating food.
Additionally, we have delved into the Aruch HaShulchan, which is a
legal commentary that reverse-engineers the Shulchan Aruch to track
back each halachah to its earliest sources.
Beit Midrash 9 / 12
Learning
The YU Torah Mitzion Beit
Midrash Zichron Dov program was
the perfect opportunity for 12s to
bond with with our "little
brothers" and learn together.
Rabbi Baruch Weintraub
introduced and summed up the program, which was largely chavruta
learning. Students enjoyed learning together in a positive
atmosphere.
- Shlomo Sabovich, grade 12 student View photos from the events
YOC Grade Reps
YOC Grade Representatives held
their first meeting to discuss
ideas for upcoming programming.
The students have some great
ideas and look forward to
implementing them. Grade Reps
are: Ilan Shields and Zev
Stochinsky (grade 9); Aryeh
Fingerote and Sammy Newman (grade 10); and Josh Mayer and Elijah
Silverman (grade 11).
UPCOMING EVENTS
ThanksLearning Program
The Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Beit
Midrash Zichron Dov invites YOC students to
davening, breakfast and a shiur at BAYT during
the secular holiday, Monday, October 14.
The schedule will be:
8:45 - Shacharit at the BAYT (with the shul)
9:45 - 10:45 - Breakfast and shiur on "Akedat
Yitzchak"
Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Literary Night Invitation to parents
Grade 9 and 11 students will participate in a book
talk on Tuesday, October 15th at 7:00pm based on
their summer reading choice. Interested parents
are encouraged to attend what is sure to be a
stimulating evening of discussion. Parents
attending should please RSVP to your child's English
teacher.
Ulpana Father-Daughter Learning
Ulpana Fathers! Please save the NEW date for father / daughter
learning - Wednesday, November 13 after school (5:15 PM). We hope
you can join us!
WEBSITE & TEST
CALENDARS
To stay up to date on everything happening at the Bnei Akiva Schools,
please get into the habit of consulting our on-line calendar, which is
being regularly updated with new events. As you look at our calendar,
please take a few moments to view our new website which we are
constantly updated and improving as well. You will also notice that we
have added test calendars to our website. There are four possible
calendars to view:
UO Grade
UO Grade
OC Grade
OC Grade
9 and 10
11 and 12
9 and 10
11 and 12
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