The Jewish Home | MAY 10, 2018
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Around the Community
SKA Pauses for Speech
P
AUSE – Pausing and Understanding Speech’s Effect, SKA’s new initiative led by 10th and 11th grade students under the direction of limudei kodesh teacher, Mrs. Sheva Mezei, was introduced to the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls’ student body on Wednesday,
May 2. The group began last year when the 10th grade PBL (Project Based Learning) Chumash classes studied the inyun of Miriam and what happened to her when she spoke lashon hara about Moshe. At the same time, members of the 11th grade were motivated to form
a committee about the effects of negative speech; a new SKA organization was formed. To kick-start the program this year, the students heard from noted educator, author and relationship expert Mrs. Slovie Jungreis Wolf. In her introduction, Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, noted that Mrs. Wolf is the daughter of beloved Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, a”h, who had spoken so inspirationally many times in the school and at our Shabbatons. Addressing an auditorium of SKA students, Mrs. Wolf shared ideas and stories of how to speak and act positively. ”Go out of your bubble,” Mrs. Wolf implored. “Notice if your friend is in pain. You have the power to change a life.” To launch the day’s program, SKA’s morning davening groups viewed the Chofetz Chaim video on “The Butterfly Effect,” indicating how one action can affect events on the other side of the world. After Mrs. Wolf’s talk, a gripping original video prepared by juniors Devora Schreier, Jackie Rubin, Talia
Wein and Gavi Goldsmith on changing negative speech was shown. PAUSE committee members Rachel Kirschner and Chaviva Salzberg then introduced the daily learning on lashon hara and lashon tov that would take place in the 18 days leading up to Shavuot. Phone pockets with PAUSE’s inspiring message were given out after the program. Thanks go to Mrs. Mezei and the committee members for launching this incredible initiative.
YOSS ECC Hosts Professional Development Day at Tanglewood Preserve
T
he teachers at Yeshiva of South Shore’s Early Childhood Center spent their recent professional development day getting their hands dirty. In order to spark creativity in the classroom, the staff spent time in nature at the Tangle-
wood Preserve’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning. Located in Rockville Centre, the CSTL’s mission is to encourage science literacy for adults and children. The teachers participated in a hike and worked together on two experi-
ments. They also created animal habitats using toys, recycled items, grass, soil, rocks and tree stumps. “We’ve been working on a schoolwide theme this year called ‘learning through discovery.’ We planned this day to inspire conversation, camara-
derie and ideas,” said Mrs. Elana Fertig, Director, YOSS Early Childhood Center. “It was a wonderful experience and we’re already adding new teaching strategies and projects to our classrooms and outdoor Discovery Pavilion.”