National Poetry Month Rocks GOA!

Contributed by English Department Chair Jane Freeman.


It was the first love poem the fire hose had ever received … not the first for the clock, however -- there were no fewer than seven love poems dedicated to the third-floor timepiece. The gym reveled in the newly found ardor of its four admirers as well, while the stone floor in the vestibule shyly reflected her single sonnet. What was going on? To honor National Poetry Month, students and faculty had written poems in honor of their most beloved Golda Och Academy feature, and on April 1 had plastered the objects of their love in appropriate places (one entire class of students had poems pinned to their shirts!).

There were stranger things going on: Mr. Londino was discovered reading a poem in an English class. Poems protruded from every pocket. Seussical verses and hats on cats were flying through the halls. Perhaps most amazing, however, were the visits from the Urban Word NYC prize-winning Spoken Word Poets. English classes reverberated with the stampede of magical zebras, garbage cans bulging with undelivered love letters and dreams of awakening in a new world … all nudged with the panache only a New York City Urban Word Poet can bring (“The sign on this door says AMAZING!”).

April has just begun … what could possibly happen in the coming weeks? Stay tuned … (Wait—was that Brutus running through the BK in a toga? Chasing Puck?)





Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

A Model Experience at Model UN

From March 13-15, 28 Golda Och Academy students spent three days at the 10th annual Jewish-Canadian Youth Model United Nations. This year we were among more than 160 delegates from nine schools from across the United States and Canada.




Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

The group received an extraordinary number of awards, including gavels for best delegate on four out of seven committees, which were awarded to Oren Fliegelman, Adam Langenbucher, Jared Fineberg and Sam Rubinstein. Honorable Mention awards were given to Anna Brooks, Matthew Davis, Ben Hersch and Josh Pearlstein. In all, we received eight out of a possible 21 awards!

The recognition accorded our delegation is particularly impressive when we realize that most of the schools either have classes dedicated to preparation for the Model UN or coaches who come into school to prepare the students for debate. Our success is a credit to the caliber of the students and to everyone who helps prepare them for these kinds of activities every day.

The entire delegation was commended by the committee chairs for their research, position papers and ability to stay focused as they stayed in character while articulating their thoughts on a wide range of topics. We were continuously impressed by the manner in which our students conducted themselves, both in committee session and during free time when they had a chance to mingle with the students from other day schools! They are confident, poised and always respectful.

As a special bonus we were treated to a lesson on how to tie a turban from Jason Roth during the no-talent talent show. Guess what? He won!

Many thanks to Eleanor Brooks and Michael Monson for their dedication to our Model UN students.

Insightful Interviews with Holocaust Survivors

Once a year, Golda Och Academy invites participants of Café Europa -- an informal group where Holocaust survivors can engage in conversation, participate in social and educational activities, and develop supportive relationships --  to visit the school.

Our eighth graders learn interviewing skills and then meet with a Holocaust survivor to practice those skills. The students write up the interviews as a way to learn more about the survivors and their Holocaust experiences. The student write-ups will be collated into a booklet, and the students will present those booklets to the survivors at the annual Café Europa Yom Hasho'ah program in May.

Lore Ross Café Europa is a project of the Jewish Family Service of MetroWest.

The Art of Tallit

Our sixth graders are working with art teacher Sandra Charlap and guest artist/teacher Kristen Lauler in art class to make their own tallitot, or prayer shawls. The project began with the students choosing quotes for their atarot, which are the decorative linings on the collar of the tallitot, in their Judaic Studies classes. Ms. Lauler is teaching the art of batik, which is wax-resist dyeing technique.

In May, at the culmination of the tallit project, there will be a presentation, which celebrates the completion of the tallitot and includes a student-led learning and breakfast program with the students' families. The goal of the project is for each student to have a beautiful tallit that will reflect his or her own personality and style!

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Jumping Rope for the Heart!

Last year's Jump Rope for Heart was a true success!

Last Tuesday, Golda Och Academy's Lower School enthusiastically kicked off another one of our successful Tikkun Olam Programs, the "Jump Rope for Heart" campaign, thanks to Marci Robinson, a former Golda Och parent, who once again introduced the program.

The actual event will happen on March 1, and we will be asking all of our students and faculty to wear something red on that day. The money we raise for the American Heart Association will help to support vital research and help our children understand the importance of community service and physical activity. We think it's a true win-win situation!

Donations can be made by visiting our Team Page, where you'll find student pages made by our second through fifth graders in computer class. Our pre-K through first grade students also have the chance to make a page at home with parental guidance.

Also, be sure to browse the American Heart Association website for heart healthy suggestions, to find information about nutrition, physical activity, healthier kids, weight and stress management, as well as games and health experiments to do with your children.

A Musical Benefit

You might notice that we have a new feature on the right side of our blog, and if you haven't, we hope you'll take some time to listen to the beautiful sounds of our very own Upper School choir from their 2009 album, "Dripping in Your Ear."

We also hope you'll attend our Annual Choir Benefit Concert on February 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.* at the Maurice Levin Auditorium at the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC in West Orange, NJ. The benefit concert will feature our Middle and High School choirs, as well as a guest performance by the men's barbershop chorus, Voices of Gotham. Our choir also will be releasing their newest album, Mashehu Matok.

Tickets can be purchased through February 8, by emailing Josh Ehrlich or speaking to one of our choir members. We can't wait to see you there!

*We are hoping there won't be snow, but if there is, February 16 is our scheduled snow date. 

A Melaveh Malka Milestone

Our Lower School, with grades pre-K through fifth, celebrates Jewish milestone events at every grade. The beauty of these milestones is that they include family education, which provides our students and parents with the joy of discovery!

On Saturday, our third graders and their families experienced the beauty of the havdallah ceremony, a ritual that symbolically marks the end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. Families gathered for a student presentation and hands-on art projects, including the making of beautiful havdallah sets out of glass and beads, as well as a spice bag.

Our students were taught how to sign the havdallah blessings, and it was a moving experience to watch all of the students signing in unison. The evening then concluded with a festive and delicious Melaveh Malka.

We want to say Yashar Koach! to our students and offer many thanks to Carrie Zucker Siegel, Gena rosenberg, the entire third grade staff, and Morah Ruti for all of their hard work in creating such a beautiful Jewish milestone and for making great memories to add to our students' extensive treasury of positive Jewish experiences.

Stay tuned for more milestone events with our Lower School students!