Science is Happening!

Why were Moreh Moshe and Moti spotted on the HAMC roof on Wednesday??

The only answer could be..."Science is Happening Day"!! Our 4th graders were tried with the mission of constructing a casing that would cushion and protect an egg from a one story drop.  Moreh Moshe and Moti dropped the encased eggs from the school rooftop while we all awaited the results. While we did witness some SPLATTS!, many of the eggs landed safely. The 5th graders had to create parachutes with everyday materials that would stay up in the air for as long as possible. We watched each parachute smoothly float down from the rooftop. Science was definitely "happening" at the HAMC!

5th Grade Explores the USA

A Message from 5th Grade teacher, Mrs. Marash:


On May 23, 2012 the 5th Grade presented their research reports in our annual States Festival; each student had to research one state.  For ten weeks the children researched twenty-five facts using books, almanacs, encyclopedias, the Internet and i-Pads to aid them in completing their project.  The class's beautiful finished products were displayed and discussed during the festival.  The children also sang and shared snacks from their states.
I was totally impressed by the class's diligence and enthusiasm during the research and at the presentation.  The 5th Grade did an outstanding job and I am so proud of them.

A Visit to the "Seeing Eye"

After reading the story Mom’s Best Friend, a story about a mother from Pennsylvania,   who went to the "Seeing Eye" in Morristown to train with her new guide dog, the fifth grade took a trip to see the facility. The children met several instructors and a blind woman who told them about her own training with her guide dog, Becca. The class saw a video about the history of the Seeing Eye and got a chance to see the dining room and obstacle course that are used to train the dogs with their owners.

The fifth graders happily donated their own money and bought toys and treats for the guide dogs at the Seeing Eye.

Trip to the Jewish Children's Museum

This week our 4th and 5th graders took a field trip to the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn.  The incredible museum is overflowing with hands-on exhibits, focusing on Jewish holidays, biblical history and the land of Israel, all bringing Jewish culture and history to life.  From being contestants in a game of Jewish Jeopardy to crawling through a "life-sized" challah, our students loved this museum experience and had great stories to share when they returned to school!

Welcome to Camp HAMC!

On Thursday morning, sleepaway camp invaded HAMC! Martin Sipicki, a special visitor from Argentina came to the HAMC to give the middle school students a feel for the incredible NJY sleepaway camps.  While some of our students already go to NJY sleepaway camps (Camp Cedar Lake, Camp Nesher, and more) others are getting ready to go for their first time this summer! Our visitors put us into the camp spirit, teaching us some catchy camp-fire songs, playing a heated game of Simon Says, and singing and dancing to a camp favorite "Salaam".  If we weren't excited for sleepaway camp already, we definitely were after this special event!


For more information on NJY Jewish sleepaway camps click link below:
http://njycamps.org/camps/

Experimenting up a Storm!

Check out photos below from inside the HAMC science labs!  The 5th graders learned all about physical and chemical weathering, conducting an experiment shaking chalk stones in both water and vinegar and contrasting the results.  Down the hall, the 6th graders were creating model land-fill systems, simulating three different models to explore how each one controls land-fill contamination.  Keep checking the blog to learn more about our HAMC scientists hard at work!

Shabbaton 2012!

Even with the arrival of  2012's first snow, this years Shabbaton was a huge success! Our 5th-8th graders had a blast spending the night in school and celebrating Shabbat together.

Here were some of our favorite highlights!

• Bringing in Shabbat with spirited singing led by Moreh Moshe
• Beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service
• Delicious Shabbat dinner
• Staying up late bonding with our classmates
• Playing in the SNOW!
• Home cooked food from Morah Nurit and Mrs. Bacharach
• Challenging teambuilding games
• Creating our own culinary creations in a heated Iron Chef competition
• Using our teamwork skills in an awesome Apache Relay
• Hanging out with Lior and Noga
• Havdallah ceremony with our parents

And so much more!

There was a real sense of community and family reflected from the Shabbaton that the students created on their own.  The students were filled with so much spirit and excitement throughout the entire Shabbaton and really had an unforgettable weekend.  We can't wait for next year!

A big thanks to Moreh Moshe, Mrs. Bacharach, Morah Nurit, Ms. Gates, Jaclyn, Lior and Noga for putting the Shabbaton together and making sure everyone had a great time throughout the weekend!

Check out photos below of before Shabbat (candle lighting) and after shabbat (Havdallah).

Mary Poppins on Broadway!

Last night, the 4^th-8^th graders ventured to NYC to see Mary Poppins on Broadway!! The students (and chaperones) loved the show and had so much fun experiencing the excitement of New York City theater together.

Check out some of the Mary Poppins “photo shoots” the students took!

It's Electric!

In science class this morning, the 5^th graders learned all about creating electricity and the difference between conductors and insulators.  The students conducted an awesome experiment using batteries, wires, and a variety of objects to make a small ‘motor' spin.  One group of students found that a paper-clip and steel sheet caused an electric current, making the motor spin, but the popsicle stick and piece of yarn did not.  Once again our HAMC students had a great time learning about science!

Tikun Olam:Preparing Packages for the Homeless

This morning, the 4th and 5th graders prepared brown-bag meals for the homeless.  This Tikkun Olam project was conducted in collaboration with Bridges Outreach Inc., an organization that distributes prepared meals on Friday evenings to homeless individuals and families in Newark, Irvington, and other locations.  As part of the experience, the students had a lesson on homelessness, emphasizing the merit of performing this mitzvah.

Thank you to all the HAMC families who contributed and gave a helping hand to this crucial project. We couldn't have done it without your efforts and generosity.

For more information on Bridges Outreach Inc. click here:
www.bridgesoutreach.net/aboutus.php

5th Graders Mosey around Monsey

The 5^th grade took their annual field trip to Monsey, NY where they experienced a local community infused with Jewish culture and tradition.  With our very own Rabbi Hami, a native Monsey-er, as their guide, the students were exposed to all the best Jewish “hot-spots” in town…From the kosher bakery, to the kosher supermarket, to the kosher butchery, the students saw it all! They even had a special scavenger hunt in Shoprite where they had to scout out all of the kosher food in stock; the options were endless! The trip ended with some delicious kosher pizza and the students went home with happy stomachs and smiles on their faces. Make sure to ask your 5^th graders about their favorite of the trip!

Buddy Day!

Yesterday was “Buddy Day”! Each ECC student was paired up with a 5^th grade student and the dynamic duos spent a fun filled day together. Some of the buddies read PJ Library stories together, while others built with Legos or played dress up.  The students also learned Hebrew together as they participated in Morah Nechama’s Hebrew class in ECC 3.  All in all it was a great day that both the 5^th graders and ECC-ers really enjoyed!

A Snowy Reward

As a result of very good behavior with a substitute teacher Thursday, our Fifth Grade Class was given a Friday recess. The students had a (snow) ball!