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This past week, in Library, our students learned all about rocks. Specifically pet rocks. Pet rocks are wonderful because they don't need to be fed, or watered or walked, but they can still be loved! The students also explored some non-fiction titles to learn about different times of rocks and rock formations. They finished up their library class by creating their own unique and creative pet rocks to take home and love!

In STEAM class, our fourth grade students learned all about light refraction and how when water passes through different mediums it can refract or bend to reveal different colors. To demonstrate this, the students stood outside with cups of water and created refracted rainbows on the sidewalk.

Last week, in order to properly commemorate the completion of the first Perek of Maseches Brachos in Mishna the fifth grade boys participated in a scavenger hunt spread around the TDSA campus. Using their budding Mishnayos skills, the students had to solve a series of riddles that led them to....Rabbi Siff who was waiting with a delicious surprise!

At TDSA we recognize that understanding math isn't just about knowing mathematical concepts or to recite mathematical terms. That's why Mrs. Duval's Middle School Math classes incorporates the thinking classrooms model. As part of class time the students split into independent groups of two and three to solve math problems on giant whiteboards. When working together, the students delve into their reasoning and help each other to conceptualize the math they're learning differently.

This past week, the second grade garden recieved their newest residents: An army of worms. As part of the 2nd grade's enrichment community garden project, the boys and girls are creating a compost bin. Worms are an essential part of composting. Despite how disgusting they are, they're able to breakdown food waste into rich nutritious soil which will help the 2nd graders garden grow big and strong. Go worms go! We can't wait to see composting in action!

Back again! Join the TDSA PTA for an exciting Fall Festival on November 22nd from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM

The mood was somber throughout the school as we remembered the fallen Israeli soldiers of the IDF and victims of terrorist attacks. Boys and girls in the Middle school participated in a Yom HaZikaron ceremony that explained the meaning of the day, recited prayers for the z'chus of the fallen and their families, a bracha for the current soldiers, and tehilim for all of Klal Yisroel. Mrs. Kalnitz shared stories about Capt. Dekel Swissa, a valiant young man from Bar Giora who served as a Captain in the Golani Brigade,13th Battalion, and was killed at the Paga outpost on October 7 while saving his platoon. Dekel was TDSA's Shinshin in 2018 and lived with the Kalnitz family during his stay in Atlanta.
The lower school visited a display in the lobby depicting a timeline of the wars since the State of Israel's inception. Tomorrow, the mood swings as we celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut as a TDSA community.

How do you know the agenda for the day? You read it, of course! I walked into this Kindergarten class as they were learning the day's plan through a reading activity. This boy was asked to find a blended sound of "ST" within the letter about their major activity. Can you find it? He did!

Escape rooms involve critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration; all excellent skills to build in an academic experience. 8th grade Humanities is learning about the Cold War. Throughout the hallway and the classroom, small groups of girls were intensely focused on escaping from the communist, East side of the Berlin Wall to the West side of Germany during this escape-room-style learning activity. In this picture, the group is using Google Translate to understand German documents to help them on their journey. It was amazing to see these girls engaged in such a creative and valuable way while learning!

8G invited me to view their Ivrit presentations today. Working in pairs, they thought of rooms that served a useful purpose. Then they wrote about these rooms in Hebrew and put it on a slide show or poster. Each group presented their project entirely in Hebrew! It was amazing to see their pride, creativity, and skill

These 5th grade boys didn't even notice me walk into the classroom - they were so intensely engaged in this group discussion. Mrs. Bendicoff split the class into sections, some worked independently while this group shared their thoughts in a literature circle format on the the historical fiction book: "If I lived at the Time of the Signing of the Constitution". They came up with some insightful ideas!

"Which two arctic animals will never meet?" This is the question a kindergarten girl asked me as I observed them making polar bears, arctic hares, walruses, snow foxes, and the like. Each table featured a slew of arts and crafts supplies for the excited girls to create their cold-climate animals they learned all about during science. The answer - which I was proud to get correct - is penguins and Polar Bears. Each is native to a different pole of the globe (North and South). Ask a Kindergartener which lives where!