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From the Desk of Rabbi Dr. Heshy GlassAugust , Av
Th ink Tankat
cojds cedarhurst officeIt was a typical day in July. Th e bright sun and humidity
created an uncomfortable steamy atmosphere. Th e
heated climate of war-like conditions in Eretz Yisrael
contributed to everyone’s desire to escape for even just
a brief moment of time, to a safe place where positivity
and enthusiasm reigned. For the educators and
principals who were participating in the 2014 CoJDS
Th ink Tank, this is exactly what happened.
Beginning on the evening of July 28th and ending on
the afternoon of July 30th, almost 80 principals and
heads of schools found themselves ensconced in an
oasis fi lled with cool temperatures but warm embracing
smiles. Th e usual routines and mundane activities
were replaced with exciting and lively discussions on
best practices for education. With tefi los constantly in
our hearts for Eretz Yisrael, a temporary distraction
replaced worry with creative thoughts and revitalized
commitment to chinuch.
Sitting in the newly constructed, state-of-the-art offi ces
of the CoJDS, session leaders and participants volleyed
new and traditional pedagogical theories in animated
discussion and thoughtful refl ection. Th e principals’
session for women only on the evening of July 28
allowed this cadre of principals and menahalos to
openly share not only the triumphs of this challenging
profession but the unique concerns as well.
On Tuesday morning, July 29, to set the tone and
mindset of all those attending the conference, Rabbi
Sholom Kamenetzky, shlita, shared heartfelt words of
our Sages to build and constantly uplift the spirit of
our children through the succor that Torah learning
represents. Whether you were a veteran principal or
someone entering the fi eld for the fi rst time, you felt
inspired, energized and dedicated to the ideals of a true
mechanech/mechaneches. No one could leave the room
feeling otherwise.
Th e subsequent sessions were the refl ections of the
mirror that the Rosh Yeshiva held up for all to see. We
saw ourselves as emissaries to prepare our children
for a world fi lled with Hashem’s beauty, soul satisfying
spirituality, and character strengthening challenges. We
shared, compared and concluded that what unites us is
greater than what divides us.
All too soon our brief respite came to a halt. Th e
diff erence, however, was that an oasis is an illusion. Th e
Th ink Tank Conference was reality.
Th e principals representing a cross section of yeshiva
day schools across North America were privileged to
participate in a total of 22 sessions total dealing with a
range of topics, from Tefi la, and Fiscal Responsiblities, to
Appropriate Use of Technology in Yeshiva Day Schools.
All the participants, both men and women, who are
leaders of schools, were unanimous in their acclaim that
this was an exceptional conference. �
L’HAVINU’LEHASKIL
L’HAVINU’LEHASKILUUUUUUUUU LLEHASKIIL
HAHH VAA INLEHASKIIL
HHHHHAAAAAHHHH VAA INHAH VAA INLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU’UULLLLLLLLL
A step-by-stepapproach to understanding
Chumash text independently
KIILLEHASKIIL’LHAH VAA INH
TEACHER TRAINING--MRS. TAMAR NUSBAUMCOJDS CURRICULUM COORDINATOR
UNDERSTANDING THE YESHIVA DAY SCHOOL
CHILD OF TODAY --CONNECTING TO HASHEM
THE THREE “C”SOF RUNNING AN
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL
LIVE PRESENTATION
METHODOLOGY
TECHNOLOGYSCOPE AND SEQUENCE
WEBINAR
TAL SEGEL-TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
RABBI KESTENBAUM-TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES
MONIQUE LOPEZPRINCIPAL, PS 101
MR. ALAN STEINBERGLAY LEADER, HAR HATORAH
PRINCIPAL CONFERENCE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES
RECRUITMENT
MRS. AMY GOLDMAN
WOMEN’S PRINCIPAL TRAINING
TECHNOLOGY
MORE REGIONAL WORKSHOPS ATLANTA, CHICAGO, FLORIDA, LOS ANGELES.
WEBINAR SCHEDULED IN MID-AUGUST.
PIT
PRINCIPALtraining initiative
THINKTANK2-D
AY HOW DID COJDS
INAUGURATE ITS NEW FACILITY?
MRS. AMY GOLDMANTEACHER CENTER SPECIALIST, ASST. PRINCIPAL, PS #2
MRS. BESIE KATZ
REGIONAL MEETINGS TO PROMOTE PRINCIPAL CONNECTIONS, VISITATIONS, PEER CONSULTATIONS.
TECHNOLOGY FOR EXISTING INTEGRATION WITH CURRENT CURRICULAR AND INITIATIVES TO GUIDE TECHNOLOGY BEFORE TECHNOLOGY GUIDES THE SCHOOLS.
EXPANSION OF LIMUDEI KODESH CURRICULUM BEYOND L’HAVIN U’LEHASKIL TO V’TAHER LEEBAINU, A TEFILLAH CURRICULUM SO DESPERATELY NEEDED IN OUR YESHIVA DAY SCHOOLS
NEW INITIATIVES FOR TEACHER MENTORING IN SCHOOLS TO INSURE SUCCESS OF ENTRY LEVEL TEACHERS
OUTCOMES
RABBI HILLEL ADLERRECRUITMENT INITIATIVE COJDS
RAV SHOLOM KAMENETZKY
CHARLIE HARARYH3 & COMPANY
FOUNDATIONS CURRICULUM--MRS. SURI GANZ, MRS. CHANA NOA GELBFISH
TEFILA--RABBI HESHY KLEINMANFOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, V’ANI TEFILA FOUNDATION
RED FLAGS IN THE CLASSROOM--MRS. BESIE KATZPRINCIPAL, POLITZ HEBREW ACADEMY,
JEWISH DAY SCHOOLSCONSORTIUMof
L’havin U’lehaskil Training Sessions andCoJDS Think-Tank Conference 07.29.14–07.30.14
FLASHBACKS
Th e following is an abstract of a Dvar Torah that
Rabbi Zev Leff shared with the Consortium:
Th e Jewish people reached a high level at
Kriyas Yam Suf. Th is was evidenced by their
ability to point at the Shechinah when they
sang the Shira. Chazal tell us that handmaidens saw
more at the upper worlds. Not only had B’nai Yisroel
reached a high level, but
they also felt a strong
connection to the Avos.
Yet, only three days later
they were complaining
bitterly. Th ey
complained that they
had no water. Allegorically, this means they couldn’t
accept or receive the Torah. Th at is why we read the
Torah on Monday and Th ursday; there should never
be more than a three day lapse between the readings
of the Torah.
We need to understand that achieving a high level is
one thing, but sustaining that level is something else.
We can be given the motivation from Above, but we
have to exert (hishtadlus) from below. Th is principle
applies to children as well. Help from Above and
eff orts from below are what help adult and child to
maintain a high level of spirituality. Th e following are
recommendations for one to achieve and maintain a
high levels of spirituality:
Firstly, one needs a good environment. A good
environment helps to create a Ruach HaKodesh - a
spirit of holiness.
Secondly, one has to develop an appreciation for the
beauty of Torah. Loving the Torah, respecting the
Torah, and honoring the Torah, aff ects the emotional
state of a person. Th ese emotions make a lasting
impression.
Lastly, intellectually we can preserve our high spiritual
level by imitating the traits of Hashem. Th is allows a
person to strengthen
his connection to
Hashem which also
aff ects the neshama of
the person.
Th e Jewish people did
not remember these
three things. Th ey recognized what they had to do,
but went three days without working on them. Th is is
one of the basic reasons why children may go off the
Derech. Th ey reached high levels in Yeshivos, from their
families, etc. However, everything they learned was not
internalized.
How did Hashem help B’nai Yisroel rectify their negative
behavior. In Mara, Hashem gave them three mitzvos
that would re-establish the holiness of the environment,
love and appreciation for mitzvos, and emulating the
ways of Hashem. So, Hashem gave them the mitzvos
of Kibud Av v’Em, Shabbos, and dinim - civil law. All
three mitzvos focus on respect, honor, and kedusha.
Th ese emotions envelope the body and the soul. Th e
idea of Kibud Av V’Em reminds us of the importance of
life, Shabbos reminds us that there is a purpose to life,
and to reach that purpose we need boundaries - dinim.
Forming these emotional connections results in forming
spiritual connections resulting in connections from one
generation to the next.
Internalizingtorah experiences
Parshat Beshalach
Rabbi Zev Leff
...achieving a high level is one thing, but
sustaining that level is something else.
Th ere’s another opinion that says the people received
the mitzvah of Parah Adumah at Mara. Th is was to
teach us that we have to be able to subjugate ourselves
to mitzvos which are beyond the rational. We cannot
understand everything. Th ere are limits - limits in the
way we think and in the way
we act.
Th e Ramban says that the
common denominator of
what was given at Mara were
lessons in manners and derech
eretz. When a child or adult
learn derech eretz, he learns
boundaries and is then able
to internalize the lessons of
the Torah.
A further lesson is learned
by the Seforno where it says
that Moshe Rabbeinu told
the Jewish people that there
wouldn’t be any “mon” on
Shabbos, and don’t go out
and collect them. Th ere were
those who didn’t listen. Th ey
did the exact opposite of what
was demanded of them. What
should Moshe Rabbeinu have
done? He should have taught
them the breadth and depth
of why they weren’t allowed to
collect the Mon on Shabbos.
He should have taught them
the forbidden melachos; he
should have taught them the halachos and the hashkafa
of Shabbos. He also should have spoken about the
rewards and consequences.
From here we learn that when we want to help
someone maintain the Torah world that he built up,
they need to be given the
proper environment, an
appreciation of Torah
and mitzvos, and proper
boundaries and limits.
Rabbi Leff ends his article
with the following vort:
We learn that when the
Jews went into Galus, they
hung their harps. Th e
Babylonians asked them to
sing “Misherei Tzion”. Th e
Jews could not imagine
singing in a strange land in
Galus. Th ey, therefore, hung
their harps on the willows.
From where did they get the
harps? Is it really logical to
grab one’s harp when going
into Galus?
Th e Jews understood that
no matter the place, no
matter the circumstances,
there will always be a
reason to sing. A Shirah to
Hashem never ends. Th ere
is always hope.
...no matter the place, no matter the circumstances, there
will always be a reason to sing.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVELS OF SPIRITUALITY:
One needs a good environment.
Develop an appreciation for the beauty of Torah.
Preserve our high spiritual level by imitating the traits of Hashem.
It was Sunday, May 4th. Th e NYC bike tour created a bit of havoc with bridge closings, and tangled traffi c.
However, this did not deter the launch of the East Coast Principal Training Institute introductory session
in Long Island City. Participants from the tri-state area attended the session as Mark Moskowitz, lead coach
and facilitator of the NYCLA, presented his stimulating workshop on the eff ective use of the Leadership
Performance Planning Worksheet (LPPW).
Th e participants were guided through the self-assessment standards that will be reviewed during the
intensive course beginning in September.
During the workshops all participants were able to work collaboratively in networking and sharing ideas.
A practical experiential session utilizing a real-life scenario gave the cohort an opportunity to share their
knowledge in small group settings. �
Th e East Coast PTI is comprised of the following schools:
CoJDS Expands its PTIto the east coast
Th e COJDS is proud to provide quality leadership as we continue to strive and achieve excellence in our day
schools throughout the country. �
Some of the goals for improvement that have
been set include but are not limited to:
- A sequential curriculum across the grades and the curriculum- Staff evaluation- Professional supervision and development- Communication and feedback- Networking and strategizing best practices- Defi ning professional roles and responsibilities- Consultation with professional experts- Designing survey instruments
Once the goals were defi ned the various schools
created a calendar pacing the implementation of the
improvement plan.
Th e schools that are currently participating
in the CoJDS Improvement Plan are:
Menorah AcademyEmek Hebrew AcademyYeshivat Ohr ChanochSouth Peninsula Hebrew Day SchoolVancouver Hebrew AcademyYULA Boys HSMaimonidesHebrew Academy of Huntington BeachPhoenix Hebrew AcademyYeshiva Day School of Las Vegas
Th e Consortium of Jewish Day Schools is dedicated
to quality education from the administrative level
to the pedagogical level. To that end, CoJDS assists
schools in the development and implementation of
a school improvement plan. Th e improvement plan
is an interactive tool between all the members of the
planning team. Once the plan has been designed and
put into place, benchmarks of goal achievement are
determined and measured at diff erent intervals.
Th is past spring, several schools as far as the West
Coast committed to designing a planning tool to
achieve and sustain school excellence. Th e guidelines
of the plan are governed by rubrics of excellence.
East Meets Westin training for
excellence
Th e producers of the L’Havin U’Lehaskil program
have been conducting a pilot program to test
the viability of merging the L’Havin U’Lehaskil
curriculum with technology.
Th e pilot program in collaboration with Gaon
Education designed games, supporting activities
which reinforced the skills of the six stages of Sofi ot
skill development in the second grade curriculum.
Th e Moriah School in Englewood and Yeshivat He-
Atid in Bergenfi eld used a rotational model, rotating
students on various computer stations. Yeshivat
He’Atid used the program daily while Moriah had
sessions once a week. Hebrew Academy (RASG)
in Miami Beach, also participated in the program
by utilizing the Alternative Model. Th ey had an
entire class use the software in the computer lab
periodically. A total of 140 students logged on to the
program.
Rabbi Tal Segel, Director of Gaon Education outlined
the 3 basic guiding principles of the piloted software
and its implementation:
Diff erention: Diff erention is achieved by
incorporating mastery based learning and responsive
feedback. Benchmarks of achievement were
determined for each of the students so that the
students’ profi ciency was validated before moving
on to the next level. Immediate feedback allowed the
students to self-correct or move on as indicated.
Gamifi cation: Letters falling from Shamayim,
colorful activities, challenging activities. All
enticements to help a child master through creative
and constructive fun skills focusing on the Sofi ot.
Students voluntarily attempted the challenge placed
before them no less than fi ve times per session.
Failure is not an option when learning through
having fun. Badges were awarded as an incentive
when a new level of profi ciency was achieved.
Groundbreakingl’havin u’lehaskil initiative at cojds
Our analysis of student results showed:
• In a single session where students attempted an activity multiple times, average improvement rates for activities ranged from 26% to an impressive 330%. The average overall improvement rate for an activity over a single session was 140%.
• Over multiple attempts and/or sessions over the length of the pilot, average improvement rates for activities ranged from 22% to 223%. On average, students who made multiple attempts over the course of the pilot saw their scores increase by 121.2%.
Assessment and the reporting of the results: Metrics
in the form of graphs were made available to the
school professionals. Tables and graphs were made
available for a quick visual on the various scores.
More detailed reports were made available for each
activity broken down into several components.
Th is pilot program was only the beginning, of what
promises to be, a new era in education technology.
However, further development and progress will
only be achieved through feedback, discussion, and
insights from the professionals who are piloting the
program.
For further clarifi cation or for information to
implement the software in your program, please
contact [email protected]. �
“I believe that the direction that the L’havin U’Lehaskil curriculum is moving in, is exactly in line with what I would like to see in the future of educational technology in Jewish education. While there are certain modalities of teaching Torah that can never be replaced by technology, I believe that it is essential to provide students with engaging, exciting, and up-to-date modalities to review and solidify core skills, root words, and vocabulary. As our school is adopting a station rotation model of blended learning for General Studies, I am hoping that in the near future there will be enough digital content similar to the pilot technology, that will allow us to adopt this method in Jewish Studies as well.” Morah Chaya Dvora Senft, The Moriah School
JEWISH DAY SCHOOLSCONSORTIUMof
T u e s d a y , J u l y 2 9 a n d W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 3 0 2 0 1 4
The Consortium of Jewish Day Schools invites Administrators to participate in our upcoming forum to help us shape the Chinuch agenda going forward. We seek your input in the very important areas of: · Curriculum Development · Technology Integration· Fiscal Responsibilities · Promoting Tips Most Successful Principalship· Board Relations · Identifying the Red Flags in the Classroom· Ivrit as an Effective Curriculum Component · Helping Students Internalize Tefilah· Combating Apathy: Inspiring a Desire for Yiddishkeit
to be held at CoJDS Cedarhurst Office · 395 Pearsall Ave. · Cedarhurst, NY 11516
NYCL E A D E R S H I PL E A D E R S H I PAC A D EM YAC A D EM Y
Attendance by reservation only. RSVP by July 14. Travel and lodging subsidies available.
PIT
PRINCIPALtraining initiative
THINK TANK2-DAY
T u e s d a y , J u l y 2 9
10:30 Doors open/refreshments11:00am-12:30pm Join concurrent L’havin Workshop12:30-6pm Session followed by invitation to dinner Lunch will be served
forthe
W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 3 0
12:30-5pm Session Lunch will be served
the CoJDS cedarhurst office is moving:
PLEASE NOTE: NEW PHONE #
WWW.COJDS.ORG
366 Pearsall Avecedarhurst, ny 11516
395 Pearsall Avecedarhurst, ny 11516
516.368.3333
FROM to
as of july 16