Annual Newsletter 2019-20

beingapointpersonandtelingthecontrolerwhattodo, or evenrememberingtotakethebaƩeryattheendofamatch andrechargeitbeforeournextmatcheachstudenttookher responsibilityseriouslysoasnottolettheotherteammem- bersdown. Thisworkingtogether, realyhelpedthegirlswin. Also, whenitcamedowntotheendmatchesandthegirls realizedthattheynededastrategy, theycameupwitha strategyandtalkedwiththeirgroupandmadesurethat everyonewasonboard. RYS:PleasetelmealiƩleaboutBaisYakov͛sSTEMprogram. InourSTEMprogramstudentsstartofflearningaboutelectricity andhowitworks. Fromthiscorebuildingblocktheymasterhow towireanLEDlightbulbandthenusecodetohavethelight bulbblink. Oncethestudentsmasterthisskil, theylearn aboutInput, Proces, andOutputaswelasmotorsandsen- sorsandfurtherenhancetheircodingskils. Thestudentsalso workontheirentrepreneurial sidesandwhatitwouldrequire totakeanideatomarket. Theyhavetocomeupwithaviable businesplan, culminaƟngintheircapstoneproject. Forthe capstone, studentshavetocomeupwithanideaforsome- thingthatdoesnotexistorsomethingthatnedsimprove- ment; andtheirideaistestedinacompeƟƟonagainst1,400 otheraspiringhighschool enginers. RYS:WhatisyourvisionofthefutureofBaisYakov͛sSTEM program? Wewouldlovetohaveaclasroomwithevenmoresupplies atourdisposal. Curently, weareabitlimitedwiththesen- sorsandmotorsthatwecanuseduetocost. Wearecurent- lyintheprocesofobtaininga3Dprinteranditisamazingto thinkwhatwewilbeabletocreateoncewehavethis.We arealsoworkingonaprogramwhichwilalowthegirlstogo outintothe communityandconnectwith memberswho aredisadvantagedinsome way. Wehope asthegirlsbuildaconnec- Ɵonwiththese communitymembers, they wilbeableto thinkofwaystohelp themandthen buildsomethingfor them.

Interview

What’s Inside BaisYako AnnualNewsleter2019-2020 ofBaltimor FromtheDeskofRabbiYacovSimha DearFriends, BaisYakoviswelintoitsϳϴthyearservingour communityandprovidingourstudentswith apremierJewishandgeneral studieseducaƟon.

RYS:First, I wouldliketocongratulateyouandtheBaisYakov RoboƟcsTeamforwinningFirstPlaceintheInaugural CIJE RoboƟcsCompeƟƟon. Couldyoutelmehowthiscameabout? WhentheBaisYakovstaffreceivedaninvitaƟonfromtheCIJE (CenterofIniƟaƟvesinJewishEducaƟon)tojoinothereliteschools inaroboƟcscompeƟƟon, wewereecstaƟc. CIJE’smisionisto implementatechnologycuriculuminJewishschools, andthero- boƟcscompeƟƟonisanewiniƟaƟvemodeledaŌerprofesional VexRoboƟcsCompeƟƟons. Thiswasanunprecedentedevent. Most previousroboƟcscompeƟƟonstookplaceonShabbos, andthe frumschoolswereunabletoaƩend. Withanew, rapidly-expanding STEM(Science, Technology, EngineringandMath)programanda strongComputerSciencecuriculum, BaisYakovaceptedthisop- portunityandquicklyformeditsroboƟcsteam. RYS:HowmanyschoolsparƟcipateinthecompeƟƟon?Whenand wheredidthecompeƟƟontakeplace? Therewere11robotsfromϴschoolsalcompeƟngatTheFrisch School inParamus, NewJersey. RYS:HowdidourstudentsprepareforthecompeƟƟon? GirlsintenththroughtwelŌhgradeswhoparƟcipatedineitherthe computerprogrammingorSTEMclases, wereinvitedtoentera rafflefromwhichthreprogramminggirlsandthreSTEMgirls werechosen. CIJEprovidedtheteamwithalnecesarymaterials; thegirls’ jobwastousethesuppliestobuildarobotthatcould drive, pickupbalsandshootthemintoabasket. Theteambegan theprojectwaybackinNovember201ϴ, workingontheirproject duringlunchandeverySunday. Asweksturnedintomonths, the girlsworkedfeverishly, building, fixingandrebuildingtheirrobot, stayinghoursaŌerschool, onSundaysandevenonFridaystocom- pletetheirproject. RYS:TowhatwouldyouaƩributeBaisYakov͛steaminwinning thecompeƟƟon? Thegirlsrealylearnedhowtoworktogetherasateamandvalue eachandeveryteammember.Whileitwasnicetosethisinthe clasroom, itwasevennicertoseitatthecompeƟƟonitself. Each studentfoundoutwhatshewasgoodat, andthatistherolethat shetookon. So, whetheritwascontrolingtherobot, WithMrs.SarenaSchwartz andMrs.OraAtar InstructorsofComputerScienceandEnginering

I wouldliketogratefulyacknowledgeyourgenerosity andsupport, whichalowsustoconstantlyimplement newprogramsandiniƟaƟves. I hopethatyouwilconƟnue topartnerwithusinourmisiontoprovideeverygirl withthe toolsandresourcesnecesarytogrowandprospernowandin thefuture. Inthisyear’snewsleƩeryouwildiscoversomehighlightsfrom thepastyearthatmakeourschool sospecial andoutstanding. Withbestwishes,

Rabbi YacovSimha

BaisYakov AnnualNewsleter

RoboƟcsTeam

Our Kindergarten studentsarebusyworkingontheirmath skilsusingselectedcuriculumunitsfromMathMadeFun. Theyarelearningnumbers1-20andhowtorecognizeanduse thesenumbersinmanydifferentways.Theunitsalowfor criƟcal thinking, useofmanipulaƟves, funandengaging workshets, andinteracƟvecenters. KindergartenCuriculum MathMadeFun

Whatdojumbocontainersofwater, extra-longropes, dominoes, Slinkys, rainbows, flashlights, mirors, iridescent sƟckers, whistles, plasƟcstraws, andacorncapshavein common?ThenewFiŌhGradeScienceProgramatBaisYakov MiddleSchool, of-course, wherethegirlsareplayingwithal sortsofhands-onmaterialswhiletheylearnaboutwaves, light, andsound!Thenewscienceprogramprovideslearningoppor- tuniƟeswithoutthestresoftests, quizes, orhomeworkas- signments. Theprogramisbasedonthepremisethatlearning shouldbefun, andthegirlsagrethattheyarehavinglotsofit. NewScienceProgram

MathExpo

MathisrelevantandfuninBaisYakovElementary!During ourMathExpoinMarch201ϵ, ourauditoriumandmulƟ- purposeroomwereturnedintointeracƟvegamecenters thatfocusedonusingnumbersinapracƟcal, relevant, and funway. Over2ϳ5studentsandmothersjoinedusatthe Expo. MothershadagreatƟmewiththeirdaughterswhile exploringmathgamesanddepeningtheirmathemaƟcal reasoning. MakingMathRelevant

BaisYakov’sMiddleSchool girlsvisitLevindaleGeriatricCenter eachwektobringchertotheelderlyresidents. Levindale’s chaplain, Rabbi JeffreyOrkin, introducedtheprogramtothe girlsatthebeginningoftheschool year. Hesharedwiththe studentshowtheirsmilesbrightenthedaysoftheresidentsat Levindale. TheMiddleSchool isproudtohavebenfacilitaƟng theseweklyvisitstoLevindalefor20years! SpreadingSmiles

TheFourthGradeReadingGroupsputonenlighteningperfor- mancesasaculminaƟontotheirlearningabouttheUnited StatesImmigraƟonandNaturalizaƟonproces. Eachstudent spentmuchƟmereadingstoriesaboutfamiliesmovingto America, learningaboutcountriesoforigin, andgaininga beƩerunderstandingaboutthisgreatcountrythatweare fortunatetolivein. Weoweatremendousamountof graƟtudetoHashemforalowingustoliveintheUnited StatesofAmericathathasaspiritofkindnesandcompas- sionforalpeopleandhasbenespecialyrecepƟvetoalow usthefredomtopracƟceourJudaisminsuchabeauƟful way. AVeryImportantDay

CongratulationstotheClasof2019

ElementaryLibrary

OurElementarySchool libraryisabusyhub, withal2ϳ clasesfromgrades1to4havinganopportunitytovisit foraweklylibrarysesion. Thegirlsarealwaysexcitedto checkoutbookseachƟme, betheyclasicsorbrand-new volumes, ficƟonorjusttherightnon-ficƟonbooktomatch theirinterests. WithaselecƟonofover13,000books, thereareplentyofopƟons, ourLibrarian, alwayswelcomes hearingnewrequestsandsugesƟonstohelpexpandthe libraryevenfurther.

ClosetoninetystudentsgraduatedBaisYakovHighSchool thispastJune. Thegroupincludeda MeritCommended Scholar, DevorahPreiser . TheoverwhelmingmajorityoftheclaswilbegoingoverseasforayearofstudyinIsrael, aŌerwhichmostgraduateswilpursuecolegedegresinMarylandoroutofstate.