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What's New
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Students Helped to Take Care of the Earth
Yavneh celebrated TuBishvat with a day of service called Yom Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth Day).
(Posted: January 29, 2013)
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Yavneh celebrated Tu B’shvat with a day of service called Yom Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth Day). The entire student body, from junior kindergarten to eighth grade, plus faculty and staff, went out to nature (to a variety of locations) to get their hands dirty and take care of the earth. Students planted seeds, raked leaves, dug the ground to remove invasive species, and much more. Yom Shomrei Adamah was part of Yavneh’s “Green Week” which included other activities and teachings about caring for the environment.
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Yavneh Collects 1441 Pairs of Socks for Sock Drive!
The fourth annual Yavneh Kitah Gimel sock drive collected 1,441 pair of socks
(Posted: December 21, 2012)
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Did you know that socks are one of the most needed and least provided resource at homeless shelters. With this fact in mind, Yavneh Day School third graders organized a two week sock drive around campus. On Friday, December 21st, 2012, Ms. Powell's Third Grade class presented 1441 pairs of socks to Family Supportive Housing in San Jose.
Family Supportive Housing provides shelter and supportive services to homeless families in Santa Clara County. This is the only shelter in the area that welcomes whole families which enables them to remain together. The class learned about the challenges faced by families at the shelter this time of year and how the shelter works to assist families in finding housing and jobs.
Third Grade teacher Janet Powell said "We want to extend a huge thank you to the entire Yavneh community who worked together to donate much-needed supplies to Family Supportive Housing. We're so proud of our third graders who surpassed last year's donation by 437 pair of socks. They've proven that children really can make an impact."
Great job Yavneh! |
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Chanukah Celebration at Santana Row
(Posted: December 17, 2012)
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Yavneh students took the stage at the community Chanukah celebration at Santana Row |
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Middle Schoolers Learn About Poverty
(Posted: December 17, 2012)
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Pay the utility bill or pay for school clothes for a growing child? Stay home from work with a sick child or leave the child alone so you don't lose a day's wages? Use precious change for bus fare or buy one more loaf of bread? These are the critical choices many families are faced with as they negotiate the challenges of poverty.
On Thursday December 6th, Yavneh Day School’s middle school students, teachers, and parents participated in a "Poverty Simulation" exercise in order to understand more fully the experience of millions of Americans who live in poverty.
Step Up Silicon Valley (a consortium of local nonprofits and faith based groups committed to decreasing poverty in our community by 50% by 2020) has partnered with Sacred Heart Community Service to facilitate the Poverty Simulation at Yavneh. Volunteers from Sacred Heart came to Yavneh to take our middle school students through the simulation experience.
Skilled facilitators created an experiential learning environment in which students took on prescribed identities. Within small groups (with at least one adult), everyone was assigned an identity and challenged to make it through a month of poverty. In two hours, the groups moved through a "month" in the lives of their "characters" - go to school, go to work, go to the bank, get paid, pay bills, handle crises, take public transportation, encounter law enforcement and social service agencies. Within this time, they developed strategies on how to get through a month with very little money and limited resources. Students encountered long lines, unexpected burglaries, illness and even incarceration. During the simulation, students learned about the experience of living in poverty, where much of one's day is spent in parsing out limited dollars. The group is debriefed together after the experience to share insights and concerns.
The goal of the exercise, according to Carol Stevenson, Sacred Heart Community Service’s community involvement coordinator, is to encourage students to “understand and have empathy for the struggles of people that are poor.” Through the simulation, students learned about the challenges faced by the most vulnerable among us - daily challenges to take care of and feed their families, educate their children, earn a livin, and come home to a safe place every night . The simulation also helped students to discover or renew a commitment to working toward alleviating this social injustice. There are many ways to support people who find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty and many organizations working to address and then eliminate the root causes of poverty in our valley.
Robert Gomez acted the part of one of the community workers, but last year, he was homeless, living in a shelter in Sunnyvale. Now he is employed at Downtown Streets Team in Palo Alto which helps the homeless. According to Gomez, things like poverty simulation help make things change for the better.
The Poverty Simulation is part of Yavneh’s Middle School Social Justice program taught by Susan Ellenberg. “We want to heighten the students’ awareness of local, national, and global social injustices, and engage them in philanthropic giving, community service, and political advocacy,” said Mrs. Ellenberg.
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Yavneh Family Concert Series
Journey into the magical world of Classical Music!
(Posted: September 21, 2012)
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Classical music comes to children and adults alike at Yavneh. Yavneh is set to host a Family Classical Music Concert Series, kicking off with the first concert on October 21st. This concert will feature Carnival of the Animals, performed by Caroline Menipaz (Yavneh parent and talented musician).
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Hebrew PJ Library Program - New Event!
Hebrew PJ Library Comes to Yavneh!
(Posted: April 24, 2012)
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Sifriyat Pijama B'America (a Hebrew language version and sister program of PJ Library) delivers popular Hebrew storybooks and music CDs to children ages three to six free of charge! Thanks to funding from the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Israeli Leadership Council, and the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Bay Area children who register will receive books in the mail, addressed in their name, eight times per year. The program's goals are to strengthen Hebrew language skills and to foster connections to our Jewish roots and values. Children must be ages three to six, and at least one parent must be a native Hebrew speaker to register.
Yavneh Day School is partnering with Sifriyat Pijama to bring you local events.
Upcoming Sifriyat Pijama Events:
Monday, November 19th, 4:00 PM to 5:00PM at Yavneh Day School
Hebrew Sing-a-Long and Storytime for Parents and Children
Join other Israeli families for snacks, music, crafts, and a special story time. Please RSVP to joy@yavnehdayschool.org.
Happy Reading! |
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Yavneh Students Celebrate School's 30th
(Posted: March 26, 2012)
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On Friday, March 16th, the entire Yavneh student body and faculty gathered for a special Kabbalat Shabbat. Each class composed a unique tribute dedicated to the school's 30 years. Students, employing their creativity, skill, and heart, put forth amazing presentations that told of what Yavneh means to them. For example, the second grade class created a 30 page accordion-style book entitled "We Are Yavneh." Filling the pages were students' own sentiments about the school such as "we believe in each other." |
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Successful Sock Drive for the Homeless!
(Posted: December 16, 2011)
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Did you know that sock are one of the most needed and least provided resource at homeless shelters. With this fact in mind, Yavneh's third graders organized a two week sock drive around campus. Perhaps you saw their posters in the lobby, or were lobbied by a third grade representative or two in the parking lot at drop off or pick-up? Their organizational efforts paid off. On Friday, December 16th, 2011, the third grade presented 1004 pair of socks to the San Jose Family Shelter.
The San Jose Family Shelter provides shelter and supportive services to homeless families in Santa Clara County and is the only shelter in the area that welcomes whole families (including fathers). The representative explained to the class about the challenges faced by families at the shelter this time of year and how the shelter works to assist families in finding housing and jobs. The class listened intently and asked questions about how families living at the shelter are able to find health care, apartments, and jobs during the 90 day program.
Third Grade teacher Janet Powell said "We want to extend a huge thank you to the entire Yavneh community who worked together to donate much-needed supplies to Family Supportive Housing. We're so proud of our third graders who surpassed last year's donation of 538 pair of socks. They've proven that children really can make an impact."
Great job Kitah Gimel! |
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Stanford Leads Students in Science Lab
(Posted: December 6, 2011)
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Eighth Graders conducted a lab experiment led by Stanford graduate students in chemistry. They learned about the reactivity of metals in the periodic table by looking at evidence of chemical reactions.
"All students should have some appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science, the capacity to discuss and think critically about science-related issues, and the skills to pursue careers in science or engineering if they want to do so," concluded the National Research Council in a July 19, 2011 report.
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Congratulations Math Olympiads!
(Posted: December 6, 2011)
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Eighth Grade student, Tomer, celebrated receiving a perfect score in the latest national Math Olympiads contest. Math Olympiads is a national advanced math club that conducts five yearly contests. Students compete against all other mathletes around the country. More than 10,000 mathletes compete in each contest. In the November contest, Tomer received a perfect score. Only 4-6% of mathletes nationwide receive a perfect score. Congratulations Tomer, and way to support your fellow mathlete Middle School Math Olmpiad Team!
Yavneh Day School also runs a Math Olmpiad team for fourth and fifth graders. |
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For Prospective Parents - December 11th, 2012
8:30 - 10:30am, Please RSVP to diana@yavnehdayschool.org
(Posted: November 2, 2011)
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Yavneh Day School Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Open House
Tuesday, December 11th, 2012 - 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Each day, a Yavneh student takes a step toward making a scientific discovery, solving a critical world problem or making a technological breakthrough. One student designs a poster to collect food for the hungry. Another performs a spoken word piece by Edgar Allen Poe. At Yavneh, our guiding principles of THINK, CARE, and BELONG are always in practice.
Join us for an open house during the school day where you will observe our classrooms in action, feel the warmth of our community, and learn about our challenging general and Jewish studies curriculum.
Contact Director of Admissions at 408.357.7474 or diana@yavnehdayschool to schedule a personal tour and to RSVP for the Open House. Learn more at www.yavnehdayschool.org.
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Hunger Banquet Raises Awareness
(Posted: October 27, 2011)
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Yavneh
Middle School students experienced the injustice of hunger first-hand during a
Hunger Banquet, a program created by Oxfam international and adapted for Yavneh
middle school students as part of their Social Justice curriculum. The
Hunger Banquet was one component of a larger focus on food justice at Yavneh
this year, and was designed to deepen awareness on campus of hunger and poverty
issues.
Middle school students were randomly assigned to one of three
groups, each congregating in a different area of Yavneh's Multi Purpose Room. Approximately one-quarter of the students
were seated at beautifully appointed tables and were served a multi-course meal
with an appetizing array of foods by attentive parent volunteers. This group of lucky students represented the
27% of Bay Area residents who live in affluence. Another group of students sat at a long table
from which they could access a buffet lunch. These students had fewer choices,
but freely helped themselves to a filling, nutritious meal. This group represented the 50% of Bay Area
residents living in the middle income range. The final quarter of students were
seated in the middle of the room, on the floor, without plates or utensils, and
with only a meager allowance of food: white bread, peanut butter, and
mayonnaise. This group represented the 23% of Bay Area residents who struggle
to meet their family's basic needs -- living in poverty or under the self
sufficiency level.
As students began to adjust to their assigned group and
circumstance, strong reactions emerged. Students seated on the floor allotted a
meager lunch had a variety of reactions. Some members of this group were
unhappy with the white bread and peanut butter and refused to eat it, though
they had no other option. One of the facilitators, APJCC Teen Director Jason
Goldstein, facilitated a discussion about what real hunger might feel like, and
how it would feel to have minimal food options, and even fewer healthier food
choices. Others got up and asked
participants at other tables to share their food with them. Jason pointed out that they felt comfortable
asking for donations because they were asking their friends. Would they be comfortable asking for food
handouts from people they didn't know?
Elsewhere in the room, "affluent" and "middle income"
students were faced with several dilemmas: enjoy their meal or offer to donate
all or a portion of their meal to a student in the lower income group. Many students took action. Seventh grade student, Daniel, got up from his
seat at the affluent table, and offered parts of his lunch to students seated
on the floor. "I'm donating to the poor
because I'm rich and I want to help the poor get through this difficult time." Many others from the middle income and
affluent groups didn't hesitate to share their food with their hungrier peers. "The visual component was a lot of it," reflected Eighth grade student, Itay. "If you don't see it, you can't really think about it, even when it's in the
news."
Organizer of the event, Parent Volunteer and Social Justice
Teacher Susan Ellenberg explained to students, "When families have limited
budgets to buy food, or live in a neighborhood where food options are limited,
they are often forced to choose cheap unhealthy foods. Lack of access to healthy, affordable food
options contributes to both malnutrition and obesity, a leading cause of death
in the United States. You may think that hunger is about too many people and
too little food. This is not the case.
Our rich and bountiful planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man,
and child. We have to ensure that everyone can afford to buy the food and that
they have access to healthy options."
Discussions and debates around campus continued long after
the banquet concluded. Some students
reflected about the amount of waste the upper income groups created in
comparison to the lower income group. Others compared notes about the choices they
made when presented with both junk food options and healthy food options.
Students also debated such questions as: "What obligation as individuals do we
have to address the inequity?" "How might
we enable people living in impoverished areas access to healthier foods?" "How
much or little should the government be involved?"
"We want to sow the seeds for lifelong commitment to looking
at life through a social justice lens. What is the situation in front of me
and who is helping and who is hurting and what I can I do to increase the
former and decrease the latter," says Mrs. Ellenberg.
Concluded one middle
school student, "I often think that I would like to be rich. The Hunger Banquet
made me realize that I already am rich." |
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2011 Teshuvah Carnival
(Posted: October 1, 2011)
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Yavneh's 2011 Teshuvah Carnival was a huge hit with the lower school, thanks to the thought and effort our middle schoolers put into their Teshuvah Carnival booths!
The beginning of the month of Elul through Yom Kippur is the time in the Jewish calendar set aside for serious self-reflection, repairing relationships and working to create a better world. This work is intensified during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These 10 days are known by two names:
1. Aseret Yamei Teshuvah (Ten days of Turning Toward a Better Self)
2. Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe)
This year our all-school celebration of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and this 10 day time period took the form of a Teshuvah Carnival. The goal was for the students to understand their individual potential to change themselves and to change the lives of others for the better, as well as for them to experience the power of what we can accomplish when we work together as one community.
A central prayer in the liturgy for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the prayer called Unetanah Tokef. It is said during the Amidah. The prayer emphasizes the importance of the holiday as a day of judgment and focuses on the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and our lives. Specifically, the prayer outlines three actions we should take to change the direction of our lives for the better. It exhorts us to participate in acts of Teffillah, Tzedakah and Teshuvah.
Tefillah - acts of prayer.
Tzedakah - acts of justice or giving money to the poor
Teshuvah - literally means to turn toward, but is often translated as repentance and means to become a better person and to fix our relationships with others, God and ourselves.
The more than 10 carnival booths were designed by the middle school to engage lower school students in different activities related to tefillah, tzedakah or teshuvah. When they entered the carnival, each student received a chart on which they kept track of the different activities they accomplished. The lower school students excitedly moved from booth to booth. Many teachers observed how our middle schoolers so naturally assumed the roles of educators and mentors to the lower school students. |
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Congratulations to the Class of 2012!
(Posted: September 8, 2011)
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Yavneh Composts!
(Posted: September 2, 2011)
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Smooshy banana in your lunch box? Spent coffee grinds in the staff lounge coffee maker? Take them (with the coffee filter) to the Yavneh Middle School compost bucket and help reduce waste in our landfills!  This morning, volunteers from the Santa Clara County's Master Composter Program taught Yavneh 6th graders how to create and nurture their very own compost bin. The Middle School will use the compost they create to enrich the Gesher and Gan gardens tended to by Yavneh's youngest students. They also hope to reduce the amount of waste from student lunch boxes that end up in the landfill. Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 23 percent of the U.S. waste stream, as documented by EPA. Yavneh composter, Jeremy, is determined to reverse this trend. "It feels good to start something together as a class that helps the environment. It's also fun to lead the school, and help other students understand why it's important to compost."
The impetus behind the compost bin is Yavneh's Social Justice teacher and parent volunteer, Susan Ellenberg. Yavneh Middle School's three-year social justice curriculum is designed to heighten student awareness of local, national and global social injustices, help students develop an understanding of philanthropic giving, and nurture a lifetime commitment to volunteer service. Projects like creating and caring for a compost bin provide the critical link between learning and practice; advocacy and action. The newly-created compost bin is tucked away in the shade of two playground Redwood trees. Middle schoolers will take turns emptying the scraps from the playground compost bucket into the compost bin a few times each week. Worms blanketed by shredded newspaper will convert lunch box scraps into healthy garden fertilizer...and we hope, Yavneh students and their parents into avid home composters. May 1st - 7th is Compost Awareness Week. Learn more about composting at the Santa Clara County Home Composting page. |
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Yavneh Students Make a Difference!
(Posted: August 29, 2011)
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Yavneh's third grade class has been hard at work making a difference in the world! After a three-week awareness campaign and collection effort, the third grade class announced this morning that they had collected 538 pair of socks to donate to the San Jose Family Shelter. Socks and blankets are two of the most needed and under donated items to local homeless shelters.
Vicky Bhogal from Family Supportive Housing (FSH) visited Yavneh today to accept the donation on behalf of the San Jose Family Shelter. FSH provides shelter and supportive services to homeless families in Santa Clara County and is the only shelter in the area that welcomes whole families (including fathers). Ms. Bhogal explained to the class about the challenges faced by families at the shelter this time of year and how the shelter works to assist families in finding housing and jobs. The class listened intently and asked questions about how families living at the shelter are able to find health care, apartments, and jobs during the 90 day program. Third Grade teacher Janet Powell said "We want to extend a huge thank you to the entire Yavneh community who worked together to donate much-needed supplies to Family Supportive Housing. We're so proud of our third graders who surpassed last year's donation of 315 pair of socks. They've proven that children really can make an impact."
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