Save the Date!

Webinar: How to Use Multi-Media Hebrew Materials

Essential event on April 28 for education directors, Hebrew supervisors, and teachers

On Thursday, April 28, 2011 you and your teachers can learn—step by step—how to use the fastest growing Hebrew series in North America: Alef Bet Quest and Kol Yisrael. This is the first Hebrew program to fully integrate books with computer software, and has a terrific result: it motivates students to do the Hebrew practice they need to be successful.

In an efficient 45-minute webinar, Terry Kaye, Director of Behrman House Consulting Group, will show you how students go a multi-media learning adventure from the printed page (in class) to computer-based reinforcement activities (at home), and then back to the text again; how to track students’ progress online; how to engage students with the meaning of the prayers; and how the program can almost double Hebrew learning time.

The webinar is FREE. Whether you are considering adopting the series, or are already a user, you will find new and useful content in this webinar. Invite your Hebrew teachers; they can sign up and participate from school or home. All are welcome!

For your convenience, choose between two sessions (repeated) on Thursday, April 28, 2011: 3:00 pm Eastern or 6:00 pm Eastern. For more information, contact Terry Kaye, terry@bhconsultinggroup.com, (800) 221-2755, ext 216.

Congratulations

Look Who Won Our Contest!

See prize-winning photos on our homepage

Photo Contest
Over the winter, we asked you to send us pictures from your school. We were overwhelmed with funny, poignant, silly and adorable pictures. We had a hard time narrowing down, but we’ve selected our winners. 

• Grand Prizes:
  Rena Alpert (Digital Camera)
  Anna Besser (Classroom supply of any Behrman House book)


• Honorable mention: Judith Jaffe, Devorah Lowenstein, Elisa Pener, Michelle Rosenthal and Rabbi Rachel Rosenthal (download of a Behrman House app)

You can view all of the finalists and winners here.

P.S. Check out our homepage to see some winning pictures from the contest.

QR Code Contest
In last month's Open Lion newsletter, we posted a QR code with a list of questions about our upcoming Israel experiential learning program, Experience Modern Israel. We had two winners and two honorable mentions, who will receive a Behrman House globe stress ball.

• Winners: Hazzan Jeffrey Meyers and Andrew Belinfante
• Honorable mention: Abra Lee and Anne Stein

Staff Engagement

Do You and Your Teachers Feel the Same?

Results of the Jewish education leader staff engagement survey are in

                           

Two weeks ago education directors and heads of school around the country tested their own views of their staffs’ engagement by responding to a free survey prepared by Harold Weinstein of Behrman House Consulting Group. Participants were asked to respond to the survey questions as they thought their teachers would.

189 educators responded. The results were surprisingly positive.

For example, 88% of education leaders believe their teachers would say: “I get a strong feeling of personal satisfaction from my work.” 78% think their school functions with a strong feeling of teamwork and cooperation. 85% believe their teachers would agree that “Our Director of Education demonstrates strong leadership skills.”

Which question got the lowest score? Only 53% of respondents believe their teachers would say, “I am paid fairly for the work I do.”

Now, how would the teachers themselves respond? Would they agree that “I am frequently given praise and recognition for doing a good job” or that “I know what is expected of me in my job”?

Find out by having your teachers take the Staff Engagement Survey. See if your point of view regarding the culture and values of your own organization are aligned with those of your staff. (If you did not take the Education Leader Survey, you can still do that too.) For more information, write to Terry Kaye, Director and Client Engagement Manager, Behrman House Consulting Group.

Art Contest

Are You an Art Critic?

Help choose the winners from these finalists in the Babaganewz/Jewcology.com environmental art contest.

By Aviva Werner, BabagaNewz.com

Earlier this year, BabagaNewz.com teamed up with Jewcology.com, the new web portal for global Jewish environmentalism, to spread the word about Jewish environmentalism. We asked students in grades 3-8 to create print or multimedia artwork based on a Jewish text about preserving the environment.

The directive to preserve and care for our environment shows up again and again in Jewish sources, from the earliest chapters of Bereishit to the Talmud, Midrash, and rabbinic writings. Our contest offered a ready-to-use lesson plan which highlighted 12 Jewish texts related to how to treat animals, the creation of green spaces, general environmental responsibility, and the mitzvah of bal tashchit (do not waste).

Contest entries arrived from New Jersey to Oklahoma, Pennsylvania to Florida, and many places in between. Our panel of judges, including Evonne Marzouk of Jewcology.com, BabagaNewz.com director of education Lisa Micley, and web designer Aaron Schachter, narrowed the field down to a group of very talented and eco-conscious finalists. They are (drumroll, please)…

Read more

Ideas and Links

Essential Questions, Experiential Ideas, and Links for Pesach

Content PLUS activities lead to fun and lasting learning

How do we celebrate the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery? To help your students answer this essential question, you might begin with several simple objectives: Students will be able to retell the story of our exodus from Egypt; Students will be able explain the difference between hametz and matzah. Then choose some of these activities:

Stage a dramatic retelling of the Passover story. You can find age-appropriate versions in Let’s Celebrate Passover (grades K-1) and Jewish Holiday Treasure Trail (grades 2-3) or Season of Renewal Haggadah (any grade)
Play a game about the Ten Plagues. Create a list that combines the ten biblical plagues with ten or more made-up plagues, such as “the Nile river dried up” or “the land of Egypt flooded.” Divide the class into teams or groups to take turns identifying the correct plagues.
Re-organize the seder. Print out the steps of the seder. Cut up the list and divide the pieces among the class, then have students work together to put the steps into the correct order, reminding them that the Hebrew word seder means order.

Read more

This Month's Special

Save on Certificates to Recognize Accomplishment and Service

10% off plus free presentation envelope

Behrman House certificates are a lovely way to acknowledge the accomplishment of your students and the dedication of your teachers, recognize parent volunteers, and provide your madrichim with a commemoration of their service to your school.

For the month of April, all our certificates are 10% off and we will include a presentation envelope for each certificate FREE. Just use the promotional code CERT2011 when you place your order.

Choose from a wide variety, including:

• Graduation Diplomas—for older students and for pre-school students
• Completion Certificates with either an alef bet or a seasonal theme
• Teacher Appreciation Certificate
• Certificate of Service—perfect for madrichim
• Certificate of Recognition—acknowledge the volunteers who have helped throughout the year
• Consecration Certificates—plan ahead for the arrival of your new students in the fall!

To see the certificates, CLICK HERE. Order soon! This offer expires April 30.

BLOG UPDATES

New on the Behrman House Blog

Views you can use

Terry Kaye on the pluses and minuses of classroom games
Dena Neusner on developing Experience Modern Israel
Andy Shannon describes two classroom-friendly features of the new iPad2
Rabbi Mark Levine tells us why we need strong curricula for teaching Israel
Lisa Micley of Babaganewz travels to Israel with other Jim Joseph Foundation Fellows