Lion's Share - December 2015

LION December 2015 Kislev-Tevet 5776

Curriculum Aligning for Student Success

College Extracurricular Involvement

Community Educator and Leader

Juda and Maria Diener Lower School | Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School | Ben Lipson Upper School

LION’S SHARE

Welcome to Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college counseling and our community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.

Curriculum

What Students Learn, and Why, is the Focus of Curriculum Alignment.

Who decides what subjects are taught at Scheck Hillel Community School? How do teachers know what to teach, and when to teach it? And how do they make sure their students are ready to move on?

All these questions pertain to curriculum: the “what” and “when” of daily classroom instruction.

At Scheck Hillel, no priority is more important than the design of learning paths for students. In fact, the school fulfills a significant piece of its mission through curriculum. This is why it is important to understand how curriculum is developed, assessed and implemented.

To learn about the process, Lion’s Share turned to Scheck Hillel educators whose roles are to make sure students receive strong academic preparation for the 21st century.

Dr. Helen Chaset, Scheck Hillel’s Director of Professional Development, explains that curriculum development begins with the end in mind - in other words, by considering desired results first. This is called “Understanding by Design,” an approach that focuses on what students will need to know, apply and master in order to advance through each course and grade level. Once outcomes are clearly defined, assessment tools are created to test attainment of those

outcomes. Lastly, educator teams and content area experts develop learning activities, select instructional materials and plan the details of their lessons.

“Teachers engage in a feedback loop,” Chaset points out, “continually examining the results of assessments and modifying instruction where necessary.” As such, curricula are continually evolving not only to address student needs, but also to ensure teachers have the best possible tools to deliver the curriculum. This includes training and alignment activities.

Head of Upper School Vanessa Donaher is eager to embark on curriculum alignment and to “...use a broad lens to see how all content is interrelated, and how content becomes a vehicle for skill development.”

The alignment process also establishes entrance and exit criteria for each course, so that skills and content are taught in alignment with expected outcomes for each consecutive grade level and division.

For example, the Judaic Studies and Hebrew Language departments are aligning Grade 6-12 Beit Midrash, Rabbinic Literature and Talmud courses, as well as Lower School and Middle School Tanach, according to Rabbi Meir Wexler, Director of Judaic Studies and Hebrew Language for Grades 6-12.

Grade 6-12 Curriculum & Instruction Director Craig Carpentieri expects alignment will “...reduce the variables that may inhibit learning, and allow for greater focus on development.” To that end, Scheck Hillel has adopted the Atlas platform: a tool that allows teachers to plan, collaborate and track student outcomes. Grade 6-12 teachers already are using Atlas, and Kindergarten-Grade 5 teachers have begun the process. Atlas facilitates integration of Florida Standards, International Baccalaureate objectives, Judaic Studies and Hebrew Language curricula, and assessment expectations across all subjects, maximizing teachers’ focus on quality instruction.

As an independent school, Scheck Hillel has the ability to continually improve instructional delivery. The “feedback loop” that identifies best practices also allows school divisions and departments to adopt materials or programs with a track record of supporting positive student outcomes. It also opens doors to innovation in the planning process.

Alignment Builds Bridges

By the time students in Julia Ahadie’s Grade 12 physics class, pictured, got to build bridges, they had mastered prerequisite concepts and skills in previous science courses.

College

Extracurricular Involvement Stretches Learning Experience For Daniella Lanes (Grade 12), these skills transfer to school and other endeavors.

“To be involved,” she says, “means I can mentor others and be mentored, as well.”

Daniella excels in theatre and is a member of the school’s yearbook staff.

Jack Camhi, Carlos Levy (both Grade 7) and Ben Cohen (Grade 8) visit the elderly through Scheck Hillel’s community service program.

Extracurricular activities provide opportunities for students to explore interests, fulfill passions or give back to the community beyond the traditional school day. These activities build unique life skills, such as time management, communication and leadership ability.

Colleges are interested in knowing how applicants have spent their time outside the classroom, as this is often a reflection of priorities and talents that may prove desirable to a university. The Scheck Hillel students in these photos love what they do and consistently participate and contribute to their teams, clubs or projects.

Students are encouraged to explore and take advantage of options for involvement at Scheck Hillel, including athletic teams, arts programs and a roster of clubs such as HIPAC (Israel Advocacy), Entrepreneur Club, J-STAR, Student Government, Peer

Community

Mentoring, and Map of the Modern World, among others.

And when college application time comes around, involved students convey a multi-dimensional picture of themselves that reflects their personal interests and causes.

Isabella Szkolnik (Grade 12) practices her organization and leadership skills as president of the Spirit Club.

Q&A With Ilana Gadish (‘07) What is your profession and current job?

I currently work in Jewish leadership and education in two major capacities: I teach high school Talmud and Tanakh at the Ramaz Upper School in New York, and I am also a Yoetzet Halacha (female advisor in Jewish law) serving six different synagogues in Manhattan.

How did you come to work in this field?

I saw a need for dedicated, academically trained women in the Jewish community, especially in the realm of education and synagogue leadership in the Modern Orthodox community. Inspired by other incredible women who began to pave that way, I decided to take my studies further, and get a Master’s in Talmud, as well as become trained as a Yoetzet Halacha.

Yoatzot Halacha advise Jewish women, and often couples, in Jewish family laws (taharat ha’mishpacha), and serve as a resource for couples as they go through different stages and life-cycle events.

What educational path did you follow?

After graduating Hillel in 2007, I spent a year in Israel learning at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, where I developed a stronger love for Jewish studies, particularly Talmud and Halacha (Jewish law). I then completed my BA at Yeshiva University’s Courtesy of Ilana Gadish Stern College for Women, followed by a Master’s degree in Talmudic and Biblical Interpretation. Then, while I began teaching Judaic Studies at the Ramaz Upper School, I also completed the two-year training to become a Yoetzet Halacha at Nishmat’s U.S. Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Program.

What were two essential skills/tools you received at Scheck Hillel which you value?

At Hillel, many of my classes challenged me to learn how to articulate complex and nuanced ideas in a clear and compelling fashion. I found this to be a skill I had to hone in many of my classes at Hillel, from elementary school until Grade 12. This skill is universal - while it is clearly essential in the realm of child and adult education, I always stress to my students that this skill will be necessary for them wherever they end up working. If you can convey your ideas and your thoughts to other people in a way that is clear, impassioned and inspiring, you will see your ideas come to fruition; this is true for every profession. I also learned the value of being part of a community comprised of many different types of members with varied backgrounds. This is not so much a skill, but more a way of engaging with the world.

I learned to never undervalue the different people living in your community.

Your advice for future Scheck Hillel students who might consider a career working within/for the Jewish community?

There are so many incredible ways to work in the Jewish community, and they aren’t always obvious. Go through a process of figuring out which path and which niche best work for you, and most importantly, which one utilizes your unique skill-set, so you can give and gain the most from your work. Don’t be afraid to seek out roles that fuse different realms of your passions and skills, even if there aren’t many other people doing the same thing. Lastly- ALWAYS seek and take advantage of mentorship opportunities!

Share with us! Please email your comments, questions and ideas for future editions of Lion’s Share to news@eHillel.org.