STUDENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Student Government
A primary objective of our co-curricular program at the Middle School is to give students the opportunity to assume positions of leadership. Seventh and 8th graders are elected by their peers to serve on a Student Organization (S.O.) Presidium. These students meet weekly with faculty advisors and plan class-wide and school-wide activities. Younger students are given leadership positions on an ad hoc basis.
Special Programs
Holidays, both Jewish and American, are marked by special programs. Examples might include an activity designed to promote introspection and self-growth on the eve of Rosh HaShanah or a pre-Passover program in which students learn about the exodus of modern Jewish communities (e. g., Soviet Jews, Ethiopian Jews) and their immigration to Israel. Thanksgiving occasions a school-wide assembly featuring students’ musical talents, expressions of gratitude to a special person in their lives, and the presentation of our annual “Thanks-for-giving Award” to an individual or organization that demonstrates humanistic qualities that we want our students to identify with (e.g., the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Satmar Women Bikur Cholim Organization). Yom HaShoah is marked with an age-appropriate Holocaust program for each of the grades;Yom HaZikaron occasions a school-wide assembly to memorialize Israel’s fallen;Yom Ha`Atzmaut presents the opportunity to celebrate Israel’s independence in a variety of celebratory and educational ways; and Yom Yerushalayim allows for learning about and rejoicing over the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War. Some assemblies are more curriculum-based, such as a visit by an actor who impersonates an historical personality or a discussion of a political issue (e.g., racial profiling, the Patriot Act) led by appropriate guest speakers.
Our annual pre-Purim Melaveh Malkah and semi-annual Chagigot and Jewish music concerts generate additional school spirit.
The panoply of programs offers students a wide variety of venues to develop their talents, and to be intellectually and spiritually enriched.
Trips
Taking advantage of our Manhattan location, many school trips are planned throughout the year. A school-wide favorite, for example, is our annual attendance at the Lincoln Center Meet-th- Artists series for an interactive performance in music or theater arts. Some outings are grade-wide and curricular-based, such as a walking tour of a New York neighborhood rich in American history for 7th graders or a visit to the Buehler Challenger Science Center for a simulated trip to the moon for 8th graders.
In addition, in support of their history curriculum, 6th graders spend a day exploring American History in Philadelphia, and 7th graders spend two days in Washington, D.C., learning more about American government.
Museum Partnerships
Middle School students participate in programs with local museums consisting of classroom visits by museum educators in preparation for and as follow-up to visits to the galleries. Grade 5 has such a partnership to explore the general exhibition at the Frick Collection and/or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Grade 7 partners with the Jewish Museum on a current exhibit. The Yeshiva University Museum, the Museum of Television and Radio, and the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum are among other venues that provide our students with enriched cultural opportunities.
Competitions and Contests
All Middle Schoolers participate in the initial rounds of the National Geographic Geo-Bee, leading to classroom winners, grade-wide winners, and a school winner who goes on to participate at the state level. The mathematically-inclined participate in the Board of Jewish Education of New York’s inter-school math meets and in the American Mathematics Competitions. In-house Science Fair winners compete at the Inter-Yeshiva Science Congress. Historically-minded students participate in New York City History Day, a competition leading to state and national levels, which accepts entries in various forms: fully annotated research papers, table-top displays, dramatic presentations, film documentaries, and websites. In the decade that we have participated in this contest, we have had 8 first prize city-wide winners, 5 first prize state-wide winners and 2 first prize national winners.
Many students also participate in the venerable Chidon Ha-Tanakh—National Bible Contest, whose national winners go on to compete in Jerusalem, and in Torah Bowl, an inter-yeshivah competition. Both of these programs inspire interested students to further their learning of Torah texts.
Sharing Shabbat
Shabbat spirit permeates the entire school year with our series of Ongei Shabbat, Friday grade-wide gatherings at which students sing Shabbat songs and engage in special activities. Students in all grades enjoy a Shabbat experience together with faculty and friends. Fifth graders meet in school on Shabbat afternoon for educational games, minchah, se’udah shelisheet, zemirot, and ma’ariv. Sixth graders arrive for shacharit and spend most of the day together. The grade 8 Shabbaton begins on Friday and traditionally takes place out of the city.
Student Publications
The yearbook staff, with faculty assistance, puts together the annual story of the graduating eighth grade. Students are involved in writing, editing, layout, surveying, photography and graphic design. Staff comes mostly from grade eight, but there is a small support staff from grade seven as well. Student newspapers are also published periodically in both English and Hebrew (Gazoz) by students in Grades 5-8 under the supervision of faculty. “Junior Journalists” write for the monthly school newsletter (see below). Literary grade-wide publications in prose and poetry vary from year to year.
We would like to thank the Ramaz Parents Council for its ongoing support of Student Activities.
A more detailed account of Student Activities as well as other school-related information is available monthly in the newsletter Beintayim BaBeinayim—In the Middle, which can be found under Parent Info at www.Ramaz.org.
