Even following two intense weeks of final exams, students signed-on to support the Upper School's efforts in making MLK Day of Service, a Day ON, Not a Day off. Students came by subway, by foot, by car and with sheer determination to reach the different destinations, regardless of the hour or location, ready to give their time and energy, to be helpful, no matter the task...

Students who participated in the Newbery Challenge were elated to hear the winners of the contest which was announced by the American Library Association this week . The Newbery Award went to Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina. The two Newbery Honor Awards went to The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani and The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Students greeted the news with excitement because these three books were all on their Newbery Challenge list. Also, author Veera Hiranandani visited Ramaz and spoke to students about The Night Diary earlier this month. The Ramaz MS has hosted authors in the past but this is the first time a Newbery winner visited the Middle School. Kudos to all the students and parents who participated in this reading initiative!

Second graders have recently become urban planners! Students learned that urban planners decide what types of buildings and spaces are needed in a community to make it an enjoyable place to live, work, and play...

Pre-K Yarok has been studying their favorite animals. In order to see them first hand, students went on a field trip to the Central Park Zoo! What a fun trip it was! First, the children followed the maps (that they made themselves!) to see the sea lions -- which were swimming around and around...

As a culmination to their immigration study, the third grade students visited the Tenement Museum on the Lower East side. The students traveled back in time as they explored tenements from the 1800's and 1900's. They learned about the families that lived there and explored the different living conditions and objects they had in their homes during those times. Students were able to demonstrate their knowledge through their thoughtful questions and responses during the tour. As part of this study, the third graders read historical fiction and non-fiction texts related to immigration and Ellis Island. In addition, each student interviewed someone who immigrated to this country. The third graders wrote 2-paragraph essays about these experiences which are on display on the 8th floor.

Mr. Jay Klotz's senior astronomy class made their annual pilgrimage to the planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Students viewed the space show, a multimedia presentation on the Big Bang, and the halls of earth and of space. It was a great opportunity for the students to see visual presentations of what they have been learning in class and to solidify and extend their knowledge of astronomy. A great time was had by all!

Ms. Barak's junior honors Hebrew class went to see the play Grey Rock at the La MaMa Theater on East 4th Street. The play tells the story of a Palestinian man who wants to build a rocket to go to the moon, and the five actors in the show are all Palestinians. In addition to the main plot about building the rocket, the play focuses on human relationships - between a father and a daughter, between a woman and her fiance...

Seventh graders put their finishing touches on a collaborative and meaningful mural they've been working on! With professional guidance from the Jewish Museum, students first learned about Russian avant-garde artists, Chagall, Lissitzky, and Malevich. Seventh graders were interested in learning about the artists' works, which were displayed publicly to celebrate the revolution in the town of Vitebsk, and the rise of the Soviet Union in general. Artists would showcase modernist murals on trains and on the sides of buildings to voice their important message of the rise of artistic freedoms (or so they thought). To connect with these revolutionary works, students decided to depict an important value from our own school mission statement -- the value of Menschlichkeit, to be represented in a collaborative and celebratory mural. Seventh graders began by making prints of pictures representing acts of kindness - these were then combined into one large mural that will soon be hung in the lobby of the Middle School! Stay tuned!

The 11th grade had the exciting opportunity to visit the Jewish Museum this past month to see the new highly acclaimed exhibit, "Chagall, Lissitzky, Malevich: The Russian Avant-Garde in Vitebsk, 1918-1922." The exhibit offers a rare opportunity to explore a little-known chapter in the history of modernity and the Russian avant-garde. It shows through art how Jews viewed the Russian Revolution and the hope and freedom of expression that they thought it would bring. Students had exclusive access to the Museum, and listened to a lecture by Dr. Bernstein, Upper School History Teacher, about the period and exhibit, followed by group tours and a project. To view photos, please click...

Last week fourth graders took a field trip to Inwood Hill Park in Upper Manhattan. The students had a walking tour, led by Urban Park Rangers, and learned about the indigenous people who inhabited "Manhatta," the island of Manhattan....