B'nai Shalom Day School: חדשות וחידושים

Noah Kaplan Blogs..."Learning about Law"

2011-02-15T12:36:00.008-05:00

In the first minutes of the lesson Steve Friedland, our special guest, told us to imagine that we were all lawyers. He gave us some situations of crimes. He told us that he used to be a prosecutor. He then told us about a man that video taped his speedometer, put it on YouTube, was then caught and the tape was used against him as evidence. he then told us what a crime was. He said that in some cases killing somebody is not a crime. He then told us that a tort is. He told us that we would be in a " trial." He then gave us an example and we started the trial. In the beginning of the trail we learned words such as "battery" and "assault."

We were taught about the people that take part of the trial, such as the witness, the prosecutors, and the defendant. You then need to swear in that you will tell the truth. The prosecutor then asks a lot of questions, and shows evidence to the witness. The defense council also asks questions to re-exam, and try to help the witness to try to the defendant. The judge then makes sure that everything is in order. The prosecutor also gets a chance to cross examine the situation. The defendant was then called to the stand. He got quite tripped up and made a lot of mistakes. The victim did not agree with the defendant whatsoever. The eighth grade learned a lot about the court room. It was a very interesting experience for all of them, and a very fun scenario, to act out.

Noah Kaplan, BSDS '11

Caffeine and Alcohol - Not for Our Leaders!

2011-02-01T12:19:00.004-05:00

Dr. Tannenbaum began today's session with a pre-test to determine what the eighth graders knew about caffeine.

How many people drank a soda this week? Four students answered "yes." We learned that Coca Cola was invented by a pharmacist and originally contained a little cocaine - thus the name. It turns out that this area of the country consumes more sodas than other.

Two potential beneficial health effects of caffeine: Energizing, more alert, less drowsy, increases adrenaline (impact on athletics and performance?)

Two potential dangerous side effects: Stimulants go up and down, makes you more alert and nerves work faster; it also elevates mood. Increases heart rate and basal metabolic rate. This can give you palpitations, arrhythmia, urination. It makes you urinate more frequently and increase your stomach acid.

Most to least caffeine: Some caffeinated drinks have more than others. Some drinks, such as Monster, Spike Shooter, Red Bull and Redline, have an extremely high amount of caffeine.

Guarana, a plant from Brazil, has 2.5x the amount of caffeine as coffee. This appears in energy drinks, sometimes with other stimulants.

Side effect of mixing alcohol and caffeine:

Caffeine is used by 90% of the world population. The recommended maximum for 5th-6th graders is 50 mg. a day. Sources include coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate, medicines.

Caffeine dependency is a problem. It causes anxiety, nervousness, insomnia and other side effects. Decaffeinated coffee is achieved through various methods, including water, ethyl acetate, CO2 and Methyl Chloride.

Caffeinated alcohol drinks, such as Four Loco, has high caffeine and alcohol + to 6 beers plus 5 colas. Blood alcohol reaches two times the national intoxication standard and alcohol poisoning, nausea, vomiting and cardiac arrhythmia may result.

Environment and genetic predisposition contribute to addiction.

Dr. Tannenbaum reviewed his pre-test at the end to make sure students understood the points he made in his presentation. The kids looked at the cans to see what was sold. At the end of the session, students pondered situations they might encounter in high school and how to deal with them for themselves and their friends. Thanks to Dr. T. for a very informative session!

Jewish Leadership

2011-01-25T11:55:00.006-05:00

Marilyn Chandler, Executive Director of the Greensboro Jewish Federation, was today's SOAR speaker. "What does it mean to be a leader?" was her opening question to eighth grade students, followed by definitions of Jewish leadership to be discussed in "chevruta" - with a partner. First, students shared their definitions of leadership:

Sergey: To guide people by making rational decisions on what to do

Celia: To be strong and passionate

Jordan: To have innovative ideas that are beneficial to people

Sydney: To be brave and courageous (to take risks and not be afraid)

Marilyn summarized: "Someone who guides people to make decisions that are sometimes risky, requiring bravery and courage and possibly fighting against the mainstream - someone who can influence others."

The class generated a list of Jewish leaders: Moses, Golda Meir, Lou Reid, Fran Drescher, my mom, Herzl, my parents, teachers, head of school, Ben Gurion, and rabbis. Personal connections and guidance as well as bravery were the main reasons students made their choices.

The Hebrew root nun-hey-gimmel is the "shoresh" for "minhag" - custom, or practice - and "manheeg," which means leader. Leadership, said Marilyn, is the way we behave - what we do in a particular role.

Next, students worked on characteristics that describe a Jewish leader:

Celia: Someone who is active in the Jewish community, someone who attends services, helps to make decisions, serves on different boards, volunteers for different things

Liz: Someone who is pro-Israel, who does fundraisers and goes to AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee - a lobby group)

Jordan: Add Jewish values and philosophy to our general definition of leadership.

Marilyn talked about being Jewishly literate and knowledgeable, in order to operate as a leader in a Jewish context. Finding a mentor to learn about active Jewish leadership is a good idea, she said. Liz suggested that studying Torah would be a good idea. "Constant learning is critical for Jewish leadership," concurred Marilyn. She asked the students to consider the relationship of money to Jewish leadership. As an example, she cited the duffel bags that Greensboro Jewish community sends every year to the Moldova Jewish community.

Next, students studied the difference between lay leaders and professional leaders. Lay leaders are volunteers and professionals are paid. Both make an impact on the community. Do they add value in different ways to an organization? Liz offered that lay leaders added value by being part of the decision making on boards. Sydney said volunteers add value by their choice to volunteer, showing care for the organization. Both the lay and professional leaders have passion for their work, said Marilyn.

Marilyn differentiated between lay and professional leaders. Lay/volunteers are usually board members, committee members and professionals are "staff." Boards are responsible for making policy; the professional informs the board and implements policy decisions. Board members are also ambassadors to the community after a decision is made. Several examples were discussed in order to help students understand the different roles of board members and professionals.

The class put together a list of Jewish professionals: youth leaders, rabbis, teachers, Hillel directors, camp directors, cantors bar mitzvah tutors, shlichim.

As the time flew by, Marilyn touched on a number of other topics connected to Jewish leadership.
Students learned the difference between "for profit," "not-for-profit" and NGO organizations.

Marilyn also explained the role of the GJF in taking care of Jewish communities in the Diaspora and in Israel. She also discussed mitzvot such as bikur cholim that shape Jewish leadership roles. "Kol Yisrael Areyvim Zeh lazeh" - community responsibility - and tikkun olam is a key mitzvah shaping the work of the federation.

To sum up the session, the eighth grade supplied their ideas for a B'nai Shalom mission:

Celia: To make better Jews who can make better decisions

Zippy: Make Jewish leaders of tomorrow

Jordan: Create open minds

To learn about Judaism and secular studies.

Each student completed the sentence, "Continuing my Jewish journey I will:

learn
will be part of Jewish youth groups
will go to Temple and read Torah
always learn something new about Judaism
will be a role model to others
will help others and think about Jewish values
will be a Jewish leader
will help others
will go to services and try to help the Jewish community
set an example.

How does personality affect leadership style?

2011-01-18T12:04:00.012-05:00

Johan Naude of the Center for Creative Leadership joined Kitah Chet as today's SOAR guest speaker. He started by asking students to name objects in the room from A to Z. As the alphabet progressed, student responses became more creative. Eli wrote an "x" on a piece of paper to fulfill the X category and the first to notice the randomness of the responses. Liz noticed that everyone cooperated in coming up with answers. Johan emphasized the diversity in the types of answers students came up with. If everyone had the same approach, he asked, would the exercise have been longer?

Earlier this morning, students completed a Myers-Briggs survey. Students briefly discussed the survey with Johan, trying to determine the purpose of the exercise. Before answering, Johan divided the students into two groups (based on the results of the survey, but the kids did not know that!). Students were charged with building a house with M and M's. One group built a very organized house, with students working together to plan colors and tactics. The other group called this house "clean, traditional and organized." The second group pointed out the "face" of the house, with windows acting as eyes, nose and mouth. The other group described this house as "cool." Each group appreciated the other's (very different) representation. They began to extrapolate characteristics of each group. Using an MBTI preferences sheet, students examined definitions of various preferences, particularly "judging" versus "perceiving." They quickly realized which group tended towards J (judging) and which towards P (perceiving).

Students were then asked to think about how their preferences played out at school and at home. Johan emphasized that there was no right or wrong, but that different approaches would be effective in different situations. Eli pointed out that in doing projects, a more organized approach was beneficial. Johan mentioned that in certain situations, you may want to use your natural preferences, but that in others, you may need to expend energy to do something different. Jordan said that this was helpful to know in understanding why it might be easy to procrastinate and put off work.

After studying the key to MBTI preferences, students attempted to mark their choices and then compared them to their test results. Several were quite accurate in predicting their MBTI choices - a marked change from last year, when students roared with laughter as Johan shared their preferences!

Turning Ideas into Products

2011-01-04T11:55:00.009-05:00

Innovative ideas, new products and return on investments...it all starts with an idea, said Michael Kaplan, engineer - and today's guest speaker for SOAR. Using a simple soap dispenser as an example, students contemplated all the parts needed to put together a new invention.

Michael asked if anyone had ever had an idea for a product to invent, noting that very little of what students saw around them was invented without engineering.

"Engineering and invention are intimately connected," Michael pointed out to the eighth graders.
"Necessity is the mother of invention," he noted. Maxx said, "If you feel like you need something, you invent it." Sergey added, "If you're going to sell it for a million a day, you have to make sure it's something people want."

When customers come to see Michael at ABCO, he wants to make sure that his product can improve quality, save time and save labor. One way to save labor, he said, was to improve technology. A few manufacturing slides were used to illustrate his points. Examples included a compact case, deodorant container, a toothpaste tube.

Turning ideas into functional and manufacture-able products is Michael's definition of engineering. The products have to work, he pointed out. You want to make sure that you have not violating a previous patent. It must be possible to put the product together with existing technology, and the process must be cost-effective and safe for the consumer and the manufacturer.

Students gave examples of dangerous industries: coal mining, fishing. Michael spoke about the ethical implications in making decisions what to produce.

Quality control must be consistent and supply and demand must be balance in order for the product to be successful. If a company does not produce enough, the customer will be upset - even though demand on many products is cyclical. Michael used freeze pops as an example. Freeze pops are made in January and stored so that they may keep up with the high summer demand beginning in May - a good example of supply and demand balance.

Money, cost, labor costs, time costs, size, speed are constraints in making a product, noted the students. Michael was amazed that students came up with all of his points!

"Time to market" - the sooner one can get the product to market, the sooner it can be sold, said Michael. This was an important concept for students to absorb. He further explained some of the upfront investments before a product is created and then produced.

Michael asked if there was anything unsafe in the room. Using the door as an example, he noted that one can walk into a door, pinch fingers in the hinges or in the doorway. We accept the inherent dangers of doors because the alternatives are not acceptable for aesthetic or cost reasons or practicality. Known hazards are acceptable, because we know how to handle them. Are doors a dangerous product, he queried - or is a door a compromise product. Child-proof containers are another example of a compromise. ABCO discusses these issues all the time when making its products. Time, material and safety are all issues considered in compromises.

Design-Build-Test is a loop his company uses. They start with a concept and then use a computer program to draw it up and model it. Next, they build it, which costs a great deal in labor and materials. The last stage is to test the product, and redesign, rebuild and retest until the product works.

In the design phase, designs are put on paper: hand sketches, CAD/CAM software, programing software. A concept is developed and problems are identified and refined (risk assessment), and feasibility is checked. They concentrate on the hardest part of the project first.

Students handled the inner parts of a soap dispenser to try to come up with the information they might need to produce the product. They came up with questions they might ask a potential customer, including how the products will be packed and shipped, how many parts per minute can be made, how will incoming materials be supplied, what variations of parts are acceptable, what chemicals are being handled. They discussed processes required for assembly, determination of quality, delivery, floor space required for machinery, budget constraints, time constraints, preferred suppliers of components. After students handled the soap dispenser parts, Michael showed them videos of the first trials of producing them - including mistakes made.

In the test phrase, engineers compare the function of finished products to the original goals. Redesign and rebuilding may be required, as well as determining areas of required improvement, whether they be manufacturing efficiency, purchased component selection or additional functionality. A discussion of patents and legal ownership of ideas (intellectual property) ensued. "You can't patent it unless you're the owner," said Michael. Who owns the design may depend on how a contract is written. That's why people keep invention journals and protect their inventions. To own a patent, one must create the product with one's own resources. If a product already exists, a patent search may be required. Patents clearly establish legal ownership, establish professional reputations and allows for temporary "cornering of the market" said Michael, It is, however, an expensive process and requires public disclosure, allowing companies to find "work arounds."

Jordan asked what would happen if the design-build-test loop did not work after several iterations. He explained that the answer often depended on budget and time. She and Celia suggested a new product: caffeinated gum. No spills, no mess...Michael suggested to figure out on your own how to take the product to market in a small batch. Make enough to sell at the next Israel trip fundraiser and sell it locally. While you are doing that, he said, keep notes, a video diary, and have witnesses to your design notebook. By bringing the product to market, you have documentation for your use if you choose to patent - or sell it to a company.

I could see the students buzzing about potential products as they left the session. Thanks to Michael for putting the gears in motion!

SOAR Continues - Year II - Leadership

2010-12-21T12:21:00.011-05:00

SOAR began its second year with a terrific presentation on December 7 by Dr. Mark Hyman. Eighth graders learned how to handle a dentist's drill and each child held a drill and drilled one tooth. Discussions centered around developing a business model for running a health care business.

Today's program was taught by Dr. David Altman, Vice President of Research and Development at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro. Dave opened the session with a "self-awareness test" where students were asked to count basketball passes they saw on a video clip. The class was astonished that each child missed the moon-walking bear in the video, and so the message was that "it's easy to miss something you are not looking for" came across very clearly.

Dave asked students to rate their leadership capability now and in the future. A greater percentage of the class gave themselves high ratings for leadership in future years. Several activities followed, where the kids chose cards and described positive and negative examples of effective leadership ideas. Zippy said that a "top dog" took what he should share. Noah chose "not my problem," explaining that leaders have to take responsibility for their actions.

"When you think about being a leader...which quote speaks to you?" was Dave's next question, as he herded the eighth graders to a table full of pithy quotations about leadership.

Haddas said, "You need to know what you're doing, not just think about it," explaining why she chose her quote.
Sydney added, "You have to learn about things; you're not just born with leadership."
Zippy noted, "To be a good leader, you have to have an adventurous side and a serious side."
Celia spoke carefully, "When you do something you enjoy with people you enjoy, you're a more effective leader."
Eli pondered, and said, "Everybody has a path; you just have to follow it."
Sergey: If you are what you do best, and if you are good, so be it. If you are not very good, do not strive to be what you are not."
Noah commented, "I always feel like I'm in tune, go out there and do what I'm going to do - so don't waste a day."

After photographs, metaphors and quotes, Dave introduced a new fragrance test, asking students to pick one candle and reflect on insight it evokes. "How does it relate to leadership?" he asked the students.

Haddas thought her smell prompted peacefulness, calm and uniqueness. Sydney talked about calm and being openminded. Comfortable, homelike and relaxing, were sense Zippy felt from her scented candle. "Strong yet calm" was Celia's description. "You reap what you sow," was Eli's comment on leadership - emanating from a fruit scent. "I implement what I know to describe this smell - a normal rainy day." said Sergey. "You have to be confident to be a leader," said Noah. "It smells like nature," said Maxx.

"Write a six word short story," said Dave, citing the six word short story by Ernest Hemingway: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." He asked students to base the short story on the metaphors, quotes and pictures they collected, thinking about a leadership philosophy. A selection of the "short stories" appears below.

Sergey's story: There is no going back now.
Celia: Be strong,yet careful. No giving up.
Zippy: Be a good leader, you'll help.
Sydney: Helping hands are how to succeed.
Eli: First prove, then achieve, finally inspire.
Noah: To be a leader, must grow.

Final words from Maxx - which neatly sum up the session: "Trees can sprout through land uncultivated."

Summary and Conclusion of SOAR

2010-03-26T07:46:00.004-04:00

Samuel said "You have to be confident and have initiative." These words summarized his leadership learning experience through SOAR. Today, students also discussed extroverts and introverts, judgment versus perception, and reviewed a variety of issues brought forth in the leadership series.

To sum up, Susan emphasized that everyone does things differently and that what seems natural to one person may be approached differently by someone else. Good leaders, she said, are not judgmental. Students gave Susan some feedback on the questions that were asked in their leadership journals. Evan said, "You always feel the same when you go by your values and when you do not." Jessie said that it was easy to answer what she learned from each day's class, but that the questions about living by your values were more difficult for her. Matt suggested doing the values clarification exercise a second time after several additional sessions. "A good leader will ask for feedback," said Susan.

Students watched "Celebrate What's Right With the World." Susan said that one of her favorite types of leadership is servant leadership, where the leader brings out the best in everyone else. At the end of your B'nai Shalom career, she said, "Your world is full of possibilities and you can celebrate what is right with your world."

Susan asked each student come up with a personal goal for leadership development, listing two strengths, and the two things that are areas for growth, noting one goal of to accomplish by April 30.

Some of the goals students shared:
Zach: "Speak up more."
Matt: "Use my talking skills at better times."
Kendall: "Keep an open mind more often."
Jessie: "Be more non-judgmental about people. "

At the end of the session, students evaluated the leadership portion of SOAR. A summary will be posted in April.

Vision

2010-03-23T07:58:00.005-04:00

David Altman, president of the Board of Trustees, was today's guest speaker. He got the students' attention right away by recounting how he challenged a member of the Class of '06 to run up the steep snake path of Masada at 4:30 AM during the 8th grade Israel trip. Unfortunately for the proud students, David won the race! His challenge to this class was "Articulate your own vision for leadership!"

In order to wake everyone up and get the brain gears moving, Dave shared some definitions for leadership from Daniel Gilbert, Henry Ford, Greg Mortenson and Mohammed Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Bangladesh. Humans, unlike any other animal, can think of the future, said Gilbert. Ford, on the other hand, had a vision of replacing horses with a motorized device - the car. Yunus was an economist with a vision to end poverty by starting a bank to loan money to poor women to start business. Students were familialr with Greg Mortenson, a climber trying to climb up K2; his vision was that poor girls in Pakistan could be educated if there were schools for them. Mortenson connected with the local villagers and so his schools were not destroyed by the Taliban.

After giving a few examples of people with well-defined visions, Dave turned to Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream - or vision. Students watched a clip of MLK's famous speech, identifying key phrases that made it "stick" such as "I have a dream" and "free at last, free at last." Students sorted through stacks of famous phrases, choosing and sharing those that were meaningful to them. This gave them some ideas about the power of a few well-chosen words and phrases.

Next, Dave showed the "Lost Generation" clip in which phrases are read forward (negative impact) and backwards (positive impact). "Words make a difference," he said, "reversing them changes their meaning." As an example, he shared the web site wordle.net. Wordle makes word clouds, (graphic pictures) with words. The size of a word is a representation of how many times the word occurs. In the mission of B'nai Shalom, the words "Jewish" and "students" are most prominent, followed by "academic" and "community."

Dave distributed quotes and asked students to explain what they liked about them in terms of vision. He told the story of Hemingway, who wrote a short story in six words: "For sale baby shoes never worn," and shared the slogan for Navy Seals: "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. " Students discussed various interpretations of the two "short stories before writing six words each that summarize/epitomize their visions for their own leadership in the years to come.

A few "short stories" of their visions are noted below:
"Always keep taking on new challenges." (Chase)
"To the future we all go." (Russell)
"Life is a mission. What to do?" (Dima)
"Keep trying. You'll be successful." (Matt)
"If failure, assess and reattempt situation." (Jessie)
"Be yourself, no one else can." (Kendall)
"Work hard, have fun, breathe air." (Jake)
"Use what you learn. Make mistakes." (Jennie)
"Live carefully, choose carefully, live good." (Evan S.)
"Think outside the box, or else." (Evan B.)
"Who am I? I don't know." (Micah)
"Learners always have an open mind." (Zach)

Giving and Receiving Feedback

2010-03-16T07:59:00.010-04:00

Do people trust more what you say - or what you do? This was the provocative question with which Dr. Renn began today's session. Dr Renn told the eighth graders, "What people want to see in you is what you do. Behavior is what people watch and determines what you really believe. When you are inconsistent in what you say and what you do, trust issues develop. Your behavior leaves a lasting impression."

As the students contemplated his words, Mike asked, "How can we help ourselves and others understand our own behavior? Feedback in school includes grades (information on how you did) and teacher comments. You get feedback all day long in school and also from parents at home. This feedback may be positive or negative. Friends give feedback as well and can be the most difficult to deal with. To give and receive feedback, you need will and skill." "You have to have the courage to speak up and tell them," said Kendall. "It takes courage to give and to receive feedback," said Dr. Renn. "We are reluctant to hear negative feedback. It is hard to teach the will to grow and develop and get better, but we can teach the skills to be better at giving and receiving feedback."

Russell said feedback "can be used to get someone to stop something that he is doing." Dr. Renn added, "You also might give feedback to get someone to start doing something or to continue. Stop, start and continue are the three reasons for giving feedback. This assumes that the person giving feedback wants to help the other grow. Sometimes, however, giving feedback is self-serving. If someone is being mean, you must give him feedback that is specific to tell him what he is doing that is mean. When people do not understand feedback, they do not know how to change behavior. Effective feedback tells the behaviors that you want someone to stop doing. "

Dr Renn shared the SBI model: Situation - Behavior - Impact. Describe the situation specifically, note the specific behavior, tell how it made you feel. This offers a chance to do something differently - something specific.

Dr. Renn next distributed sticky notes with instructions to think about a situation where students wanted to give someone feedback: yellow for situation, green for behavior, purple for impact. Students shared a few examples:

Micah: S: Monday, 1:30 P.E., people hitting each other with birdies. Impact was saying stop and giving negative feedback.
Matt: Last Thursday, basketball, officiating was bad; giving other team advantage.
Zach: On the way to art, someone got me in trouble for falling on top of me, impact was getting me in trouble, felt person was trying to get me in trouble.

Mikes stressed that situation is about time and place - the scene of the behavior. This is important for clarity so the person giving feedback understands the scene. He said, "Things that individuals do can often be expanded to include others in a school environment. This compels you to give feedback in order to not e a part of the situation. This is important in schools in particular and makes it harder to give feedback. Other people's behavior has a daily influence. Feedback is about feelings, and this is uncomfortable for many of us. Giving feedback is easier than receiving it. These are responsibilities that we have. You can decide to hear the feedback or not - and change behavior or not. Use the SBI model to give feedback." Dr. Renn gave students a homework assignment - to try the SBI model with someone in the next week.

And a short visit to jail

2010-03-09T10:51:00.004-05:00

Leadership training includes learning about models to emulate - and pitfalls to avoid.

Last Wednesday, the eighth grade spent several hours visiting Elon Law School and Guilford County Jail. Below are a few excerpts from student journals.

"When walking from Elon Law School to the jail, I started thinking about what the jail might be. I came to the conclusion that it would be very scary and that I would have to brace myself....If only everyone cold talk this tour and be right there with jail life...it certainly changes the views I have on this whole subject." (Matt)

"...this trip made me realize that under no conditions would I ever want to end up in one of those cells. After seeing where all of the women were kept, I was shocked. They had absolutely nothing to do. You had two options, to sleep or read. I could never imagine having to do that every day for up to two years." (Jessie)

"...everything was very industrialized. We were completely surrounded by concrete all of the time and the colors of the pain on the walls were unsettling at best. I couldn't help but notice the contrast between his jail and the early medieval cell of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs." (Samuel)

"Seeing the inmates in person was frightening and inspirational. It showed me what will happen to you if you break the law. It made me think about the consequences for my actions." Russell

"We talked to students...who told us a little about what they wanted to do after finishing law school and why they chose to do it." Zach

"Visiting the jail really changed my perspective." (Jennie)

Thanks to Steve Friedland for organizing this trip for BSDS eighth grade.

The Roles We Play

2010-03-09T08:01:00.007-05:00

Leadership training continued with a session devoted to role-playing.

Cate Wineburg visited SOAR this morning to discuss the roles students play in their peer group. She assigned roles to six students, distributing headbands to define positions for everyone except the person playing the role (who was told to "act normally"). She set the stage: Friday afternoon, ready to go home and get ready for Shabbat, exhausted from a hard week even though soccer practice and play practice looms before day's end. Despite the trying situation, the head of school (this is part of the role play), asks the class to meet and talk about the upcoming class trip. Students wore headbands defining their roles, but did not know who they were playing. Observers were asked to watch the role play. Players were asked to respond to each speaker according to the role listed on the player's head. Roles included: most popular, athletic team player, leader of the class, comedian, bully, a serious student.

Cate asked each player what it was like to have peers respond in their assigned roles. Players said that it felt strange to play a role that was uncomfortable or unfamiliar. The assigned "leader" and "popular student" acknowledged that they enjoyed playing their roles, but the"bully" felt that no one was paying attention to him and that he was pushed to the side when giving his opinion. The observers noted that they saw some of the players in a different light because of the roles assigned in this exercise.

Students talked about the bully role, adding that the bully could also be the comedian, the good student, and the class leader, possibly motivating the group to go in a different (and less positive) direction.

Cate asked what roles students play out of school and wondered if students expected role switches in high school. Evan mentioned that they would go from being eighth grade leaders to "lowly freshmen" in a new school. Matt and Evan S. thought about new opportunities and the chance to change and get a fresh start. Cate taught the concept of role freeze or role grip - locking of someone into a particular role without allowing for potential change and growth. She encouraged students to try to get to know new people beyond first impressions.
"Leadership," Cate said, "means stretching beyond the comfort zone to get to know people who may be different from oneself."She referred to non-verbal cues as 90% of communication and talked about differences in personal intention and impact on others.

Though they enjoyed the role play, students also began to reflect on their roles (past and current) in the class and how these roles will change and develop in the coming months as they transition to high school. We also spoke briefly of the upcoming Israel trip and the impact of "role freeze" versus allowing for possibility of change in new surroundings.

Alignment of Head and Heart

2010-03-02T08:08:00.004-05:00

Ronnie Grabon started the day by reviewing values students chose as important. Students listed family, friends, freedom, achievement, happiness, integrity, love and fun as important values. "Values influence decisions," she said, and then asked who thought of themselves as extroverted or introverted. Students had some difficulty pegging themselves as one or the other. "What do you think about when deciding what high school to attend?" Ronnie asked, telling students to write down all of their considerations.

One group of students listed diversity, academics, bigger environment, closeness, and more friends as their main considerations. The second group listed education, future, social environment, sports, "where will I end up," size, enjoyment, friends, "who I am," "what I want to do there." The first group's list was smaller, more specific, while the second group had broader topics and bigger questions. This, she said, is the difference between sensing and intuition on the Myers Briggs. The first group has a sensing preference (details) and as "intuitives" they tend to look at the big picture instead of the details. Ronnie asked students to think if there were times that they missed either the details or the "big picture." The intuitives said that they noticed this to be true for them.

The groups were then divided (unbeknownst to them) into "thinkers" and "feelers" (Myers Briggs) and told that they needed to influence their parents to purchase something they needed to have. The "feelers" said they needed to state their case, come up with a way to please both sides, "start fighting" (use coercion), cry, pout, or if necessary, throw tantrums. The thinkers said that "they'd make it up on the spot" and "everything they say, object." Evan said he'd do chores and make suggestions. Russell suggested asking politely, showing responsibility, and state reasons the desired object might help. Ronnie explained that "thinkers" tend to be very rational and give a lot of reasons, while "feelers" use feelings to make their arguments. "Thinking and feeling" she said, "are used for making decisions." The key is to find alignment of one's head and one's heart.

Students then examined the results of their own Myers Briggs assessments while Ronnie explained how the results were tallied. Ronnie encouraged students to think about these results as they go through their day and decide whether or not they accurately reflected how they saw themselves. "When you find yourself approaching a problem from a feelings perspective, you are likely to be stronger in the 'feelings' category" she added. Ronnie handed out an explanation sheet for the four categories and asked students to think about what was true about them. "Does it really describe you?" she asked. "The instrument only tells you how you prefer to act, but it does not mean that you can't act the other way," she said. Students pondered these issues of self-examination as they left class, with instructions to reflect on what they learned in their leadership journals.

Extroverts and Introverts Communicate

2010-02-23T08:02:00.009-05:00

Joyce Richman joined SOAR as guest speaker on Febuary 23. A former 8th grade Jewish day school teacher in Beverly Hills, she was delighted to visit B'nai Shalom. She remembered doing some substitute teaching at B'nai Shalom in the early days of the school's history. Joyce now does career counseling for adults and leadership training.

Joyce referred back to the Myers Brigg personal style inventory completed by the class several weeks ago when describing extroverts and introverts. "Introverts," she said, "think before they speak. Extroverts do not." Students were asked to define themselves as introverts or extroverts. As they raised their hands, Nicole checked their self-assessments with their actual Myers Briggs results.

Extroverts in the class suggested that introverts were "shy." Joyce differentiated between introverted and shy, and reminded students to be mindful of the source of the introverted behavior - thinking before speaking. Extroverts might want to say, "I haven't thought this through yet but..." letting the listeners know that they have not yet finished their thought. "Effective communication," she said, "will have enormous influence on those around you. Who is a good communicator and what does that person do that is so effective?" Samuel suggested that President Barak Obama is a good communicator, using clear language to discuss complex issues. Matt suggested that our constant exposure and familiarity with his style made us find him a good speaker. In other words, the relationship between the president and the public - visibility - made him a good communicator to his audience.

Students learned that leading and communicating require visibility. Jessie added that the president's body language made him a good communicator. Kendell mentioned eye contact as a key way to develop a relationship with the person who is talking, adding that "Eye contact makes you listen more beause of the physical connection." Dima noted that eye contact was tuned in to the rest of the body language.

Joyce cautioned the students to be mindful of their own body language: crossing arms indicating closed emotions; open arms indicating openness to conversation. "Communicating is about negotiation," she said. After Matt said that body language can indicate being genuine, Joyce asked the students to think about the individuals they know who connect with them in a genuine way and use them as models. Dima suggested that Matt is a good communicator because he uses language that all are able to understand. Smiling, nodding, encouraged the relationship building that Matt does. Joyce mentioned that body language may also work against the intended message, such as someone who nods when he/she really means, "no."

Students discussed that some individuals take in information through their tactile senses. People who are intuitive pick up information through sensing. This may conflict with people who trust facts. These two groups may conflict in discussing information. Students were asked whether or they defined themselves as intuitive or fact-driven.

Joyce asked students to define good communication techniques. Listening to others, commenting on the opinions of others (building on others' comments without negativity), good eye contact, not forcing someone to say something until he/she is ready were all added to the list. Joyce connected leadership to mindfiulness - because others observe what we do.

Judy challenged the class to observe their teachers for the rest of the day and note any non-verbal comminication messages they received.

Diversity in Leadership

2010-02-12T08:02:00.009-05:00

Johan Naude, Coaching Talent Manager for CCL in Greensboro, visited SOAR this morning. Today's topic was diversity - appreciating and respecting various perspectives contributing to the success of a team. In the first class activity, Johan instructed students to find objects from A to Z in the science room. Moving slowly during this 8 AM session, students gradually warmed up towards zipping around the room searching for creative answers to Johan's challenge. After piling the A-Z objects on a desk, students noted that the activity resulted in diverse solutions to the question - i.e. renaming objects to fit the letter and working together to come up with answers.

What does it mean to be different? Johan noted that when one identifies with a group, one often gravitates those with similar opinions. He compared working with a homogenous group to the advantages of working with a heterogenous team.

Johan then asked, "Are intentions observed by others - or behaviors?" Students filled out the MBTI last week, with the results serving as the basis for discussion of intentions and behaviors. Johan advised the students to be intential (using kavannah) in their choices of behavior. "The more you understand who you are," he said, "the more likely you are to change your behavior to achieve the desired result."

In a second activity, students were divided into two groups based on their MBTI results. Each group received a bag of M&Ms with instructions to build a house. The two houses were quite different (see the pictures), and students spent some time reflecting on the differences between them. The "judging preference" table took an organized approach to building their house, dividing jobs between them. The "perceiving preference" group took a more free flowing approach and quickly built their house, comfortably adding additional pieces. All of the students agreed that bringing aspects of the two approaches into a single project might bring about the best result.

Hebrew Wisdom and Leadership: Authenticity and Self-Awareness

2010-02-09T08:03:00.015-05:00

Rabbi Tzipi Radonsky broached the subject of waking up in the morning to a group of sleepy eighth graders this morning. She divided the class into "alefs" and "bets" and asked them to describe how they started the day. They then evaluated how authentic they were in describing the day to each other, recognizing that familiarity allows for greater authenticity.

Jessie said, "Authenticity and self-awareness are characteristics that leaders should have." Tzipi answered with the story of Zusia and Elimelech. "When I get to heaven, they will ask me why I wasn't more like Zusia," explaining that the rabbis picked Zusia to tell the story of authenticity and to emphasize that each person must be himself or herself.

Tzipi reminded students that Moshe was told, "Take your shoes off your feet; you are standing on holy ground." "In the Torah," she said, "every word is there for a reason." Why, then, are the words "off your feet" necessary? The Hebrew word for shoe, "na-al" נעל comes from the root "to lock, or to hold in," and the word for foot, "regel" רגל comes from the Hebrew word for "pattern." Tzipi continued, "To be on holy ground, then, is to be authentic. Know the patterns that hold you. Find your comfortable patterns."

Leadership depends on core values. Students chose their top three values in yesterday's session; Tzipi reminded them that these may change over time. "Each one of you," she said, "has a mission."

Students also participated in an exercise called Social Identity Map. They filled out sheets defining their social identities, marking those characteristics they thought would make them good leaders as well as those that might challenge them in leadership.

A few student ideas of what attributes would make them better leaders:

Dima: a good education

Jessie: do well in school

Russell: academics
Jake: be a good friend

Evan S.: a good education

Evan B.: being smart
Micah: being 13 - young is what I am

Jennie: education
Matt: friendliness
Samuel: education.

Tzipi reminded them that leaders need left-brain and right-brain attributes in order to truly succeed at leadership.Students mentioned characteristics that might inhibit leadership: youth, talking a lot (not listening), bad (physical) vision, confusion, place in family (youngest child).

As the hour drew to a close, students examined their core values and identified those that might be useful in leading others: knowledge, self-respect, happiness, achievement, wisdom ("being smart"), patience, independence.

What is Leadership?

2010-02-08T10:34:00.008-05:00

Eighth grade SOAR met today to learn about leadership skills from Susan Pinsker, adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership. This session kicks off the second half of SOAR, focusing on leadership development. Students defined a leader as:

Someone who leads and has followers

Someone who thinks for him or herself

A person who makes decisions independently

Someone who is trustworthy

A person who sets an example

A person who is independent

"The boss"

"Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards a common goal," Susan taught, before teaching the tool of "mind-mapping." This idea was developed by Tony Buzan in 1971. After dividing into two groups, students used mind-mapping to visualize what a leader is - and is not.

Team Chance's mind map for leadership included trust to reach a common goal, imagination and an open mind, knowledge, taking charge and making change, idea and always thinking, setting an example and using one's heart.

The "non-leader" team said that immaturity, lack of seriousness, assertiveness and independence impeded leadership. They also pointed to bullying, passivity as negatives. Those who cannot take charge, are unreliable and confused will not rise to leadership, according to the non-leader team.

Both mind-maps will be re-visited at the end of the course to see if student positions have changed.

What happens when a leader is unethical? The discussion turned to sports figures and unethical behavior. Students debated whether or not Tiger Woods was a leader, and whether his charitable giving outweighed immoral behavior in other arenas. An exercise in values helped them determine their priorities. Students sorted cards into three categories: always valued, seldom valued and never valued, eventually narrowing cards into the top ten, top five values and finally the top three values. Susan gave each student a journal to use for reflection on today's values discussion. Students wrote their top three values on the first page of the notebook. Homework was assigned. "When did your behavior this week match your top three values? What did you notice about when your behavior matched your top three values? What did you notice when your behavior did not match your top three values?" Students were asked to remain observant about their own behavior in order to chart their leadership development.

Susan bid the students farewell until the ninth leadership session in which she will sum up the course.

Q & A: Pre-school By-Law Amendment

2010-01-20T15:51:00.005-05:00

In this post, I'll addressed the FAQs (frequently asked questions) about the board-proposed pre-school by-law amendment.

Q. Were any pre-school parents on the board that proposed this amendment?

A. Four current pre-school parents sit on the Board of Trustees, as well as 10 former pre-school parents.

Q. Why weren't pre-school parents included in last year's parent survey?

A. The parent survey was a national survey conducted by Measuring Success through PEJE: the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education. The survey was for day school parents of students in Grades K-12 only.

Q. Will financial assistance be given to non-Jewish pre-school families?

A. B'nai Shalom does not offer financial assistance for any pre-school family - Jewish or non-Jewish.

Q. Did B'nai Shalom lose money with Madoff?

A. No. BSDS did not have any investments with Madoff.

Q. Will the teacher/student ratios change?

A. No. Student/teacher ratios are already well below state recommendations.

Q. Music and art were cut this year from pre-school. What will happen next year?

A. The art program remains the same as in previous years with pre-K children working with the art specialist in her classroom. The other children are too small for the stools in the art room and have art in their classrooms with their regular teachers. Schedules will be re-arranged so that the music specialist will be teaching in pre-school next fall.

Q. Will the pre-school curriculum be affected by this proposal?

A. No. The pre-school curriculum, including Jewish life cycle and holidays, will remain the same.

Q. What if a non-Jewish family wants to continue in kindergarten?

A. The current proposal is for pre-school admissions alone.

Q. How will B'nai Shalom monitor kashrut?

A. The school kashrut policy will not change.

Q. Will the mission of the school stay the same?

A. Yes - unequivocably.

Goals and Vision (excerpts from remarks on Jan. 13)

2010-01-15T10:15:00.003-05:00

Thank you for coming this evening. Your presence reflects your passion and love for B'nai Shalom - our community's day school.

The overarching goal of the Board of Trustees is to assure that a viable, dynamic Jewish day school will continue to flourish in Greensboro, North Carolina, just as it has for the past 39 years.

Next year, we will celebrate the end of our first 40 years!

I want to tell you how sorry I am about the angst this issue has caused for some of you. In retrospect, we would have envisioned a different process - one that had a meeting like this one prior to the board vote. What happened ended generating mistrust and rumors. We hope that one of the outcomes of tonight's meeting is to design a way that this will not happen again.

I envision B'nai Shalom's graduates - and there will be many - as products of a school of rigorous academic achievement, supported by values and character education based on Judaism's legal and ethical source texts. Our graduates will deeply identify with Jewish religious tradition through shared Hebrew language and a community of Jewish culture. Thanks to this rich background, they will be solidly grounded in their ethical views and moral commitments, and likely to achieve contentment and success in their professions and family lives. They will feel a strong sense of belonging in their school, their communities and their culture.

The shared experience of a "B'nai Shalom education" will stay with them always. When they reach high school and college, they will feel strongly connected to their fellow alumni as well as other day school graduates. In their adult communities, they will become leaders in the Jewish arena as well as active in local causes. They will continue to love and support the State of Israel. In short, they will achieve academic excellence and internalize moral values in order to reach full potential as learners, thinkers and leaders.

By Law Amendment: Background Information

2010-01-14T15:01:00.004-05:00

Last night's forum to discuss the board-proposed by-law amendment was attended by over 50 participants, including 22 pre-school parents, 16 trustees and 12 faculty and staff. Facilitators Susan Pinsker and Sue Simmons outlined the objectives of the meeting, set ground rules and established roles before presenting the agenda.

The history of the board process was presented at the meeting. Highlights are noted below:

The issue of non-Jewish children at B'nai Shalom is not a new topic. In the 70's and 80's, a few non-Jewish children were enrolled at school and some continued throughout the program. Current parents who are also alumni of BSDS remember non-Jewish children in their classes. The school was very small at this time.

From 2005-2007, the board studied this issue and appointed an ad hoc task force, chaired by Jeff Segal and populated by (then) current (Jewish and non-Jewish) parents, alumni parents, board members and donors.

The ad-hoc committee researched Jewish day schools in the U.S., Europe and South Africa and conducted a national survey to which over 30 school responded.

A number of Jewish day schools do admit non-Jewish children in pre-school and beyond.

After many meetings of spirited discussion, the ad-hoc committee could not come to a consensus and recommended that the board table the discussion.

In 2008, the board voted to allow children of non-Jewish staff and faculty to attend BSDS Pre-school. This was an experimental move and not a proposal to amend the school by-laws. The experiment was reviewed in May, 2009 and the board agreed to continue for another year.

The current issue has been in active board discussion since 2008, fueled by parent inquiries, non-Jewish children at Camp Little Star and Indigo Star, parent interest in diversity and financial benefits to the school budget.

On December 4, 2009, the board recommended to amend the by-laws to admit non-Jewish children to B'nai Shalom's pre-school on a space-available basis.

Why I Do What I Do

2009-12-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

Jill Wilson, a local attorney for Brooks Pierce and Gail LeBauer, a psychiatric nurse, spoke to SOAR this morning about their professions. Jill, who always liked to read, became a lawyer because lawyers solve problems using written materials. Gail, always curious about the workings of the mind, went to nursing school, became a psychiatric nurse and practices as a therapist.

Jill explained constitutional rights, fundamental rights and how these play out at schools. "Lawyers," Jill said, "balance interests when they collide." She shared her favorite line from the Tinker case, "Students don't leave their constitutional rights at the school house gate," in the process of explaining how Supreme Court decisions rely on precedents set by previous cases. Students discussed a specific case regarding freedom of speech in the school environment.

Gail explained concepts of behavior modification and motivation, from smiley faces in early grades to "great job" in middle school. She told students that they need to know professional standards of appropriate behavior in whatever professions they choose, talked about "time outs for grownups" and oppositional behavior. The session concluded with Gail leading a short Channukah-themed meditation.

The Learning Curve: Everything Takes Longer Than You Might Think!

2009-12-15T14:38:00.003-05:00

Dan Bensimhon, a local cardiologist, spoke to SOAR on December 11. Halfway through his undergraduate work at Duke, he switched from Pre-Med to Journalism as a major. He wrote about men's cycling and running, working for Men's Health and Rolling Stone magazines. Eventually, he went to medical school, moonlighting to cover night shifts for other doctors. This evolved into a business, as he began managing all of the "moonlighters" and setting them up with doctors to cover their shifts.

Dan told the eighth graders about needing a business plan, a loan and some help to start his business. He called a lawyer to get some pointers and quickly learned that everything takes longer than one might think - and more money! He explained about loans, venture capitalists (who own part of your business) and taking control of your own company. Dan advised students to retain as much of the company equity as possible, so that you have more to give away at a later stage.

He told the eighth grade to always ask questions, to take advice from those who know more than you do and to make sure that any partner can do his or her job before giving him or her a portion of your business. Dan also explained the need to anticipate by hiring ahead of growth - to be proactive in growing your business.

Dan noted that while people start businesses to make money, he feels good about helping other cardiologists and making a difference by giving back to the community.

Marketing is Pervasive

2009-12-08T15:36:00.003-05:00

Pam Goldberg and Kevin Daniels visited SOAR class this morning. After defining PR as "spreading good news or managing disaster," Pam taught students the SWOT analysis used in marketing (examine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Kevin emphasized the importance of good decision making in the newsroom. He told the eighth graders that "knowledge is power;" the more they know, the better equipped they will be to make smart choices. Kevin and Pam also talked about changes in the world of marketing, including the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Hulu and internet sites.

Students Speak

2009-12-04T13:18:00.002-05:00

In today's SOAR session, students worked in small groups to synthesize some of the information presented by guest faculty. Steve Friedland and Micah Goldstein facilitated these sessions. Students spoke first about what they have learned from the sessions:

1. It's difficult to get a patent (from Eric Kraus).

2. If one loses a trained employee, the business loses a lot of money (from Mark Hyman).

3. You can start from nothing, do what you enjoy, and create a business (from Jillian Reich).

4. One can use his business to help others (Gary Lindenberg).

5. Build a relationship with your employees (Mark Hyman, Arthur Samet)

6. Business needs to change with the environment. Adapt to what your customers want and need (Joe Nehman, Tom Sloan).

Steve and Micah asked students to name the top three lessons that they would post on the walls of their new offices.

J and K Inc. posted: Customer Service - Good Quality - Latest Technology.

ME Enterprises: Passion - Experience - Good Education - Good Employees.

JRM Inc: Enjoy your work - Be your own boss - Help others.

D and E: Accomplish - Believe - Control.

JS Inc: Open Mind - Build relationships with clients - Don't break the law.

The discussion moved into the realm of ethics as students debated whether or not Nike and Gatorade should retain Tiger Woods to promote products. They wrestled with whether or not it was important that he represent the values of their companies. To be continued!

Why Entrepreneurship?

2009-12-04T13:04:00.002-05:00

Local entrepreneur and venture capitalist Tom Sloan visited SOAR on December 1. He told the story of his father fleeing Germany in the 1930's, just a few months prior to Kristalnacht. Tom's first message to the class was, "No one can take away your education." He told the story of growing a small optics business into a nationally known company. He sold the business, bought it back and sold it again, eventually taking the proceeds and investing in other businesses. Students learned that in order to start a business, one needs money, education, employees and most importatnly - an idea or a concept of a product.

Echoing the words of other guest faculty, Tom emphasized that in business, one needs to find something the world does not have, but needs. He explained that a business needs customers before it needs employees and that to be successsful, an entrepreneur must be passionate about his or her work.

Tom mentioned the role of boards in for-profit and non-profit businesses, explaining how they help with strategic thinking and governance. He then described several of the ventures he is currently launching as an investor.

Tom's advice to the class:

1. You can't have too much education.

2. Learn some skills.

3. Work hard. Running your own business is difficult.

4. Have the wind at your back. Pick a business where trends are in your favor.

No Risk - No Reward

2009-11-23T13:48:00.003-05:00

Frank Brenner and Arthur Samet were last week's guest lecturers in SOAR. Frank spoke about going into a business that others might shun. He told the students about taking what people might otherwise throw away after recycling and reselling - keeping items out of the landfill (environmentally sound) and generating revenue.

After recounting a bit of the history of his business, Frank shared his personal thoughts about entrepreneurship.

1. Take a risk; without risks there are no rewards. Assess your risk aversion.

2. Maximize your return on investments; stay in control of your own destiny.

3. Surround yourself with good people.

4. Don't be concerned about glamour. Be open to doing something no one else wants to do.

5. Be prepared to reinvest your profits. Think long-term!

6. Hope luck is on your side. Learn from others.

7. Develop relationships with your customers. Trust them.

Arthur Samet spoke about the history of Jewish-owned companies in the southeast - how immigrants came without a lot of capital and started their own businesses. Arthur's family started in construction. He told the students that business owners "need to prove themselves every day" and "must always improve; hit a triple every day." He emphasized that success is not about dollars; that a successful entrepreneur is passionate and excited about his business and takes pride in seeing others succeed. His advice to students:

1. Listen more than you speak. Get yourself a good advisor or mentor.

2. Be willing to adapt to make it work. Reinvent yourself if necessary.

3. If you take care of your customers and employees, the rest will fall into place.

4. Get as much experience as you can through education and on-the-job training through volunteering.

5. Always be ready to figure out the next thing; what's current won't be current for long.

6. Identify your risks and manage them well. Get smart people on your team and communicate.

7. Minimize your risk to reduce the impact if a project does not work.

8. Prepare for a crisis during good times.

A Vocation or Avocation?

2009-11-06T10:57:00.004-05:00

Recent guest teachers at SOAR included Brad Semon of Painted Plate and Judith Altman of Judith Altman Designs. They spoke about their journeys to their current professions - journeys that took some unexpected twists and turns. Brad, a journalism major in college but always interested in cooking, eventually parlayed his passion into his profession. He told students he wanted to run his own business and control his own destiny. By owning your own business, he said, you "know what is going to happen," even in the current economy.

Judith, on the other hand, studied art in college, but her path diverged from her passion when she decided to acquire an MBA. She entered the corporate world and developed expertise in information technology and logistics, rising through the ranks of several corporations before eventually becoming the Senior VP of Global Operations for Burlington Industries. When Burlington closed, she returned to her passion for art and began her own artisan jewelry business - enabling her to be both an artist and an entrepreneur.

Students pondered Judith's introduction to marketing terms such as "product," "pricing," "placement" and "promotion" as they continue their own entrepreneurial at projects. This week, the class decided that their cheesecakes would sell more quickly with agressive advertising. Since they had already utilized the traditional routes of email, newsletters and posters, they fanned out into carpool lines, offering tastes to parents waiting for dismissal to begin.

In addition to refining their business acumen, students learned a few truths from Brad and Judith. Brad said, "The most important part of my life is my family," and Judith echoed this sentiment when she mentioned, "I managed 500 people at my old job, but I wasn't sure I was really doing anything productive." Both spoke of the satisfaction of a job well done - a superb meal served or a beautiful piece of jewelry bringing pleasure to its new owner.

More on SOAR (8th grade entrepreneurship/leadership)

2009-10-07T13:01:00.011-04:00

Eighth grade "SOAR" continues to expand our students' horizons. Joe Nehman of Tanger Industries spoke about the process of developing and building a new mall, focusing on how to make changes in the process to save energy. Dr. Sig Tannenbaum introduced our budding entrepreneurs to banking. Sue Simmons of the Center for Creative Leadership taught about different types of leadership and led the class in reflection about their growth in this area.

Yesterday, Dennis Quaintance introduced the class to terms such as "capitalism," "sustainability," "third party verification" and "tax credits." He cautioned students about buying items advertised as "green," and advised them to first "learn the vocabulary." He mentioned Gary Lindenberg and Marquis in his presentation about building the Proximity Hotel; students eagerly told him afterwards that they are in the process of designing, producing and marketing an ottoman that Gary will produce at Marquis (with profits going to the 8th grade Israel trip).

The entrepreneurship part of the course continues through the early winter. It will be followed by ten sessions on leadership, taught by adjunct faculty from the Center for Creative Leadership.

Entrepreneurs/Edible SchoolYard/Grandparents

2009-09-25T13:52:00.005-04:00

Today began with a terrific presentation by Joe Nehman of Tanger Outlets. He spoke to our 8th graders about his business, challenging them to think of ways to make it "greener." Joe is the fourth guest speaker for SOAR. Earlier in the week, students hosted Gary Lindenberg of Marquis, who described his passion for chairs. He challenged students to design a chair to sell for profits going towards the 8th grade Israel trip. Jillian Reich visited as well, describing the transition of her cottage tie-dye business into Dye-Nation.

The Greensboro Children's Museum broke ground yesterday for its "Edible SchoolYard." Sandra Carroll and I attended to represent B'nai Shalom. We are very excited that our own garden will be a satellite of the GCM project and were delighted to meet Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. This morning, Sandra and Dawn accompanied first and sixth/seventh graders to work in the garden. They scavenger-hunted some vegetable and then harvested them, with permission to taste and eat! The older students were partnered with the first graders. What a pleasure it was to watch our middle schoolers mentor the younger kids, leading them by the hand and encouraging them to write their own answers on clipboards.

I left the group happily trying basil, okra, rosemary and peppers and flew down Friendly back to BSDS for our Grandparents' Lunch. We were thrilled with the overwhelming response: 54 grandparents attended! Entertained by PreK, K, 3rd and 4th singing about apples and honey, grandparents enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Painted Plate. Tours were led by able 7th graders and several teachers. Short presentations by David Altman (President, BOT), Steve Friedland (parent and board member), Carole Krusch (Chair, Grandparents' Club) and Kevin Daniels (Chair, Annual Fund) completed the program.

Introducing... SOAR Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship Institute

2009-09-22T13:42:00.007-04:00

Last Friday, we launched SOAR: Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship Institute in the eighth grade. SOAR stands for Stretch your mind/Operate through collaboration/Adapt to change with agility/Reduce your footprint.

During each session, guest teachers share their expertise with our students. BSDS parents Micah Goldstein and Steve Friedland co-facilitate the program. A keynote address by Dr. Eric Kraus set the stage for the year-long course. Eric spoke about purposeful work, making a difference, networking, education, imagination and innovation. Students learned how to turn an idea into a product, while discovering the purpose of service marks, trademarks and patents. Dr. Kraus walked the class through the entire invention process, from "conception of idea" to finished product, and allowed students to examine his patented Kraus K-Helix middle ear prostheses. By asking provocative questions, such as "Is Google making us stupid?" and "Can you really save time - or can you just spend it?" Eric urged the students to invest in themselves by continuing to dream, think creatively and maintain a passion for learning.

Today's session featured Gary Lindenberg and Jillian Reich. Jillian discussed start-ups and business plans, using Dye-Nation as her example. (She also gave all of the students "seconds," and while they were enjoying their new shirts, explained why she cannot sell imperfect items.) Terms such as loans, overhead, utilities and trade shows piqued student interest.

Gary introduced the class to the world of furniture production, focusing on experience, knowledge and passion - as well as having a good business plan. He presented the students with a proposal - create a chair (with his assistance) by committee, market it and judge its success by sales. As the students contemplated his assignment, I explained that this was a true proposal - Gary agreed to put the 8th grade chair into production and sell it - with profits going to the 8th grade Israel trip! Now - the ideas are flying - and students want to imprint "B'nai Shalom" on their chair, but are weighing whether or not that will make it sell better (alumni) or less successfully (general consumer). The entrepreneurs are off and running!