Page 16 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN <strong>January</strong>-<strong>February</strong> <strong>2012</strong>
<strong>January</strong>-<strong>February</strong> <strong>2012</strong> THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 17 Davis students learn about the critical need for safe drinking water Davis Academy students recently learned some serious facts about something most of us take for granted. For example: Approximately one out of eight people worldwide, and especially in developing nations, do not have access to safe and clean drinking water. Another fact: water-related illnesses kill more people each year than wars and conflict. Access to clean drinking water, something that most Americans take for granted, became the focus of this year’s Tikkun Olam project for Davis Academy 5th-8th-graders during the month of November, culminating in activities the day before Thanksgiving. <strong>The</strong> project, dubbed the Mayyim (Hebrew for water) Challenge, spanned the curriculum. In social studies, students learned the lengths to which people must go and the hardships they must endure in some parts of the world just to obtain clean drinking water and how that impacts their health and their families’ ability to function. In science, students learned how nature produces clean water, where it is found, and how it is accessed, as well as the different ways water can be purified. After completing surveys, Middle School students were surprised to learn how many sodas, smoothies, and sports drinks they consume. <strong>The</strong> results motivated them to forego those beverages for a few weeks and As parents, we all want to do everything we can to aid in the development of our children’s minds. As the inheritors of a long and proud tradition of study and learning, we seek to reach a higher plateau in our personal, spiritual, and business lives. To challenge young people through a regimen of formal education has proven a wonderful tool in striving for these goals. And <strong>The</strong> Epstein School continues to find new and innovative ways to mold and develop young minds. One of the concepts that Epstein focuses on is enhancing brain development through bilingual education. <strong>The</strong> advantages of bilingual education have been researched for decades and are well documented. As a leader in bilingual education, <strong>The</strong> Epstein School uses an integrated curricular approach that has been recognized for its excellence both nationally and internationally. <strong>The</strong> school’s academic bilingual program, combined with integration of advanced technology and the arts, is one of the reasons Epstein graduates go on to succeed at the best high schools and colleges. In 2011, 25 students took first place at the North Atlanta <strong>Jewish</strong> Students Technology Fair (NAJSTF); four Epstein students placed in the top three at the 2011 Georgia State Technology Fair. Over the past five years, more than half of Epstein 7thgraders tested qualified for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) for academically gifted and talented youth. In both 2010 and 2011, 100% of those students tested received state recognition; four received redirect the money they would have spent toward the tzedakah portion of the Mayyim Challenge. All the funds collected will go to SAFE Water Now, an Atlanta-based organization that distributes special water filtration systems to needy communities worldwide. Fifth-graders Bryan Penn, Evan Penn, and Jack Kaye show off a sign they made to create awareness about the issue of safe drinking water and to encourage fellow students to contribute tzedakah toward the project. “At my house, there is running water everywhere,” said 8th-grader Evan Miller. “To walk two miles with 40 pounds of water because the family needs it would be so hard. national recognition. Third- and 5th-grade students at <strong>The</strong> Epstein School consistently rank in the 95th-99th percentile among students taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Four Epstein students placed in top three at the State Level Competition, 2011 Georgia Educational Technology Fair: (from left) Sarah Peljovich, Jack Schneider, Olivia Fox, and Yoel Alperin Last year, Epstein alumni included one high school valedictorian, four salutatorians, six National Merit Finalists, three Governor’s Honors participants, the Riverwood High School Student Council president, and the copresidents of <strong>The</strong> Weber School. Also in 2010, 62% of alumni from <strong>The</strong> Epstein School class of 2006 were members of the National Honor Society and/or received National Merit Recognition. <strong>The</strong>re are numerous additional advantages to receiving a bilingual education. Young children who learn a second language have Our grade is trying to collect as much tzedakah as possible to help.” Sophia Gurin discovers how heavy a 35 pound jug of water is. <strong>The</strong> half day of school just before Thanksgiving was dedicated to Mayyim Challenge programming. Hands-on activities and the viewing of an award-winning video helped further understanding, including getting a feel for the weight of water and doing stronger communication skills, which are needed in a constantly evolving global economy. Knowing a second language also makes learning additional languages much easier; fosters understanding of, appreciation of, and respect for differences; increases self-esteem and confidence in social interactions; improves interpersonal skills; and fosters adaptability to new situations and contexts. Rotem Kadosh enjoys being bilingual and is confident that bilingual skills will help her be successful. Additional resources that support the advantages of a bilingual education: • Ellen Bialystok, in her 2001 book Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy, and Cognition, says that bilinguals have “consistent advantages” to understand the nature of language rather than the ability to use language to communicate meaning. • A study conducted by Peal and Lambert in 1962 showed bilinguals to be superior to science labs that underscore the impact of water pollution on the environment. Tracy Hawkins, founder of SafeWaterNow, spoke to students. <strong>The</strong> Mayyim Challenge concluded with a half day of activities, including a collective science lab that demonstrated how pollution affects the water supply. “This type of program never precisely fits into the traditional academic curriculum, yet it encourages thinking and feeling, and it challenges students to seek a deeper understanding of the world in which they live, and—most importantly—their place in that world,” said Middle School Principal Jamie Kudlats. Epstein students benefit from bilingual education monolinguals in the domain of mental/cognitive flexibility. • One of the most fascinating advantages of bilingual education is described in an article in the October 2004 issue of Nature, in which researchers found that bilingual speakers had denser gray matter, in particular in areas of memory, language, and attention. • In the 2007 article “Raising a Bilingual Child: Parents Can Teach <strong>The</strong>ir Children a Foreign Language at a Young Age” by Diane Laney Fitzpatrick, Dr. Geoffrey S. Koby, associate professor of German translation at Kent State University, said, “All human beings are naturally, innately able to learn a foreign language as a child.” First-grader Joeli Van De Grift performs a Hebrew lesson task on an ActivBoard, one of the many advanced educational technologies utilized by students at <strong>The</strong> Epstein School.