EXTRA CURRICULAR - Bnos Yaakov

English
Bnos Yaakov believes strongly in excellent oral and written
communication. Towards this end, our proffesional Miss
Rothkopf has incorporated the NWP (National Writing Program)
of writing and literature workshops. Students are asked to write
on a plethora of genres and topics throughout the year. Girls
keep journals; they write personal narratives, newspaper articles,
poems, literature responses, descriptive paragraphs, essays
and research reports. The writing workshop is a process
where students are expected to write, revise, conference,
rewrite, and revise again. Finally, girls are expected to
sharpen their collective pencils and turn into editors. They
are taught to proofread and eliminate spelling, grammar
and punctuation errors. We take pride in polishing our
girls’ writing skills until they gleam like jewels!
In literature, we are getting a taste of everything
from Shakespearean drama to non-fiction to
dystopian sci-fi, to short stories and poetry. In the
coming months, students will be inspired by the classic
poets to write their own poetry, complemented by
illustrations created in art class. Hopefully, a beautiful
magazine of original poetry will emerge from the publishing
house of Bnos Yaakov!
Communication / Social Skills
Bnos Yaakov believes in the importance of developing emotionally intelligent
young women who possess excellent communication and social skills. Towards
this end, Mrs. Ungar teaches 9th graders a variety of topics. Students take a
Myier and Brigges Type Theory Test and discover interesting things about their
personality and learning styles. This has led to amazing discussions about differences
between themselves, their siblings and friends. The unit culminates in a
deep understanding of how they learn best and how to view others with increased
tolerance. Girls follow Dr. Martin Seligman’s specific tips from The Optimistic
Child and practice CBT on charts over several weeks to learn how to
change pessimistic thoughts into optimistic ones. Future topics to be studied
and practiced are anger management and Siblings Without Rivalry by Faber and
Mazlish. By spring time we hope to explore the roots of healthy self esteem
and how everyone can acquire it. Lastly, girls will be learning what friendship
really means and how to make and become a genuine friend from sources
as varied as Pirkei Avos to Rabbi Akiva Tatz’s The Jewish Teenagers Guide to Life
to Dale Carnegie’s, “How to Make Friends and Influence People”! Girls complete
the year by working in pairs to create an original friendship chapbook with personal
tips and anecdotes on the best way to make and keep friends for life!
Mrs. Ungar believes that young ladies are best served by learning not only what
to say, but how to say it. Learning respectful communication, excellent social
skills, self awareness and emotional intelligence gives our students the tools to
interact with everyone in a distinguished manner that befits a Bais Yaakov girl!
Derachim
The girls are most fortunate to participate in the fascinating
course given by our dynamic and beloved Mrs. Brach, the head
of our program! Throughout a long academic day of learning,
BY believes our girls need to slow down and take time to integrate
all their learning in a practical manner. The subject, Derachim
– Direction, was created to give guidance to our
students day to day life. The girls develop a self awareness
and an understanding of what healthy change and self-improvement
is all about. Some of the concepts explored
are: Growth, Time Management,
Friendship, Self Esteem, Tznius, the
power of Music, Simchah, Ka’as,
Kinah, Gaavah and Self Discipline.
Each topic is followed with a
strong, practical, hands on application
of the topic.
Writing Workshop
Physics
Peek into Mrs. Pultman’s ninth
grade introductory physics class on
any given day, and you’ll see why we've
named the course, “Fun”damental Physics!
Whether students are on the floor making waves
with giant slinkies, rolling balls down inclines, or racing
up the staircase to calculate power output, our girls are
actively engaged in “mind on, hands on“ inquiry based
activities which help them understand the concepts in
physics, and make physics fun! Over the course of the
year, the girls gain a solid intellectual understanding
of physical principles behind such fascinating topics
as vibrations and waves, sound and music, light and
color, and energy and motion. We look forward to our
culminating “fun”tastic Physics Day field trip to Hershey
Park where the girls have the opportunity to analyze the
laws of force, motion, energy and gravity through the
incredible roller coaster rides, a magical show of physics
in motion.Even more importantly, all girls learn to view
the world with increased respect and admiration for the
intricate laws of physics all masterminded by v”cev/
Roller Coasters in Physics