Let kids learn how fun Hebrew day school can be at RHA
Issue link: https://rhacademy.uberflip.com/i/797601
S E V E N T E E N A new way to study Torah – global style. This year, seven of our middle school students are spending one semester studying with their counterparts at The Epstein School in Atlanta and the Ezra Academy in Connecticut -- virtually. That's thanks to our partnership with the Lookstein Centre and Bar-Ilan University. Students in the pilot program are studying the tale of Shlomo through a course called Constructing a Kingdom. The students, all of whom have shown a particular acumen for Bible study, are examining his life in its entirety and together with the students at the other schools, are exploring the text at a more enriched level. For Noa, that is the best part. "I love how it is all explained and how we get to be part of schools outside our own community. It gives me a different way of thinking about things." Next up? Roll out the program to every RHA middle school student so that all of our students can connect globally. Financial Literacy at RHA If you want some help balancing your checkbook or budgeting your monthly household finances, you might want to ask our grade 7 students. That's because they are participating in a financial literacy program being piloted at RHA through a social enterprise called Extra Ed. Extra Ed uses interactive software, group activities and discussion to teach students the basics of financial life – saving money, debt, taxes and financial vocabulary. Students also learn to look at the big picture. What does it cost to feed, clothe and house themselves? A program like this one fits with RHA's commitment to critical thinking and character development. It's not just about learning the mechanics of finance; it's about understanding how the rules of the road connect to students' lives and to the world around them. It's about helping students challenge their assumptions and come up with different ways of looking at problems and options. And it's about sewing the seeds of financial ethics as students weigh choices and consider the personal and societal impact of their decisions.