Space Day, Land Day and more in the Primary School

Teachers’ retreat

The primary school teachers came together for a two-day retreat in Acre in February. “It was an amazing experience,” said school principal Neama Abo Dalu.

The retreat provided the school team with an intensive, non-pressured space to discuss issues and create plans. The school leadership identified three areas that needed attention: strengthening language skills and ties between Palestinian and Jewish children, planning holidays for the three-religion school and working on a new pedagogy that will serve the school in years to come. The teachers split into groups to work on these issues, and, by the end of the two days, they had each crystalized a vision for moving forward and proposed working plans that could be integrated into the school curriculum.

Helping cement the relations among this unique group of Palestinian and Jewish educators were the special meals together and a tour of Acre and its market.

Mid-year

The school year has sped by with activities and learning. February 12 was the midpoint – a cause for celebration in the primary school. The day included games, song, art projects and food, as well as giving the children time to think back on the previous months and their accomplishments. Following the award of certificates for good behavior, the final event on the program was a music performance by two groups of students who have been practicing in their music classes – the drummers and oud players.

Nadwa Jaber, a first-grade teacher wrote: “We are proud of all our students, of the progress they have made in every area and of their success in coping with the many challenges they have had to face in this period.”

Playground

The winter was a rainy one and the playground areas were muddy, but the fourth- and fifth-grade children and their parents managed to build the first half of the “challenge track” out of raised posts and ropes. So far, it has proved quite popular, and the kids run to it at the beginning of every recess.

The second part of the "challenge track" will be built by the third- and sixth-grade children and their parents.

Space day

The fifth-grade classes have been studying outer space: What does our Solar System look like? What makes a planet? What lies beyond? What does it feel like to leave the Earth’s atmosphere and how can humans accomplish that?

The primary school children might not be ready to board a spaceship, but all the grades got a chance to pretend, and to learn about the Universe beyond our planet in the process, thanks to the fifth graders, who decorated a room with stars and shared with the entire school the projects and presentations they had worked hard to create. The school devoted an entire Tuesday to the fun and unique learning experience, and the enterprise was a great success.

Teachers Reem Nashref, Maha Yehia, Polly and Ramah were the guiding force behind Space Day.

Land day

Land Day (March 30) is a day of protest for Palestinians in Israel, and it was an opportunity to for children of both nationalities to learn about the history of the day, talk about the meaning of land seizure and think about equality, human rights and peace.

Good deeds

The student council decided on a program for this year’s Good Deed’s Day, which also took place at the end of March. They prepared attractive dried fruit and nut plates and passed them out to the school’s neighbors. The children thanked the families and people at workplaces in the village for their patience and neighborliness, and on they way that each contributes to the success of the school.

Ramadan, Passover, Easter

April this year was a day of holidays for all three religions, and the children learned about special foods for each, the Passover Seder meal and the traditions for breaking fast each night of Ramadan. Their activities included a class Seder for some grades, a day of fun for the third graders, including a hunt for nuts, egg dying, outdoor activities and the making of pita bread to share. The parents and others chipped in to make the day a memorable one for the children.

During Ramadan, the school children hosted an iftar break-fast meal for their parents. Each class prepared a presentation, skit or game and the parents provided the food.