Schechter Students Go Mad for 'MADA-Mania'

While New Milford public schools pushed the first day of school to Wednesday, students at Solomon Schechter Day School were up and eager to learn on Tuesday morning as they began a fresh school year.

To kick off the new semester in a way that would be exciting and appealing to students, the faculty at Solomon Schechter had planned a series of activities they called “MADA-Mania,” Mada being the Hebrew word for science.

As students stepped off of their school busses at 7:45 a.m., they were greeted by large, colorful balloon arches along the walkway into the building. Pre-K and Kindergarteners met Bubble-ologist Casey Carle at 10 a.m., where they were able to watch and participate as Carle created bubble art before their eyes. At 1 p.m., students gathered in the gymnasium to check out the interactive “Mad Science Fair,” where they got a first-hand look at experiments. Here, students were able to ask questions such as “how does dry ice work?” and “what is it about planes that make them fly?”

Director of Academic Affairs, Daniel Jaye, said that asking these questions is what allows students to want to learn more about what they see.

“When you start with a question, all of the sudden, learning takes place with the goal of answering that question,” he said. “Science is a subject that’s particularly well suited for demonstrations and inquiry, because you get to experience a phenomena, and then ask the question ‘why?’”

Ruth Gafni, Head of Schechter Solomon Day School said that their philosophy is that children learn best by asking good questions.

“Once you capture their intrerest and their engagement day one, they’re hooked, and they’re in for learning,” said Gafni. “So our goal by the end of this morning is to collect good questions so teachers can address them later through topics throughout the year.”

Jaye explained that Schechter’s signature is that they are an inquiry-based learning center, which is the basis for starting off the school with an event such as MADA-Mania.

“Instead of having a first day that’s getting to know routines and things that every other school in the county is doing, we’re really moving away from that. The routines you can teach the children anytime,” said Jaye.

The faculty chose different activities for each grade level to relate to what they would be learning throughout the year.

“We want students to go home and say, ‘Wow. I don’t know what I learned today, but I know what I want to learn this year’,” said Jaye.

Integrating the school’s Jewish values into the curriculum is something Gafni said is essential. While Schechter students found an emphasis on science during their first day activities, there is still a connection to be found to religious education.

“There’s lots of religion in science because there’s so many miracles in our world, and through the lens of science we believe children are learning how to crystallize issues and get to the core and the make-up of life,” said Gafni.

Download the movie