Akiba Welcomes Food Network Star Bronwen Weber
Executive Chef Bronwen Weber with Annual Fund co-chairs
Melissa Wainman, Miranda Winer and Helene Schussler.
(Missing from photo: co-chair Lea Robinson)
Last Wednesday evening, over one hundred Akiba annual fund contributors were treated to a lighthearted presentation by cake maven Bronwen Weber, executive chef at Frosted Art, Dallas’ premier kosher bakery.
Celebrated on the Food Network as one of the top pastry chefs in the nation, Ms. Weber entertained the audience with the personal stories behind the elaborate cakes she has designed for almost twenty years.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Bronwen Weber grew up in Houston before relocating to Dallas in her late teens. She surprised her geophysicist father when she announced that she wanted to be a cake maker, and learned her trade from the ground up. “I am an 18 year “overnight success”, declared Ms. Weber. Today, she creates every cake from Frosted Art Bakery, and has won numerous awards, from America's Favorite Cupcake and several Food Network Cake Challenges.
This appreciation event was organized by the Development Office of Akiba, in recognition of the generosity of Akiba supporters who have contributed to this year’s annual fund. And since a foodie presentation would be incomplete without sampling, every guest had the opportunity to savor delicious mocha, white chocolate and red velvet cupcakes, three of the award-winning cake flavors offered at Ms. Bronwen’s bakery.
A new season of the Food Network Challenges featuring Ms. Weber will debut next month.
Are you smarter than this 5th grader?
Zachary Epstein Wins Akiba Spelling Bee Competition
Akiba student Zachary Epstein (front row, right) beat out 14 of his peers to win the Akiba Spelling Bee competition this week. Teachers Lili Feingold and Susan Jacobs organize this event every year and this week, the buzz around campus was palpable! Students were walking around campus in pairs or groups of three carrying study lists, quizzing each other incessantly.
Turn after turn, competitors fell to words of varying degrees of difficulty, and for some, nerves got the best of them. In the end, the 91st word of the competition proved to be the charm for Zachary when he successfully spelled o-b-l-i-g-e. First runner up was 6th grade student Evan Siegel, and second runner up was Michael Teplistkiy, who graduates from Akiba this year.
Congratulations to 5th grade student Zachary Epstein, and to all Akiba students, happy reading: see you next year!
Akiba 2010 spell-master Zachary Epstein (center) surrounded by
second place contestant Evan Siegel (left) and Michael Teplitskiy, who finished 3rd. (right).
2nd Grade Can Get Enough of 100
Making learning fun was an easy task this week as 2nd grade celebrated the 100th day of school in more than 20 different ways.
 
Dr. Greene had planned a series of variations on 100 activities designed to teach and amuse: threading 100 fruit loops, the impact of 100 drops of color in water, popcorn kernel estimation jars, $100 dollar equations, 100 second games, 100 penny search, patterns using 100, and more. Our second graders even invented their own like drawing 100-style glasses. Dr. Greene challenged their creativity when she asked them to ponder, “What inventions will we see in 100 years?”
Go to the web to see more pictures!
Teenoki Learns Through Clay
Teacher Sarah Lipinsky had no idea that clay would play such an important role in her Teenoki classroom this year.
“Clay promotes several skills in development: for example, it can foster imaginary play between children, and increase strength in hand muscles. It can boost sensory awareness because clay behaves differently when it is wet or dry”, recently shared Sarah with her parents via her newsletter.
But what truly surprised everyone is that all the children so thoroughly embraced the experience that now, they want to play and learn through clay, every day. Their personal growth and the partnership they have developed with each other have been remarkable, as you can see through these pictures. More online: click here!
To Our Akiba Community
from Rabbi Zev Silver
It is difficult for children to comprehend the enormity of the devastation in Haiti.
The Talmud commands that all Jews are to be rachmanim b'nei rachmanim - compassionate children of compassionate ancestors - sensitive to the suffering of all. We cannot sit by and ignore this terrible drama of human suffering and misery. We call upon members of our Akiba community to open their hearts and join us in extending a helping hand.
Yesterday, I spoke to entire school community about the magnitude of this tragedy and led by our middle school leadership teams, our students will be undertaking fundraising initiatives to help the victims of Haiti.
We also share with you today an update from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the JDC, on their relief efforts in Haiti.
JDC’s Response
In response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, JDC is collecting funds to aid relief efforts for victims on a non-sectarian basis. JDC has moved swiftly to coordinate relief efforts with its network of Israeli, American, and other local partners on the ground.
JDC is currently supporting Heart to Heart International to provide immediate medical aid, equipment, and services to victims of the earthquake. JDC is also working with the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces and has purchased critical medical equipment for its field hospital, including infant incubators for its neonatal unit and orthopedic devices. Further partnerships are being explored by JDC with local NGOs to provide emergency assistance during this initial stage of its disaster response.
Click here to donate now
Akiba A Little Greener Thanks to Topsy Turvy Visitors
The Teva Learning Center and Hazon Climate Change Topsy Turvy Bus Tour stopped by Akiba in December, as part of its National Tour. This carbon-neutral veggie oil bus, outfitted as an environmental education facility, caused a few 6th grade students to rethink its norms and engage in environmental action.
“On Friday, December 11, 2009 the Topsy Turvy bus came to Akiba Academy, and thanks to their convincing arguments, we immediately joined the “green team”. We called Natalie’s Kitchen and asked them if they could stop bagging our school challot in shopping bags. They immediately agreed. Two of us decorated a gray plastic bin, to be used as a collection recipient for the challot. That same week, our school was using the bin and we were very excited that our small action resulted so quickly in greening Akiba. This new Green Team is encouraged to continue making Akiba’s environment friendlier for the planet.” - Ronit Dickter, Gabi Sallmander and Nechama Tannenbaum
“The Jewish Climate Change Campaign is a critical effort to decrease the environmental footprint of an entire community,” said Akiba science teacher Denny Ticker. “The Bus has garnered our attention and hopefully will continue to inspire us to bring ideas of conservation and renewal into our everyday lives.”
A Systolic Approach to Blood Pressure – and the Human Body
Seventh grade students are currently studying the circulatory system and just before winter break, campus Nurse Susan Donnenfield, at the invitation of Science teacher Denny Ticker, spent time on class with students explaining the flow of blood circulation to the heart and instructing them on how to monitor blood pressure using the proper equipment.
“Students learn more when they can apply new knowledge to real life experiences. We are fortunate and truly appreciate having Nurse Susan help make our studies come alive." commented Ms. Ticker recently.
The circulatory system is just one of several subjects covered over the last few months and Ms. Ticker shared online tools with her students to help them reinforce their new knowledge.
Perfect your own cardiac surgery skills and review your knowledge of the heart and bloodflow by following these links yourself!
Good you know all about that blood flow!
http://www.bhf.org.uk/cbhf/games/heart_op/
Once you can accomplish these tasks successfully, go on to
http://www.abc.net.au/science/lcs/heart.html
Lending To Deserving Women
Akiba’s enterprising 3rd grade students are currently hand -beading themed bracelets with the objective of selling them to raise funds to help people in need.
This year, the class was introduced to the concept of micro-loans and in order to clarify the process for her students, teacher Lorre Degani, with the help of Akiba mom Sari Raskin, brought in representatives from The Chiapas Project, a nonprofit organization founded by prominent Dallas business and civic leaders to support micro-financing programs for women in poverty.
Representatives Bradley and Buke did an awesome job explaining the goals of The Chiapas Project, while engaging children in discovering why the needs are so great and how this act of kindness pays forward over and over again.
 to return to home page.
|
