Activities of the Class of 2012

The Doylestown Trip (2006)

By Mira T. and Nicole B.

On May 8th, the 6th grade went to Doylestown and visited the Mercer Museum, Fonthill, and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. We traveled to Doylestown on a train and then transfered to a bus. When we got there, we walked straight to the Mercer Museum. It was so cool!! There were hundreds upon hundreds of artifacts from the 1800s, before the Industrial Revolution. We saw everything from hair combs to gallows and coffins. Some of the artifacts were hanging from the ceiling so that you could see them from all angles.

After the museum, we walked a mile to Fonthill, Henry Mercer’s castle home. It was HUGE! We ate lunch on the castle grounds and then took a tour in two groups, with two different tour guides. The rooms were creatively decorated with tiles made by Henry Mercer’s tile factory. Each room had a theme to it, such as Columbus and the Aztec Native Americans. The house was built around an old farmhouse.

The Moravian Tile Works was our next stop, where we saw how the Mercer tiles are made.  One of the workers allowed a few of us to actually use the machines and make tiles.  They are still being produced and sold, and many of us bought some from the Tile Works shop.  Our day ended with a meal at the Holy Land Grill in Northeast Philadelphia.  We had a lot of fun!!

The Greek and Roman Tours (2006)

By Andrew W. and Aaron E.

The Sixth Grade visited the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for the second time on March 2.  On this trip, we toured the Roman, Etruscan, and Greek exhibits. First, we went to the Etruscan exhibit, saw many artifacts and learned what archaeologists think they were used for.  We learned what their daily life was like from the artifacts. Then we toured the Roman exhibit and saw how the Romans lived. We learned what a house for a wealthy Roman looked like and saw artifacts like ancient jewelry, oil lamps, cosmetic holders, and mosaic floors.  While in the museum, we had a scavenger hunt in which we answered questions about the Roman and Etruscan exhibits to learn more about their culture. After the hunt, we toured the Greek exhibit. We first photographed and sketched pictures of Greek pottery. Then we wrote “Poems for Two Voices” based on the pottery.  Some worked with partners and argued about scenes we saw in the ancient Greek pottery and artifacts. When done, we started writing stories about ancient Greece. We used the Greek art, pottery, and coins for inspiration.

Museum Tours of Ancient Egypt and Israel (2006)

By Alison L. and Michael N.

On January 4th, the 6th grade visited The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to learn about ancient Egypt and Israel/Canaan. It was a lot of fun and very educational! In a guided tour, we saw ancient statues, mummies, tools that Egyptians used, and houses they lived in. We learned a lot about each and every thing we saw. Some of the things we found out were how ancient Egyptians performed mummification, and how Pharaohs were different from regular Egyptians. On a scavenger hunt in the Israel/Canaan section, we tried to answer as many questions as we could by finding the answers in the exhibits about daily life.  The 6th grade learned about ancient Egypt in Core, but we were educated in so much more at this museum. We all had great fun, learned so many facts, and hope to go back there soon! 

  The Teva Experience (2005)

by Ben B., Nicole B., Ivan L. & Mira T.

The Night We Arrived

It was a six hour bus ride to Teva, and when we finally got there we wanted to see if all we had heard was true. We arrived right in front of Kauffman, the building where we would be staying. It was one story and pretty long. Right before we got out we found out who we would be rooming with. Everyone was thrilled. We dragged our belongings out of the bus and hauled them into our rooms. After that all the boys had a snowball fight (the first snow of the season). As we threw our snowballs some teachers came out of the Yert (a circular building) and we threw snowballs at them. Of course, they started to throw some at us, too. After that we all settled down in our beds with great expectations for the next day.

The First Light

When we went to bed it was as dark as night could be, but when we woke up the sun was shining through the window of our bedroom. But the room was FREEZING! We went to breakfast and then Mrs.Pugach and Mrs.Pransky took us on a short hike half-way around the lake. Afterwards, we sat in a gazebo talking, and waited for the three other schools to arrive. Finally, we heard tons of cheering and other noise and saw the busses pulling into the site. On our way back to our cabins we played a short game with another school and then had some free time while the other schools were unpacking.

Meals

We were put into groups with the other schools for each time we ate. The groups consisted of at least two people from each school. The meals included breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Almost every morning we were given hot chocolate before we went to davening and a snack before we went to bed.

Activities

There are many activities at TEVA. When you wake up the first thing you do is get hot chocolate, and then all the schools daven shacharit together. Then there is breakfast, and afterwards we break up into groups for learning outside. We play many games, such as one called camouflage. A person screams, “Camouflage,” and everyone hides and the person has to find them. It incorporates finding out how animals really use camouflage. Then there is lunch on the trail, and afterwards we keep learning outside. Next, we have chugim, which are electives. There are choices like a night hike, or arts and crafts using materials from nature. Later, we have WTVA which is TEVA-vision. We watch skits about protecting the environment. Following this we have dinner together with all the schools. After dinner we have various activities and then it’s Laila Tov!  

An Hour at Mrs. Pransky's Sukkah (2005)

By Ben R. & Phillip K.

During Sukkot, on October 21, the 6th grade visited Mrs. Pransky’s Sukkah to celebrate the holiday with her family. We had lots of fun, played Sukkah Bingo and had some treats. We also learned about the Lulav and the Etrog. We found out that the Lulav (date palm frond) can be a symbol for a person’s spine, the Etrog (citron) looks like a heart, the leaves of the Hadassim (myrtle) resemble lips and the leaves of the Aravot (willow) are like eyes.  When people make a blessing over all of these things together, it’s like putting their whole being into the act.  We learned many things from this great Sukkot experience.

Penitentiary Trip (2005)

By Andrew W. and Aaron E.

with added information from Itai P. and Noah C.

On Friday, September 30th, the Sixth Grade went on a field trip to the Eastern State Penitentiary with our Core teacher Mrs. Pransky and our Art teacher Ms. Stern. The Eastern State Penitentiary is a 176-year-old prison built to reform criminals and convicts. It opened in 1829 and was in use until 1971. For about 20 or so years it was left unattended, but once it was reopened it was recognized as an archaeological artifact. On our trip, we saw many things and we also had a great time. One of the things we learned was how the structure of the building made it harder for prisoners to break out.  This is because the walls were rounded at the corners, and were 30 feet high and 12 feet thick. Also, the guards could turn around in the center of the building and oversee all of the cell blocks. Another thing that we saw was the cells in solitary confinement. An interesting fact is that the prisoners used Morse Code to communicate and create break-out plans, because they weren’t allowed to talk to each other. We had a great tour guide, who helped us through the Penitentiary. Instead of just listing and explaining facts like any other guide, she elaborated in an interesting fashion. She led us throughout the Penitentiary, letting us go into the different cells and explore them. She also told us the different qualities of the cells (size, shape and structure). We learned some interesting facts about the cell blocks, that are rows containing about 30 cells.  The trip was not only interesting and fun, but there was also a lot of information to be learned. All in all, the trip to the Penitentiary was great.

Descriptions of the events of 2004-2005

Riding the Rails to Doylestown

By Josh S. and Daniel H.,

Nina S. and Yoni H.

On Thursday, May 19, the sixth grade traveled to Doylestown to three museums to learn about archaeology and art.  But we didn’t travel by bus. We hiked from Barrack Hebrew Academy to Merion Station where we caught the R5 train. During the hour-and-a-quarter ride, we took pictures, played card games, sang songs, and relaxed.

When we got off the train, our first walk was about three blocks to the Mercer Museum.  It was built in the early 1900s by Henry Mercer, a businessman and archaeologist, to show all the types of tools and artifacts people used before the Industrial Revolution, when the world started using steam- and electric-powered machines.  We saw horse-drawn carriages, boats, a cider press, tools for making wheels, a gallows, a water-powered saw mill, an anvil, tongs and much, much more.

After stopping in the gift shop for something for each other or family members, or just a souvenir to put in our rooms, we hiked about a mile to Mercer’s home and his tile factory.  Along the way, we saw houses built in the 1800s, pets looking out windows, police officers and shops. Doylestown looks like a well-to-do, safe community, like Merion.  But when we walked past a large, old graveyard, we all tried to hold our breath.  At Fonthill, Mercer’s home, we had a picnic on the beautiful grounds before our tour. 

In the Fonthill “castle,” built in 1910, we learned how Mercer hosted many guests who wanted to see his tiles, which are on display in the 44 rooms. In order to serve his guests, Mercer had intercoms in every room, as well as electric lights which were just coming into use. Also, to transfer food from the kitchen to the dining room, which was upstairs, he used, what is called, a dumbwaiter.

Since Henry Mercer wanted to build his house so that it would be fire-proof, he used concrete—a very unusual idea.  We visited a terrace in the highest part of the building, where Mercer used to frighten his neighbors by lighting a bonfire to show that his house wouldn’t burn. Because he built the house himself, even though he wasn’t an architect, the floors, walls and staircases are very uneven and the rooms are not placed in an orderly fashion. But his house is adorned with many interesting tiles from his factory which are biblical in certain rooms, historical in others, or just decorative.

At Mercer’s Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, on the grounds of the castle, we learned how his tiles were made and how valuable they are. His workers hand-crafted each one using historic methods. They also made mosaics in the factory and many of these were installed in Mercer’s house.  The State Capitol in Harrisburg and other famous buildings have Mercer tiles, too.  The designs that were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s are still being created today, and they are still being sold in his factory. We met one of the craftspeople who demonstrated and explained to us how they are made, and showed us a special stamp that is engraved into each one showing that these are modern Mercer tiles, not antiques.  Many of us now have Mercer tiles of our own that we bought in the gift shop.    

We rushed the mile back to the station, but caught our train just in time.  On our return trip, we had to change trains in Center City at a very busy station and ride a crowded rush-hour train to Merion.  This wasn’t fun because we couldn’t sit next to each other anymore.  But back in Merion we met our parents and went home for a much-needed rest.

U. of P. Museum Trip #2
By Daniel P. and Andrew A.-L.

The sixth grade visited the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for the second time on March 30. The first time we toured the Mesopotamia and Egypt exhibits; this time we studied ancient Greece and Rome, and the Etruscans. First we toured the Etruscan exhibit and saw many artifacts that helped us understand their daily life. We learned about the effects that the Etruscans had on the Greeks, the Romans, and most of the Mediterranean world. Then we toured the Roman exhibit and saw statues of Roman gods and emperors. We learned what a wealthy Roman house looked like and saw artifacts like ancient glass containers, oil lamps, cosmetic holders, jewelry, and mosaic floors. In a scavenger hunt we answered questions about the Roman and Etruscan exhibits to learn more about their culture. After the hunt we toured the Greek exhibit and wrote Poems for Two Voices with partners in which we argued about scenes we saw in the ancient Greek pottery and artifacts. We also used the art pieces and coins as inspirations for writing short stories.

Sixth Grade Art "Worlds"

By Evan F. and Leon D.

In this project, Art Teacher Laura Stern asked the sixth graders to create a three-dimensional scene representing a world. Everyone had unique, creative ideas and used varied materials to bring them to life. Students produced underwater environments; a fashion world complete with a runway; a flowery park with a towering tree and another with flying fish; a high-rise bubble-home in the clouds, and a multi-level home with working lights; a world where animals are educated; a candy-land and a dream world; a fiery world and a farm; a seashore with a seagull flying overhead; a car show environment; and worlds filled with monsters, darkness and light. On March 8th, all these worlds were presented to Barrack Hebrew Academy students and staff at a gala lunchtime reception. Much effort had been put into the projects by the students, who had worked on their worlds since the beginning of the school year. The only thing that could have made the experience better would have been if more people had come to see it.

A Window Into Teva

By Talia B. and Rebecca S.

The 6th graders left for Teva on Sunday, December 5, with high expectations. They arrived in Connecticut around 10 at night and found a late night snack already prepared. They then went to their bunks to settle in. In the morning everyone had the privilege of meeting their future friends from the other schools that participated. The usual schedule of events at Teva was as follows:

Wake up: around 6:50 Teva Time (TT), 5:50 EST. If you were able to get your tuchus out of bed on time, you'd be able to make it to hot chocolate at 7:15 TT. Afterwards everyone headed over to the Beit HaKnesset for Shacharit (7:30-8:30 TT), where we watched a beautiful sunrise while davening (but wished our eyelids were still closed!). As we prayed, our tummies started rumbling; fortunately, breakfast was right after Shacharit. From 9:30-1:30 TT we had Lemudei Chutz, or in English, Outdoor Studies. During that time we earned our Teva beads with our workgroups, each bead symbolizing another important aspect of Teva:

T: Togetherness

E: Ecology

V: Bal Tashchit (Do not waste)

A: Awareness

During Outdoor Studies we also learned about the environment, and went on exciting hikes! We ate lunch with our workgroups.

Afterwards, we had snack and free time to spend with our friends, before everyone did something together. At one such period, we played an exciting game of Predator and Prey, which demonstrated how the food chain works. Later in the afternoon, we had Chugim or Electives. Right after dinner we all got together to watch Tevavision, in which the Morei HaDerech--the counselors--taught us about things that are Sababa!, a Hebrew slang term for 'awesome'. It comes from Saba Bah--the grandfather comes. Teva was environmentally awesome! When it came time for Liela Tov, everyone went back to their bunks to spend their free time as they pleased until lights out. (However, the mischievous Barrack Hebrew Academy girls snuck out through their windows at night behind their chaperone's back. They visited their friends in the same bunk and experienced the Teva excitement at night [a.k.a. The Yurt]. Another fun highlight at Teva was the Barrack Hebrew Academy-only pillowfight! Girls against guys.)  All in all, Teva was Sababa!

Night Hike at Teva

By Matthew G. and Marc Z.

Our group included 10 people who were exhilarated to begin the hike. Our Moreh Derech, Ilan, led us to the entrance of the forest and instructed us to refrain from the use of flashlights. During the night hike, we had a thrilling trek up a mountain, testing our vision and hearing, since the sky had already turned into navy shades of blue. We stopped halfway up the mountain, and we strained our ears in a certain direction to hear all wildlife, and the river trickling slowly downhill; learning that this is the way that a deer hears.  We leaped over downed branches and tributaries of the river. We slowly adapted to the darkness, impressed by our new ability to see in the night. Gazing up at the sky, we had a rare sighting of the stars, since in the city there are always bright lights creating glare in the heavens. We trekked back downhill all the way to our cozy rooms. We swiftly fell asleep and awaited the next day.

Trip to the University of Pennsylvania Museum

By Zoë S. and Jordyn H.

On Wednesday, November 17, the sixth grade went on a trip to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.  We visited a total of four exhibits.  The first was The Rainbow Serpent display, which contained modern paintings by Australian aborigines of their beliefs about the creation of the world.  The next was a guided tour of the Ancient Egypt exhibit.  We saw statues of the pharaoh Ramesses and real mummies.  We learned a lot about Egyptian daily life and the culture of the people.  A few of our favorite things in the exhibit were the third largest sphinx in the world and the pillars of a pharaoh’s palace.  All of these things had many hieroglyphics written on them.

After lunch, we toured the Treasures of the Royal Tombs of Ur and saw some of the precious possessions and jewelry of wealthy people in Mesopotamia.  Shortly after that, we went on a search for information in the Israel/Canaan exhibit.  We answered many questions and learned much about ancient life in this area.  Overall, we had a great time at the museum and can’t wait to go back in the spring to learn about Greece and Rome! 

PENITENTIARY

By David S. & Alex M.

On October 14, the 6th grade went to the Eastern State Penitentiary with Mrs. Pransky, Miss Stern, and Miss Sandberg. We went to see the art exhibits about prisons for Miss Stern and to study the archaeology of the site for Mrs. Pransky. We had a great time. From seeing the building, we were able to learn many different facts about the penitentiary itself and the prisoners. It also helped us understand how people thought and acted in the past. We saw many cells and learned how the jail worked. This jail was built in1829 for the purpose of improving prisoners through solitary confinement. Over the years, it became a congregant jail (not solitary confinement) because of the mass of people who were sent there. We heard about many escape attempts, but out of all the escapes only one person successfully got away. We saw the cell of Al Capone in addition to the jail's synagogue. Towards the end of our visit, in the gift shop, we met the woman who played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. Her name is Miriam Margolyes, and she also acted in James and the Giant Peach, and Cats and Dogs. She was at the Penitentiary making a documentary about Charles Dickens who had once visited there. In the end we all had a blast and thought it was a great field trip.

Artifact Alley

By Daniel R. and Will M.

On Tuesday, October 5, the sixth grade participated in an archaeological project. Kids, teachers, administrators and even visiting parents guessed what each artifact was that the 6th grade brought to school. The class brought in a large variety of items that were difficult to guess in their opinion. Each student and Mrs. Pransky brought in one or more items from their homes. The purpose of this activity was to see what people thought the artifacts were. During Artifact Alley we learned that much of archaeology is guess-work. If it's difficult for us to figure out what modern-day things are used for, it must be much harder for archaeologists to find out about artifacts from thousands of years ago. 

A Trip to Mrs. Pransky's Sukkah

By Jessica W. and Jessica K.

On October 4, the sixth grade went on a trip to Mrs. Pransky's sukkah. We were driven there in the cars of teachers and Mrs. Pransky's family members. When we arrived we walked into the gorgeously decorated sukkah. There we were greeted by her daughter and son-in-law, her son, her husband, and her three grandchildren. We sat down at the big table and sang songs while Jason Rosenblatt, the Shira (Hebrew songs) teacher, played the keyboard and his wife played the trombone. We went over the songs a few times and then ate while Mrs. Pransky's daughter explained the different parts of the lulav and etrog and told us about them. We then were given empty bingo cards that we filled out with different words including the Ushpizin (traditional historical Sukkah guests), lulav, etrog, and sukkah. We were then given clues and we had to determine which words answered them correctly. Students won prizes for getting bingo. After a few rounds we had to clean and get back in the cars to go back to school. This was a fun and educational trip.