Seventh and Eighth Graders Enjoy Connecting with Peers in Israel
February 2021 – Pardes seventh and eighth graders are participating in an exciting school year long partnership program with Yachad (meaning together in Hebrew), a school in Modi’in, Israel. This incredible opportunity was developed by the Hebrew teachers at Pardes and the English teachers at Yachad.
There is a three tier plan for the partnership with specific goals:
- Initially, Pardes students wrote personal letters in Hebrew to a student in their same grade level. They shared personal information, photos and asked questions. Pardes students received letters in return and have responded again – this time in English so that the students at the Yachad School can practice their comprehension. The Yachad students will respond in Hebrew so that our students can focus on their reading comprehension skills.
- Second is a focus at the school and community level. In December, Pardes students recorded “Happy Chanukah” videos from different locations on our beautiful Pardes campus. Yachad students reciprocated.
- Lastly, Pardes and Yachad students will create presentations about Arizona/USA and the State of Israel respectively providing facts and personal perspectives.
There are two overarching goals for this amazing project. The first is to provide Pardes students with the opportunity to use their Hebrew to communicate in a real world setting. The second goal is for students to cultivate a friendship with a student in Israel and learn about their communities and daily lives. This project truly is a unique opportunity for our Middle School students.
