Teen Summer Programs Guide!

Project Based Learning for our MITs and JLeGITs

Tonight our MITs and JLeGITs got a taste of what project based learning really feels like. At our last meeting we were tasked with coming up with a creative way to introduce all of the teens working in our learning spaces to our Mayim families. We had received an email from a parent saying that her daughter LOVED the teens in her Chavurah so much and the parent wanted to know where to go to find out who they were!

Together we brainstormed and came up with the idea of creating a deck of playing cards, with pictures and information about each of the MITs and JLeGITs on each card--it's a win-win! Tonight the teens broke into 4 groups: Photo, Bio/Information, Budget and Layout/Design. In their groups they worked on their piece of the project--researching companies that make personalized playing cards, planning fundraisers to help pay for the cards, creating google surveys to collect information about each MIT or JLeGIT.

They were hard at work for almost an hour and we have a plan for the cards well underway. Be sure to keep your eyes out for information about our upcoming bake sale to support this project.

Welcome Back

So happy to be back with all our Sha'arim friends that we are jumping for joy!

Come to Canobie Lake Park

Up Up and Away!

Earlier this month BESTY went Up Up and Away for a BESTY SkyZone Sleep-under! We loaded up buses and bounced at Skyzone for an hour and got delicious Pizza. Afterwards we headed back to temple for an "Up" filled Havdalah lead by BESTY board member Sam Moller and changed into PJs' for popcorn and the movie UP! It was a great event and really got 2012 started up an "Up" note :)

Hope to see you skiing Feb 12th for BESTY/Wilderness Ski trip!!

Preparing Children for the Challenges of Life After High School

How does camp help prepare children for the challenges of life after high school?

"...we live in a society that sometimes suggests to children that they are only safe within eyeshot of their parents. Yet, we parents want our children to grow in confidence and independence so that they can live productive, fulfilling and joyous lives. Camp enables children to experience successful independence. Like college, they are away-from-home. Unlike college, they are in a community committed to their physical and emotional safety."

Read the full article, "Creating Advantages in College," from Psychology Today here!

Summer Program Spotlight!

Welcome to TBS' Summer Program Spotlight! We love summer camps and the fantastic options they provide for teens to be campers, counselors in training, and eventually full-fledged counselors. But there are lots of programs out there for older campers who have never been to camp or who are ready for something new. We'll periodically highlight some of the great Jewish overnight programs designed specifically for teens, right here on the blog, to help you and your families learn more about the fantastic summer options available to you.

Programs you can expect to read more about include:
URJ Kutz Camp
NFTY Mitzvah Corps
NFTY in Israel
BIMA & Genesis at Brandeis
Passport NYC
and more!

For information about summer camps for all ages, see our Elementary Learning blog's Camp Spotlights! If you'd like to participate in a summer program spotlight to show everyone how awesome YOUR program is, feel free to send stories or photos, or just contact me at lking@tbsneedham.org. And I'm always available to answer your questions or just chat about camp at any time!

Tuesday Night Madness!

The Cooking class got crazy last night with a Top Chef cook off. They were asked to research Jewish recipes and begin to understand what was Jewish about those foods. The winning recipe? Humantaschen!

Overheard on Facebook: "This is the highlight of my week!"

Welcome

Welcome Families!