Dear Gaila,
I just can't seem to get my daughter to do her
homework. I tell her that it's her
responsibility to get it done. After all,
she's in fourth grade and should know better. But I'm still getting notes home
from the English teacher that she's not completing the assignments. What should I do?
Signed,
Frustrated in Efrat
Dear Frustrated,
The homework question has put all of us parents in a
quandary at one time or another. While I
firmly believe that children should learn to take responsibility for themselves
and their work, sometimes I do feel that we overwhelm them a bit. They need to learn the structure before they
can implement it themselves. First, I would try to create a weekly schedule and
write in the times when she should be doing her English homework, between other
after school activities, daily Hebrew homework and family events. This will
take the pressure off you to remind her because she can just check the schedule
to know when she's expected to do the homework. Then, initially, I would sit
down with her. Tell her that in 5 minutes you will sit with her and help if
she's ready with her notebook, pen, etc...
Sometimes, when children feel that a task is too hard for
them, they don't even know where to begin; by helping her structure her time
and sitting with her, at least in the beginning, you can get her started, which
can make a world of difference.
Good luck,
Gaila
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A Garden for A.H.A.V.A.
This
summer A.H.A.V.A. started building a beautiful garden around our
school. This donation came from one very creative Bat-Mitzva girl,
Rachel Star of Chicago, who in lieu of gifts requested donations to
build a garden for A.H.A.V.A. students.
Above you can see a picture of the 'nothing' that was there and an artist's rendition of what will be.
Work is going on now, and right after Rosh Hashana, with the year of Shmittah behind us, we will put in the flowers, plants, bushes and trees.
We will appreciate the garden not just for its beauty but also for what we can learn about the environment.
This year many of our plays, compositions, and projects will be based on the theme of the environment. This is in tandem with the Ministry of Education and all thanks to a wonderful gift from a girl who made her Bat Mitzvah especially lasting and meaningful!
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A Success Story
Ora
was a student of mine some years ago. It was hard to recognize the
little, shy girl in the pretty, confident young woman she had become,
when Ora approached me at a wedding recently.
Now
in her early twenties she is working her way through her bachelors
degree in Occupational Therapy. The studies aren't easy, but she is
doing well, especially because she doesn't need to learn English as
well.
"I want to thank you, Gaila, for convincing me to learn English. I
didn't understand then why I had to take extra classes after school and
do extra homework while my friends could just play outside. But now,
when I see my friends working so hard at English and troubling over the
texts, I understand and know it was worth it."
To help Ora and other children like her succeed in life, please click here to
donate to A.H.A.V.A.
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Upcoming Events
A.H.A.V.A.'s future plans
Breaking Through
Naomi, a 5th grader, could barely read an English letter. She was
two years behind her peers in English and was getting more and more
frustrated. With the help of A.H.A.V.A.'s "Breaking Through" Remedial
English Tutoring Program, Naomi, and other learning disabled students
like her, can not only catch up to their classmates, but they can soar!
With the help of a grant, right after Rosh Hashana, A.H.A.V.A. will be starting this project in Mitzpe Yericho Elementary school. We will involve volunteers to create a 'local buy-in'. We would love to bring this program into
even more schools. We have two more schools begging us to bring them "Breaking
Through". We have 50 students signed up. We only waiting for one
thing, your support. Help us make this program a reality
for this year's Israeli students.
Donate to A.H.A.V.A.
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Rosh Hashana Greetings!