Beren Buzz Header
Parashat Yitro       Shabbat Candle Lighting 5:46 p.m.            Havdalah 6:55 p.m.
THE  MIDDAH (JEWISH VALUE) FOR THE MONTH OF 
SHVAT IS BAL TASHCHIT - ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION
RMBA is a proud partner of

HAVE YOU GOT THE SPIRIT?
Show your school spirit and purchase RMBA Spirit Wear Shirts for the whole family here
HOT LUNCHES
Please click here to order and purchase your hot lunches for the year catered by Saba's Restaurant. 
YEARBOOKS
There are only 40 2015 Yearbooks left, available on a first come first serve basis! 
Please purchase your yearbook here as soon as possible and enter Robert M. Beren Academy and 2015 Yearbook when prompted. Yearbooks are currently on sale for $55.   
We are now selling yearbook advertisements! Click here for more details.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
ACT Testing 
Sunday, February 9, 2015
7:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Yeshiva University Model UN Competition
Sunday, February 8-Tuesday, February 10, 2015.
8th Grade Trip to Washington, D.C. 
Monday, February 9, 2015 - Thursday, February 12, 2015
Presidents Day 
Monday, February 16, 2015
SCHOOL CLOSED
Rosh Chodesh Special Dress Day  
Thursday, February 19, 2015
TPG #4  
Saturday, February 21, 2015
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Go Texan Day   
Friday, February 27, 2015
5th Grade Purim Play 
Friday, February 27, 2015
2:20 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Calendar of Weekly Events
Chess Club EC4/K
Mondays
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Chess Club 1st- 3rd Grade
Mondays
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Happy Hands EC3
Tuesdays
12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Mad Science EC3
Wednesdays
2:00 p.m. - 2:45 pm. 
Mad Science EC4/K
Wednesdays
3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Upper School Torah Cafe
Wednesday
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
If you are interested in sponsoring Torah Cafe  for a week, please contact Rabbi Aaron Levitt
Ballet - EC2
Thursday 
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Ballet - EC3
Thursday 
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Ballet EC4 and K 
Thursday 
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Bricks 4 Kidz K-5
Thursday
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
EC & K Oneg Shabbat 
Friday
10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Jewish Parenting Course

A 6 week Jewish Parenting Course designed to enable today's parents to learn the skills to be effective in raising the next generation of children. 

 

First class can be attended for free to see if  parents like it. The regular fee is $115 -- $99 for the course and $15 for the student textbook. Parents of RMBA that would like to take the class can receive a 50% discount off the course fee. Simply state the discount code as Beren when applying. 

 

Instructor: Rabbi Moishe Traxler of Chabad Outreach of Houston. 
 

For more info click here


YACHAD SHABBATON
Friday, February 13, 2015
Houston and Dallas Yachad groups celebrate Shabbat together
Yom Limmud
Sunday, February 15, 2015
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Houston's biggest and best conclave of Jewish arts and education: the Jewish Federation's Yom Limmud 2015! Hosted by Congregation Beth Yeshurun Register at: www.houstonjewish.org/yomlimmud

YACHAD Friendship Walk
Sunday, February 22, 2015
2:00 p.m.

Toast to Tomorrow
An evening of Tapas, Tequila and Latin Fusion 
benefitting UOSGM 
Sunday, February 22, 2015
6:00 p.m.

MAZAL TOV!
Mazal Tov to Shaked Carmel (Grade 8) on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah. 
NURSE'S NOOK
If your child has to take medication while in school, please remember to fill out and hand in our medication form.

Students ARE NOT allowed to carry medication around school with them (unless there is an extenuating circumstance).

Thank you in advance!
COLLEGE CORNER
National College Fair
Thursday, Feb 12
9:30 am-12:30 pm; 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
NRG Center (formerly Reliant Center
Free Admission

There will be over 200 colleges and universities represented

For more information contact Mr. Stabell

COMMUNITY CAMP CORNER
BunkConnect is a user-friendly referrral platform designed to help middle and lower class families access Jewish camp at special introductory rates courtesy of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Interested families can visit www.bunkconnect.org
RMBA SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND 
Robert M. Beren Academy has created a Scholarship Endowment Fund in honor of Dr. Alan Hoffman.  For more information about how you can support the Endowment Fund contact the Development Director Leigh Levine
February 5, 2015                                                                 16 Shvat, 5775
WEEKLY VIDEO FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL


Click on the photo above to view Rabbi Carmel's Weekly Video 

Sincerely,

Rabbi Aharoni Carmel

WE HEART HEBREW!
This week, students immersed themselves in all things Hebrew for Shavua Ivrit (Hebrew Week) in addition to Tu B'Shvat celebrations held yesterday. Please enjoy this video filled with fun photos and memories of the creative activities your children participated in all week long. 
Hebrew week
Hebrew Week at RMBA 
PAST RMBA HIGHLIGHTS 
DOTING DISSECTORS 
6th Grade Students dissected owl pellets in the lab. They are currently learning about classification and through the dissection learned how to classify what type of prey the owl consumed and had to determine whether the organism was a shrew, large rodent or bird using a key.


FISHY FACTS
Elementary school students in Patti and Jayne's classes studied the internal and external parts of the fish.  They used materials to match photos, descriptions, and names for the various parts. They also created their own fish books. A parent assisted in dissected the fish so they could observe the inside parts of a fish.  Students then made Japanese fish prints, called Gyotaku, to see the outside parts in art.


SPICE ROUTE
Morah Chen's 6th Grade students enjoyed a unique lesson where they had to complete a challenging worksheet in groups or pairs tied into learning about the agricultural aspect of Israel such as identifying herbs and spices found in Israel.  


MEASURING MANIA 
Ms. DiGulio's 7th grade students participated in a
 car lab to determine if mass slows down the acceleration of a car. In each trial, students had to add more mass to the back of the car as they learn through practical experience about force, mass and acceleration. 


NUMBER CRUNCHERS
Ms. Schneider's 1st grade math class is learning about mathematical computing and created a rule machine with a school desk and paper. Students enjoyed their experiential learning by traveling through the rule machine with a number of blocks in hand and meeting the rule master inside who distributed an additional number of blocks that applied to a math rule each round.
 
MEMORY MIXER
Morah Rinat and Morah Roza can make a rainy day fun for anyone! 4th grade students played a giant memory game in Hebrew in the school lobby. 


SEED OF KNOWLEDGE
During the holiday of Sukkot, EC2 learned about the amazing etrog fruit and thereafter, planted it's seeds. The students have watched them grow while watering and tending to their plants daily. In honor of Tu  B'Shvat the students came home with their etrog plants and are encouraged to continue to care for their plants.


ULPAN MAASI MAKES ME HAPPY
In honor of Tu'Shvat, the Ulpan Maasi program led by our Bnot Sheirut involved learning Hebrew songs about spring time and agriculture in Israel followed by students creatively decorating individual oranges with pieces of dried fruit. 



COACH COLE'S CORNER
BEREN ACADEMY STARS

To review the updated upcoming athletics schedule on our website or synch any updates with your own calendar click here

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

 

District Race heating up

Both High School Basketball teams find themselves in the thick of the TAPPS District 9-2A race. The girls are 5-0 in district play. There are 3 games remaining for district including a much anticipated game for the district championship at Pasadena First Baptist on February 10th. The boys are 4-1 and are tied for first place in district. Every game from here on out will be a tough challenge for our boys.

 

TENNIS AND GOLF ARE NEAR

There will be a middle school Tennis team this year and a high school tennis team. Anyone who is interested needs to come up and pick up a packet as soon as they can.

 

Middle School

 

I NEED TO HAVE ALL FORMS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS PLAYERS BY MONDAY

Middle School Tennis match schedule has been sent out. The matches will be at Lee Leclear and each player will be responsible for having transportation to and from the courts. There will not be very many practices as we have doubled the amount of matches that the kids are playing because they really enjoyed it last year. While we are not having a limit on how many players are on the middle school team, I would appreciate it if each family looked at the schedule and made sure they could make the matches. While the players don't need to be high highly skilled to participate, they do need to already have a basic idea of how to play and the rules of tennis. Matches will be scored and officiated by the players while they are playing. If you have any questions, please let me know. 

 

High School Tennis

Tuesday and Thursday 5:30-7pm
Chancellors Family Center.
- We will meet rain or shine.
February 16-March 26 (6 weeks)

PLAYERS NEED TO SEE COACH COLE IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYING.

For high school, there will be a limited number of spots available. Players should be able to attend all of the practices or speak with Coach Cole prior to joining about their availability.

 

Golf

A golf meeting will take place on February 10th at lunch interest and availability of players.

If you have any questions about the two sports, please contact Coach Cole at [email protected].

 

To review the upcoming athletics schedule on our website calendar click here

CARPOOL PROCEDURES

CLICK HERE FOR CARPOOL PROCEDURES 

 

Always drive slowly and cautiously along Greenwillow and Cliffwood Drive.

 

Please refrain from parking in the assigned RMBA Auction Winner parking spot during pick up as this is reserved.   


 

If there will be a change to your child's pick up situation during carpool please email this information by 3 p.m. that day to  [email protected] 

 

ATTENDANCE 

If your child is going to be late or not attending school on any given day please email [email protected]

 

STUDENT HANDBOOKS
Parents are reminded that the student handbooks are available online on our website.  To review our guidelines and rules, please click here

      For questions related to the Beren Buzz please contact Leigh Levine at [email protected] 
Robert M. Beren Academy | 713-723-7170 | [email protected] | http://www.berenacademy.org
11333 Cliffwood Drive
Houston, TX 77035