Choir – Kinneret’s choir has been one of its shining stars for decades. Having performed in front of major heads of state and for special events around New York City and beyond, the choir is a major point of pride for our school. The choir, for students in grades 4 and up, and by audition only, rehearses and performs under the direction of Brian Gelfand.
Basketball – Under the training of coach Matt, our new basketball team, comprised of boys and girls grades 4 and up, plays intramural and interschool games. It emphasizes good sportsmanship above all but also allows students to engage in healthy competition and a striving for physical excellence.
Senior Center Partnership – Kinneret’s second graders partner every year with the Spuytin Duyvil Senior Center. Each student is assigned an adopted “grandparent,” and the children meet regularly with their grandparents for arts and crafts activities, conversation, snacks, games, and fun. This monthly program is a highlight for the seniors and children alike, and it has led to lifelong intergenerational friendships.
Creative Movement – Our Early Childhood children are so excited every week when it’s time for Barbara to visit their classrooms. She brings with her an exciting array of physically challenging games, kinetic play, and spatial perception activities, all set to catchy songs in an atmosphere of tremendous fun. Her weekly visits are one of the highlights of Early Childhood.
Science Fairs – Long known as a leader in math and science education, Kinneret presents a series of remarkable annual science fairs. Our Upper Grades’ science fairs never cease to amaze parents and visitors alike with their sophistication, complex scientific understanding, and detailed posters and presentations. Eigth graders, who spend their year in the study of geosciences, explore the Earth’s wonders through their experiments. Seventh graders learn about the physical sciences, while the sixth graders’ projects focus on life science. The younger students in the school benefit from the knowledge of the Upper Grades, walking attentively through each fair and learning from the poised, articulate presentations of their older peers. In fact, the younger children were so excited by our science fairs that they’ve decided to get in on the act, with smaller, classroom-based fairs of their own in preparation for their years in the Upper Grades.
The Islamic-Jewish Exchange – A program of which we are very proud is our fifth grade experience with religious tolerance and understanding. As part of an ongoing initiative from the Jewish Museum, our fifth graders partner with another Jewish school and two New York City Islamic schools to learn about one another’s religions, cultures, families, and experiences. Four times during the fifth grade year, the students gather together to meet, to explore the cultural artifacts of Jewish and Islamic history, to sit and talk together, and to introduce their parents to one another. As proud as we are of our Jewish heritage, we recognize that we live in a global city, and this program has given our youth the invaluable opportunity of learning from one another, opening themselves to difference, and finding the ways in which all fifth graders are the same as well as the ways in which they differ.
Art and Music – All of our students benefit from weekly or bi-weekly art and music instruction with excellent teachers in these fields. Our older children focus on vocal music, while younger students participate in an introductory instrumental program. The hallways display many of our talented students’ creative works.
Chess – Beginning in First Grade, Kinneret students have the opportunity to participate in our very popular weekly after-school chess program. Many Kinneret students have gone on to great success with chess, a game noted for its enhancement of problem solving, mathematics, concentration, and strategy. Working with Master David, the children learn a variety of techniques and often compete in local chess tournaments.
Sifriyat Pijama – This relatively new program, an initiative of the Harold Greenspun Foundation, provides free Jewish books, cds, and dvds to children across America and Israel. We are proud to partner with the Foundation to ensure that all of Kinneret’s children receive exciting monthly shipments of seasonally-appropriate materials that enhance their Jewish experience outside of school. In addition to providing books, Sifriyat Pijama encourages schools to plan and implement related Jewish programming, which we provide to our families at no cost.
Library – Kinneret has an extensive library of both English and Hebrew books at all levels, available to students for research and for leisure-time reading. Each student may take a book out each week, and the younger children enjoy story time with our wonderful librarian Annette LaDue.
Beit Midrash – In partnership with the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, our second, third and fourth graders study Mishna under the direction of R’ Ari Hart and the s’micha students of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Beginning with Pirkei Avot, the students have the opportunity to learn Mishna in a friendly, supportive, and age-appropriate atmosphere as a way to enhance the Jewish education already provided during the regular school day.
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