Last month, on the Thursday before school started, Ma’ayanot student leaders (i.e., those who have been elected to serve on Ma’ayanot’s student government (G.O.) or who have been appointed as a head of one of Ma’ayanot’s numerous committees) participated in Ma’ayanot’s new Leadership Training Seminar, a half-day, hands-on experiential workshop meant to provide students with the confidence and skills needed to effectively implement their leadership ideas.

Early fruits of this training are evident in grade bonding events that are taking place at Ma’ayanot in recent weeks. The process started with G.O. raising funds, by selling student planners and organizing a lunchtime cook-sale, to assist in covering the costs of bonding events for each grade. With funding secured, each grade’s class representatives conceived of and planned an event tailored to the preferences of their classmates; sophomores recently enjoyed an after-school karaoke party planned by class reps Ravi Schwartz and Lily Polonetsky, while juniors opted for a Ma’ayanot sleep-over that included a video-making contest, a shiur by chaperone Mrs. Yael Weil (Halakha teacher), and of course a sleep-over bash, all planned by class reps Michal Horn and Rinat Shely

Senior class reps, Chana Fisch, Sophie Dubitzsky and Leah Herschmann, are doing double-duty by planning a Zumba night for their grade, and also mentoring the recently elected freshmen class reps, Sarah Rosenfeld and Avigayil Kaminetsky, as they begin to plan their grade’s bonding event.