Seaboard Region USY
Programs of Excellence
Award Winning Programs
from 2013-2014
Seaboard Region
6010 Executive Blvd., Suite 705
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301)230-0801
Fax: (301)816-2931
Best Israel Program:
Israel and America
(Beth Israel Owings Mills)
Israel and America
Age Group: USY and 8th Graders
Program Type: Israel
Cost: Included in Claire Sodden Memorial Weekend
Duration: An hour and a half
Attendance: 47
Description: During this year’s Claire Sodden Memorial Weekend, we had an amazing Israel program. There were 7 stations set up around Beth Israel. Each station was designed to show the similarities and differences between the United States and Israel. For example, we had a matching game where each team had to match a company to either the U.S or Israel, depending on where that company was founded. Another station was an obstacle course race between two teams in which one team was the IDF and the other was the U.S military. Teams also played Pictionary, were they had to draw a piece of Israeli Culture. The most popular station was where teams had to recreate the famous photo of Rabin, Clinton and Arafat using food. This program was created in a way that would be excited for USYers, but also incorporated an educational component as well.
Flyer: N/A
Photos:
______
Best Religious Program:
NoVa Shabbaton
(Beth Emeth)
Name of Program: NoVa Shabbaton
Age group for the program (USY, Kadima, or both): USY and Kadima
What is the program type? (Award category): Shabbat, Multi-Chapter, and Religious
What is the cost? $50
How long does the program last? April 25th-26th (5:30 pm- 10:00 pm)
How many people attended? 20 Kadimanicks and USYers from multiple chapters
This is the most important part: To plan the shabbaton in addition to our board, we asked one of our own CBE USYers and a USYer from another chapter to co-chair the event. They helped to plan activities and meals alongside the board. Next, we picked Ice Age to be theme of the shabbaton. Below is our extended schedule with all of the activities listed:
Before Registration:
-print all programs
-divide all supplies by program
-girls and boys room signs
-cook: potatoes (f), green beans (f), mushrooms (f), falafel (sl), tzatziki (sl), French fries (sl), rice (sd), chicken nuggets (sd), veggie nuggets (sd)
-set up registration
-preset dinner – Shabbat candles
-preset rooms 5 and 6 for prepare for the ice age
-ice breaker supplies to flex
Friday April 5th:
5:30-5:45 – Registration
Supplies: Name Tags, Master List, Schedules, Pens
5:45-6:00 – Welcome/opening
Rules, re: leaving and coming back, etc.
6:00 Put chicken, potatoes, green beans, and mushroom into the oven, get challah, grape juice and salad to 11/12
6:00-6:30 – Ice Breakers
To get started and get everyone comfortable with each other, we’re going to have brief ice breakers:
Divided into two groups – Livia leading one, Annika leading another
First go around and say name and favorite cold treat
Game #1 – Baby Sid Mammoth (Rock Paper Scissors)
This is competitive “Baby Sid Mammoth” - Each character is a different movement
Baby – make a crying face
Sid – make a funny face
Mammoth – make a trunk
Baby beats Sid (crying annoys him)
Sid beats Mammoth - because Sid is so annoying
Mammoth beats Baby (mammoth can just pick him up and shush him
Grab a partner and play best 2 out of 3 – then the winner meets up with the next winner and plays until there is one supreme winner!
Game #2 – Scrat would do anything for an acorn – what would you do?
This is a game of Would You Rather?
- Would you rather always take a cold shower or sleep an hour less than you need to be fully rested?
- Would you rather always get first dibs or the last laugh?
- Would you rather always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
- Would you rather always lose or never play?
- Would you rather always wear earmuffs or a nose plug?
- Would you rather always win pie-eating contests or always win wheelbarrow races?
- Would you rather be 3 feet tall or 8 feet tall?
- Would you rather be 3 feet taller or 3 feet shorter?
- Would you rather be a deep sea diver or an astronaut?
- Would you rather be a dog named Killer or a cat named Fluffy?
- Would you rather be a giant hamster or a tiny rhino?
- Would you rather be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say?
- Would you rather be able to read everyone’s mind all the time or always know their future?
- Would you rather be able to stop time or fly?
- Would you rather be an unknown minor league basketball player or a famous professional badminton star?
- Would you rather be born with an elephant trunk or a giraffe neck?
- Would you rather be forced to tell your best friend a lie or tell your parents the truth?
- Would you rather be forgotten or hatefully remembered?
- Would you rather be hairy all over or completely bald?
- Would you rather be happy for 8hrs/day and poor or sad for 8hr/day and rich?
- Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds?
If need more time – Picnic game? Bringing items to a picnic – first initial, double letters
Duckie Wuckie – sit in a circle. One person in the middle is blindfolded and is holding a pillow. Holding the pillow they walk towards a person and either tap them with the pillow or sit on them on the pillow. They then ask “Is there a duckie wuckie here?” The person tapped/sat on tried to mask their voice when saying, “Duckie Wuckie who?” If the person in the middle guesses who it is, they switch places with the duckie wuckie. If they get it wrong, they go again.
Supplies: lists of groups, would you rather questions, blindfold, pillow, program write ups for Annika and Livia
6:30-7:30 – Dinner
Kiddush:
Motzi:
Birkat Hamazon:
Supplies: tablecloths, plates, forks, napkins, cups, Kiddush cups, bkol echads, food order
7:30-8:00 – Ruach
8:00-9:00 – services with congregation
9:00-9:30 – oneg –
-set up 11 and 12, social hall, flex, lobby?, clean up from dinner
9:30-9:45 – change
9:45-10:45 – Prepare for the Ice Age!
Start in the Flex Space:
The ice age is coming! We need to get ready!
Divide into 6 groups. Each group will go around in rotation – we will tell you to rotate.
Station 1 – Watermelons – Social Hall
We need food to prepare for the Ice Age!
One group member will stand behind the line holding a bucket on their head.
The other teammates need to try from behind the other line, trying to get as many balls into the bucket in the time at the station.
Supplies: bucket, balls, tape
Station 2 – Build an Igloo – Rooms 11 and 12
The ice age is cold and WINDY – you need shelter to keep out the chill
Each group member gets a small plate, some sugar cubes, icing, etc. and you must build an igloo
Supplies: small plates, knives, sugar cubes, icing, asst. candies
Station 3 – Scavenger Hunt – Room 6
You’ll need to gather supplies to keep you safe – but the snow is already coming down!
In the “snow” are 15 Different objects. Your job is to one at a time, stick your hand in for 5 seconds and try to pull out an object. See if you can get all 15!
Supplies: bucket, fake snow, 15 objects
Station 4 – Tracker Training – Room 5
Don’t let the snow cover your tracks – make sure you remember how to get home!
A memory board is set up on the floor. The group needs to try and match all of the pair in the time allowed, turning over 2 cards at a time.
Supplies: cards for memory
Station 5 – Stay Warm – Lobby
Crossing the snow and ice is super freezing - you’ll need to make sure to stay warm!
The group needs to relay their way through the winter clothes. The group will divide into 2 groups, on opposite sides of the lobby. One group will start with the clothes. One at a time, one team member will put on the snow pants, scarf, coat, hat, gloves and boots, and run across to the other side of the lobby to the other half of the team. They will then take off all of the winter clothing, and only once all pieces are off, the next person can put everything on, and run back to the first team, repeating until all team members have gotten dressed and undressed.
Supplies: snow pants, coat, scarf, hat, gloves, boots
Station 6 – Migration – Flex space
Migrating herds need to get across the snow – will your herd make it across safely?
This is a game of red light green light. The leader will stand at one end of the room, and the team will stand at the other end. When the leader says “green light”, the team members try to make it to the side of the room with the leader. When the leader says “red light”, the team members must freeze. Anyone caught moving is out. The goal is to get the entire team to the other side without getting caught.
Supplies: nothing!
10:45-11:00 – get ready for bed
11:00 – story time and lights out
Saturday April 6th:
8:00 – prep breakfast (waffles, pancakes), lunch?
8:45 - Kima
9:15 – Breakfast
Supplies: tablecloths, plates, forks, napkins, cups, spoons, bkol echads, food order
10:00-12:00 - Services
Supplies: Siddurim, chumashim/sheets?, torah, tallitot, kippot.
12:00-1:00 – Lunch
Supplies: tablecloths, plates, forks, napkins, cups, Kiddush cups, bkol echads, food order
1:00-1:30 – change
-set up slide, library, outside my office, playground tent, room 11-12
-clean up from lunch
1:30-2:30 – after lunch program
Ice Age Scavenger Hunt
Sid the sloth accidently got left behind and now no one can find him. Split everyone into two or three teams. Depending on how many kids there are will determine how big the groups are. The teams will compete in a race around the synagogue to find Sid. The teams can choose where they want to start and where they go next. At each location there will be a short activity for them to complete before moving on. After they have completed the activity there will be a puzzle piece given to them. At the very end the first to put together the puzzle piece and find Sid wins. Since there will only be three groups, assign one board member to be the leader of the group. They will have all the directions for each activity and all the puzzle pieces. They are not allowed to assist the team in any way.
Supplies: directions for each leader, group list, puzzle pieces
Station #1 – Playground (top of slides)
The entire group must arrange themselves in line. Each person will put a spoon in their mouth and an egg (or golf ball) will be placed on the first person’s spoon. The goal is to pass the egg all the way down the line without dropping it. If it is dropped it must start back the beginning. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: spoons, egg/golf balls?
Station #2- Library
Everyone will take turns being blindfolded. When you are being blindfolded, you will then spin around three times and have to walk to where a cardboard cutout of Sid is. Then they will try their best to put the sticker they will be given at the beginning on his nose. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: blindfolds, cut out of Sid, stickers
Station #3- End of hallway by kitchen door
The group leader will read out trivia questions. Each group will have a list of ten questions. Once the team has answered 3 questions correctly they can continue. If the team cannot answer three of the ten questions correctly. Everyone must do 5 pushups. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: trivia questions
Station #4- Outside Abby’s office
The whole team must work together to build a 3 story card house. Make sure everyone one is included in the building of the car house. After they have built the house it must be able to stand on its own for ten seconds. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: cards
Station #5- Playground (under tent)
There will be a giant bucket filled with rice (or sand) and hidden inside will be a bunch of acorns. It is the team’s job to find 5 before moving on to the next station. They must take turns trying to find the acorns, but each person only has 5 seconds. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: bucket, sand/rice, acorns
Station #6- Room 11-12
The entire team must SILENTLY form a line, but everyone must be in birth order. Then from youngest to oldest. They take turns bowling a soft ball into pins that are shaped like characters from Ice Age. Certain characters are worth more points. (Sid-1, Manny-2, Diego-3) Once the team has collectively earned 50 points they can move on. After they complete the task their group leader will give them their puzzle piece.
Supplies: pins, cutouts of characters, bowling ball
The “puzzle pieces” are actually clues/directions to where Sid is hiding. The team must follow the directions very carefully in order to find Sid.
*note- the list of clues will be glued onto the back of the image and once the image is assembled the team flips it over to be able to read the clues
2:30-3:30 - Sicha
-clean up from lunch
-set up flex, lobby, 11-12, 5, hide map pieces, acorn
-prep dinner (chicken nuggets, rice, veggie nuggets, table)
-prep if possible for faceoff?
3:30-5:00– chofesh -
Supplies: games, basketball, gaga ball
5:30 – put nuggets and rice in to warm
-set dinner table
5:00-6:30 – Program – Find the Acorn
Your goal is to find the acorn. In order to find the acorn, you need to put the map together. There will be 5 stations you will go through in order to get 5 pieces of your map. The 6th piece of your map will be somewhere along the way – you’ll have to find it! After putting your map together, the first group to find the acorn wins!
Station 1: Carry the Baby – Flex Space –
Team must arrange itself into a 3 person pyramid on all fours and navigate through an obstacle course. Once the entire team is through, they can receive their puzzle piece.
Supplies: chairs, foam beam, cones?
Station 2: 3 legged hurdle – social hall
Team members pair up and tie their inside legs together. They must complete the hurdle circuit to receive their next puzzle piece.
Supplies: ties, chairs
Station 3: Acorn storage – lobby?
Once you finally get your acorn, will you be able to keep it safe? See if you can safely practice getting the acorn in the hole. Each person must successfully get an “acorn” into the hole.
Supplies: hackey sacks, target with hole
Station 4: Act it out? – classroom
The team must act out a scene from an animated movie with talking animals. They receive the script, without the names of the characters. The other team members must guess what movie the scene is from as their representatives are acting it out. Once the team has 3 correct guesses, they can receive their puzzle piece.
Supplies: movie scenes
Station 5: Mission impossible – double classroom?
The team must get across the room one at a time without touching the floor, or being hit by the snow. The station leader will be throwing hackey sacks at kids as they try to cross. If they fall or get hit, the team member needs to go back to the beginning.
Supplies: hackey sacks, papers/chairs?
Supplies: puzzle pieces, acorn
6:30-7:30 – dinner
Supplies: tablecloths, plates, forks, napkins, cups, bkol echads, food order
-try to set up faceoff?
7:30-8:00 - sloach
8:00-8:15 – ma’ariv
Havdallah 8:18
Supplies: siddurim, grape juice, candle, matches, besamim
- clean up from dinner during program?
8:30-10:00 – program – Faceoff
Goal: To complete each activity first and have the most points at the end.
The group will be divided into 3 teams of approx. 5. Each team needs to create a team name and a buzzer sound. The teams will start off in the flex space. The rounds will alternate with trivia and physical challenges. For each trivia question correct first, the winning team will get a 10 sec. head start. For each physical challenge, the first team gets 5 points, then next team gets 4 points, etc.