House System
All Students in grades 5 - 8 belong to one of four Houses named after Universities in Israel: Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan - Tel Aviv Universities, Haifa-Technion Universities and Ben Gurion-Weizmann Universities. The mission of the House system is to create and develop strong school spirit while fostering a positive sense of belonging within a caring school community. Students are assigned to Houses vertically across the grades. This method of assignment instills a sense of camaraderie among students of different ages. Various House projects and friendly competitions support the value of teamwork and mutual cooperation, and encourage active participation in a variety of areas that foster and showcase individual talents.
Each House is identified in various ways: by their two House colours, the official logo of their university and a motto in both English and Hebrew, derived from Jewish sources. The mottos for each House are:
- Ben Gurion - Weizmann: "In the pursuit of justice" (Tsedek tsedek tirdof)
- Hebrew University: "Friendship above all" (Ve'ahavta le'reacha kamocha)
- Haifa - Technion: "Be part of your community" (Al tifrosh min hatsibur)
- Bar-Ilan -Tel Aviv: "Better together than alone" (Tovim ha'shneyem min ha'echad)
There are great opportunities to develop leadership skills in the many activities within the Houses. Students acquire a sense of pride and loyalty to their House, reinforcing the sense of family and community so integral to the spirit of Bialik. Participation in various activities (such as scorekeeping, Bible Contest, Talent Show, Purim dress up, etc.) enables students to earn points for their House,
Spirit points are awarded to Houses at "cheer contests", to the House with the most students wearing House colours at meetings, and for maximum participation in special theme days.
Houses meet approximately once per month, and the focus is on fostering school spirit and social interaction among students in different grades.
Grade 8 Captains and Vice-Captains are responsible for generating House spirit by modeling positive participation and involvement. Together with grade 7 Banner Keepers, they are responsible for generating school spirit during meetings. Other leadership positions include heads of: bulletin board committee, talent committee, cheer committee, house league committee, Founders Book project, etc.
Points are tallied for the various events that take place throughout the year. At a ceremony on the last day of school, the Israel Cup, donated by the Meyerowitz family, is presented to the House that has scored the highest number of points over the school year. At the same event, the leadership of the House is transferred to the new student Captains, Vice-Captains and Banner Keepers.
Houses add a positive dimension to Bialik by extending school activities beyond the classroom.
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