Day School Roundup

Valley day schools celebrate, commemorate

The Day School Roundup is a new monthly feature in which the local day schools will update the community on what is happening on their campuses.

Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School

The annual Student Spiritual Retreat to begin the new school year was held Aug. 26-27 in Flagstaff. The 41 students currently enrolled at the school were invited to the retreat that was funded in part by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation.

On Sept. 11, the school held a special commemorative event, for which the students prepared readings and prayers, musical interludes and watched a documentary on 9/11 firefighters. Phil Cogan - the father of two students at the school, Alex and Eric - spoke to the students about his experiences as a media coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, working at Ground Zero during the days after last Sept. 11. Local firefighters were present and received special recognition and honors from the students.

The school's fall sports have started and the boys' flag football team and the girls' volleyball teams are competing around the Valley. The football team won its first game on Sept. 11, beating Desert Pointe 21-0.

New faculty at the school include Rabbi Moshe Sokol, Judaic studies coordinator; Linda Perl, student activities coordinator; Rabbi Michael Wasserman, Judaic studies instructor; Sharon Walker, mathematics instructor; Pat Harrison, French instructor; and Doug Cotner, last year's drama coach, is now an English instructor.

Activities during Sukkot will include a visit to Kivel Campus of Care to help residents decorate their sukkah, a joint Chol Ha Moed celebration with the students from the Phoenix Hebrew Academy; and a Sukkot/Hashana Rabbah - Simchat Beit Hashoevah school party at a student's home.

The King David School

The school welcomed 23 new students for the school year. The eventful first month included a visit by Secretary of State Betsey Bayless, who spoke to the students about her position, her candidacy for governor and the process of government. The students had their first exposure to the local political process last spring when Congressman Matt Salmon visited the school. As part of learning about the election process, student council will hold elections this month.

On Sept. 3, Chabad of Scottsdale presented the Shofar Factory. Rabbi Yaakov Baron taught students to make their own shofars and how to blow them.

This month, school-wide vision screenings will be held; students will learn about Sukkot and visit community sukkot; educational consultant Gila Brook of the Council for Jews with Special Needs will meet with teachers to develop strategies for dealing with students with various learning styles; and the school will present a new adult education series, Re-JEW-venation, at a private home.

Phoenix Hebrew Academy

On Sept. 5, the school held its annual Shofar Blowing Contest. Bradley Hendrickson, grade 6, was the school champion.

On Sept. 11, the third grade, under the direction of Debbie Schechter, hosted an assembly using poetry, original stories, patriotic songs and an original play to honor the memory of those who died last year on Sept. 11. Additionally, a live oak tree, furnished by the Phoenix Urban Registry, was planted at the school.

During the week of Chol Hamoed (Intermediary Days) of Sukkot, the school will hold several special events for students including a barbecue lunch and model sukkah contest; a visit from students at the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School; a "rocketry" presentation by the Arizona Science Center; a roller-skating trip; and a musical presentation by Moshe Bukshpan.

Pardes Jewish Day School

The fourth grade will celebrate Sukkot on Sept. 23 with the upper grades at the middle school/Temple Kol Ami campus. Students will participate in Learning Station activities as well as text study.

On Sept. 26, parents and students will celebrate Sukkot with a pancake breakfast served by the day school teachers.

On Sept. 27, kindergarten and first-grade students will be formally welcomed into Jewish education at a Consecration Ceremony during Kabbalat Shabbat. The visiting Israeli Youth Symphony will perform at the middle school's Kabbalat Shabbat.

On Oct. 1, the middle school will hold a potluck dinner and softball game at Temple Kol Ami.

On Oct. 7, Risa Mallin, executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, will discuss the creation of the Jewish Heritage Center at the site of the first synagogue in the Valley with the middle school students. The students will be working on the Culver Street synagogue restoration project as part of their social action curriculum.

On Oct. 9, the fifth and sixth graders will participate in the Flight Simulator at the Arizona Science Center.

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