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May 16, 2003/Iyar 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 38
Day schools face change
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Bonnie Morris, founding head of school at the Pardes Jewish Day School, will be leaving her position at the end of the school year.
Morris, who is studying to be a rabbi at Academy of Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, has served as a rabbinical intern with Rabbi Alan Berlin at Temple Solel since July 1 of last year. She is leaving her position at Pardes to continue her studies.
"I spend part of every week in Los Angeles ... pursuing this new career," explained Morris. "I need to intensify my program and expedite the course of study and really devote my time and attention to preparing for my career in the rabbinate."
Morris began as director of education at Temple Solel 14 years ago. At that time she was head of the Solel Preschool. She has been the sole head of school at the Pardes Jewish Day School since its inception as an elementary school eight years ago. The school has grown to include kindergarten through eighth grade.
Morris expects to announce her replacement before the end of the school year.
She will continue to have a role at the school, particularly as a parent - two of Morris' daughters still attend Pardes.
"I'm greatly appreciative to the entire school community," Morris said. "It's a sacred responsibility to educate children and from the bottom of my heart I thank (the community) for trusting me all these years with their children's education."
Morris is the third head administrator of a local day school to step down this year. Jay Schechter, founding headmaster of the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School, announced in February that he would retire at the end of the school year. Sharon Shelton, day school director at the Tri-City Jewish Community Center, left her position at the end of March.
Other changes at Pardes for the upcoming school year include an additional fourth-grade class, and an additional math specialist at the middle school campus. Also, a new Judaic specialist has been hired for the elementary campus.
The school - which now has two classrooms at each grade level in kindergarten through fourth grade - has a projected enrollment of 150-160 students for the 2003-2004 school year.
The Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School is in the process of hiring an interim headmaster and is also conducting a search for a permanent replacement, according to Schechter.
Next year will see the high school's growth to serve students in grades nine through 12, and the school will graduate its first senior class in the spring of 2004.
"The entire community can celebrate," said Schechter.
The student body will also be eligible to participate in a study program in Israel next year.
Additionally, a new biology and chemistry teacher, and a new Judaic studies teacher have been hired for next year. The school has added advanced placement classes in American history and calculus.
Projected enrollment for next year, according to Schechter, is 45-48 students.
The King David School is looking toward its final year on the Temple Beth Israel campus. The school's capital campaign to raise money for a new facility at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus has generated $3 million, and construction is likely to start in September or October, according to Esther Feuerberg, head of school. An anonymous donor has offered to match donations to the capital campaign through the end of the school year - dollar for dollar for parents of students at the school and 50 cents on the dollar from the community.
Feuerberg said that Temple Beth Israel has been helpful in accommodating the growth of the school. New classroom space is needed for the upcoming year for an additional section of kindergarten, first grade and third grade.
"We are going to be renting three additional classrooms from Temple Beth Israel for next year and reorganizing our space," explained Feuerberg. "They are very, very generous to us and wonderful to work with."
Enrollment for next year currently stands at 210 students, but Feuerberg anticipates an enrollment of 225 by the time school starts.
"We're busting at the seams," she said.
The school will have two classes at each grade level from kindergarten through fifth, and also at the seventh-grade level.
"Our sixth grade is full, and I can't open another class if we wanted to because I simply don't have the space," said Feuerberg.
The growth of the school will mean hiring of additional staff.
For the 2003-2004 school year, the school will implement a laptop computer program at the middle school level, in which each middle school student will be provided with a computer. Feuerberg said the school is searching for funding for the program and that parents will pick up part of the cost. The program will also require the hiring of an information technology specialist.
"This is cutting edge in day school education and we want to be sure to tap into all the resources to give our students a state-of-the-art approach to education, and also to give them the ability to enrich their academic day with computerized equipment," explained Feuerberg.
The Phoenix Hebrew Academy is also anticipating growth for next year. Rabbi Harris Cooperman, principal, is expecting enrollment of 120-125 students - up from 115 this year. The school will also be hiring replacement and additional staff members.
Although there is space at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus set aside for satellite classrooms for the academy, Cooperman said the board has decided not to move any classes to the campus for the 2003-2004 school year.
The Tri-City JCC Day School will add a fifth-grade class for the upcoming school year. An additional teacher will be hired to teach the fourth- and fifth-grade combination class. Ilene Blau, executive director of the Tri-City JCC, said enrollment stands at less than 30 students for the upcoming year.
Since Shelton left in March, day school staff has taken on the responsibilities of the former day school director. Blau said that a new day school director will not be hired and the staff will continue to take on the responsibility for the 2003-2004 school year.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
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