Day schools share their happenings

Day School Roundup

Tri-City JCC Day School

The school took part in a Tu B'Shevat seder last week, along with the kindergarten class. The children ate different fruits and vegetables while discussing their significance to the holiday.

The fourth- and fifth-graders have been looking in the daily newspaper to find articles that illustrate a specific amendment from the Bill of Rights. They will end up with 10 samples and an in-depth description of how the articles relate to their amendment.

The second- and third-grade classes have taken a look at all of the Democratic presidential candidates. They tried to decide what pros and cons each one brings to the table, and they made a class list of national issues they feel need to be addressed.

Our first-grade class has become quite the magicians - they are adding three-digit numbers while regrouping, and they are also reading like mad and having a blast doing so.

Students participated in the Torah Fair on Feb. 12 at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. Everyone learned so much on how to make an appealing presentation.

The King David School

The King David School invites the community to join in as we celebrate the holiday of Purim at the KDS Purim Carnival Monday, March 8. The event will feature rides, games, good things to eat and loads of fun. There is no admission charge. Call 480-991-4333.

The school Spelling Bee was held for our fourth- through eighth-grade students. Congratulations to Josh Andrews, first place; Molly Adatto, second place; and Sam Schafer, third place.

A first-grade Siddur Ceremony was held when all first-graders received their siddur.

Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders participated in the Torah Fair, a project of the Bureau of Jewish Education.

The school choir performed at the community wide Tu B'Shevat celebration at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.

Students born in 1994 participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) which is the Nation's Report Card.

The fourth-grade class is participating in the Black Stallion Literacy Program that will culminate in a celebration with other schools at the Glendale Arena on March 2.

Middle school students will be visiting Palomino Elementary School as part of an interschool literacy project.

More than 40 students celebrated Shabbat and enjoyed skiing at the Middle School Ski Shabbaton in Sunrise.

The school Science Fair will take place on Feb. 27 as students display their small group projects for parents and for the community.

Phoenix Hebrew Academy

Congratulations to the winners of the schoolwide Spelling Bee. The lower school winner was third-grader Michael Galibov. The upper school winner, who will advance to the county spelling bee to be held later this month, was eighth-grader Yossi Rosengard.

Grades three, four and five, along with other Jewish Day Schools, participated in the annual Torah Fair at the VOSJCC. The fair, sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education, was the culmination of a month-long project for students to research and study various mitzvot such as tzedakah, honoring parents, studying Torah and visiting the sick. Student project boards were exhibited, a magician performed and the children participated in art activities.

There were many activities at the school to celebrate Tu B'Shevat. A tree-planting ceremony took place in the Biblical Garden. Two representatives from each grade each planted a small tree while other class representatives read aloud short paragraphs describing the seven fruits of Eretz Yisroel. Many classes held Tu B'Shevat seders using the seven species, learning the correct blessings and celebrating Eretz Yisroel. Students celebrated President's Day with a Student Council sponsored "Red, White and Blue Day." Activities included a "most patriotic costume" contest with a winner in every grade, art activities and a song fest of student-written patriotic songs. Looking ahead, students in grades three, four and five are preparing for their annual Shabbaton to be held Feb. 27-28, while the upper grades are hard at work on their Science Fair projects.

Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School

This semester we have implemented an hour-long Friday morning schoolwide meeting with students and faculty. Each week revolves around a particular theme. Examples of past weeks are civil rights, the value of sports and Tu B'Shevat. The meeting begins with a performance by one of our students, followed by a short reading from the weekly Bible portion, then a celebration of good things going on in our school community, and we close with an activity centered on our theme.

We would like to remind the community that minyan takes place from 8:25-8:55 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 1:25-1:40 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The office is closed during this time due to schoolwide participation in prayer.

On Feb. 21, Student Council hosted Studio '04, a dance at Temple Chai's Mollen Social Hall open to all Jewish eighth- through 12th-graders. The students danced the night away while making new friends in the community.

We have had some guest speakers come and visit our students. James Kugel, a professor of biblical literature at Arizona State University, joined one of our Friday schoolwide meetings, as well as Rabbi Irving Greenberg, the president of Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation. The seniors also attended a PowerPoint presentation on Israel advocacy and anti-Semitism activities for college students given by David Bernstein.

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