EVJCC Day School celebrates Black History month

East Valley JCC Day School

Black History has been a theme in the curriculum this month. Each class has been studying the civil rights movement and more specifically what the American constitution affirms as the inalienable rights of its citizens. In conjunction with these studies, students have been reading about notable blacks who have made an impression in the civil rights movements and in American history in general. Third- and fourth-graders wrote essays on the contributions that Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks made in advancing civil rights.

The second grade has been graphing information received from various states in the United States through a postcard-exchange program with other schools throughout the country. In conjunction with President's Day and U.S. social studies, the first-graders have learned patriotic songs associated with our country's history. Third- and fourth-grade students defined the words to the Pledge of Allegiance and created books, which illustrated the personal meaning of the Pledge.

Ancient Greece was the country middle school students explored while creating a newspaper with articles and ads reflecting the ancient philosophies, architecture, economics, geography and more of that time frame. Students will select a character from Greek mythology to portray and present a first person oration in costume.

Student Council continues collecting donations for the tsunami relief efforts. Students have explored major relief organizations and have selected the relief venue for which to donate the collected tzedekah funds. Student Council recently granted a $50 stipend for each class to purchase a class "gift" from the proceeds of its lunchtime sales.

Rehearsals for the school class production have begun. The choir, under the tutelage of Emily Zappa, will present the annual spring event, which this year honors the first sixth-grade graduating class in the history of the EVJCC Day School.

The day school is currently registering students for next year. The school will serve grades 1-5 when the EVJCC moves to its new location in Chandler. Call 480-897-0588.

Pardes Jewish Day School

Children in the elementary school celebrated the 100th day of school with activities related to the number 100. Each class got to decorate a cake with 100 edible items, which they got to eat afterwards.

The kindergartners are busy little scientists, planting seeds and watching them grow at different rates. They visited the Scottsdale Public Library and received their own library cards.

The second graders completed a unit on Earth and Space. As a culminating activity, they visited the Planetarium at the Arizona Science Center. Their next unit of study is Native Americans.

The fourth- and fifth-graders went to Dreamy Draw Park. Under the supervision of a park ranger, Don Harold, they cleared paths and planted about 40 plants. The student council went to Maricopa County Hospital to give gifts of gratitude to the emergency room nurses. Students at the school are encouraged to do community service as part of the curriculum.

The third-, fourth- and fifth-grades are currently working on Torah fair projects. They will join other day school students in displaying their mitzvot, or good deeds, at the end of the month. The projects integrate research and writing skills.

The Middle School held student council elections. The winners are: president, Freda Spencer; vice president, David Klemow; treasurer, Shira Mizel; and secretary, Nicole Cantor. The school is currently accepting applications for new students. PJDS has kindergarten through eighth grades.

Phoenix Hebrew Academy

First-graders learned all about teeth during Dental Health Week. They did science experiments to show how acid affects teeth. They also drew pictures of what the tooth fairy might look like.

Thea Block taught second-graders sign language. The children learned how to spell their names, sign the Pledge of Allegiance and even do math problems. This activity was done because the class had finished reading a story about a deaf couple.

The sixth-grade Judaic Studies class, under the direction of Yair Shlomi, one of its Morim Shlichim from Israel, built a beautiful model of the mishkan (tabernacle), including all its tools and vessels. This project was the culmination of many weeks of learning the Parsha of Terumah and Tetzaveh. The model mishkan will be displayed at the school and the shul to be enjoyed by everyone.

The sixth, seventh and eighth grades participated in the annual upper grade Shabbaton held at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy. Participants slept in host homes near the Academy. They davened, ate sumptuous Shabbat meals, eagerly participated in activities and exhibited great Shabbat Ruach throughout the entire Shabbaton. The highlight of the Shabbaton was the College Bowl, which gave the sixth- and seventh-graders graders a slim but decisive win over the eighth grade.

Students of PHA are currently finishing two important tzedakah campaigns. Chai Life Lines Parshathon requested that students get sponsors for five Shabbat portions of the week. The students must then demonstrate mastery of each Parsha to get credit. Monies collected are then sent to help Jewish children with cancer and other diseases. The project combines learning Torah with doing acts of chesed.

Ateres Zvi Tzedakah Chessed Chessed Organization encouraged the students to donate used or retired cell phones. The proceeds from these phones will help the poor in Eretz Yisrael. To date, both projects have been successful.

The King David School

KDS students explored Arizona in a variety of field trips during the past month. First-graders visited the Desert Botanical Gardens and enjoyed hands-on educational experiences. Second-graders visited the Festival of Cultures and learned about the heritage and traditions of diverse cultures through song, dance, music, storytelling and costumes. Sixth-graders toured the Pueblo Grande Museum followed by an archeological dig.

A DNA Discovery Evening was held on Feb. 10 for fifth- through eighth-graders. Parents and their students joined in this interactive event, as they moved from station to station participating in innovative science experiments.

Students at all grade levels are participating in the Blue Box Boom, a project of the Jewish National Fund. Students place donations in donation boxes at their homes. The funds are then pooled and sent to Israel for projects ranging from tree planting and water preservation to the development of new towns.

The winners of the KDS Spelling Bee on Jan. 28 are: sixth-grader Mollie Adatto, first place; eighth-grader Rachel Groetsch, second place; and fifth-grader Sam Schafer, third place.

First-graders received their Siddurim (prayer books, especially decorated for them by their parents) in a moving service.

Rabbi Rafael Landesman of the Phoenix Community Kollel led grades 3-8 in a special service on the theme of messages of peace within the Mishnah, in honor of the completion of the seven-year round of Mishnah study.

Numerous activities for the 100th day of school took place on Feb. 8.

Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School

The high school presented its first "Evening of Art" on Sunday, Feb. 13 at Temple Chai, Molen Social Hall. Several local artists and many parents and students sold a variety of art, including jewelry, fused glass, hand-painted silk scarves, pencil drawings, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography and Israeli art. There was wine, cheese, music and a silent auction. The admission charge and a percentage of all art sales went to the school.

The Lady Hawks have concluded their basketball season with a title of AAU State Runners Up, finishing second place after playoffs and the championship game. Josh Weiner, coach of the team, led the team to amazing comebacks almost every game.

On Feb. 16, the school participated in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC). AMC is dedicated to the goal of strengthening the mathematical capabilities of the nation's youth. One way to meet this goal is to identify, recognize and reward excellence in mathematics through a series of national contests called the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12), the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), and the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). Jess Schwartz students have scored among the highest in the nation in previous years.

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