by Shira Deener, Head of School. On Monday afternoon, I watched hundreds of sweaty, exhausted, yet, determined marathon runners trudge up Newton’s Heartbreak Hill – quite possibly the most challenging section of the Boston Marathon. I listened to the cow bells and words of encouragement showering the runners. I witnessed the supportive sounds of high fives and … More School Sparks: Lessons of Parshat Lech Lecha
This week’s Al HaPerek Sparks article is written by JCDS Board Member and Parent, Liz Waksman, ’19 and ’26. The themes of her D’var Torah are so important to the mission of JCDS that we have included in this week’s AHP for all to consume. Thank you, Liz! The Flood of Cancel Culture D’var Torah – Parshat Noach … More School Sparks: The Flood of Cancel Culture
By Shira Deener, Head of School. Lunch and Recess: A Case Study of Intentional Radical Belonging JCDS has made the commitment to be a radically inclusive school where students and their families feel a profound sense of belonging. According to the 20th century psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, “belonging” or “love” is almost as … More School Sparks: Lunch and Recess: A Case Study of Intentional Radical Belonging
וְחַ֤ג שָׁבֻעֹת֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לְךָ֔ בִּכּוּרֵ֖י קְצִ֣יר חִטִּ֑ים וְחַג֙ הָֽאָסִ֔יף תְּקוּפַ֖ת הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of the wheat harvest; and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.Shemot 34:22 Sukkot: A Time for Harvest By Avraham Sosa, Middle School Science Teacher. JCDS 8th graders could recently be spotted harvesting the … More School Sparks: Sukkot: A Time for Harvest + A Time to Be Joyful
By Shira Deener, Head of School. Traditionally, the Tashlich ceremony is done on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. During this ceremony, we go to a body of running water, preferably one containing fish. At the shore, we symbolically cast off our sins and misdeeds for the year. As we cast off, we reflect on the … More School Sparks: Tashlich
By Shira Deener, Head of School. It is traditional to say T’fillat haDerech, the Traveler’s Prayer, when one sets out on a journey by sea, plane, car or other means of transportation. A section of the prayer reads, שֶׁתּוֹלִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם. וְתַצְעִידֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם. וְתַדְרִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם. וְתִסְמְכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם You should lead us in peace and direct our steps in … More School Sparks: T’fillat haDerech (A Prayer for Travel) Through Third Grade
By Shira Deener, Head of School. Wednesday, on our first day of school, we summoned our JCDS students to listen carefully to the sound of the Shofar. Children of all ages joined together in absorbing the blast that echoed first in their classrooms and then outside on the blacktop. Traditionally, after hearing each hallowed call to … More School Sparks: First Day of School
By Shira Deener, Head of School. This week, JCDS celebrated Pride together as a community as well as in individual classrooms, learning about its history and marking Pride month in our own unique way on Rosh Chodesh. Teachers and students first laid a foundation of historical knowledge, each grade at its own level. Gan Nitzan … More School Sparks: Pride Rosh Chodesh
By Shira Deener, Head of School. This week, JCDS observed Memorial Day with activities and gatherings led by faculty members Andrea Silton and Josh Mocle. By delving deeper into the journeys of the forefathers and foremothers of America, students gained a new appreciation for the freedoms that their sacrifice has afforded us. Students learned what … More School Sparks: Memorial Day
By Michelle Janoschek, 5th Grade Humanities and Math Teacher, Tamar Co-Advisor Literacy in the 5th grade classroom has been quite an exciting place as of late! Tamarim (fifth graders) read the book, Letters From Cuba, which is the story of a young Jewish girl, Esther, who flees Poland in 1938 and settles in Cuba. Characters … More School Sparks: Letters From Cuba
