Heads Up from SJCS A Point of View from Seattle Jewish Community School

Chrys Hunstiger is the Director of Curricular Activities.

This year, SJCS adopted two new curricular programs: Everyday Mathematics and TaL AM. Vertical alignment between grade levels, highly engaging materials, a focus on deep, conceptual understanding, and a rich supply of support materials make each of these research-based curricula a strong addition to the SJCS program. 

To help support the lifelong learning of our teachers and to facilitate the implementation process, SJCS has provided on-going training and support for each program. Next week the General Studies staff will continue the work started in the summer with an Everyday Math expert. She will be in the building all day, both observing classes and meeting with grade-level bands to deepen the understanding and use of the curriculum. 

In February, haMorim Amee, Jeff, and Yiscah will travel to Los Angeles for their second intensive two-day TaL AM training institute. Like our SJCS students, they will be immersed in Hebrew as they increase their knowledge and skills.  Additionally, monthly on-site mentorship with an experienced TaL AM teacher will continue throughout the year.

Deb Frockt is the Director of Advancement.

Earlier this month, many from the SJCS community gathered at the home of teachers Shoshana and Jeff Stombaugh to hear memories of their father/grandfather. The outpouring of support from adults – parents, alumni parents, colleagues, friends, and community members – was moving but not unexpected.

What was unexpected? The sight of so many SJCS students – not alumni but current elementary school children – sitting at the feet of their beloved teachers, listening patiently, respectfully, and empathetically to the memories of the mourners. Roles were reversed. Students, who are usually the recipients of support, were now there to lend it to their teachers.

It shouldn’t have surprised me. Our students have sensitive and caring parents who know the importance of a shiva call, a visit to the mourner. Daily, I have the privilege of seeing faculty model and explicitly teach “character development.” And yet, seeing these children support the mourners – a skill that many adults find daunting – was profound.

In almost every checklist of 21st century learning, character is ranked as a core competency, with empathy considered a critical component of character. There’s no standardized testing for character, no percentile that will delineate those who excel, no ranking to put on one’s college application.

In an ever-more global, interconnected, complex, and rapidly changing world, business and education experts know character matters. So what does this critical but broad term mean? I like this definition: the ability to understand oneself and to behave ethically and morally, guided by the values of respect, responsibility, integrity and good citizenship.

Yiddish has a term for someone who possesses character –  mensch. Despite its antiquated gender specificity and old-world cadence, it’s an incredibly efficient and 21st century-relevant word. I’m not waiting for NAIS or any other educational thought-leaders to adopt it, but…

Developing character – guiding children to become mensches – is at the heart of the SJCS curriculum. Apparently, what SJCS has always valued, is now seen by others as a necessity for future success.

SJCS received an awesome present the first night of Hanukkah – a $25,000 Challenge Award from PEJE. We know Hanukkah presents are very much a reflection of American culture and rampant consumerism, but we’re not complaining – thank you PEJE and PEJE funders!

SJCS was recognized (and rewarded!) among North American day schools for our Community Hub Program Initiative.  So what does Community Hub Program Initiative mean in plain English?  More great programs and options for children and families in Seattle and its north suburbs. We are grateful to our 2011 partners for their collaboration on these great offerings that complement our core K-5 Jewish day school program.

Summer day camp in Seattle in partnership with the JCC.  Our inaugural July 2011 session was so popular, we’ll be hosting two sessions in 2012.

Co-op preschool in partnership with the Seattle Jewish Cooperative Preschool and the JCC. This grassroots idea has flourished for parents and children 18-35 months.

Story times every month for preschoolers with PJ Library.  There’s always a guitar, lots of songs, and an open gym/playground – plus a craft.

Read our Challenge Award Press Release.

Shoshi Bilavsky, Head of School

A viewpoint from Shoshi Bilavsky, Head of School

One of the best loved Jewish holidays in the United States is Hanukkah – also known as the Festival of Lights. No wonder people love Hanukkah with lights everywhere on the streets and a feeling of warmth and hope in the home during the cold, dark winter. The family gathers each night to light candles and eat latkes, and the children receive Hanukkah gelt (money) or gifts.  

The Talmud tells us that beginning with the 25^th of the Hebrew month Kislev, eight days of Hanukkah are to be observed, during which no eulogies are to be delivered and no fasting is permitted.  When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem, they defiled all the oils, and when the Chasmoneans (the Maccabees) defeated them, they searched and found only one remaining jar of oil with the seal of the Kohen Gadol (the High Priest in the Temple).  Although it contained only enough oil to burn for one day, a miracle occurred, and the oil burned eight days.  A year later, the Rabbis designated these days as holidays on which praise and thanksgiving were to be said. (Talmud, Tractate, Shabbat 21).  In commemoration of these events, we light candles in the hanukkiah for eight days remembering the oil that burned in the Temple menorah.

If you take a glimpse into the Jewish literature on Hanukkah, it is clear to me that these eight days are dedicated specifically to, the internal light that brightens the soul.  Undoubtedly, Hanukkah is a victory celebration.  However, I think the emphasis is not on the struggle against tyranny, the land liberated, religious freedom, or the military victory against overwhelming odds.  It is actually the celebration of a spiritual struggle and, ultimately, victory.  Despite the Hellenization of a significant number of Jews in Israel, the Jewish people refused to surrender to the tidal wave of the dominant Greek culture which proclaimed that it alone was civilized, contemporary, and relevant.  By stubbornly insisting on maintaining their own identity, their core values, and the spiritual way of the Maccabees, the people not only survived but also revived Jewish life for the future.

Are we facing the same challenges today as they did?  The Greeks followed their eyes. The Jews followed their souls.  Today we live in a free, safe society with the freedom of choice.  And yet – do we follow our souls or our eyes?  I think most of us are more fascinated with the external lights and thus follow our eyes.  There is the ongoing battle between the eyes and the soul:  the outer light versus the inner light.  The eyes breed desire while the soul fosters content.

At SJCS, we nurture our children’s souls.  We teach them to better the world by acting every day with kindness, compassion, and justice towards each other. We encourage them to look beyond external, physical beauty, and instead, to seek the internal beauty of others.  We teach our children not to be limited by what humans can see, touch, hear, and smell – but instead, we help them become aware of the essence of humanity – and what they can become as they reach beyond themselves to connect with others.

Our sages teach us that the flame is a physical manifestation of the spiritual:

 ”Ki Ner Elokim Nishmat Adam“  – “כי נר אלוהים נשמת האדם” - ”The candle of God is the soul of man.” 

Like the human spirit, a flame can die or fly; it can be extinguished with the flick of the finger, or it can light up an entire world if provided with sufficient fuel.  

The light of Hanukkah is small.  If each of us keeps our light pure, this small light will grow and radiate over the entire world.  We are indebted to the parents who entrust their children to us.  Together, we are supporting the next generation that will help the flame grow even brighter.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukkah!

Sources:

Talmud Shabbat 21

Chanukah: Light or Fire? by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper (http://www.ou.org/chagim/chanukah/light.htm) 

Shira is an SJCS Class of 2011 graduate.  Her family is on sabbatical this year, travelling in the U.S. and around the world.  Shira and her family are currently in Thailand.

I recently went on a trip to Washington DC, and it was a lot of fun!  One of the reasons I think I was more excited than my siblings is because I had learned so much about Washington state and US government when I was in 4^th grade at SJCS.  For example, there are three branches of government. There is the Executive Branch, which is where the final decisions are made by the Vice President and the President. Then there is the Legislative Branch, which is where the rules are made. There is one more branch and that is the Judicial Branch where the rules are examined and explained.

It was extra exciting for me to see the U.S. capitol since my 4^th grade class went to Olympia. When we were in Olympia, we saw the Washington State capitol, which was built to look just like the U.S. capitol in Washington DC.

I am going to share with you two of my touring highlights.  One is getting to meet one of my legislators. Her name is Maria Cantwell. We went to the building where all of the U.S. senators have their offices with big waiting rooms. Our family looked really funny in between all these fancy dressed people because we were in our shorts, t-shirts, and raincoats.  We looked for where the Missouri and California senators were, since that’s where my brother and I were each born, but we did not get to see any of them. Then we went to the top floor to look for Washington’s senators.  In Senator Cantwell’s office there is our state flag and the U.S. flag. We went in and said hello to the office manager; she gave us tickets to see a court session that we (sadly) never ended up getting to watch. Just as we were leaving the office, in walked Maria Cantwell herself!

At first I thought she was just another office person. But then my dad said, “Oh, wow. Shira do you remember learning about your state’s legislators? This is Maria Cantwell whose picture we just saw on the wall of her office.” I thought, “OMG, I learned about these important people two years ago and now I’m meeting one in person.” I was simply awe struck! Maria Cantwell said hello, and we said hello back. She told us she flies from Washington State to Washington DC every week – that’s a lot of flying!  Then she asked if we wanted a picture with her. We immediately said, “YES.”  We talked to her for a long time. It was so exciting! As soon as we got outside of the building I said, “Can I call haMorah Elizabeth?” I was bursting with excitement. We called my teacher during a recess, so she answered and said that was amazing and she wished she could hear more about it! That was a memory that will last in my head FOREVER!

After being excited about meeting Senator Cantwell, the next day was even better because we got a tour of the White House.   It was not the usual White House tour – it was just our family, and we got to go into the press office.  I stood in the place that President Obama has stood so many times to give speeches. We were where all those TV shows and newscasts of important speeches are filmed. The room was packed full of cameras and video cameras. It was a once in a lifetime experience!  We were only 100 feet from the most important office in the world – 100 feet. That is where President Obama works. On the way out we got White House M&Ms. 

If any of you are lucky enough to go to Washington DC, please ask me for advice. Actually, you don’t need to. My advice is: join haMorah Elizabeth in 4^th grade!

A viewpoint from Shoshi Bilavsky, Head of School

Thanksgiving is a very appropriate holiday for Jews to celebrate. After all, according to Chasidic tradition, Jews are to give thanks 100 times each day. Giving thanks has always been an important part of Judaism, from reciting blessings after meals to thanking God for the creation of the world and our many blessings in it. Some historians have even proposed that the first Thanksgiving meal was modeled after the pilgrimage festival of Sukkot, which, coincidentally, comes at the same time as the secular “fall harvest” holidays.

American Jews are thankful for their acceptance into the American society, where we have become not only accepted, but successful, prosperous, and influential. America has been good to the Jews. We have always lived here in relative safety. Our rights as a minority religion are protected by law and the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Though we may have experienced anti-Semitism at times here, it is nothing compared to the anti-Semitism our grandparents or great-grandparents escaped from elsewhere.

I suggest you consider adding a Jewish ritual element to your Thanksgiving dinners. Psalm 100 – Mizmor L’Toddah/Psalm of Thanksgiving – is a particularly apt addition.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, from Boulder, Colorado, has written a special Thanksgiving prayer that can be recited at our tables. The English reads:

In the days of the Pilgrims, the Puritans – when they arrived at these safe shores – suffered hunger and cold. They sang and prayed to the Rock of their Salvation.  And You, standing by them, roused the caring of the Natives for them: who fed them turkey, corn, and other delights. Thus saved You them from starvation, and they learned the ways of peace with the inhabitants of the land. Therefore, feeling grateful, they dedicated a day of Thanksgiving each year as a remembrance for future generations, feeding unfortunates feasts of thanks. Thus we do thank You for all the good in our lives, God of Kindness, Lord of Peace, thus we do thank you.

One of my favorite children’s books for Thanksgiving is Rivka’s First Thanksgiving by Elsa Okron Rael. After learning about Thanksgiving in school, Rivka desperately wants her immigrant family to celebrate Thanksgiving. Rivka’s Jewish family is not sure what Pilgrims and Indians have to do with their experience in Poland, and when her grandmother decides that they should visit the rabbi for guidance, Rivka is determined to convince the rabbi that Thanksgiving is for everyone.

I am thankful – not just on the holiday of Thanksgiving, but every day – for the opportunity to be here in Seattle with my family, to be part of the education of our children, and for the  privilege of working with such a great Jewish community.

Psalms Chapter 100 תְּהִלִּים

An overview from Shoshi Bilavsky, Head of School.

Shoshi Bilavsky, Head of School

This week, SJCS parents meet with their children’s teachers in a formal way to learn more about how their students are doing in school. SJCS parents receive a report card, a portfolio of student work, and an oral report from the teachers.  The written report is an evaluation of the progress the student has made.  As you all know, children mature and develop at varying rates.  We respect and value each child as an individual.  We monitor academic and social growth through observation and evaluation of daily performance and consider “growth over time in each area” our primary metric.  The areas included in the report card are those identified as key components of the grade level curriculum. Our job – as educators and as parents – is to assess each student from where he or she is. Our goal is to celebrate the progress each student has made while addressing individual challenges and supporting growth in these areas.

The SJCS parent-teacher conference is an opportunity to identify each child’s particular abilities and social–emotional characteristics from two different perspectives – the child’s life at home and the student’s life at school.  We believe that parents and teachers are partners in a child’s education and that open communication between the adults in a child’s life support growth. We encourage parents to share with the teaching team their expectations, concerns, and questions. Parent input and involvement is invaluable and can be a significant positive force in a child’s education.

SJCS teachers use parent input, as well as their own observations, to help our students grow in all areas. The parent-teacher conference is an important part of what we view as a year-long partnership between school and family. That partnership is dedicated to supporting each child on his or her unique path of growth, change, and learning.

We actively teach the concept of dereh eretz – the path of the land, or the  way of kindness.  As a tool for practicing this concept, we use the Ladder of Success to help students internalize and actualize these fundamental concepts of behavior and our values-driven approach to them.  We believe that strong emotional grounding and secure social connections are the very foundation upon which future academic – and indeed all – success rests.  Read more from the Parent Handbook.  And, help make the connection between home and school by printing your own copy of the Ladder of Success.

Beth Huppin aka haMorah Bat Sheva has taught almost every grade at SJCS, and most recently, 5th grade.  In 2010, she received the prestigious Covenant Award for her innovative work in the classroom and in the community.  Beth is on a leave of absence and is travelling with her husband David Bennett.

For the past 6 or 7 years, David  has been teaching about a school in Whitwell, TN that collected paper clips as part of a study of the Holocaust.  You may have seen the movie  Paper Clips.  All of the children in this school are white Christians.  Their principal at the time (1999), Linda Hooper, wanted to teach the students about diversity.  She wanted them to know that there are other people in the world and that all people are made in God’s image.  Yes, she uses that language.  God’s image.  She knows her Bible.  Read more from “haMorah Batsheva” about her Whitwell Rosh Hashana and journey this year.

Natasha Grossman is the parent of two SJCS students and Vice President of the Board of Trustees.

It is a great irony that I am here today delivering this d’var/teaching to SJCS staff.  I, of all people, who often describe mine as the least observant family in the school and who had never heard a d’var torah (or at least know I was listening to a d’var) until my first child entered this school.

I have spent the last two years on the Board of Trustees avoiding this moment. However, Mitch Dernis (Board President) is on vacation with his family, and two well-established Jewish practices in my life are guilt and obligation.  So, when Mitch asked that I step in for him today, I said yes (of course, not without letting him know the gravity of the request he had made of me and the selflessness with which I had accepted it).

However, I am someone who believes that things happen for a reason and that when “opportunities” come my way, there is some kind of cosmic purpose to them.  In this case it is an opportunity for me to face my fears, take on a new challenge and delve one millimeter deeper into my “Jewishness.” But more importantly, it is an opportunity for me to thank and acknowledge you for creating an environment where I can do that, publicly, and without judgment or assessment – and for my children to do the same.

As many of you know, no one was more surprised than I to find myself enrolling my child in a day school.  However, when I began to look at the possibility of sending Max to a public school I realized that what was most important to me was that Max had a moral education.  I knew that there were many places and ways to ensure that Max had a good academic education, but to find a place where he could learn and grow in a community where ethical living was equally important was not as simple.   Given that, it seems fitting that this week’s parashah speaks to the laws of building society, of relationships with others, and the morals and ethics to which we, as a people must hold ourselves in order to maintain a fair, just and protective community.

I came to the prospective parent open house at SJCS with high expectations.  I was looking for a school that taught leadership and service, personal responsibility, and the understanding of self inside of community.  I also knew that I would know if the school was right for Max if I was moved to tears during the open house.  SJCS proved itself on both accounts that evening.

As I was reading commentaries on this week’s parashah, I found one that spoke to me, and that is representative of what is most valuable to me about the SJCS staff and community.

Rabbi Lauren Eichler Berkun wrote :

We must judge ourselves as if our every action has cosmic consequence. As we delve into our souls and assess our standing in the eyes of God and man, we must imagine that our lives are held in a delicate balance. The decisions we make about how we lead our lives will have a significant impact on the world around us – our families, our communities, our nation.

I believe that this is the lesson that the teachers and staff at SJCS consistently teach to my children – to be thoughtful in their actions and reactions, to consider the impact of their choices on others, and to be aware of the place that they have in the larger community.

As we begin this year as staff and as board members, I think this is a good lesson for us to remember for ourselves.  There will be changes and challenges, new curricula, new children, new colleagues, new parents and difficult choices to make along the way.  Living life as if each of our actions has cosmic consequences and being present to the awesome responsibility for how we walk through the world could be paralyzing.  However, if rather than letting the belief that there is gravity to the things we do stop us, we use it as a reminder to pause, to look at the bigger picture, and to the cosmic consequences each of our actions have on the larger community, I think that we will find ourselves being gentler on ourselves and each other as we strive to teach our children the importance of their relationships with others and of the morals and ethics to which we, as a people, must hold ourselves in order to maintain a fair, just and protective community.