I realize that I may have squeezed out five blog posts over the last two weeks, but that for many of you, this is the annual post you have been waiting for…
It is amazing to note that we have reached this point in the calendar and that the final two weeks of school are in front of us! It has been such an extraordinary year here at OJCS and we are already busy planning for the next one. I can appreciate that no one – including me! – wants to wish their summer away, but we are so excited about what is in store that we almost cannot wait to begin again!
Speaking of next year…
As you hopefully have already heard, we are saying goodbye to Rabbi Finkelstein and Noga Reiss who will be retiring at the end of this school year after long and distinguished careers at OJCS. [Hopefully you are planning on attending their Retirement Tea on Sunday, June 23rd at 3:00 PM here at the school. Email the office to RSVP.] These two faculty members have contributed much to our school and each will be missed.
The search process to fill Rabbi Finkelstein’s and other existing and new positions is underway and we will continue to update you as we make hires between now and the beginning of next year.
Looking back at last year’s post, I am struck by how many new structures and departments we introduced and that here, a year later, how much more stable we have become. Last year, we introduced new schedules, increased contact time with both Hebrew and French, a new Department of Special Education, and a new Educational Leadership Team. This year, we are simply letting you know who the key ingredients to the meal we are cooking together will be…
It does not mean that we are content or don’t have lots of work still ahead of us in order to become the school we seek to become! In order to reach those “North Stars,” our teachers are looking forward to a year to live them more fully, to make sure the strategies we have developed (such as “prototyping”) are understood, to give us all a chance to better understand the whys and hows of classroom blogs, to implement a new homework philosophy, to truly strengthen the “J” in OJCS, to open our makerspace, and to launch a powerful new partnership to enhance French language education. This will be more than enough to keep us joyfully busy into next year and beyond…
Finally, you will see below a few places where we have decided to absorb the cost of splitting classes, not just because enrollment in those classes may be going up, but because our promise to parents of personalization requires us to staff according to need, not to numbers, and we intend to deliver on those promises.
OK, I think I have given a lengthy enough preamble. Let’s get excited about this gifted and loving group of teachers and administrators who will partner with our parents in the sacred work of educating our children. I know I am!
The 2019-2020 OJCS Faculty & Staff
Lower School General Studies Faculty
- Kindergarten: Janet Darwish, Dora Scharf (French) & Taylor Smith (EA)
- Grade One: Ann-Lynn Rapoport & Dora Scharf (French) [TWO Classes]
- Grade Two: Lianna Krantzberg & Dora Scharf/Aaron Polowin (French) [TWO Classes]
- Grade Three: Faye Mellenthin & Aaron Polowin (French)
- Grade Four: Julie Bennett, a French Teacher (Core) & Aaron Polowin (Extended) [TWO Classes]
- Grade Five: Melissa Thompson, a French Teacher (Core) & Aaron Polowin (Extended)
Lower School Jewish Studies Faculty
- Kitah Gan: Shira Waldman
- Kitah Alef: Ada Aizenberg [TWO CLASSES]
- Kitah Bet: Bethany Goldstein [TWO CLASSES]
- Kitah Gimmel: Sigal Baray
- Kitah Dalet: Yardena Kaiman [TWO CLASSES]
- Kitah Hay: Gonen Sagy
Middle School Faculty
- Grade 6 Educational Assistant: An Educational Assistant
- Science: Josh Ray
- Mathematics: Chelsea Cleveland
- Language Arts: Mike Washerstein
- Social Studies: Deanna Bertrend
- Extended French: Stéphane Cinanni
- Core French: French Teacher
- Hebrew: Gonen Sagy (Level I) & Ruthie Lebovich (Level II)
- Jewish Studies: Mike Washerstein
- Rabbinics: A Rabbinics Teacher
Specialists
- Art: Shira Waldman
- Music: A Music Teacher
- PE: Josh Ray, Faye Mellenthin (Grades 1, 2 & MS Girls) & Linda Signer (K)
- Library: Brigitte Ruel
Department of Special Education
- Keren Gordon, Vice Principal
- Sharon Reichstein, Director of Special Needs
- Linda Signer, Resource Teacher
- Brian Kom, Resource Teacher
- Chelsea Cleveland, Math Resource
- Shira Waldman/Sigal Baray, Hebrew Resource*
- French Teacher, French Resource*
Education Leadership Team
- Melissa Thompson, Teaching & Learning Coordinator
- Deanna Bertrend, Student Life Coordinator
Administration
- Josh Max – IT & Technology Support
- Ellie Kamil – Executive Assistant to the Head of School
- Head of Jewish Studies – Head of Jewish Studies
- Development Director – Director of Development*
- Jennifer Greenberg – Director of Recruitment
- Keren Gordon – Vice-Principal
- Dr. Jon Mitzmacher – Head of School
We are moving full steam ahead with candidates for all the above positions and between our extraordinary returning teachers and the quality of the candidates we have met thus far for new teachers, we know that the future is bright at OJCS.
*New position for 2019-2020.
This likely ends my weekly blogging for the season. I will be away with our Grade 8s next week on their GRAD Trip to NYC (follow us on social media!) and then it is OJCS Graduation, Last Day of School and Faculty Pre-Pre-Planning (our PD days where we pivot towards the next year). I will blog through the summer if and when there is what to share. Our office remains open, of course, but administration will take staggered vacation throughout the summer to make sure our saws are fully sharpened for 2019-2020.
