Community Building – Page 13 – A Floor, But Not a Ceiling

The Transparency Files: Introducing the 2012-2013 MJGDS Faculty!

It is hard to believe that we are already in the last week of school! Graduation was this morning at 10:30 AM, the last day is tomorrow, and for teachers summer begins next week!

Just as last year, we want to follow up conversations about standardized test results (here), annual parent surveys (here) and my own self-evalaution (here) with announcing as much as we can about who the primary people will be charged to take that data and make the next year even better than this one – the 2012-2013 MJGDS Faculty & Staff.

Before I provide the list, I want to highlight four things:

We have a few more openings than I typically have heading into summer. We are still searching for a (second) Middle School Math Teacher, a Kindergarten Assistant, a First Grade Assistant, and a Fourth Grade Assistant. I have been collecting resumes and have begun the process of conducting interviews. I hope all four positions are secured in the upcoming weeks. However, we shall not rush. Each position is important and due diligence shall be taken.
All Grades in K-5 will be redoing their schedules so as to delineate dedicated instructional time for each General Studies topic: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Those schedules will be published when complete. In addition, Mrs. Jo-Ann Kagan will be taking on Science instruction in Grades Three-Five. We feel this level of specificity and engagement is necessary to ensure we are providing the highest quality Science program possible.
We will be making an additional exciting change to our Fourth & Fifth Grade Program for 2012-2013. Mrs. Stephanie Teitelbaum will remain the Fourth Grade General Studies Homeroom Teacher and Mrs. Shelly Zavon will remain the Fifth Grade General Studies Teacher. But in a move to create a more successful bridge between the Lower & Middle Schools, and to benefit from “looping” and “departmentalization” beginning next year, Mrs. Teitelbaum will teach Language Arts for Grades 4 & 5 and Mrs. Zavon will teach Mathematics and Social Studies for Grades 4 & 5. [NOTE: We are not combining classes nor team-teaching.] Studies prove that the first quarter of each school year is lost while teachers “learn” their students—assessing their academic levels, evaluating their behavior, figuring out how to motivate, etc. By looping—rotating students from one specialized teacher and class to the next–students and teachers bypass wasted time and are instead able to better focus and be focused on. With Looping, students in Grades 4 & 5 have the same Mathematics, Language Arts, and Science teachers across two school years providing greater consistency and understanding for both student and teacher. This form of specialization called departmentalization allows each teacher to instruct to their own passions and strengths. Student’s benefit from each teacher’s talents and subject specialization maximizes individualized instruction. What’s more, subject specialization lends itself to clearer and more frequent assessments. Parents will better understand where their child is in a subject and be able to more closely monitor their progress. Looping and departmentalization are designed to work in tandem to accomplish more—more focus, more understanding, and more learning—and all in the same amount of time. We are very excited about this change for next year!
We have two new fabulous teachers to introduce!

Introducing our new First Grade General Studies Teacher, Ms. Pamela Lewis! Ms. Lewis is a former MJGDS student and current JJC Camp KiTov CIT Director. Ms. Lewis is graduating this year from the University of North Florida and comes to us with glowing recommendations from all her student teaching assignments. She wowed us during her interviews and model lesson with her energy, ideas and positive attitude. We are pleased to welcome her back home to MJGDS and look forward to her having a long, successful career on our faculty.
Introducing our new Third Grade General Studies Teacher, Mr. Seth Carpenter! Mr. Carpenter has his Masters from the University of Pittsburgh and has taught successfully in St. Johns County and in Pittsburgh, PA. He and his wife are the proud parents of two, including an incoming MJGDS Kindergartner! In addition to his teaching experience, he also brings a love and talent for the arts that comes from his experience as a professional actor and artist with the Cirque du Soleil. We are looking forward to Mr. Carpenter’s energy and creativity for years to come!

And now without further adieu, the 2012-2013 MJGDS Faculty & Staff:

Lower School General Studies Faculty

Kindergarten: Mrs. Arlene Yegelwel & (A second teacher to be hired soon!)
First Grade: Ms. Pamela Lewis & (A second teacher to be hired soon!)
Second Grade: Ms. Amy Stein & Mrs. Shannon McVearry
Third Grade: Mr. Seth Carpenter & Mrs. Carla Bernard
Fourth Grade: Mrs. Stephanie Teitelbaum & (A second teacher to be hired soon!)
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Shelly Zavon

Lower School Jewish Studies Faculty

Kitah Gan: Morah Edith (Ita) Horovitz & Morah Mazal Spalter
Kitah Alef: Morah Robin (Rachel) Morris & Morah Hannah Bendit
Kitah Bet: Morah Rivka Cohen
Kitah Gimmel: Morah Liat Walker & Morah Mazal Spalter
Kitah Dalet: Morah Rivka Cohen
Kitah Hay: Morah Liat Walker

Kitah Bet-Gimmel Resource Teacher: Morah Rivkah Ohayon
Kitah Dalet-Hay Resource Teacher: Morah Mazal Spalter

Middle School Faculty

Science: Mrs. Susan Burkhart
Social Studies: Mrs. Judy Reppert
Language Arts: Mrs. Deb Kuhr
Middle School Mathematics: Mrs. Lauren Resnick & (A second teacher to be named soon!)
Hebrew & Rabbinics: Morah Rivka Ohayon
Hebrew & Mitzvot: Morah Edith (Ita) Horovitz
Hebrew & Bible: Rabbi Jesse Olitzky
Rabbinics: Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner

Resource Teachers

Music: Mrs. Jeanine Hoff
Art: Mrs. Shana Gutterman
PE: Coach Jared Goldman
Jewish Music & Tefillah: Hazzan Jesse Holzer

21st Century Learning Team

Director of Teaching & Learning: Mrs. Andrea Hernandez
21st Century Learning Specialist: Mrs. Silvia Tolisano
Library & Media Specialist: Mrs. Karin Hallett
Academic Resource Specialist: Mrs. Jo-Ann Kagan
Technology Coordinator: Mrs. Kim Glasgal

MJGDS Administrative Team

Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Jessie Roman
Executive Assistant: Mrs. Robyn Waring
Admissions & Marketing Director: Mrs. Talie Zaifert
Middle School Vice-Principal: Mrs. Edith Horovitz
Head of School: Dr. Jon Mitzmacher

I will provide updates to our staffing as it becomes final and, of course, remain always available for questions or concerns. It has been a remarkable 50th anniversary year at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School. Next year, we kick off another amazing half-century!

MJGDS 50th Anniversary Speech

What a magical evening last night was!

I was asked if I would publish my remarks and it is, of course, my pleasure to do so.

50^th Anniversary Gala Speech

I come before you this evening with unbridled gratitude and extreme humility. I am in but my second year and I stand on the shoulders of giants like Marilyn Sandler, Willard Kennedy and Carole Goldberg who are with us tonight for this extraordinary evening. It is but a quirk of the calendar that brings me to the dais as head of this special school during its 50^th anniversary year. Without their monumental gifts of talent, time and love, this milestone could not have been reached. I may be the one standing on stage tonight, but they are the ones who built it.

What a true blessing this weekend has been! The anniversary was 50 years in the making; the planning for it has been almost a full year. We have and will continue to thank the volunteers and staff who dedicated untold hours of care so we could celebrate this historic event in the life of our school, our synagogue, and our Jewish community. I would like to take the prerogative of the moment, however, to add my personal appreciation for a person for whom no words of praise are sufficient. Mauri Mizrahi has been my rock and my partner these last two years and never has a lay leader worked or cared so much. No one, except maybe Alan, will ever know how much effort and energy she has given to guarantee that the beginning of the next fifty years of our school will match, if not exceed, the fifty glorious years we are honoring tonight.

We have spent a weekend reliving and celebrating the past and the present. And as we have seen tonight, there is much to be proud of. Our alumni’s achievements astound; our volunteers’ passion unmatched; and our faculty’s love unrivaled. And as twenty-one schools and fourteen agencies validated this past weekend at edJEWcon, our present is fulfilling the promise of our past. But this is not merely a celebration of and for the Day School. This is an achievement that required the vision and courage of a synagogue to found a Jewish day school in Jacksonville, Florida. This is a moment only reached because of a Jewish community that continues to believe in the power of Jewish education. This is a dream fulfilled because of the support of a generous and forward-thinking Jewish Federation. Our hearts overflow with the outpouring of support this anniversary has generated.

And we are not merely celebrating the past this evening. We are ensuring the future. And it will be a future filled with academic achievement and passion for Judaism for our Day School and for all the schools of the Jacksonville Jewish Center. And it begins with a story…

Samuel and Esther Galinsky were, by all accounts, modest and unassuming members of our synagogue. They participated in synagogue life and were respected members of the congregation. They cared about Jewish education, but had no children of their own. They were, in many ways, like any other couple. When they died, their friends mourned their passing. And that should be the end of the story. But it isn’t. Because this ordinary couple did something extraordinary. With no fanfare and no notice, Samuel and Esther Galinsky left the Jacksonville Jewish Center amongst the most significant gifts it has ever received – $3 million. And it was given for one purpose – this childless couple gave their fortune to ensure that Jewish children would be able to have a Jewish education. Has there even been a more selfless gift? Have any people ever more embodied the idea of L’dor V’dor?

And so it is in the spirit of this gift – of that remarkable couple – that we officially announce the creation of what will forever now be known as “Galinsky Academy”.

[Reveal model.]

Galinsky Academy declares our intent to live up to the charge the Galinsky’s have given us – to provide Jewish children of all ages the highest quality education possible. Galinsky Academy consists of all the schools of the Jacksonville Jewish Center – our Preschool, the Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School, the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, and Makom Hebrew High. It represents our commitment that all of our children – regardless of the path their parents choose – will benefit from the finest teachers, an engaged clergy, the highest-quality curriculum, and the most cutting-edge technology. Galinsky Academy will be a 21^st century learning organization like no other. No artificial boundaries. No territories. No excuses.

Tonight we set the course towards the future. Just as those pioneers fifty years ago bravely created a day school in spite of the obstacles, we tonight create an academy unlike any that has ever been created before. We will walk in our founders’ footsteps and dream in big and bold colors. And like them, we will need the ongoing support of our community to make those dreams come true. We have surpassed our wildest dreams in this magical year in terms of fundraising, but let no one think the work of funding Jewish education is done or even on hold. We continue to live in difficult economic times. L’dor V’dor becomes our Academy’s most important annual fund and we hope you will be inspired to continue to support this fund each year as a key component to sustaining the future of all our schools.

Finally, this evening, I have the pleasure of one more special announcement. In the spirit of the Galinsky Academy, the Bernard and Alice Selevan Religious School, and the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, another family has stepped forward to do their part to ensure that each child in the Academy will begin their educational journey on the right foot.

[Reveal label.]

I welcome you to the new DuBow Preschool. Children in the DuBow Preschool will spend their early years in a state-of-the art facility and will experience a world-class preschool education. They will be set on a path towards academic excellence and Jewish identification. Our appreciation to the DuBow Family is limitless – the gift they have given the children of our community is priceless.

The gift they have given is also unique – it marks the first gift endowed to Galinksy Academy. It will not only benefit our preschool, but all the schools of the academy. We are confident that this will be the first of many Academy-endowed gifts that will allow our schools to deliver on our promises and inspire our children to be their best.

And so tonight we pause to shed naches at what was and to prepare for what will be. As it says in the Mishnah: “Lo alecha ha’mlacha legmor…” – “It is not incumbent on you to finish the work, neither are you free to exempt yourself from it.” (Mishnah: Avot, 2.16). As the proud head of the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the first head of the Galinsky Academy, I am inspired to do my part – with you – to carry this dream forward into the next fifty years.

Thank you.

Nine Days

I was going to try to get out with another “too busy to blog” tweets (like I did last week), but I have, in fact, spent a good chunk of my day editing the premiere of “Jon’s 2nd #NoOfficeDay with a #PrincipalStudentSwap” movie! Yes, I am three weeks behind, but it was now or never. It is still a bit rawer than I would like (and longer), but I still prefer the “now” to the “never”.

I blogged the background to the video, here. It ends, perhaps, the first chapter in our “Community of Kindness” conversation that I have blogged about here, here, and here. My swap partner, Shoshana H., is still working on her version of the day, and you can check out her blog, here, for updates.

It was a wonderful experience to not only get out of my office (you can read the blog and see the movie of my first #NoOfficeDay, here), but to live life for a day like one of our students. I think the students enjoyed it as well. I’m not sure I’ll be able to squeeze in a third this year, but our students know that if they create their own two-minute “Community of Kindness” videos, they are liable to earn themselves a good ol’ swap!

So, without further adieu, I present “Jon’s 2nd #NoOfficeDay with a #PrincipalStudentSwap”:

The next nine days will be among the most amazing, exciting, enjoyable, moving and monumental in our school’s history. Sunday begins edJEWcon 5772.0 and later that week we begin celebrating our 50th Anniversary! I will blog about them both in the weeks to come. And if that wasn’t enough, in our final weeks I still need to blog about:

Our Annual Parent Survey
Our Annual Faculty Survey
Our ITBS Results
Big Plans for the Future!

It is going to be quite a ride during these final weeks to the school year!

The Transparency Files: Re-accreditation

This has been yet another action-packed week at MJGDS!

We had all our Model Seders this week and closed out with Parent-Teacher Conferences.

But in between, as you may recall from this blog post, here, I spent one day this week engaged in my second “No Office Day” – but this one had a twist. It was a “Principal-Student Swap”! I switched places with Shoshana H. who created and posted her own 2-minute Community of Kindness video on her blog post, here. It will take me until after Passover Break to edit my video into a “movie”, but you can get a taste of it by checking out a bit of the raw video:

I look forward to editing the video and doing a reflection on the experience as my next blog post. And Shoshana will be doing the same on hers.

This post will hopefully be the first in a series of “Transparency Files” that will likely take me through the rest of the school year. This is the season that we learn lots of important information about our school…and in the spirit of transparency we try to share that information with our stakeholders. We currently have annual Faculty and Parent Surveys being filled out and returned. I look forward to sharing those results when they are ready. I also look forward to sharing the results of our standardized tests when they come back. We did last year (here, here and here) and we will do so each year. It is part of our pledge of transparency. We always have room to grow and to learn.

Speaking of which…we finally received our FCIS (Florida Council of Independent Schools) preliminary report! (The final draft will go to the June FCIS Board Meeting for approval.) I wanted to use this opportunity, while we are still in session, to share the commendations and recommendations we learned from FCIS. (When the final report comes in, I may make sections of it available on our website.) It was a very affirming experience for all involved. It reinforced our strengths and gave us concrete steps towards improving our deficits. I look forward to building upon the commendations and acting upon the recommendations in the months and years ahead. What follows is taken directly from the report:

Florida Council of Independent Schools

Florida Kindergarten Council

Evaluation for Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

March 11-13, 2012

Executive Summary

The Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the Jacksonville Jewish Center Preschool are integral programs of the Jacksonville Jewish Center, a conservative Jewish community with nearly two thousand members. The educational programs of the Synagogue have operated independently, but will soon be unified under the leadership of the current Head of School of Martin J. Gottlieb, who will report to the Educational Cabinet of the Jacksonville Jewish Center. The chair of the Educational Cabinet serves as the Vice President of Education on the Board of Directors of the Synagogue.

Responsibilities for the physical plant, maintenance, finances, food service, and security are all the responsibility of the Executive Director of the Synagogue, while all religious matters are the responsibility of the Senior Rabbi. Both the Preschool and The Day School have experienced declining enrollments, but due to energized leadership and excitement with the 21^st century learning initiative, enrollment has stabilized and projections for 2012-13 call for a slight increase. The FCIS-FKC evaluation was postponed by one year due to a change in leadership at Martin J. Gottlieb.

SCHOOL HISTORY AND MISSION

DESCRIPTION: The Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the Jacksonville Jewish Center Preschool are affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The Preschool was founded in 1942 and the Day school began operation in 1961. In 2012-13, 69 students are enrolled in the Preschool and 125 students attend the Day School. The Mission of the Preschool is “to provide a superior program that meets the social, physical, ethnic, and academic needs of each child. The Preschool’s foundation is built upon a philosophy of hands-on learning while providing an atmosphere that instills confidence, acceptance, self-worth, and character development.” The Mission of Martin J. Gottlieb Day School states, “We are committed to providing a caring, supportive community in which each student can grow academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. The students are presented with a philosophy of life based upon the values and concerns embodied in Conservative Judaism, stressing social action and social responsibility.”

ACADEMIC ORGANIZATION, FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATION

COMMENDATIONS:

The school has identified a clear need to streamline the organizational leadership structure for the three separate schools at the Jacksonville Jewish Center, and as such, have developed a task force to strategically develop a plan to make the necessary and appropriate changes.
The Gottlieb Day School has brought on quality professional senior administrators to lead the school in its current time of transition.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

It is recommended that the elementary school teachers meet as a group more often than once monthly.
With the “merger” of the existing schools, and in particular in the case of the Gottlieb Day School and the Preschool, it is essential that a greater parity of faculty salaries be established.

FACULTY TEACHING CONDITIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

COMMENDATIONS:

Teachers feel supported by the Head of School and report that he is working to increase hours and improve benefits.
General Education and Judaic Studies teachers are to be commended for their commitment to planning interdisciplinary units for students.
Ongoing Professional Development opportunities are made available to teachers and teaching assistants.
The Faculty Ning has provided teachers with a method to evaluate, assess, and reflect on their lesson plans.
The 21st Century Learning Team provides on-going coaching and support while authentically integrating educational technology into academic areas.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The administration should continue to work to improve the “benefits package” available for teachers.
The administration must structure a plan which makes an adjustment to teacher salaries so that pay is equitable across all divisions.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND MORALE

COMMENDATIONS:

The overall morale of students in both the Preschool and Day School is positive as students readily display cheerful and content attitudes in classrooms and about campus.
Students are respectful and courteous to each other, school personnel, and visitors.
The faculty and staff of the Preschool and Day School are dedicated professionals who strive to make the academic, behavioral, emotional, and religious needs of the students a top priority. This is reflected in the positive interactions between students as well as between students and the faculty/staff.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Continue to provide and expand lessons that teach students appropriate ways to handle difficult situations while treating each other in a kind and respectful manner.
Continue the practice of helping others through service projects in the larger community.
Continue the strong focus on Jewish values, which will continually foster the nurturing environment already established throughout the school.

STUDENT ADMISSIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS

COMMENDATIONS:

The Admissions Director is an extremely beneficial position for the success of the school. With declining enrollment over the previous five years, the school hopefully has an opportunity to reverse this trend.
The Day School offers a generous financial assistance program that enables more families to attend the school.
An inviting website has been developed to introduce prospective families to The Day School.
The school has sponsored several programs to secure a more visible presence for the school in the community.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

With the acceptance of the McKay Scholarship, The Day School should examine the special needs they are able to accommodate within their school setting. The administration needs to develop a program with appropriate staffing that will enable these students to be successful.
Attention should be given to developing more comprehensive standard entrance assessments for grades 1-8.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

COMMENDATIONS:

Benchmarks and standards have been created across all grade levels to ensure integrity of the academic program.
The Lower School has added the Singapore Math Program in kindergarten through fifth grade to ensure acquisition of foundational and fundamental math skills.
The creation of blogfolios for lower school students demonstrates the authentic integration of technology tools into the curriculum.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Implement an academic support process for students who do not have prior instruction in Singapore Math to facilitate a smooth transition into the math program.
More attention needs to be given to curriculum development and scheduling in Social Studies and Science.
Block scheduling may increase the ability of teachers to meet the needs of all learners.

COMMENDATIONS:

The students in the Middle School seem happy and engaged in their own education.
The 21^st Century Learning community has created an environment of cutting edge education at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School.
Each student has developed a blogfolio that is an important component of a student’s assessment.
Small classes enable the Middle School teachers to truly differentiate their curriculum.
The Middle School students have taken ownership of their spiritual learning by leading the Tefillah (prayer service).
The Mitzvah Program, on Friday mornings, enables the students to volunteer in the greater Jacksonville community.
The math curriculum allows students to advance into courses that enable them to receive high school credit.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The PE department should consider expanding their afterschool sports program to increase student participation and include 5^th grade students on their teams.
The Middle School Vice-Principal wears many hats within the school community. The school should consider additional support for this position.

LIBRARY/MEDIA CENTER

COMMENDATIONS:

The media center is an inviting space that supports student learning through various means including an extensive book collection and electronic resources.
The media specialist is very knowledgeable in the area of 21st Century learning and is instrumental in encouraging students and teachers in gaining knowledge pertaining to information literacies.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Continue to budget for and purchase additional electronic and book collections, especially nonfiction titles.
Encourage volunteerism in the media center to assist the media specialist in the updating of the card catalog and the assessment of the current collection.

TECHNOLOGY

COMMENDATIONS:

The administration, faculty and staff are commended for their understanding of 21st Century literacies and the implementation of a school-wide initiative to ensure that technology is embedded into the curriculum as tools for students.
The interdisciplinary use of technology and digital media such as that used in the art program enhances and supplements classroom instruction in a meaningful way.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Technology Plan needs to be rewritten and updated to support the school’s mission and philosophy.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETIC PROGRAM

COMMENDATIONS:

It is clear that the school has embraced its new mascot (pictured on campus murals, spirit wear, and other school paraphernalia). Campus spirit and pride are positive across the broad spectrum of stakeholders (students, alumni, faculty, and staff).
The ability to develop a Middle School inter-scholastic girls’ volleyball team after only one year is commended.
Having a new perspective on the objectives of the Knesset and how the students are elected, function, and pursue their purpose is now recognizably in line with the school’s overall philosophy and mission.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Given the wonderful resources present at the current facilities, it is recommended that attention be given to the outdoor basketball and tennis courts in order to provide safe spaces for additional after-school athletic options.
Consideration should be given to creating a developmental sports team this spring, which could engage the students now and provide them the confidence to be ready to compete in that sport next year.

SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS

The Jacksonville Jewish Center is commended for developing a new governance model for its educational divisions. The Galinsky Academy will unify the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, the Jewish Center Preschool, and the JJC Religious School under one administrative structure. The visiting team believes that this will increase efficiencies, improve the transition between divisions and better utilize staff and facilities.
The 21st Century Learning model is transforming teaching and learning in the school. Evidence of this is particularly noteworthy in the blogging program as a vehicle for improving analytical writing skills. Furthermore, the program is expanding global awareness and increasing depth of understanding of complex issues.
It is evident to the Visiting Committee that a strong spirit of community is present in the faculty, students, and parents of the Jewish Center Schools. The personal relationships between the members of the community are supportive and represent strong alignment with the mission of the schools.
The school facilities are clean, well maintained and attractive. Commendations are specially noted for the new Preschool Garden, the wall murals, and the colorful decorations in the hallways and classrooms.
Faced with declining enrollment, the Day School is commended for hiring a full-time admission and marketing director. An important challenge for 2012-13 will be to update and revise publications, materials, and the web site to reflect the new Galinsky Academy structure.
The Director of the Preschool, Head of School and the Vice-President of the Education Community are commended for effective leadership during a time of change and challenge for both schools. All three are committed to the Mission of the School and are dedicated to furthering its advancement.
The faculty in both the Preschool and the Day School are commended for their exemplary professional development. Of particular note are their regular communication and sharing through the NING website, the extensive use of outside speakers and the time devoted in faculty meetings to presentations by professionals who work here.

SPECIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Combine elements of the Strategic Plans developed by the Preschool and the Day School into a comprehensive plan for the Galinsky Academy that outlines the steps required to fulfill the vision for the new school.
Continue to implement the 21st Century Learning Principles throughout the school by offering professional development, mentorship, and providing adequate funding.
Clearly articulate the parameters for admission and the support necessary to admit and accommodate special needs students into the Martin J. Gottlieb Day program.
Explore additional ways to increase enrollment and retention, including developing partnerships with other Jewish institutions (JCA), communicating regularly with alumni, and marketing effectively through Jewish publications.
Finalize and approve all elements of the Galinsky Academy governance structure including the revised organizational chart, the Governing Principles, committee responsibilities, and job descriptions.
Complete the renovation and remodeling of the Preschool and the second floor of the Day School facility while upgrading the technology to support the 21st century learning model, as needed.

If you made it this far in the blog…congratulations! I know it was a lot (and there was plenty more I did not include), but we want to put as much out there as we can. This was my very first experience with accreditation; it was a tremendous learning experience for me and for our team. We feel good about where we are and have a roadmap to being somewhere even better quickly.

From my family to yours…Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach!

Taking #NoOfficeDay to the next level…get ready for a #PrincipalStudentSwap

It has been a tremendously exciting couple of weeks!

I had hoped last week to blog about our successful FCIS (Florida Council of Independent Schools) Five-Year Re-Accreditation visit, which took place on March 12th & 13th, but the week got away from me. ‘Tis the busy season, what with standardized testing, re-enrollments, report cards, parent-teacher conferences and model seders to squeeze in before Passover Break. And I am still going to save that blog post for a later date because I would like to be able to quote and share parts of it with you.

Spoiler Alert.

We came through with flying colors! We have only a very few number of record-keeping issues to clean up and we should have our first-ever “clean report”! In fact, two areas that the school was flagged for during our last evaluation have been transformed from “violations” to “commendations”. The first was in the area of professional development. The second, which should serve as an inspiration to all those schools still fretting about taking first 21st century steps, is to know that six years ago the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School was flagged for being a technological wasteland. Yes, the school that will bring to the field next month edJEWcon – the first significant conference on 21st century learning and Jewish day school – was, just six years ago so far behind in technology that it constituted a violation. Speaking of edJEWcon, anyone within shouting distance of Jacksonville is invited to hear our major keynote:

But more on FCIS accreditation and edJEWcon in upcoming posts.

I want to focus this blog post on linking together two great initiatives from this year into one brand-new idea.

On Wednesday, March 4th, I will be taking “No Office Day” to the next level by officially swapping places with Shoshana H. in Grade Five. Shoshana will be “Principal for a Day” and I will be “Student for a Day”.

What did Shoshana H. do to earn this reward? She created our first student-made, 2-minute “Community of Kindness” video, called “Being Nice”.

You can tell her what a great job she did yourself, by visiting and commenting on her blog, here. (Please do.)

Now it was her idea to be “Principal for a Day”, not mine. But since it has been so long since my last (and only) “No Office Day” this seemed like a great opportunity to tie some threads together. The purpose of having regular “No Office Days” is to get principals unchained from their computers, untethered from their meetings, unleashed from their desks and out into classrooms. [You can click here for my original blog on the idea and here for my blog on the experience itself.]

Here is what Shoshana and I have worked out so far for our swap:

She will come dressed as principal; I will come dressed in uniform.
She will greet families at the door; I will be on Safety Patrol.
She will visit classrooms during the day; I will be in Grade Five.
She will join me at our weekly Staff Meeting.
She will lead Grade One Tefillah (one of my regular duties).

We will both wield Flip cameras to document our days in each other shoes and will both blog about our experiences, including our video diaries.

So in one fail swoop, I get to reward a student for taking the initiative in helping our school develop its Community of Kindness AND experience a twist on No Office Day.

Talk about a win-win!

Constructing a Community of Kindness

I refer you back two blog posts, here, for the beginning of our story of trying to create a community of kindness in our schools and synagogue and here for the second installment of that story. For other headlines and current events, of which there are many, you are welcome to look here. For a bit of an update as to how we did this year in applying a “Purim Prescription for Pediatric Judaism”, you are welcome to click here (but be warned – you may never look at me the same way again!). Next week’s blog post will discuss this upcoming week’s FCIS Re-Accreditation. I can neither blog weekly on our “Community of Kindness” initiatives nor cease blogging about it altogether. It is important enough to garner regular attention, but is not the sole initiative of the school. So, this week, I will enter a third installment of a trilogy of opening conversations on how we can begin to live up to our highest Jewish values. But just because I may not refer back to it (in this blog at least) for a little while, surely does not mean it will fall onto the back-burnder.

I want to offer one update, one additional example from a student blogfolio, and a request for next steps.

Here is the update. We finally (!) scored the bullying surveys we issued to students in both the Day School and the Center’s Religious School in Grades 5-8. As with the prior two surveys, there may well be issues in how they were proctored and we cannot distinguish between students in either school. BUT, we still do need some baseline data to build from and this is certainly better than the “no data” we had prior. As with the Grades 2-4 survey, I would like to share some of the results with you and suggest what it might mean.

This was, like the other two surveys, more positive than not, but instructive. Here is a chart which provides students a chance to describe how things are at school:

Now…we don’t know entirely if the Religious School students are indicating their experiences in Religious School (as was intended) or not. But let’s assume, for the creation of this baseline that they have. The chart indicates, somewhat similarly to the results from Grades 2-4, that physical bullying is not so much the issue. However, unlike the results from Grades 2-4, by Grades 5-8 the primary cause for concern is not as much exclusion as it is teasing. This is vital information as we plan programming to address our needs. Bullying, in our setting, seems to take on different forms at different developmental levels.

On a happier note, students in these grades assessing their teachers, have indicated a fair degree of confidence in their willingness to help out:

Looking closer, we see that although the confidence level is high, the place it is less-high is in dealing with students teasing behind the teacher’s back. This is very similar to what we saw in the last survey. When teachers are aware and confronted with bad behavior…they act and act appropriately. The issue is being sure that teachers are aware – and create an environment (say a community of kindness?) where students are comfortable being sure that they are aware.

Let’s hear from another student…this time Zoe M in Grade Four:

“Bullying is a huge problem. It happens all around the world. It makes people afraid to go to school. It makes people afraid to go out of their house. Bullying is when people make fun of others, threaten others, physically hurt others, and type mean things about others. Nobody likes to get bullied. However, people do it anyway. Most of the time a person bullies someone else is because there is a problem at the bully’s house. It is usually something personal, so the bully takes it out on others weaker than he or she is. Bullies are usually cowards. They almost always have a gang that backs them up. Otherwise, they would be too afraid.

There are a few types of bullying. Cyber-bullying is one type. Cyber-bullying is when people threaten you behind a computer or they hack into your e-mail. Cyber-bullying is cowardly , because they are hiding their identity behind a computer so no-one will know it is them. People should not share passwords. That is usually how cyber-bullying starts. Cyber-bullying is very common.

Another type of bullying is threatening or physically hurting others. People threaten others when they want something, or when they just want to scare others. Some people physically hurt others for fun, just to see others cry. That is what makes people afraid to go out of their house. Once there was a boy who got bullied a lot. One day, he just couldn’t stand it so he committed suicide. That is one example of why people shouldn’t bully.

Bullying is very bad. People have to stop bullying. We can prevent it by sticking up for others and ignoring bullies. I can help prevent bullies by sticking up for others.

Image Credits: Microsoft Clip Art”

Zoe identifies a crucial component to creating a community of kindness: the willingness to stand up for the victim and the realization that bystander-ism is sometimes as harmful as the bullying itself.

So…we have students blogging about bullying prevention. We have clergy and teachers blogging and talking about bullying prevention. We have students preparing their own 2-minute “Creating a Community of Kindness” videos that I look forward to sharing soon. We have begun an important conversation. But where do we go from here? Here are just a few starting points:

Revise our Student & Family Handbooks to reflect both sides of our coin: swift and decisive discipline AND incentivizing caring and kind behaviors.
Professional Development
Parent Seminars
Peer-led activities & programs
Create a developmentally appropriate approach to bullying at each age and stage

Parents, students, teachers, community members, foundations, agencies – here or anywhere – whoever is passionate about this issue, please reach out to us with your ideas, your volunteerism, and your support. In the spirit of transparency, we will continue to share our experiences here as we look forward to each day being better than the one before by creating a community of kindness one act at a time.

Finally…in light of this week’s local tragedy, I wanted to share with you the blog post written by Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director of the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) in honor of our fallen college Dale Regan:

TRIBUTE TO DALE REGAN

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to one of our own, Dale Regan, who was the Head of School of Episcopal School of Jacksonville (ESJ) and the President of the Board of Directors of the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS). As reported by the media, Dale was fatally wounded yesterday by a teacher, who had been dismissed; the teacher then turned the gun on himself. No other adults or students were involved or hurt.

So what do we do when someone we love and admire is so senselessly taken because of choices of another? I know what Dale would have done if she were in our position. She would have done what she always did; she would have reached out to comfort, to support, to lift up, and to unify the community. Dale was not only an exceptional educator and a courageous leader, but she also had a unique talent for connecting with others and meeting people where they were. So what are we going to do? We are going to follow the model that Dale beautifully unfolded for us.

We would like to invite all 157 FCIS schools to find a way in the next few days to remember Dale, realizing that our schools will respond to this tragedy in different ways. A suggestion from one of our heads was for all of us to join together at a set time for a moment of silence and remembrance. For those of you who would like to participate, we are setting aside Friday at 11 AM for a moment of silence and reflection as the Memorial Service will be starting on the ESJ campus in the Campion Courtyard in Jacksonville. As a matter of note, the memorial service is open to the public. In the days and weeks ahead, FCIS will continue to support the ESJ community and Dale’s family.

As I close this tribute to a special and dear friend, I want to share with you an Irish saying sent to me this morning by Joe McTighe, the Executive Director of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE); the saying was left to Joe and his family by his mother who died in 1996. Reminding me of Dale, it brought me great comfort, as I hope it will bring to you.

“Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as though I were beside you. I loved you so; ‘twas Heaven here with you’.”

So, we are now called, as Dale would do – to comfort, to support, to lift up, and to unify our community. We hold Dale’s family, ESJ, and our FCIS family in our thoughts and prayers.

With great love,

Barbara Hodges

Cultivating a Community of Kindness

This is a busy, busy time! Let me give a few headlines before picking up the thread of the conversation begun two weeks ago…

edJEWcon 5772.0 is officially closed and a waiting list has begun to fill! Over 20 Jewish day schools from across North America and the ideological spectrum will be coming to the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School to collaborate and create. Official press releases announcing the first edJEWcon cohort to come! Thanks to the AVI CHAI Foundation for their generous support and to the Schechter Day School Network for its valuable assistance.
Our 50th Anniversary preparations are well underway! Thanks to our extraordinary team of volunteers and professionals, we are preparing an event of a generation. If you want to know more about this historic event, if you would like to volunteer, attend, or donate…please click here on our 50th Anniversary website.
Purim is coming! Please click here for my blog post entitled “A Purim Prescription for Pediatric Judaism”.
Community University is coming on March 11th! Click here for more information and to register. I’ll be teaching a course this year called “Tiger Moms & Panda Dads? A Conversation about Jewish Parenting in the 21st Century”.
And finally, our school will go through its 5-year Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Re-Accreditation on March 11 – 13. I’ll have more to say about this in an upcoming blog.

That’s a lot of headlines!

But now I want to pick up with the incredible responses that have come in since I blogged two weeks ago, here, about Creating a Community of Kindness. It was picked up very quickly on Twitter and Facebook by other schools and foundations, which is a sign of how relevant and important this issue is. But this initiative is not about garnering attention – it is about changing a culture. And even though it will take time…it is beginning.

Here is some proof.

Rabbi Jesse Olitzky blogged about it here focusing on the importance of not only being reactive in issuing swift and decisive discipline when behaviors erupt, but being proactive in creating a community of kindness. He also contributed a 2-minute video of his own:

But that’s not all!

Demonstrating that the entire Jacksonville Jewish Center is on board, we have our first contribution from the JJC Preschool, who have two amazing parents who wrote and preformed a play on the value of Gemilut Hasadim (acts of lovingkindness) for our preschool students this week:

But that’s not all either!

Better than anything the adults have done are the extraordinary blog posts our students have begun to write about this important topic. ( You can link to all our student blogfolios here.) There are more than I can highlight here, but I want to acknowledge a couple of wonderfully written posts in my blog. I urge you to comment directly to the students. I am also issuing my “2-minute” challenge – I want our students to start creating their own 2-minute Community of Kindness videos and posting them to their blogfolios. I will share them in future postings.

Here’s a terrific post from a fifth grader named Shoshana:

Things are happening.. but you might not know it.

Posted February 29th, 2012 by shoshanah

Has your child ever wanted to talk to you about someone bullying them, pushing them around, or calling them names? Well, the secret is revealed. Some children hide it from you, but yet they don’t know how to stop it. I am going to give all of the kids that have to deal with this some advice.

Some children are sad when someone says something to you like ”You are so dumb!” or”Why did you say that! You made us loose!”. Others for reasons like they are feeling left out, or they are physically or mentally being bullied. Those are all reasons why. The problem is, if they don’t let a parent know, then they’ll just be bullied the whole year, or more. If an adult doesn’t know, then there is no way to deal with it, and it might just get worse.

A way to deal with this is by talking about it. Don’t keep it to yourself, if you do, the outcome will not be good. Stick up for yourself. You don’t needANYONE bossing you around, pushing you around, or saying things that insult you. You have courage in you, and don’t hide it. If something happens outside on the playground, don’t just stand there. You can tell a teacher. Go ahead!

If something happens to you when you are not with an adult, you might have a problem. Here’s an example. Lets say you are in the mall with your friends and you got dropped of, no adults you know, or no parents. Something happens to you, but you don’t know what to do. Look for a phone. If you don’t have a cell phone, then there should be one there. Call a parent, and ask if you can get picked up. Tell your friends that you aren’t feeling very well, wait for your Mom or Dad to call you back and tell you they’re outside. Tell them goodbye, and then go to your car. There are other ways that you can handle this situation. It depends what happens to you. If all they do is call you a name like “stupid”, then ignore it, or say that it hurt your feelings. If they bully you, that’s a WHOLE different situation.

I hope this advice helps for those of you who need it. Everyone else, I’m so glad that there is nothing wrong. I hope that the people who need advice take this into consideration, and I hope that the problems end, and peace is on earth. Parents, I hope that you will be able to see your children smile. Have a great day, and stay out of trouble!

Image credits:

Peace Sign http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredmikerudy/4885331980/

Kids hugging http://jamma.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/5

Pretty terrific, no?

Here is one from a fourth grader named Yoni:

Bullying is bad!

Filed Under: Expository by yonih — 4 Comments

February 17, 2012

lying is going very serious in most schools, especially public schools. The types of bulling are physical bullying, teasing, and cyber bullying. Physical bullying is when someone is trying to hit you, and hurt you. Teasing is when someone is trying to mock you (making fun of you). Cyber bullying is when someone says something bad to you on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or on your E-mail. In third grade, our class learned when someone teases you, or cyber bullies you, you will remember it for the rest of your life. If you cyber bully, you can get yourself in big trouble.

I got experience physical bullying, and was teased by some people, but I did not get cyber bullied yet. When someone teases me I feel very sad. When I got physical bullied I had no choice, but to just defend myself. I really do not like people bullying each other. When people are not bullying me, but bullying someone else, I feel miserable. Without bullying kids get a much better life. Some people are sensitive from teasing, and cyber bullying. I am sometimes sensitive when someone teases me, even if it is just a silly joke.

When you are about to hit someone, tease someone, or type something mean online; think before you do that! A bully starts when someone bullied them. If you see a bully, you would usually not see them by themselves. You would see them with other people, because a bully is not strong in the inside; but a bully tries to feel strong. Some kids get bullied in all ways physical bullying, teasing, and cyber bullying. If you do nothing, a bully can still be very mean to you. If you tease someone, or cyber bully someone it is also making fun of G-D, because G-D is inside everyone. You do not want to make fun of G-D, because G-D is infinite times stronger than anyone. If someone bullied you an any type, you should go to someone that got bullied in the same type, so he, or she can tell you how to stop the bully. If a pack of bullies are surrounding you, and you cannot run away you have to fight back. My dad told me if that happens fight the the leader first, because if you defeat the leader the rest of the pack will get scared, and leave you alone. Only fight when you have no choice. Bullies usually bully kids that are lonely, because it will be easier to bully them. If a pack of bullies are bothering you and your friends, you, and your friends can say, “Leave him, or her alone! ” That is a way to stop bullies. If someone bullies you, you can tell an adult you trust, especially your parents, or your older sibling. You can be friends with a bully, and help the bully to think before he is about to bully someone.

That is all about how to stop bullying. Bullying happens in a lot of places. You can stop bullying. You can tell the principal to make a no bully zone. If you have any question ask me, and I will tell you. If you follow the ways to stop bullying it will help you. Bye!

Do not Bully!

This is just the beginning…we still have to finish scoring the bulk of our surveys and report back (it isn’t through lack of effort, they are a bear to score). But in two weeks we have seen our Day School students, Center clergy, Preschool parents, just to name three different constituencies make their first contributions to making us a community of kindness. I look forward to sharing more examples and to having more examples shared with us. This is no quick fix, but a struggle to ensure the safety and health of our children in all our sacred spaces. Let’s keep the momentum going! Keep blogging, Tweeting, posting on Facebook, commenting on blogs, emailing, sharing, talking, learning and caring. Each act of lovingkindness builds on the next until one day we’ve created culture of caring in which acts of intentional harm are not viable – the day we become a Community of Kindness

May that day be soon.

Creating a Community of Kindness

We have been engaged in a yearlong investigation into how to address the difficult issue of bullying in our school and in all the schools of our synagogue. I explained the rationale and the plan here in September in a blog post entitled “Sticks and Stones”. The mantle was taken up by Rabbi Jesse Olitzky in a powerful blog post here, entitled “Sacred Space is Safe Space”. The next step in the process was performing an institutional assessment for all students in our schools in Grades 2-12.

We surveyed students in Grades 2- 4 in both the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School, using a pencil and paper instrument chosen particularly for that grade range. A series of questions about verbal, physical and emotional acts experienced by students and performed by students were asked to measure the degree to which our students feel safe and protected. Questions were also asked about faculty and staff to measure the degree to which students feel their teachers are available and prepared to act on their behalves.

It is not a perfect survey and it was not proctored perfectly. It is, however, a starting point. Issuing the survey on a yearly basis should give us something to measure the degree to which we are succeeding in changing the culture of our schools. I would like to share just two results from the survey to start the conversation.

By the by, the schools graded out well. Although, it is difficult to suggest that any degree of failure is acceptable. The area where students self-reported the greatest degree of negative behaviors came not in the physical or the verbal. It came in peer exclusion.

This graph reports that 35% of students in Grades 2-4 in both schools feel they have been purposely been excluded by their peers. No other area of the survey scored anywhere near this high. This is an indication, to me, that when it comes obvious acts of harm – we are largely successful (although complete elimination is required). However, when it comes to the much more subtle, but equally painful act of social exclusion, we have work to do. Let’s add context by examining students’ perceptions of their teachers.

Again, the percentages look good. The overwhelming response is that by and large students believe their teachers are available to help and support. However, the fact that we have ANY students who believe their teachers would NEVER be there to help is unacceptable to us. It is not a perfect survey and I am sure there are margins of error included. But when it comes to creating a safe and sacred space for our children there can be no margin of error.

And so the difficult work of institutional change moves forward. (Results from the other surveys are forthcoming.)

Based on the data (not merely this survey, but disciplinary records, communication with parents, teachers, students, clergy, etc.) we believe we have to change the conversation. “Anti-bullying” (to us) means that we wait for bullying behaviors to take place and then act appropriately when they do. That is a defensive posture that admits these behaviors are inevitable and the goal is damage control. We can do better.

We need to build and grow a Community of Kindness. Instead of waiting for something bad to happen and respond, we need to go on the offensive with an all-out assault of lovingkindness. We need to recognize that only by becoming a community of kindness can we truly eliminate bullying and hurtful behavior within our walls.

This is much harder to achieve, but there are no quick fixes. All the surveys, assemblies, and teacher trainings in the world cannot get us there by themselves. On that all the research agrees. We are going to have to do the hard work of changing the culture one student, one teacher, one family, one act at a time. It is just as much the work of the office staff as it is the National Junior Honor Society. It has to happen on Sunday mornings in the Religious School carpool line and on Wednesday afternoons in the Day School lunchroom.

I am issuing a call to all my colleagues in the field: We have established “Communities of Practice” (CoP’s) for just about every aspect of running a school – Development, Admissions, Educational Technology, etc., in order to share and grow best practice. I think in an age where the click of a button can do irreparable harm, we would be well-served with a CoP for Kindness. Where better than in Jewish schools to ensure students a culture built on kindness?

We will be creating a series of 2-minute videos on this topic to stimulate conversation and begin the movement. I encourage parents, teachers, clergy, community members, colleagues and friends to make your own and share. There’s nothing more important and there’s no reason to wait. It begins now.

#What Matters Most

These are heady times for our school. The inevitable anxiety and excitement of the open enrollment period. The gathering rush of a 50th Anniversary weekend. The powerful reflection through impending re-accreditation. The tidal wave that is becoming edJEWcon.

I write a lot.

And when I do, I tend to use lots of words. This is not so very different from how I speak.

And I speak a lot.

A lot of my speaking comes with the position and some of it from my natural proclivity to be wordy. (Anyone familiar with this blog or with me is likely nodding their head.)

One side effect of producing so many words – and between conversations, emails, blogs, letters, etc. I put out into the universe a lot of words – is that you run the risk of losing the forest of what matters most through trees of verbiage.

The blogging platform lends itself to endless writing for those so inclined. One interesting (and almost poetic) byproduct of Twitter is that it forces a 140-character structure onto the writer. As someone who cannot text in anything less than complete words, sentences, proper capitalization, grammar, etc., Twitter becomes an exercise in self-discipline. I almost never get the first or second tweet to fit the space and I wind up having to edit and edit to get a thought down to its essence.

With two liminal rites of passage to celebrate this weekend (our annual Kindergarten Shabbat Service & Dinner on Friday and our First Grade Consecration on Shabbat) in the heart of all the planning for the major events to come, I want to take a moment and engage in what I hope will be a collaborative exercise. Beginning here, I am going to encourage y’all to express #WhatMattersMost about @MJGDS and @JewishDaySchool.

[I am putting it “Twitter-speak” both for those who already utilize Twitter AND to use Twitter to solicit responses. I am going to offer some of my own thoughts here. I am also going to tweet out the request. And I encourage you to add your own 140-character suggestions either on Twitter using the #WhatMattersMost OR as comments to this blog post. I will update the post with responses I receive (both from our school and the field) from Twitter.]

#WhatMattersMost @MJGDS from @Jon_Mitzmacher

Each child deserves a floor, but no ceiling…

No one will know your child better or work harder for their success than we will.

We may not get it right the first time, but we will partner with parents until we do.

The audience for student work was once the teacher; now it is the world.

21st Century Learning is not a slogan, it is a revolution.

The future of education is happening at a Jewish day school.

Having a child with special needs should never

preclude an inclusionary Jewish day school education.

A parent should never have to choose between the

best secular education and Jewish day school.

We are proud of our graduates, not because of what they

know and what they can do, but because of who they are.

Your turn!

The Dreaded Bullet Point Blog Post

Yes, it is time again for another dreaded blog post in which I weave together a variety of bullet points, links, and thoughts representing the torn-in-20-directions this head of school is experiencing in the early dawn of 2012.

What can I do? I have not blogged since we went into Winter Break and the clock is ticking on a Friday school afternoon! Having been convinced that a less-than-perfect blog post is better than no post at all, I offer you a sample of what’s on my mind.

Yet another video from Talie Zaifert, our amazing Admissions & Marketing Director, debuted over the break celebrating another wonderful Chanukah Celebration.

http://youtu.be/ltOypX_zWEA

Thanks to our friends at AVI CHAI and PEJE for helping us promote!

I may need to reread my own blog post about the value of unplugging in a technologically obsessed era. We spent one week in Cancun and I overspent my international data plan within the first two days. How can I possibly deny the world my valuable tweets and status updates? [Seriously, how could you have not wanted to see this as it was happening?]

Next vacation…no iPhone and no iPad and I mean it! (Anybody want a peanut? Click here if you need to know how that is funny.) Other than my difficulty disconnecting and the fact that my daughter now expects to be serenaded by a Mariachi band at all meals, it was a great opportunity to relax and refresh for this new (secular) year.

I did manage during the break to guest blog on the PEJE Blog on the topic of “Entrepreneurial Educational Leadership: Seeking Excellence Beyond Our Resources”. Thanks much to Ken Gordon (as always) from PEJE for the editorial work and the opportunity. You are welcome to read it, comment on it, share it, etc., here.

Next week, Andrea Hernandez, our school’s 21st Century Learning Coordinator, and I will be off to Atlanta to participate and present at this year’s North American Jewish Day School Conference. It will be a great opportunity to network, represent, learn and connect with colleagues from all over. As soon as we finish our presentation (!), we will be happy to link to it for anyone interested. And I will hope to follow up my last blog post from a conference (here) with another multimedia presentation describing my attendance experience through a 21st century learning lens.

Closer to home…between now and July 1:

Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Re-Accreditation Visit: March 12th-13th
edJEWcon 5772.0: April 29th-May 1st
Martin J. Gottlieb Day School 50th Anniversary Weekend: May 4th-6th
The launch of the “Academy” model at the Jacksonville Jewish Center: July 1 (Click here for a reminder. Official press release coming next month!)

Four extraordinarily significant events in the life of our school will take place between now and July 1! This is in addition to all the ongoing events that make school administration so rewarding. What an amazing six months this is going to be!

We are right on track with each major item. I am so grateful to my administrative team, support staff team, synagogue partners, lay leaders and volunteers for all their ongoing contributions to ensuring the success of these endeavors. Each of them alone could take up a school’s yearly agenda – all four within six months? (Plus two new ventures not yet ready to announce! But amazing ones!) It shall surely be transformational.

Next week? I’ll be back with singular focus and a single topic: presenting an overdue “State of the School”.