Ma Koreh?
What’s Happening?
November Newsletter
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This month's issue features:
- D'var Kesher
- Kindergarten Readiness
- Welcoming Giselle Siegel
- Highlights this Month
- CJDS Alumni Spotlight: Jorey Greenland
- Photo Highlights
- Why I Teach at CJDS featuring Rachel Feldman
- CJDS in the News
- Community Milestones
- Community Events and Calendar
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D’var Kesher from Head of School
Rachel Arcus-Goldberg
November 5, 2021 / Kislev 1, 5782
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The Fourth Grade is exploring the concept of “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn” in their current unit of study. As an introductory activity, they played a guessing game to identify common classroom objects wrapped in an unidentifiable box. In another, students had to help each other overcome obstacles to play a form of Hebrew bingo. The goal of the unit is to help students develop their growth mindset. To develop their ability to see all situations as learning opportunities - whether the outcome is the one we hoped for or expected - “winning” - or not.
In their book Creative Confidence, authors Tom and David Kelley encourage readers to think differently about the place of creativity in our society. Often, we designate the place for creativity to be in the arts - painting, music, writing. In doing so, however, we fail to notice that the most successful professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders in their field have become so because they embrace creativity and innovation. Moreover, they lay out a model that encourages us to build our creative and innovative muscles, which allows us to tackle problems we encounter with a different mindset.
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Our Fourth Grade Science students have been studying climate change. They are looking at the problem in many ways, and finding solutions that are doable and measurable at CJDS. The chosen area of focus, for now, is composting. Each Fourth Grader visited another grade and explained to the students what could and could not be composted. They helped the class identify how and where compost would be collected and why it is important to divert waste from landfills. The students even set a goal for how many pounds of compost we would collect between now and the end of the school year. At the same time, the Fourth Grade is also working with Gina, our Science Specialist, and have installed a new compost receptacle that is planted in the ground and packed with worms to make the composting process more efficient.
At CJDS, we ascribe to the philosophy laid out in Pirkei Avot - “Lo Alecha Hamlacha Ligmor, V’lo ata ben chorin lehibatel mimena.” It is not our obligation to finish the work, but we are not free to ignore it.”
The work of saving the world from climate change, the work of creating peace, the work of making a difference is hard work. It is work that feels overwhelming. It is work that is too big for one person to do alone. But it is not work we can ignore. It is work that we prepare our students to take on through this kind of creative, hands-on project. It is work that sets our students apart - that sets them on a path to change the world.
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Kindergarten Readiness
Hosted by JCC
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Experts in the field include educators from CJDS, CTA and JCC.
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CJDS is celebrating 24 years of
building community, educating students, and repairing the World.
Contact us today to secure your child’s spot for the 21-22 school year!
We know the very best way to experience our school is by visiting the campus, stepping into our classrooms, and seeing first-hand the warm, rigorous, combined Jewish and secular education that we offer.
We warmly invite you to join us at an upcoming Admission Information Session, or contact our Director of Institutional Advancement, Jenny Glick, to schedule a personal conversation about our program.
- Private Education
- 1:5 Student to Teacher Ratio
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$1,000/month for your child's first year*
*Ask us about our Community Engagement Grant! Details below.
Interested in transportation from Worthington for the 2022-2023 school year? We are partnering with Beth Tikvah on transportation to CJDS from Beth Tikvah. Click here if you are interested in this free transportation location.
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CJDS Welcomes Giselle Siegel |
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Giselle Siegel is a theater artist and educator with a BFA in Musical Theatre from The New School and a Master's in Educational Theatre from The City College of New York. She relocated to Columbus from NYC in 2017, after 15+ years working as an actress, director, choreographer, and teacher.
Giselle is fiercely passionate about arts education and brings her positivity, playful energy and vast imagination to everyone she works with. She strives to promote positive self-esteem and creative expression through empowering performing arts curriculum with a safe, inclusive classroom that inspires students to take artistic risks and engage in the world around them with curiosity and empathy.
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Giselle served as a full-time theater teacher/director, arts curriculum advisor, and teacher mentor at Democracy Prep Public Schools in Manhattan, where she created a robust middle school program while assisting in developing arts curriculum for a large network of teachers across NYC. Her acting credits include national tours, children's theater, original off-Broadway runs and premieres, and regional theater. Giselle has served as a director and choreographer for a variety of productions featuring kids, teens and adults at many schools and community centers in New York City, New Jersey and Ohio.
As a proud convert to Judaism with a mixed racial background, Giselle has worked with hundreds of Jewish students of diverse identities, leading and inspiring each individual journey. When Giselle is not in a classroom or a theater, you can find her staying busy exploring the great outdoors, reading, working out, singing, drinking fancy coffee, trying a new hobby, and dancing with her two young daughters.
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Social and Emotional at CJDS
Throughout the day, CJDS Teachers check in on student's social and emotional well-being. "At this time of the year, Kindergarteners are learning to name and recognize emotions. During Kindergarten's morning meeting this week, their share question was How do you feel? On students' tables next to their name tags they have a feelings chart." shares Kindergarten Teacher Alex Damico.
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Throughout the day Teachers will ask students to point to how they feel or ask them to share how they are feeling. Teachers also use feelings as part of the communications and problem solving throughout the day. CJDS Kindergarteners use I-Statements to communicate and solve problems (I feel___ when you ___ next time please ____). For students to use I-Statements fully they need to be able to recognize the emotion they are feeling and use their words to communicate it to others.
Third grade is currently focusing on two ideas around Social Emotional Learning; they signed an agreement declaring, "We will do our best, to be our best." This mantra is referenced in class when preparing for new experiences or possible challenges.
Third Grade General Studies Teacher Sheri Gittins shares: "Recently, we discussed bank accounts and how one can make a deposit or a withdrawal into said account. We realized every person, no matter their age or rank, has an emotional bank account. We used actual coins and phrases to role play making 'deposits and withdrawals' from someone's emotional bank account. We reference this analogy when solving problems and celebrating kind acts. We reflect on whether our choice of actions made a deposit or a withdrawal on that individual's emotional bank account."
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Composting at CJDS
Fourth graders are leading the composting project at CJDS!
Our fourth grade students are educating and acting on their knowledge to divert food waste from the landfill which causes methane gas to be released into the atmosphere. During their food audit, they predicted that we can divert 20 lbs from going into the landfill each week. Students will weigh the food we plan to divert before feeding it to the worms in the new Subpod Compost Bin.
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The goal is to divert 480 lbs from the landfill in the bin to decrease the methane gas this is produced in a landfill from food. Food makes up 44% of the solid waste in the landfill. Our students are acting locally and they think globally.
We are grateful to CJDS Alumni Students Josh Bahar and Kyra Freeman who have used a portion of their B'nai Tzedek to give to CJDS to help this project.
Interested in using your B'nai Tzedek to help CJDS and the Scholarship Fund? Please reach out to Alyssa Russell today and let her know you are interested in using your B'nai Tzedek to make a difference at CJDS!
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Kindergarten Motor Lab
Kindergarten students worked on their motor lab in Physical Education. During motor lab, students work on their fine motor coordination, balance, visual motor control, hand-eye coordination, and space awareness.
The weather was so beautiful, Ms. Palma transitioned the motor lab to the playground where students focused on keeping control of their bodies as they moved from balance, swings, and climbing stations.
Enjoy a brief video of the outdoor motorlab here.
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What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?
CJDS fifth graders participated in a ceremony as part of their integrated project on sacrifices. The theme was "What are you willing to sacrifice?" Students used the weekend to give up something and chronicle their experiences with self-sacrifice.
This comes after several lessons on historical sacrifices and learning skills to cope with difficult situations. Sacrifices include being a vegetarian and not being mean to siblings.
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Celebrating CJDS Alum
Featuring Jorey Greenland
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This months Alumni Spotlight is Jorey Greenland, a CJDS alum currently living in London, England.
Jorey graduated college from Indiana University where she studied Interior Design and Fine Art. After college, she lived in both New York City and Chicago where she worked in the Interior Design industry. In Chicago, pre-pandemic, she taught K-2nd Sunday School at her local synagogue.
"Recently, I've pivoted my career into tech sales, which is what brought me to my most recent adventure…" Jorey shares, "I’m currently living in London working in sales for an online review platform. In my free time, I enjoy taking ceramics and silk screening classes, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and traveling whenever I can."
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"The CJDS Difference lies with the teachers and the individualized attention I received. I was taught to be collaborative and to look at solving problems in different ways. My favorite part of CJDS, though, was definitely my art classes with Mrs. Teddy and Susan Couden. They always inspired us to be creative, and were so encouraging of me and my work."
One thing Jorey remembers more than anything else from her CJDS years? The music. "Every time a holiday rolls around, my sister and I (and even friends from CJDS) find ourselves singing our favorite tunes. The only thing missing, of course, is Shaula and her accordion."
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When Jorey thinks back on her time at CJDS, she mostly remembers the community that she formed. "I met one of my lifelong best friends at CJDS." (pictured).
"I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn in such a nurturing environment, one that gave me so many rewarding experiences. CJDS is where I discovered my love for art and design, a love that I have carried with me through to my adulthood. I learned valuable life lessons about Tzedakah, giving back to my community, building life-long relationships, and carrying on Jewish traditions."
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We want to FEATURE YOU in our next newsletter and on our social media channels.
Are you a CJDS alum who recently graduated high school or college? We want to know your next steps! We want to hear about your professional accomplishments, and how CJDS has impacted your educational and Jewish journey.
Reach out to our Alumni Coordinator here. We want to hear from you!
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What stage of the Water Cycle is the water in our pond in?
The Collection stage!
Second Graders culminated their study of the water cycle by fishing in a water collection area -- the CJDS Pond.
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Kindergartens made Creation puzzle pieces. They drew pictures to match the stories for each day of creation, then they had to put the days in order to complete their puzzle. |
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Ariot came to visit, and first graders performed a special Hebrew poem for him. Then, Ariot presented the class with their second Ariot workbook with letters ו, ז, ח, ט, י! |
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Fourth grade students practicing their vocabulary of numbers in Hebrew from 1-100. |
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Kindergarteners asked the question: How many drops of water can fit on a coin? They read the book A Raindrops Journey for Day 2 of Creation, then answered their question!
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First graders started their unit this week on how things change over time with a picture sort. |
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Third graders enjoying the nice weather during PE. |
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The First Grade Reader's Theater. Reader's Theater helps build confidence in reading aloud, as well as fluency and expression.
The students were very excited to perform!
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Second graders showing their 5th grade buddies the maps of their classroom. Fifth graders then described their bedrooms, and had 2nd graders draw a map of the rooms on graph paper. |
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Kindergarteners during morning Tefillah by the pond - just steps away from their classroom. |
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In Hebrew, third graders have been making their very own Kufsat HaZikaron, a personal memory box for them to keep special items they have worked on throughout the year! |
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Reconnecting with old friends! Fifth graders enjoyed lunch with a classmate who moved out of state this summer. If you move away, or continue to stay here in Columbus after leaving CJDS, you will always be a part of the CJDS Community
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In Hebrew, second graders drew pictures to illustrate the meaning of the Hebrew word that their Hebrew initials make. In some cases, students created a sentence or expression rather than just a word. |
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Rachel Feldman
CJDS Learning Specialist
"CJDS is a family unit. Every single teacher makes sure that the students feel safe and comfortable in their classrooms. Students feel a sense of calm when they walk through the doors because they know that every adult has their best interest in mind. Additionally, the faculty members are inspiring, caring, and thoughtful to both students and other staff members."
Rachel grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and received her Bachelors from the University of Georgia in Early Childhood Education. After completing her undergrad, Rachel went on to earn her Masters in Reading with a Reading Specialist Certification from Columbia University – Teachers College. Rachel worked as an educator in New York City for five years, and her first job was teaching Kindergarten. She went on to become a Reading Specialist for grades 1-5 at a charter school in Brooklyn, New York.
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Rachel is trained in many reading programs including - Orton and Gillingham and Reading Rescue. She recently moved to the Columbus area with her husband Jason, her puppy Teddy, and her new baby Chloe. Outside of the classroom, Rachel enjoys going to Broadway shows, and traveling.
As CJDS’ Learning Specialist, Rachel Feldman is responsible for working with students with learning differences of all kinds, including giftedness, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD.
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Alumni students Rony Amar, Zeke Moses and Jonah Davis along with their Teacher from last year, Ms. Vilensky, were highlighted twice on the Ohio History Connection website this past month!
During the 2020-2021 school year, Ms. V's class connected with Ohio History Connection regarding monuments in our community. This project engaged students with debate about historical monuments by providing guidelines for research, discussion, and action items.
The second blog post from Ohio History Connection shares the results and insights from Ms. V’s students regarding monuments in our community. This project engaged students with debate about historical monuments by providing guidelines for research, discussion, and action items.
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Drawing from Zeke M. showing Christopher Columbus, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Tecumseh, the Wright Brothers, Jon Glen, Toni Morrison, a boy and a girl, all holding hands. Source: Ms. Vilensky. |
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Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov to Ari Friedman, CJDS First Grade Hebrew & Jewish Studies Teacher, on the birth of a new niece, baby Sarena.
Mazel Tov to Rachel and Jeremy Arcus-Goldberg on the birth of a new niece, and to Hershel and Ilana Arcus-Goldberg on the birth of a new cousin.
Mazel Tov to Mimi Chenfeld, friend of the school, and CJDS Second Grader Ilana Arcus-Goldberg on being featured in the Fall 2021 edition of Columbus Parent magazine. Article written by Mimi, and artwork by Ilana. Check out the Columbus Parent Magazine article here.
Mazel Tov to CJDS alum Yael Zinkow and wife Molly Hoffman on the birth of a new baby. Mazel Tov to proud Grandparents, Elka Abrahamson and Misha Zinkow.
Mazel Tov to CJDS alum Isaac Gold (class of 2004) on his recent engagement to Peyton Patrick. Mazel Tov to proud parents Tobi and Ken Gold.
Mazel Tov to CJDS alum Chloe Wasserstrom on her recent interview with Law & Order star Christopher Meloni. Check out the article here.
Mazel Tov to CJDS alum Devin Howard, who tallied a goal at Macalester and an assist at Viterbo last moth. Devin, now a Freshman at the University of Wisconsin, plays Midfielder on the Men's Soccer Team at UW - Whitewater. Article here.
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Mi Sh'Berach
We wish a full and speedy recovery to the following people:
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Caleb Moses, class of 2020
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Terry Mitzman, Grandparent of CJDS students Rayna, Yoni, and Naomi
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Naomi Kayne, longtime friend and supporter of CJDS
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Jacob Cohen, class of 2015
We extend our prayers to any family in our community who may be impacted by coronavirus.
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Zichronam Livracha (May Their Memory Be a Blessing)
We extend our prayers to any family in our community who may be impacted by coronavirus.
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November
- Friday, November 12 - 1:40-2:15pm - All School Kabbalat Shabbat
December
- Friday, December 3 - 1:40-2:15pm Hanukkah Kabbalat Hag - 1st Grade Led
- Friday, December 17 - 1:40-2:15pm - All School Kabbalat Shabbat - 4th Grade Led
Seating is limited, so you must RSVP to Amanda Chernyak ahead of all events if you would like to attend in person.
To keep our community safe:
- Reservations are required
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Proof of vaccine and masking is required upon entry for all indoor events. Please make sure to bring your proof of vaccination cards and a mask for these all school events.
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CATCO presents Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins directed by Giselle Siegel. Legendary folk hero Hershel of Ostropol saves Hanukkah in this stage adaptation of the award-winning children’s book by Eric Kimmel, music and lyrics by Jacob Combs. Will Hershel’s wit, wisdom, and delightful sense of humor be enough to outsmart the goblins, allowing the villagers to celebrate Hanukkah once again? The story comes to life with music and puppetry for audiences of all ages. A theatre for young audiences production recommended for ages 6+.
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Thank you to Tifereth Israel for partnering with us for our Fishing get together last month at the CJDS pond. We loved getting to see alumni, grandparents, parents, community members, and current students!
Have An Idea for an Event with Your Synagogue on Campus at CJDS?
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