Dear Friends of the Billy Dalwin Preschool,

It’s the start of a wonderful new chapter for the Billy Dalwin Preschool. For over 30 years, the Preschool has been a cornerstone of early childhood education and a warm, welcoming community for young families. We are excited to continue to grow the Preschool based on the foundation of wonderful achievements and academic excellence as we bid a fond farewell to our Founding Director of 31 years, Shelley Rossman, and welcome our new full-time director, Jane E. Aronson.
Announcing New Leadership

In the fall of 2020, we formed a search committee tasked with the challenging job of finding a successor to our dedicated Founding Director, Shelley Rossman, who has shaped and guided our wonderful BDPS for 31 years. Our search committee brought together leaders in our Jewish community and experts in education: Carolyn Keller (chair), Rachel Raz, and Rabbi David Lerner (ex officio) of Temple Emunah; Gil Ettinger, Liz Levin, and Amram Migdal of the BDPS Board and Temple Emunah; and Irene Rosenzweig of Temple Isaiah. For the past two years we have built a new strategic vision, and over the past six months we have engaged in extensive research, interviews, and collaboration with BDPS faculty and Emunah leadership.

We are pleased to announce that Jane Aronson will be joining the BDPS as our director on July 1, 2021. Jane most recently served as Camp Director at Belle Haven Club in Greenwich, CT. Previously, she was Director of Education, Youth Group Director, and Teacher at Greenwich Reform Synagogue. She brings a wealth of experience as both a formal and informal educator, and she is also a veteran volunteer fire fighter! We believe Jane's strong background of leadership and program development, along with her commitment to children and to her community, will guide BDPS to a strong future. 

In her own words, Jane says: “I’m excited and honored to join the Preschool and Temple Emunah and Isaiah communities, and I look forward to getting to know your families! See you soon!” Click here for more information about Jane’s background. Please note: Jane is a different person than beloved Emunah member Jane W. Aronson!
 
The BDPS Board has formed a transition committee and will be working closely with Jane, Shelley, and the Preschool faculty to ensure a successful entry for Jane into our special BDPS community. Jane will be on board this summer alongside Shelley, who will direct the Kaytana program.
Honoring Our Past, Securing Our Future
Announcing the Campaign for the Billy Dalwin Preschool
The Preschool, along with Temple Emunah and Temple Isaiah, are also looking ahead to secure the future of BDPS through our fundraising campaign: “Honoring Our Past, Securing Our Future.”

We are excited to announce that we have raised over $600,000, halfway to our $1.2 million goal!

The Honoring Our Past, Securing Our Future campaign is an ongoing effort to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the school and to ensure that the Preschool will remain a beacon in the New England Jewish Community for the next 30 years. We look forward to engaging with you and the entire community as our celebration continues this year.  
To help secure the future of BDPS, you can download this form to make your pledge. Next week we will announce the link to pledge online, when our new website and member portal are live!

Questions about the campaign?
Please contact Amram Migdal or Hannah Arwe
Celebrating Shelley Rossman and Three Decades of BDPS

Lastly, as one chapter begins at the Preschool, another ends. After a remarkable 31 years as the Founding Director, Shelley Rossman is retiring after this school year and this summer’s Kaytana program. Please help us pay tribute to Shelley for all that she has done to build and sustain the Preschool community and to create the warm and vibrant environment that children enjoyed for three decades. You are invited to join us over the next few months to celebrate Shelley and BDPS—please save the dates:

  • April 30: Young families and members of the current BDPS community are invited to an outdoor Shabbat Sing-a-long. We will put together a time capsule to capture this unique school year and unprecedented time in our community.

  • June 13: We are toasting Shelley this evening with a virtual gala celebrating her many accomplishments and retirement. This event will be open to the whole community. Save the date to join us for an evening of memories as Shelley wraps up her final school year.

  • Memory book: We are compiling memories to celebrate Shelley’s tenure and honor her commitment to the school. We are collecting personal messages and photos to highlight all that Shelley has done for the preschool community for over thirty years. Stay tuned for more info about how to contribute to the memory book.

  • Volunteer: This journey began over thirty years ago with a desire to create a welcoming and engaging Jewish preschool community that provides learning opportunities to all. Now it is our turn to reinvest our love in that community and celebrate all that we have accomplished. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteer opportunities, please email [email protected]. We look forward to celebrating with you!