Author: Natalie McKee (Natalie McKee)

Kindergarten Milestone: Siddur Ceremony
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Kindergarten Milestone: Siddur Ceremony

This past week, our kindergarten students reached a beautiful and memorable milestone in their Jewish learning journey – the Siddur Ceremony. With joy and pride, each child received their very first siddur, marking the beginning of their personal relationship with Jewish prayer and tradition. The ceremony was a moving celebration, as our youngest students led...

Coach Bobby Schwartz: Overcoming Life’s Obstacles with a Championship Mindset
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Coach Bobby Schwartz: Overcoming Life’s Obstacles with a Championship Mindset

  Living His Childhood Dreams WWhile most 8-year-olds would tell you they want to become doctors, police officers or pro athletes, Coach Bobby Schwartz had one goal at that age: to become a coach. Everything he’s done over the years has been to that end, and he says he’s living his dream come true. Schwartz...

Chapters for Change: AJA Fifth Graders Raise $4.2K For Destroyed School Library
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Chapters for Change: AJA Fifth Graders Raise $4.2K For Destroyed School Library

Earlier in the fall, AJA fifth graders were learning about natural disasters—like hurricanes—and read about the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. When they heard that a school in North Carolina called Black Mountain Elementary had lost its entire library, they knew they wanted to help. So they combined two of their big goals: learning about...

Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: A Day of Reflection and Celebration
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Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: A Day of Reflection and Celebration

Last Thursday, AJA students in grades 3 and up participated in a deeply meaningful programcommemorating Yom HaZikaron, followed by an all school celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut. The morning began with a solemn Yom HaZikaron assembly, where students paused to honor Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The program included a moving moment ofsilence, a...

Teaching Empathy and History: 8th Graders Lead Holocaust Exhibit for 5th Grade
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Teaching Empathy and History: 8th Graders Lead Holocaust Exhibit for 5th Grade

This month, our 8th grade students took on a powerful and meaningful project: sharing their learning about the Holocaust with our 5th grade peers through a student-curated exhibit. This exhibit was the culmination of in-depth historical research, guided by the essential question:How can we use historical research and storytelling to preserve the memory of the...