We are so excited that you are exploring JCDSRI for your child(ren) and family. We will launch our 2025 – 2026 admissions season in early October. Please complete this form to make sure that you are getting all of our communication related to admissions and community events.
We have recently developed the following JCDSRI Statement of Inclusivity in Admissions with the guidance and support of our Tzedek (Justice) Coordinator. We are proud to share this document with you!
November 9, 2025
AISNE Accreditation Process
Dear JCDSRI Families,
We are delighted to share with you an exciting milestone in our school’s journey, a milestone that recognizes who we are, what we strive to become, and how deeply we live our values each day. We are preparing to welcome a visiting team from the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) from November 18 to November 21, and we invite you to join us in this celebration of community, collaboration, and continuous growth.
AISNE accreditation is a voluntary, standards-based process that happens every ten years. At its heart, it asks an independent school not simply what it says it does, but whether the reality of its classrooms, offices, routines, and relationships reflects its mission. AISNE defines its work through four core values: Reflection, Affirmation, Transformation, and Accountability.
Our faculty and staff have worked together to engage in a comprehensive self-study of our school’s program, curriculum, governance, operations, student life, and more. This process has been a wonderful opportunity to deepen our shared understanding of our mission – to empower creative, curious, compassionate learners prepared to design tomorrow’s world, and to align our practices with the enduring values of kavod (respect), kehillah (community), ḥesed (kindness), aḥrayut (responsibility), and tzedek (justice).
Our educational philosophy emphasizes the belief that every student deserves meaningful access, engagement, and opportunity to express their learning. In practice this means we design learning experiences that invite choice, creativity, and deep thinking, principles at the heart of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). As our teachers revised curriculum maps, documented evidence of student learning, and reflected on how Jewish life and general studies are integrated in everything we do, they continuously asked: Are we serving each learner well? Are our practices aligned with our mission? Are we holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of independent school education?
During the week of November 18-21 the AISNE visiting team will observe our drop-offs and pick-ups, classroom lessons, special events, student interactions, faculty meetings, and more. They will also meet with educators, students, parents, and trustees. Their goal is to understand how we live our mission in action, not just in policy. They will celebrate our strengths and partner with us as we look toward the future, setting goals to build on what is already strong.
We are excited for you to be part of this process. Your thoughts, questions, and stories about what makes JCDSRI special matter deeply. As a parent community member or family partner you are part of our fabric. We invite you to engage, to ask questions, and to share what you see our students doing, learning, and becoming.
Thank you for being part of our community. Together we are living our values, growing in meaningful ways, and creating a school where every learner is empowered and celebrated.
Mrs. Davis
JCDSRI Principal
November 2, 2025
Parent Teacher Conferences
At JCDSRI, our Parent-Teacher Conferences are an important opportunity to come together in partnership to celebrate each child’s growth and learning journey. Rooted in our school’s values of kavod (respect), chesed (kindness), and achrayut (responsibility), these conversations are designed to nurture the strong home-school connection that supports every learner.
During our time together, we’ll reflect on your child’s academic progress, social-emotional development, and emerging skills through the lens of our integrated, values-based curriculum. Guided by the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we will share how we tailor instruction to meet each child’s unique strengths, needs, and interests, helping them thrive as curious, capable, and compassionate learners.
Our goal is to ensure that these conversations are collaborative and forward-looking, centering on your child’s growth and the strategies we can use together to support continued success.
October 26, 2025
5th Grade Adventures at Teva
On Tuesday night, the fifth graders found themselves in unfamiliar territory—walking through the woods without flashlights. The air was filled with the scent of wet, decomposing leaves—the unmistakable smell of an autumn forest. With their sight limited, their other senses sharpened. The Moreh Derech (trail teacher) gathered the group in a quiet circle to tell a story. As we listened, a single candle was lit, and students covered one eye to protect it from the light. When the story ended, the candle was extinguished, and they were asked to look around, alternating between their protected and unprotected eyes. The difference revealed the power of our night vision—something few students had experienced before. During that night 
hike, students faced fears, discovered new strengths, and connected deeply with the world around them—a hallmark of the Teva experience.
This past week, the fifth grade took part in the Teva Program at the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in the Connecticut Berkshires. Teva integrates ecology and Jewish learning through hands-on experiences in nature. Using the forest as their classroom, students developed confidence, independence, and a sense of responsibility. They left with stronger bonds—with each other, with the natural world, and with Judaism as a guide for how we interact with creation.
The Teva trip was long anticipated, and the students thrived. They joined peers from four other Jewish day schools, forming new friendships and strengthening old ones. On day-long hikes, they practiced navigation, fire building, and shelter making. They chose from electives such as nature art, felting wool kippot, making natural teas, and pickling carrots—all woven with Jewish learning, storytelling, and music. Our class shared JCDSRI’s unique approach to Tefillah (prayer) and learned about other schools’ prayer traditions in turn, danced during meals, and gathered with others around the campfire. They returned home eager to bring their learning and spirit back to our school community.
October 19, 2025
Dear JCDSRI Families,
I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Bethany Weinstein, and I am the school social worker at JCDSRI. I have had the pleasure of getting to know your children over the last year and I very much enjoy being part of the JCDSRI community.
I’m excited to be hosting a series of monthly parent support meetings designed to nurture connection and community among our families. These gatherings will offer a welcoming space to share experiences, discuss the joys and challenges of parenting, and explore practical strategies for supporting our children’s growth.
To best meet the developmental needs of our families, I’m offering two separate groups—one for parents of children in Nitzanim through Grade 1, and another for families with students in Grades 2 – 5.
Each month will focus on a different theme. Our first session will center on settling into school routines—helping both our children and ourselves find calm, confidence, and rhythm as we settle into the year.
With the conclusion of the fall holidays, I’m hearing from many families that a bit more time would be helpful before beginning our groups. With that in mind, we’ll postpone our initial meetings and begin our work together in November.
I look forward to creating this space for connection, conversation, and support as we navigate the ups and downs of parenting together. I would love for you to join us!
Warmly,
Bethany Weinstein, LICSW
JCDSRI School Social Worker
October 13, 2025
On a sunny, warm day at the end of September, our fifth grade class trudged out to a healthy salt marsh on Prudence Island. The peat squished below our rubber boots and we watched birds disperse as we entered their habitat. The wind washed over the tall and low grasses which thrive in the brackish water. We could see the tide receding against the horizon. When the students gathered in a circle, our guide instructed half of us to close our eyes while the other half (on the count of three) jumped. Then the two groups switched roles. The stationary group could feel the jump reverberate under their feet, reinforcing that we were not standing on solid ground. This experience was a testament to the sponge-like nature of the peat underfoot, a major function of which is acting as a buffer between the land and rising waters.
Our fifth graders are participating in a year-long project with Save the Bay that centers around salt marsh restoration. This program is part of the partnership between JCDSRI and Save the Bay, an environmental organization centered around education, advocacy and volunteer efforts to care for Narragansett Bay. The partnership enhances the upper school Science program in grades 3-5, as students access Life Science curricular goals by engaging with their local environment.
On our first day-long field trip in September, students observed plants, birds, crustaceans and fish that all depend on the salt marsh. Students harvested seeds of Spartina alterniflora, a species of seagrass that dominates in a healthy salt marsh. Later on in the winter, Save the Bay educators will return to our classroom to guide the students in planting these seeds and caring for the seedlings as they grow. Students will learn about plant adaptations, scientific experimentation and the role of plants in a food web as they measure, feed, and water (with brackish water!) the young Spartina alterniflora. Come May, our students will return to the field, but this time to a salt marsh restoration site. They will plant the grass they grew in our science classroom, and help to improve the health of this important, local habitat.
In third and fourth grades, classroom visits from Save the Bay educators launch engaging life science units, such as: Habitats, Animal Adaptations, Food Webs, and Human Impacts on the Environment. The school year culminates with field trips that give students a first hand experience of Narragansett Bay and the local environment. This year’s fifth graders are the first graduating class to have undergone the entire three-year partnership.
We hope that by taking a deep dive into the local habitats of Narragansett Bay, students will establish a foundation in environmental literacy. This means that students will feel a connection to the natural world, have an understanding of the human relationship to the environment, and have the capacity for meaningful and effective stewardship of our local environment and beyond.
Tiferet Rose
4th & 5th Science Teacher / Nature in the Neighborhood Teacher
October 5, 2025
Hello! I’m Alison Walter, and I have had the privilege of serving as the Director of Development at JCDSRI for the past 14 years. In this role, I partner with our community—parents, grandparents, alumni, board members, and friends—to sustain and grow the joyful, inclusive, values-driven education that defines JCDSRI. From the Annual Campaign to special events and strategic outreach, I work to ensure our school has the resources it needs to thrive today and for generations to come.
As at many independent schools, tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating a child at JCDSRI. That is why philanthropy plays such a vital role—bridging the gap and ensuring that every child has access to the exceptional education and community we provide. Looking ahead, JCDSRI will soon embark on expanding our spaces. This will allow us to fully live our mission and vision, creating even more opportunities for joyful learning and growth.
Most importantly, I get to celebrate the stories, values, and impact that make JCDSRI such a unique and meaningful place for our children. As a parent community, your engagement and support are essential. Whether you’re passionate about community-building, have creative fundraising ideas, or are simply curious about how to get involved—I’d love to hear from you! There are so many ways to contribute.
Please join us at our Annual Community Sukkot Breakfast on Friday, October 10th in the school sukkah. You’ll have a chance to meet other parents, community supporters, alumni families, and more. Please RSVP to Allie Gavin.
If you’d like to learn more, get involved, or just say hello, feel free to reach out: awalter@jcdsri.com. I look forward to getting to know you and working together to support our incredible school.
September 28, 2025
The harvest festival of Sukkot invites us to gather as a community and extend warmth and welcome to others. The holiday recalls the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt, when—our tradition teaches—they slept in temporary dwellings, or sukkot.
At JCDSRI, we focus on the temporary nature of a sukkah and how, even in its impermanence, it can provide a sense of home and safety. In the prayer Hashkiveinu, we ask God, “Ufros Aleinu Sukkat Shlomecha” (“Spread over us Your sukkah of peace”), a reminder of our hope to live in harmony and belonging.
Each year we integrate this focus with a new theme. This year’s theme is Sukkat Shalom, Shalom Bayit. Students are reflecting on what brings them peace and belonging, exploring what makes a space sacred, and imagining how those qualities can be woven into our sukkot. We are also considering how the sense of home and safety can be found not only in a dwelling itself, but in the company we keep—and how those who are unhoused may still find belonging and dignity within community.
As we approach this holiday of joy and connection, we wish you a year filled with health, happiness, and the blessings of kehillah (community) and shalom bayit (peaceful home).
HaMorah Guttin
3rd Grade Yahadut Teacher
2nd -5th Music Teacher
Coordinator of T’fillah (Prayer) & Kinnusim (all-school assemblies)
September 21, 2025
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays of reflection, growth, and intention-setting. They invite us to pause, look back on the past year, and imagine who we want to become in the year ahead. This spirit dovetails perfectly with the start of a new school year, when students and teachers alike begin with fresh opportunities, new goals, and hopeful intentions. Just as the High Holidays encourage us to reflect on our choices and strive to do better, the new school year gives us the chance to learn, grow, and bring our best selves into the classroom and community.
As part of our High Holiday learning, our students will engage in Tashlich, a ceremony that invites us to acknowledge mistakes of the past year and set the intention to do better in the year ahead. Our youngest students will experience this at school in a hands-on way, illustrating their mistakes on coffee filters and watching their “sorrys disappear” as their drawings dissolve in a kiddie pool. They will see and feel how mistakes can be let go. Our older students will gather at India Point Park, where they will physically release 5 small stones into the flowing water to symbolize releasing the weight of their mistakes. Each stone represents an error toward family, friends, community, themselves or even one they may have forgotten.
In addition, Jewish tradition instructs us to be stewards of the Earth, reminding us that caring for our world is a sacred responsibility. With this sense of responsibility in mind our older students will participate in Reverse Tashlich, an opportunity to actively make amends by caring for the environment. The Mitzvah of Bal Tashchit is the Jewish prohibition against needless waste and destruction. By removing the waste we have allowed to accumulate, we can protect marine life and the very ecosystems that are essential for life on Earth to survive, while also fulfilling a Mitzvah.
Through these purposeful activities, students connect Jewish tradition with personal growth and responsibility, beginning the new year with fresh intentions. These tangible rituals allow students to experience Jewish tradition in ways that involve the senses, encourage reflection and set goals for a fresh start in the new year.
Wishing you the sweetness of a new beginning, as together we look forward with hope to a wonderful year ahead. Shana Tova U’Metukah!
September 14, 2025
A Special Invitation: Open School Night
One of the most meaningful events of our year is just around the corner: Open School Night at JCDSRI on Thursday, September 18th at 6:30 p.m. This evening offers families a window into their child’s daily world—the spaces where students learn, grow, and connect. You’ll experience the warmth of our community, the sense of belonging nurtured in daily routines, and the engaging academics that challenge and inspire our students.
During classroom visits, teachers will share curriculum highlights, milestone events, and field trips that bring learning to life. You’ll also see how social-emotional learning is woven into everything we do, and you’ll take part in an activity that reflects our identity as a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) school. Families will gain insight into scheduling details, special classes, and the kinds of developmentally appropriate behaviors we nurture at each grade level.
Another important focus of the evening will be on meaningful connections—within classrooms and between school and home. We’ll share our grade-level and school-wide homework philosophy, which emphasizes balance and purposeful learning, and we’ll highlight how Positive Discipline shapes our approach, fostering respect, responsibility, and resilience in every child.
The evening will begin with a brief time for connection, followed by information from school leadership before you head into your child’s classroom. There, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the content and context of our work. While this is not the time for individual conferences, it is a wonderful chance to see the bigger picture of how learning unfolds at JCDSRI throughout the year.
We look forward to welcoming you into our spaces and sharing all that makes our school year vibrant, meaningful, and full of possibility.
With warmth and anticipation,
Jill
September 7, 2025
Dear JCDSRI Parents,
In a world that often feels more disconnected than ever, we believe deeply in the power of community. Hopefully, it is clear that JCDSRI is not just an incredible learning environment for your children, but also a home for all of you.
Parenting is one of the most meaningful—and at times, most challenging—journeys we will make, and it is certainly not something meant to be done in isolation. At JCDSRI, we are committed to creating spaces where families can build relationships, find support, share experiences, and co-create the kind of community that sustains us all. It is essential that we intentionally and wholeheartedly work to build this community.
Here are some of the ways we do this:
Our hope is that each of these touchpoints offers you ways to feel more connected—to the school, to one another, and to the meaningful work of raising children in a supportive and joyful community.
We are so grateful for the chance to journey with each of you!
September 1, 2025
Dear JCDSRI Families,
It’s been a busy summer at JCDSRI! We’ve refreshed our buildings and grounds – cleaning, painting, and making them as welcoming as possible for the year ahead – while our Educational Team has been thoughtfully refining our curriculum and pedagogy to ensure they remain aligned with the best practices in education. And just this Friday, our teachers completed an intensive week of professional development, further deepening and expanding their understanding of Universal Design for Learning, Jewish text study, and Positive Discipline.
So we are now more than ready to welcome your children next Wednesday morning and finally fill our classrooms with laughter, learning, and joy!
On the very first day, students will be warmly welcomed by their teachers and invited into thoughtfully designed experiences that spark curiosity, joy, and discovery. From the giggles and play that will fill our outdoor spaces to the quiet moments of reflection and creativity, every part of the day will be crafted to honor each learner’s individuality while strengthening their sense of belonging. Children will have opportunities to express gratitude, seek out diverse perspectives, and practice taking responsibility for themselves, for each other, and for their community. And when the clock strikes 3:15, our students will leave their classrooms feeling both joyful and tired – the very best sign of a day well spent (although don’t worry – they will still have enough energy to join our Annual Back to School Party! That’s something no JCDSRI student ever wants to miss!)
On behalf of the JCDSRI faculty, administration, staff, and Board, I thank you for your trust, for allowing us to spend our days with your beloved children, and for choosing to be part of the JCDSRI kehillah – community.
May this year be filled with curiosity, joy, resilience, and blessings for us all.
With gratitude and affection – Andrea
August 24, 2025
Hello JCDSRI Families!
We are so excited to share with you a new tool for the school year—The JCDSRI Backpack!
Just like a trusty backpack, this hub is packed with all the essentials you’ll need to stay organized and informed: calendars, links, forms, contacts, and other helpful tools for your family. Throughout the year, we’ll continue updating The Backpack so it stays fresh, useful, and easy to navigate.
You’ll be able to find The Backpack in the JCDSRI Press every single week, making it your first stop whenever you have a question or need quick information. Our hope is that it becomes your go-to resource for everything related to JCDSRI.
As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. If there’s something you’d like to see added to The Backpack, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to hear your suggestions!
Here’s to a wonderful school year ahead, with everything you need right at your fingertips.
With gratitude,
Shayna
August 17, 2025
Hello JCDSRI Families!
It is hard to believe that school is only a few weeks away. We can’t wait to welcome you and your children back into our building. All of our faculty and staff are hard at work preparing for the upcoming year and are looking forward to connecting at your upcoming visits!
Two brief updates/reminders:
1) The JCDSRI Press will be your main source of information about school events and happenings throughout the year. You will receive it almost every Sunday from now through the end of the school year. Please be sure to keep an eye out for it in your inbox.
2) In response to the feedback we received from families, we will continue to include the Weekly Buzz in the Press. Each week you will find something new in the Weekly Buzz from different members of our faculty and staff. This will be a GREAT way to learn more about what is happening at JCDSRI from our Yahadut (Jewish Studies) and General Studies curriculum to special events like Open School Night, our JCDSRI Talent Show and so much more. If there are particular topics of interest, please feel free to let us know and we will do our best to include it in a future Buzz.
With excitement for the school year ahead,
Shayna
May 18, 2025
Fantastic Friday was a grand success! The teams, led by our mighty 5th graders, were outstanding and everyone had a blast. Each team created values-based banners and cheers. They participated in relay races and other competitive games. They cheered each other on and even got to cool off with some sprinkler-time! A BIG shout out to Mrs. Sugerman and Ms. Heather for pulling off another great Fantastic Friday.
April 27, 2025
The 5th grade vs. Teachers Beach Volleyball Game is a highly anticipated event each year! The excitement and energy in the gym is unmatched as students cheer and celebrate every point. The competition was fierce this year but the 5th graders came out victorious once again. Well done, 5th grade!!! And, a big thank you to Mrs. Sugerman for putting the event together and setting everyone up for success.
April 21, 2025
Welcome back! We have missed your children and are so happy to hear their voices, laughter, curiosity and learning again here at school! Please make sure to return their Haggadot this week so that they can continue to add elements of their holiday learning again next year.
As we embark on our busy Spring season, we ask that you please read the weekly Press and other communication from school so that you have all of the information you need to enjoy all of our special events, milestones and gatherings. Thank you in advance for your partnership!
April 6, 2025
Good Deeds Day Success!
Thank you to everyone who came together to bring our many projects to life. We refreshed our planters and even began creating our very own JCDSRI fairy garden—be sure to check it all out tomorrow morning at arrival! We also collected, organized, swapped, and are now ready to donate bags and bags (and bags!) of children’s clothing. We assembled care packages for members of our community who are feeling under the weather, and we got a head start on some incredible expressions of gratitude for Teacher Appreciation Week.
A heartfelt thank you to all who helped with planning, prep, and clean-up. It takes a truly special community to make a morning so joyful, meaningful, and full of goodness.
March 30, 2025
Parents – we need your help! As we prepare for Special Visitors Day on Friday, May 23, we are gathering RSVPs and want to be sure that every child in our school has a visitor. All of your special visitors have been emailed but we hope that you can help support this process by ensuring your child has a visitor who has RSVPd that will attend. They can register for the even here. If you have any questions, please email Meredith Friedman and she will be happy to assist.
March 23, 2025
Our Community Kabbalat Shabbat was a beautiful way for us to enter Shabbat. Our students led us in a ruach – spirit – filled prayer experience. They sang with confidence and joy. They taught us all what it means to command a room. They created music with their instruments and voices. W0w! Thank you for sharing your incredible children with us.
March 16, 2025
Community Kabbalat Shabbat Experience
Kabbalat Shabbat is a very special time each week for the Jewish people and for JCDSRI students. This particular service ushers in Shabbat with singing, prayers, and dancing as well. The word “Kabbalat” means “Welcoming” or “Reception,” so this service is our opportunity to welcome Shabbat like a friend, a guest, or a loved one. At JCDSRI, we hold a weekly Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday afternoons, marking the transition from the school week into the weekend. Led by all of our students, the JCDSRI community ends our week on a high note, singing joyfully together as we dance into the weekend ahead.
At JCDSRI, we aim to guide our students to connect to Judaism and T’fillah (prayer) in various ways – ritually, spiritually, musically and joyfully. We take every opportunity to ensure our traditions are meaningful for our students today and for generations to come. To further the connection our students feel to the Kabbalat Shabbat service, we are so excited to share it with you, our amazing parent community. We hope that you will participate in a special Community Kabbalat Shabbat experience on Friday, March 21 at 1:30 p.m. to get a taste of the magic that takes place at JCDSRI each and every Friday afternoon. You will see some of the elements that we bring to Kabbalat Shabbat each week at JCDSRI. We look forward to sharing this special experience with all of you!
March 9, 2025
Purim at JCDSRI
Purim is a fun filled holiday that celebrates the miraculous events told in Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther. It is celebrated by reading the Megillah which tells the story of how Mordecai and Queen Esther were able to save the Jewish people from the wicked plan of Haman, giving gift baskets of food and drink to friends and family, donating gifts to those in need and feasting in holiday fashion.
AND this is a holiday that our students look forward to all year! We dress up in costume both on Purim day itself and on the two days preceding the holiday. We have the joy of listening to our fifth graders read from the Megillah as we use our Graggers, noisemakers to blot out the evil Haman’s name, participate in engaging Purim activities throughout the day, eating the traditional Hamantashen and exchanging Mishloach Manot, food treat bags with our classmates.
Each year at JCDSRI we choose a theme to center our Purim learning. This year our theme is responsibility/integrity. We have expressed that integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. People with integrity are true to their values and principles, and they uphold them in their actions and words. After discussing these ideas about integrity, our students engage in thinking about how the characters in the Purim story showed responsibility and integrity. Extrapolating further they discuss how they show responsibility and integrity in their lives. We display some samplings of the actions that our students have identified on our Ladder of Integrity in our lobby. We invite you to stop in to see the many wonderful deeds that our students have done and posted into these categories of responsibility.
Take Responsibility For Yourself
Take Responsibility For Your Family
Take Responsibility For Your Classmates
Take Responsibility For Others In Your School
Take Responsibility For Your Community
February 23, 2025
JCDSRI Prize Calendar Fundraiser!
We are aiming to raise over $10,000, and we are getting close!!
Be sure to send the link to family, friends, and neighbors! We know we can reach our fundraising goal with your help!
To purchase tickets and support JCDSRI, scan the QR code on the calendar or click here to buy tickets.
For any questions, feel free to reach out to Sarah Cope
Let’s make this fundraiser a huge success and show our support for JCDSRI!
February 16, 2025
Empowering Parents: A Community-Wide Parenting Workshop
WOW! We welcomed about 40 parents to a parenting workshop led by Dodie Blomberg who focused on an introduction to the concepts and tools of Positive Discipline.
Parents were engaged, open-minded and open-hearted as we worked through some of our challenges and hopes around parenting. We are so grateful to be in community and partnership with all of you.
Regardless of whether you were able to attend, please see below for more opportunities to learn from and with Dodie.
1) Monday, February 17 – 9-10:30 p.m. EST: A FREE online class with Dodie! Register here.
2) A 6-week Series with Dodie to further your learning about Positive Discipline and how it can help support your parenting! Learn more and register here.
February 9, 2025
Dear JCDSRI Families,
We have two exciting events coming up that we’re thrilled to share with you! These events are not only important for supporting our students’ growth, but they also align with our ongoing commitment to ensuring that JCDSRI remains a place of learning, empowerment, and community.
Parent Workshop on February 13th: Empowering Parents
We are excited to host a special Parent Workshop focused on Positive Discipline. During this session, we will explore five key principles that guide us in providing consistent, respectful, and long-term discipline strategies. These principles emphasize helping children feel a sense of connection and significance, ensuring they know they belong and are valued. The Positive Discipline approach highlights mutual respect, using a “Kind and Firm” method for effective discipline. It prioritizes long-term effectiveness by moving beyond short-term solutions like rewards or punishments and aims to equip children with essential life skills, teaching them social and emotional tools that will support them throughout their lives. This interactive event is designed to offer practical tools you can implement at home to support your child’s growth. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow parents and learn strategies that align with the values we’re fostering here at JCDSRI.
Teacher Professional Development on February 14th: Empowering vs. Enabling
On February 14th, our teachers will participate in a full-day professional development workshop focused on Empowering vs. Enabling. This session will explore how we can best empower our students to take responsibility for their actions and grow into capable, self-assured individuals. The training will center around The Significant Seven Perceptions and Skills, which are foundational for nurturing resilience and leadership skills:
The Significant Seven Perceptions and Skills focus on essential qualities that contribute to personal growth and success. These include the perception of personal capabilities, fostering a belief of “I am capable,” and the perception of significance in relationships, where individuals feel they “contribute in meaningful ways.” It emphasizes personal power, the belief that “I can influence what happens to me,” and the development of intrapersonal skills, such as understanding emotions and cultivating self-discipline. Additionally, it highlights the importance of interpersonal skills, focusing on effective communication and empathy, as well as systemic skills, which help individuals respond to life’s challenges with responsibility and flexibility. Lastly, it encourages the development of judgmental skills, the ability to evaluate situations with wisdom and integrity.
The workshop will also emphasize the importance of encouragement—how it motivates and fosters confidence, in contrast to discouragement, which diminishes hope and self-esteem. By empowering students to recognize their strengths and challenges, we aim to cultivate a classroom and school environment where resilience and perseverance are celebrated.
These events are part of our ongoing dedication to enhancing the academic and personal growth of every child at JCDSRI. Whether through equipping parents with Positive Discipline strategies or empowering our teachers with the tools to nurture independence and resilience, we are committed to the holistic development of our students.
We are proud of the hard work happening at JCDSRI—your involvement, support, and partnership are vital to our shared success. We can’t wait to continue this journey together, providing our students with the skills, confidence, and sense of belonging they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Best,
Jill Davis
February 2, 2025
Joining the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition: Our Climate Action Plan for 2025
Tu Bishvat, the 15th of the month of Shevat (this year coinciding with February 13th and 14th), is traditionally known as the New Year of the trees. In modern times, Tu B’Shvat has been embraced as a day of renewal and celebration for the Jewish environmental movement. In 2022, Adamah, the largest Jewish environmental organization in North America, launched the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition to provide guidance and support to Jewish organizations that are committed to taking action to reduce fossil fuel emissions and other steps to meaningfully mitigate the effects of climate change.
This year, JCDSRI submitted our second Climate Action Plan to mark our progress in taking on the environmental challenges of our times. Our Climate Action Plan holds us accountable to the greater community of the coalition and sets forth reachable goals that we can collectively work towards.
Some of the changes we have made over the past several years with this goal in mind include: completely switching away from single use plastics, and instead using exclusively compostable products, instituting a partnership with Bootstrap Compost at our school and teaching our students how to use it appropriately.
We have also made meaningful changes in our school-wide curriculum to help connect our students to the nature around them. The weekly “Nature in the Neighborhood” specialty brings our K-3 students outside and provides opportunities and activities that highlight our connection to the natural world. Additionally, through our partnership with Save the Bay, our 3-5 Science curriculum has been redesigned to incorporate more opportunities for meaningful learning about our local environment. As a school, we are gradually training our teachers in using a “Nature as Teacher” approach in their instruction, ensuring that environmental literacy becomes a core component of our educational approach.
The strength of the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition is that although our efforts at JCDSRI are small, the collective action of the entire network is measurable and meaningful! Just over the last two years, the coalition has grown to include over 400 Jewish organizations in North America. Each organization identifies meaningful action they can take within the context of their capacity. We draw on educational and financial resources to help further our impact, and as a community we make an actual, measurable difference.
Tu B’Shvat is ultimately a Jewish day of nature accounting, taking stock of the past year and looking ahead towards the future. We use this date to account for our climate action work, each year noting the ways we are ensuring the future health and abundance of the natural world. What better way to honor the new year of the trees than by sharing our collective Jewish community response to the climate crisis!
January 26, 2025
Dear JCDSRI Families,
While the weather may be frigid outside, warmth, gratitude and joy fill the hallways and classrooms here at JCDSRI. It is hard to believe but the re-enrollment season for next year is upon us and we want to reaffirm our continued dedication to you and your children. You are valued members of our kehillah (community) and we are grateful for each of you and all you do to sustain our school.
As we move into the 2025-2026 school year, we are eager to continue to grow and nurture our partnership with you.
With gratitude –
Andrea Katzman
Head of School
Lesley Bogad
President, Board of Trustees
January 20, 2025
Sarah is excited to join JCDSRI! Originally from Newton, MA, Sarah has always felt a strong connection to the Jewish community. Before college, she spent an unforgettable year volunteering on ambulances in Jerusalem, which sparked her love for helping others. She went on to study business at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and later earned her master’s degree from Babson College in Wellesley.
At JCDSRI, Sarah works as a Development Associate, working closely with Alison Walter in the Development office and supporting the administrative team. Outside of work, she’s busy keeping up with her energetic toddler, Eden, spending time with her husband, and chasing after Ernie, their giant, lovable dog. When she gets a little free time, you’ll probably find her trying out new recipes, working on a craft project, planning a trip, or just relaxing with her family.
January 5, 2025
Hi JCDSRI Friends,
We are in the midst of a busy admissions season at JCDSRI and I am excited about the approach that we are taking to admissions which is one of creating connections, building community and sharing the magic of our school!
As I think about the coming year, I am looking for your partnership to Grow Your Grade. I hope to engage with you in the process by asking you to think of your friends, colleagues, neighbors and relatives whose children might be the right fit for JCDSRI. We have many wonderful families on our radar already but know that we can increase the number of families we can reach with your partnership.
Here are three simple ways to help:
1) Think through families you know – they do not need to be your best friends but certainly can be – and send an email to connect me with them directly.
Here is an example of an email that you could send:
Dear Name of Friend,
I hope all is well! As you know, we have had a wonderful experience at JCDSRI this year. It has been a warm and welcoming community and Nadav, Eliana and Lior runs into school happy everyday. I was thinking about you and your family and thought you might want to explore JCDSRI for the coming year. I have included Shayna Fel, Director of Admissions, on this email so that you can connect directly to learn more about the school – it is a really special place.
Thanks,
Awesome JCDSRI Parent
2) Invite families to join one of our upcoming community programs. Winter Playdates are coming coming up are a great way to introduce friends to JCDSRI! Check out the flyer here and feel free to pass it along to friends and family.
3) If you use social media, please share your excitement about our school – shout it from the rooftops! You are our greatest cheerleaders.
Share a favorite picture of your kiddo at school with a post like the example below:
Hi friends! We have had a GREAT year at JCDSRI. Nadav, Eliana and Lior are having a blast, the program is stellar and the community is so special. I really encourage you to take a look at JCDSRI for your children. The program is welcoming kids ages 3 through Grade 5. Let me know if you have any questions!!
Admissions work is one of partnership and I am looking forward to hearing from all of you so that we can continue to grow our school and community for years to come.
Thanks so much and as always, please reach out with any questions.
Shayna
December 22, 2024
Lesley Bogad, JCDSRI Board President
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to teach and live your values.
I think about this a lot at JCDSRI because that is the job of the Board of Trustees – to keep the school accountable to its mission and values, to ensure that the school is living up to those things. In my almost three decades as a teacher and teacher educator, I rarely see an institution that teaches and lives its values as deeply as JCDSRI. We see our five values — chesed (kindness), kavod (respect), achrayut (responsibility), kehillah (community) and tzedek (social justice) – in every single thing that happens at our school. It can be seen in the way we plan a community havdalah event, the science curriculum, t’fillah (prayer), the peace table within each classroom, and the books that are selected for the library.
The values of the school are physically hanging everywhere – the playground fence, on the street outside of school, within the lobby and on the walls of the Goldberg gym. But more importantly, they are hanging on the hearts and minds of everyone who spends time with your children. In words and by example, our JCDSRI students learn the values of this place. And we hope that they carry those values out into the world.
I also think about this a lot as a parent. My son, Micah, is a JCDSRI alum (class of 2023) and a mensch of a 7th grader. I love that he has lots of questions about his values, our values, school values, and other family’s values.
Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky z”l, made an important distinction between two important words in the sphere of raising children: the Hebrew word chinuch means education or training. The Hebrew word hashpah means influence. Education/Training is a form of direct teaching. It is didactic. The teacher fills up the cup of the child with valuable information and important knowledge. We say. They do. Hashpah comes from the root word shefa which means abundance. Hashpah is when the teacher fills her own cup and what overflows washes over and influences those in her immediate surroundings.
So, sometimes we teach. We tell our children what to do and what not to do in helping them navigate the world. And, other times we influence. We show our children with actions and deeds the values that are true to our family and to our heart. We read. Or we travel. Or we work too late. Or we call gramma twice a week. We do and they feel our influence. Sometimes we do this with intention, and sometimes not so much. Nonetheless, they learn.
Rabbi Label Lam tells a story of a parent who receives a call from her child’s teacher. The child has been stealing pencils from school. The parent is shocked. How could that be? Why would my child be stealing pencils from school? I bring plenty of pencils home from the office for him to use!
So, to teach our values, to influence the small humans in our worlds, we lead by example. We don’t lead so they can follow. We lead so that they can lead.
Watching JCDSRI fifth grade students lead havdalah, or observing young humans gathering in the m’oadon on Monday mornings to lead t’fillah or celebrate a birthday… or to hear our youngest students welcome visitors into our classrooms when guests are touring the building… JCDSRI is leading with and modeling for our children ways to live our values in the world.
December 15, 2024
Empowering Our Students
The principles of Positive Discipline inform our Social-Emotional Learning curriculum at JCDSRI. The focus is on teaching students not just what to do, but how to think and act in ways that are responsible, kind, and effective. Based on the work of Lynn Lott and Jane Nelson, Positive Discipline encourages teachers to empower students by giving them the tools to solve problems, regulate emotions, and take ownership of their actions. We move away from enabling behaviors—like doing too much for the students or fixing their problems—and instead focus on empowering them by involving them in the solution process. We encourage respectful communication and help students develop problem-solving skills by guiding them through scenarios where they must take responsibility for their actions.
For example, in Kindergarten, a student may struggle with sharing materials during free play. Instead of the teacher immediately intervening to separate the students, the teacher might say, “Let’s talk about how we can share the toys in a way that works for everyone.” The teacher gives the children the space to negotiate and come up with a solution together, while still providing guidance when necessary. This helps build respect, empathy, and cooperation—all essential skills for lifelong success.
When a child in Third Grade struggles with managing strong feelings, teachers guide them in expressing emotions appropriately using the “I feel __ because __” method, encouraging them to share their feelings without judgment or the expectation that others will fix the situation. This approach validates the child’s emotions while also teaching them to express their needs in a respectful way.
In Fifth Grade, students are given opportunities to engage in family-style meetings where they discuss their needs, conflicts, and successes. These meetings empower students to voice their concerns and work with their peers to find solutions that respect everyone’s needs. Students learn how to express themselves respectfully, listen actively, and reach agreements collaboratively.
December 8, 2024
The word Havdalah is related to the Hebrew word לְהַבְדִּיל (L’havdil) – to separate. What are we sep arating? We are making a distinction between Shabbat, set aside in the Torah as “holy time,” and the ordinary time that we usually inhabit. This ceremony generally takes place just after Shabbat has concluded, with the appearance of three stars in the sky, about an hour after sunset. At JCDSRI, we hold a weekly Havdalah service on Monday mornings, marking the transition from the weekend into the school week. Led by our 5th graders, students in first through fifth grades begin the week singing joyfully together as they use their five senses to settle in and prepare for the week ahead.
At JCDSRI, we aim to guide our students to connect to Judaism and T’fillah (prayer) in various ways – ritually, spiritually, mer the connection our studentsfeel to the Havdalah service, we are so excited to share it with you, our amazing parent community! We hope that you will participate in a special Community Havdalah Service on Saturday, December 14 at 5:45 p.m. to get a taste of the magic that takes place at JCDSRI each and every Monday morning. You will see some of the elements that we bring to Havdalah each week and hear from 5th graders about what makes this meaningful to them. We will also be having dinner as a Kehillah (community), to foster deeper bonds and have an amazing time together.
usically, joyfully…etc. We take every opportunity to make sure our traditions are meaningful for our students today and for generations to come. To furth
Hope to see you there!
Morah Guttin and Morah Andrea
December 1, 2024
Hi again, it’s Alison Walter, your one and only Development Director at JCDSRI.
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Giving Tuesday on December 3, 2024. This is an incredible opportunity for our community to come together to support the vibrant education and meaningful experiences that make JCDSRI so special for our kids and families. Every gift directly impacts our school community and we want 100% participation for you, our parents. Keep a look out for emails and posts on social media for this year’s campaign launch. Please send and/or share these posts and emails with your family and friends.
November 24, 2024
Thanksgiving and Tzedek (Social Justice)
Contributed by Erika Rusley, Tzedek Coordinator/4th and 5th Grade General Studies Teacher
Thanksgiving is a holiday that so many people anticipate with true gratitude – thankfulness for the delicious and special seasonal foods, thankfulness for time with beloved friends and family, and thankfulness for the exhilaration of road races and football games and parades. Yet, for many Indigenous (or Native) Americans, Thanksgiving serves as a glaring reminder of the “erasure and misrepresentation of America’s colonial and complex history.” How then, does JCDSRI approach this complicated holiday?
As always, we look to our values. We can show respect for Indigenous peoples and share the responsibility of educating others by learning about the 13 Thanksgivings of local tribes who lived in the area that is now Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Our students are familiar with the lunar calendar through their Yahadut studies, and they are delighted to find that both Judaism and traditional Indigenous beliefs correspond with the cycles of the moon. So much more information is available through the Narragansett-run Tomaquag Museum and through similar sources.
This resource from PBS is a wealth of information geared towards Early Childhood and younger elementary aged students, including craft activities, story books, songs, and videos. For older students, it is appropriate to begin learning that the story of Thanksgiving is usually told from only one side – the European pilgrims who came to America. The National Museum of the American Indian has an excellent resource entitled “How Can We Tell a Better Story?” that expands our perspectives, and students in those grades are invited to explore both at school and at home.
Andrea Katzman shared some suggestions in previous years to help students learn accurate information about Native Americans of the past and present: If your family is not Native American and you’re not sure what your child or children think about Native Americans, this Thanksgiving may be a good time to find out. You might ask questions such as:
“What do you know about Native Americans?”
“Would you like to have a Native American friend?”
“Where do Native Americans live today?” (most live off reservations)
“Can Native Americans vote in U.S. elections?” (yes, they are citizens)
For Thanksgiving, you might also consider gifting a multicultural book about Native Americans or other groups. A wonderful place to buy books is through Minneapolis-based Birchbark Books, which has a robust online collection of books for all ages and interests.
As we give thanks this season, we hope you will find ways within your family to reinforce these lessons and help instill in our children an appreciation and accurate understanding of all cultures.
November 17, 2024
Hi! We are Sommer and Julie and we oversee the Teacher Appreciation Committee here at JCDSRI.
It’s the season of giving and we need your help to show gratitude to the amazing teachers and staff at JCDSRI. Throughout the year, the Teacher Appreciation Committee uses these funds to provide a beginning of year welcome treat, December holiday present, a festive Teacher Appreciation Week and an end-of-year gift! Our goal is for all staff to feel equally and generously supported and loved!
We are suggesting a donation of at least $50/child by December 13th. Our goal is to have one request for donations this year (as opposed to multiple “asks” throughout the year), which is why you may notice this number being higher than in previous years. Please give what you can and know that all gifts are greatly appreciated!
Please Venmo @JCDSRI by December 13th to make your contribution (note “Teacher Appreciation” when making your gift through Venmo), or contact Sommer (sommerthomer89@gmail.com) for other ways to give.
November 10, 2024
Hello, JCDSRI Families! My name is Tiferet Rose and along with teaching Science in grades 4 and 5, I also teach Nature in the Neighborhood which you may have heard about from your children. Nature in the Neighborhood is a weekly special for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade and has evolved over the last year. I am excited to share more about its current iteration with you in this Weekly Buzz.
Every week, I have 45 minutes to facilitate a connection between our students and the nature that we encounter around us every day. Sometimes we stay on campus and sometimes we go off campus. Activities that we do at school include: exploring a worm bin and talking about decomposition, exploring the ways different plants make seeds with seed collages and seed ball making, leaf rubbing and bark rubbing art. Often, I take our students out on a neighborhood walk. Before we leave, I review expectations of walking safely and with the intention of noticing what’s around us. We notice fragrant plants, changing leaves and other interesting things that catch our eye. Sometimes we do a color scavenger hunt, tuning students’ eyes to the dominant colors of each changing season. The question I ask is always, what do we notice that’s the same as last week, and what is different from last week? In this way, students begin to notice the shifts in natural cycles as they occur in the world immediately around us, and questions naturally arise.
Another feature of Nature in the Neighborhood is adopting a “Special Spot.” This year, 1st and 2nd graders are adopting the lot behind the Church of the Redeemer on Hope St. Each week, students take the same walk to arrive at this space, and we notice how it changes as the Earth continues on its orbit around the Sun. Each time we visit, we’ll make observations of what we find there, noticing how the colors change, how the plants change, and what types of animals we might find (on the surface and subterraneously).
Kindergarteners are adopting the space behind the Beit Am and transforming it into their own educational garden. Every week, we work together to improve and reorganize the space so that we can better utilize it as a garden. Students have been planting seeds, sifting compost, and moving rocks around as a starting point. In the coming months, we will create a partnership with the 5th grade class, who will help with the project. Kindergarten teachers will be able to integrate garden-based activities into their classroom content.
The skills students gain through the Nature in the Neighborhood Specialty are skills they will continue to build in their Science classrooms. Being able to make observations and make connections between how things change through the seasons is foundational to successful Scientific thinking.
November 3, 2024
Tzedek, or Justice, is one of our five core values at JCDSRI, and while we’ve taken seriously our commitment to providing an equitable learning environment to all, this year we are bolstering our words with even more action as we work as a faculty and staff to formally adopt a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
UDL and Tzedek go hand-in-hand. For example, one important focus area for Tzedek this year is on surveying the accessibility of our school facilities and curriculum, ensuring that we are meeting the physical and cognitive needs of our community. What does this look like in practice? In first grade, for instance, students read the book Strictly No Elephants in conjunction with their learning about our Sukkot theme, “Open Sukkah, Open Heart.” The class discussed what it feels like when “everyone is welcome,” regardless of physical ability or learning goals”. Fourth grade students read the novel Wonder over the summer, and learned about a child who has been in and out of the hospital for treatment of Treacher-Collins Syndrome. They considered questions such as: What is school like for a child who looks physically different? How might it feel to come to school after being away for a long time for medical treatment? As children engage with these texts, they also encounter the real-life examples that occur in our school every day: visitors who need our community Sukkah to be on a level surface so it can be navigated by a wheelchair or walker, a student who sits at a unique type of desk that helps her focus, another classmate who meets with a tutor to help with reading, or a teacher who sometimes uses a cane or braces to aid in walking. Our school is cognizant of our need to increase accessibility and we know that everyone is capable of learning and growing when we remove barriers.
Another area that has been an important focus of our Tzedek work this fall is our Science curriculum, where Morah Tiferet Rose has been instrumental in helping children understand the difference between trash, compost, and recycling. Morah Tiferet helped bring composting to JCDSRI, and the students have created signage around the school with clear examples of trash, recycling, and compost for all to see. “Compost Manager” is a class job in many classrooms, and students are taking ownership of this particular area of Tzedek. Our continued partnership with Save the Bay further emphasizes to students that they can take positive action to create a more environmentally balanced world.
Our school and class libraries and our Social Studies curriculum continuously expose our students to the many cultures, ethnicities, religions, nationalities and more in the U.S. and around the world. We will continue our efforts to partner with the Brown/RISD “Hillel’n with Melanin” group of young Jews of Color, our commitment to doing our part to alleviate the effects of homelessness in Rhode Island, our support of the Narragansett Indian tribal community education programs, our engagement with Rhode Island Black historians and storytellers, and our professional development about LGBTQ+ educators, students, and families through the Welcoming Schools campaign.
Stay tuned for more updates throughout the year!
October 27, 2024
Hello JCDSRI families, my name is Alison Walter and I am the Development Director here at JCDSRI.
I have worked in the Jewish communal field for the last 25 years with a focus on Jewish Day Schools for the last 15 years. My undergraduate degree is in Sociology and I have a double Masters in Social Work and Jewish Studies. I have worked in many settings including the BBYO National Office in DC, the Jewish Federation in Boston and a start up Jewish Day School in Framingham, MA.
My role at JCDSRI is vital in ensuring the school’s financial sustainability and growth. As some of you may know, tuition alone does not cover all of the costs at JCDSRI. My job is to cultivate relationships with community partners, alumni, parents, alumni parents and grandparents to ensure that any student can attend JCDSRI. We are always looking for 100% participation for our parent community to donate to the school. Keep an eye out over the next few months as we launch our campaign for the year.
Ask your kids if they have had visitors in their classroom in these first few weeks of school! These tours exemplify our five values and really inspire our board, donors, and community partners to continue to support the school.
Please feel free to reach out to me at to set up a meeting or conversation! I would love to connect.
October 6, 2024
Positive Discipline encourages three core beliefs that we instill in our students:
“I am capable”
“I can contribute to our JCDSRI community in valuable ways”
“I can use my power to make choices that positively impact our community”.
At JCDSRI, we understand it is not the job of teachers to control students’ behavior, but rather to create a community where students feel a sense of belonging and are afforded opportunities to make mistakes and to learn and practice valuable social and life skills.
Prioritizing social emotional learning (SEL) and explicitly teaching students how to recognize their own feelings and those of others prepare our students to approach their relationships and their responsibilities with insight and empathy. At JCDSRI, students and teachers co-create classroom expectations and work together to uphold them, using age-appropriate communication skills, problem-solving skills and various techniques to identify, express, and manage feelings. Teachers set aside time each day to bring the class together as a community. During these meetings, students practice active listening, engage in problem solving, and learn to invite and appreciate different outlooks with an open mind.
Through the Weekly Buzz, I want to dive deeper and introduce you to the concept of the “Mistaken Goals” of Positive Discipline. Utilizing the framework of “Mistaken Goals” allows our teachers to think critically about the behavior that they are seeing in class. We want to understand what is truly being communicated so that we can help empower our students in our classrooms.
What are Mistaken Goals?
It is important to understand the four “mistaken goals” when understanding a child’s behavior; undue attention, revenge, misguided power, and assumed inadequacy. For example, everyone wants attention, right? It’s part of human nature. The fundamental human need to feel belonging and connection. The problem arises in classrooms when students seek attention in negative ways because of their mistaken beliefs about how to gain a sense of belonging. The Mistaken Goal of Undue Attention occurs when students have the belief that, “I’m okay only if I get attention.”
On the Mistaken Goal Chart, we point out that it is your feelings (second column) that give you the first clue to understanding the “mistaken goal”. Many teachers and parents ask, “Why do my feelings help me understand the child’s mistaken goal?” It is because your feelings indicate your “reaction” to the misbehavior. When you respond to a student’s behavior by feeling irritated, annoyed, worried, or guilty, it is likely that his or her mistaken goal is Undue Attention.
Understanding the purpose behind the student’s misbehavior can help you find the most effective tool. For example, since the coded message of undue attention seeking is “notice me and involve me usefully,” involving the student in class jobs or leading a prayer, a child might feel a greater sense of belonging and connection, and as a result decrease negative attention seeking behavior.
At JCDSRI we are proud as we continue to scaffold and practice developmentally appropriate methods in teaching about Mistaken Goals. By teaching our students to be independent and capable problem solvers, we enable them to use their personal power constructively. We believe it is our responsibility to help them learn to use their gifts in ways that contribute to their families, their communities, and to the world. Families of our graduates often return to share how the kindness, compassion, and emotional intelligence that was fostered at JCDSRI dramatically impacted their children’s academic and social success in middle school and beyond.
September 29, 2024
Hi JCDSRI Families, I’m Rhonda Mills, Director of Yahadut (Judaic Studies). In this role, I have the joy of working with a wonderful team of Yahadut and Ivrit (Hebrew language) teachers to plan our school-wide Jewish holiday celebrations. Additionally, as a team we look at our Yahadut and Ivrit curricula ensuring that students build their skills from one grade to the next. We also find ways to integrate our Jewish learning with the learning that is happening in General Studies.
Our focus on Jewish Holidays means it is our busy time of year! With Rosh Hashanah coming next week and then quickly followed by Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, there’s lots to reflect upon and celebrate. All of our students are learning the joy of welcoming a new year and the opportunity it presents for sweet, new beginnings. Students will participate in Tashlich, a ceremony connected to the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We prepare by reflecting on our past choices and actions – and then symbolically throw away the mistakes that we have made during the past year by tossing small pebbles into a moving body of water. In this way, we prepare to enter the new year with a clean slate with the goal of working to become the best versions of ourselves. Our Jewish tradition teaches that it is not easy to acknowledge our missteps and has set aside ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, called the Aseret Yimai T’shuvah (Ten Days of Repentance), for us to reflect on the past year and the changes that we hope to make in the upcoming year.
This time of year coordinates beautifully with the SEL, Social Emotional Learning, focus of our first 6 weeks of school as we build community in each of our classes. Becoming the best version of ourselves is not just about saying sorry. It’s about digging deeper to figure out what we could have done differently in our most challenging moments. Our students are introduced to the steps of T’shuvah, which involve admitting a mistake, apologizing and then when a person is faced with the same situation again, a better course of action is chosen. We are working to create a culture of kindness and acceptance at JCDSRI. These special days that our rabbis have set aside are but reminders of the important, ongoing lifelong process that our students are participating in as they continually develop a sense of empathy and sensitivity for others.
“We need to give them (our children) the strongest possible sense of collective responsibility for the common good. . . we need to ensure life’s blessings are shared. . . The world our children will inherit tomorrow is born in the schools we build today.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, 2017
September 22, 2024
Hi JCDSRI Families! My name is Ruth Horton and I am the Director of Early Childhood here at JCDSRI.
I have been in the field of education for over forty years. Luckily, I am young at heart! My undergraduate degree is in Elementary Education and my graduate degree is in Early Childhood with a focus on Special Education. I have worked in many different settings including Meeting Street and in public school settings both in inclusive classrooms as well as classrooms for students with profound needs.
I believe my most important role is to mentor teachers and engage with the students. I spend a good deal of my time in Nitzanim, Ilanot and Kindergarten observing, supporting, and playing! I am very cognizant of how each child develops in their own time and in their own unique way.
This year children in Nitzanim, Ilanot and Kindergarten will be introduced to and for some, reintroduced to Social Stories. Social Stories are fun tools to help children learn about a variety of topics including how to play with a friend or how to get ready for snack time. Our teachers make each story into a book which they then regularly read to the class so that students can anticipate how activities might feel or what the expectations are for a given activity or part of the day. The stories generally include simple, clear language and include photos of the real-life setting or people involved. These help provide context and connection for our youngest students. Over the years I have witnessed how effective this process is in helping children understand their environments and feel prepared for their day at school or really anywhere.
I look forward to seeing you at Open School Night.
September 15, 2024
Standing outside each morning to greet JCDSRI students, parents and faculty (and even neighbors walking their dogs), I hope that my waves, high fives, and smiles communicate how genuinely happy I am to see each member of our community. I am grateful to have the opportunity every day, rain or shine, to practice, and to model, hachnasat orchim.
This value of hachnasat orchim – welcoming the guest – animates much of our school culture. It is evident in the way every classroom’s student “greeter” warmly welcomes visitors, in the hugs older students give to their younger “buddies,” and in the stories and lessons our teachers construct with their students.
Beginning in Nitzanim and Ilanot, our students are introduced to the concept of hachnasat orchim when they hear the story of Avraham and Sarah who demonstrated great compassion and generosity when they invited three guests (who turned out to be angels) into their tent. This example inspires us at JCDSRI, as it did Rashi (the great commentator), who explained that Avraham’s commitment to hachnasat orchim was so great that he refused to leave the entrance of his tent so that he would not miss the opportunity to greet every traveler walking past!
What is it about this Torah story that we continue to find so compelling? Perhaps because it is tied to the exhortation that appears in the Torah: “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) Our unsettling experiences as outsiders, the rabbis suggest, compel us to follow the model of Avraham and Sarah. We should open the entrances to our “tents” and seek out the “strangers” in our midst.
This value of hospitality, as well as our awareness that we once were strangers in a strange land, is woven into the fabric of our Jewish identities. It reminds us at JCDSRI that we are to construct an authentically welcoming community, one that not only embraces the familiar (the “insider”), but also warmly invites those not yet known, into our embrace.
I invite you to take a pause, however brief, as you drop off your child(ren) as I would love to greet you! And I encourage you to greet those who are new and returning in our community.
May we be blessed to be seen and welcomed and to see and welcome others.
September 8, 2024
My name is Jill Davis and I am the principal here at JCDSRI. I have the privilege of working closely with our students, faculty and administrators. One of my roles at JCDSRI is to provide engaging and appropriate Professional Development for our teachers and support staff. This work of developing and facilitating our own Professional Development for JCDSRI faculty is a passion of mine and one of the most exciting parts of my job.
Professional Development at JCDSRI provides an opportunity for teachers to grow their knowledge and sharpen their skills, which can lead to better student outcomes. It’s a way for our teachers to collaborate with their colleagues, and one avenue through which administrators can support our teachers. This summer teachers and administrators alike came together for three full days of Professional Development. Universal Design for Learning has been a major focus for us and continued to be during our summer learning. As our incredible partners, we want to take a moment to introduce these concepts to you as you will hear and read about components of UDL throughout the year.
JCDSRI is a Universal Design for Learning school. The ultimate goal of UDL is for all learners to become “expert learners.” Expert learners are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed about learning.
UDL is a powerful approach because from the very start of a lesson, it helps our teachers anticipate and plan for all of our learners. It can help us make sure that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning —leaving no student behind.
Our JCDSRI educational community has learned that UDL may change how we think about what prevents students from learning. Instead of thinking that something needs to change about the students, UDL looks at the learning environment. The learning environment can include barriers to learning, like the design of the curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials. In this way, the learning environment itself can be “abled” or “dis-abled.”UDL gives us a framework to follow so we can reduce the barriers to learning.
During our time together, we learned more about the 3 principles of UDL; engagement, representation, action and expression. UDL describes human variability based on parts of the brain that manage the “why” (affective network), the “what” (recognition network), and the “how (strategic network) of learning. However, this was not the first time teachers heard about UDL. This has been an ongoing journey since last year. In fact, our faculty and staff read “Unlearning” by Alison Posey and Katie Novak in preparation for our summer Professional Development and were asked to come in with responses from the literature that were then discussed and unpacked further.
I am so proud of all our JCDSRI educators. During our time together they collaborated on several UDL tasks, worked in teams, role-played various “real” UDL classroom scenarios, and presented on many UDL topics and case studies – all of which reflected our values, aligned with our mission and educational philosophy.
September 1, 2024
My name is Bethany Weinstein and I would like to formally and enthusiastically introduce myself as JCDSRI’s social worker! I began in this role last year, when I was lovingly welcomed by students, families, teachers, and the entire school community. Due to my mid-year arrival, I realize I may have missed the opportunity to introduce myself to everyone, and I am excited to do so now as we begin this upcoming school year.
I have been practicing as a social worker since 2011. Prior to my time here at JCDSRI, I worked as a social worker in the Providence Public Schools and, before that, as a social worker at Butler Hospital. It is through these experiences that I have come to humbly appreciate the value of social workers in schools. I have had the privilege of learning from and working with some truly incredible colleagues over the years and JCDSRI has proven to be a place where I will continue to share wisdom, collaborate, learn and grow!
In my role at JCDSRI, I will have the opportunity to work with students in groups and focused, time-limited individual sessions. I will support teachers as they continue to integrate our social/emotional curriculum throughout the year. I will also be available to help support you, our incredible families, as you navigate the joys and challenges of parenting!
Please feel free to reach out to me! I can be found at school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I can always be reached on my email at bweinstein@jcdsri.com. I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours. I am wishing you all a wonderful school year!
August 25, 2024
What is the JCDSRI Weekly Buzz, you may ask? We are excited to tell you!
We heard requests from families last year for more information about the happenings at school, greater insight into the work of our Education Leadership Team led by Principal, Jill Davis, greater access to resources from our incredible team of faculty and staff as well as more news from the classrooms BUT we don’t want to add any more emails to your inbox. The JCDSRI Weekly Buzz is our solution! Each week you will find something new in the Weekly Buzz as part of the JCDSRI Press and our website.
We hope that this will serve to increase your understanding of all of the work taking place at JCDSRI. If there are particular topics you would like to see covered, please feel free to reach out to Shayna Fel.
Led by the ever-curious and inspiring Tiferet Rose, our youngest learners set off each week to explore the wonders of the natural world—right in our own backyard! Whether it’s a tiny insect hiding under a leaf or the way a breeze moves through the trees, students in Nature in the Neighborhood discover that you don’t have to go far to witness the beauty, science, and surprises that nature offers. With open hearts and observant eyes, they build a connection to their environment and develop a sense of stewardship rooted in exploration, inquiry, and joy.
At JCDSRI, we begin each new school year by blowing the shofar – a wake up call to prepare us for the year ahead – and by saying the words of the Shehecheyanu prayer, a prayer that shares our gratitude for allowing us to arrive at this particular moment in time.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה י/י, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽינוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, shehechiyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu lazman hazeh.
Blessed are You Eternal Spirit who has given us life, sustained us and allowed us to arrive in this moment.
Join us for our upcoming Simchat Tot Shabbat celebrations for children ages 0-3 years old with a parent or caregiver! We invite you to sing, dance play and meet new friends.
We look forward to welcoming you to JCDSRI!
Drop-in any time from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for our parent information sessions.
Our fourth annual STEAM Splash event took place this spring. STEAM Splash is a yearly design-fest that brings together the skills and interests of community members with the unbridled enthusiasm of our students. Parents and friends from our community, along with partners from Brown and RISD, ran 30 different STEAM-themed workshops over a three-day period. Students in Pre-K through fifth grade enjoyed a “splash” of fun, educational play, encouraging their love of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
Last month, over 200 guests, including current families, alumni, teachers, friends and donors, celebrated our school‘s four decades of impactful education during our Gala. It is not a coincidence that the celebration occurred right before Passover. After all, Passover is a holiday that, perhaps more than any other, reminds us of the importance of education, of peoplehood, and of courage.
I am reminded of a midrash, the People of Israel are standing on the shore of a sea. Water – deep and wide – stretches out before us. Behind us, an army of Egyptian horsemen is advancing quickly. Moses receives the message from God that we are to cross the sea. He urges us forward – but the water is too deep, too rough, too dangerous. Suddenly, we hear a cry and see a man – Nachshon – jump into the water. He stands, starts moving forward . . . and just as the water reaches his neck, the sea parts. For a moment we are stunned – and then in a great rush, we cross over the dry sea bed, leaving the Egyptians to be swallowed by water.
What was it that drove Nachshon into the sea? I think it was his understanding that faith alone – while a profound and powerful force – was not enough to save us. Faith without action can leave us shackled and helpless. That may be why the Hebrew word for courage – ometz – is best translated as a “willingness to take action.”
Nachshon demonstrated ometz even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. I am grateful that in every generation, there have been courageous leaders following in Nachshon’s footsteps – including the founding families of our school. Like Nachshon, they worried about their children and their ability to live free, meaningful lives as Jews. Who would become the community’s future leaders, educators and caretakers? How would they teach their children that they were also part of a covenantal community – one that honors our sacred obligations to one another?
Using the model of Nachshon and so many others in our tradition, our founders courageously heeded the call v’sheenantam l’vanecha – teach them to your children. They founded a school: one that would be passionate about Jewish learning, value relationships, engage meaningfully in Jewish life, nurture a connection to Israel, embrace an egalitarian spirit, and commit to tikkun olam – the healing of the world.
JCDSRI still reflects these core values articulated by our founding families 40 years ago. And at the same time that we remember our origins, we also celebrate the ways in which we continue to renew ourselves for every generation. Throughout the years, we have been blessed with hundreds of individuals and families who have supported our school with courage – with ometz – a willingness to take action. This legacy – and our hope for the future – continues to be reflected in the lives of our children. We continue to understand that our future depends on the decisions and commitments we make today. May this exceptional school – founded by courageous families and sustained by all of us – continue ad meah v’esrim – until 120!
Young children love the immediate satisfaction of painting. Mixing colors is a magic and instant alchemy that has enthralled our Pre-K students for the past few weeks in art. Mr. Mirsky challenged the children to “invent” as many new colors as they could. With this prompting, children learned the basics of color theory and improved fine motor control, but they were also given the opportunity to create something the world has never seen before. That’s the sense of discovery we love to encourage in our art room!
