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Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2013
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EDUCATION
Camp KiTov: What a great summer By PAM LEWIS, ALEX HILLS, SHEREEN CANADY DuBow Preschool
Camp Ki Tov, summer 2013, was a great hit! We had a bunch of new faces on the staff eager to meet their campers. On the first
day of camp the children arrived excited and ready for a memorable summer. This summer campers enjoyed some old favorites such as fishing and archery. Some weeks we welcomed visitors such as Mr. Barry the Magician, a petting zoo, and Boom Science
with Greg Nagel. Other weeks we ventured out to Museum of Science and History, Catty Shack, the beach, and more. Our camp counselors in training learned a great deal and had lots of fun leading arts and crafts along with the cooking program. Each week with varying themes such as safari, mystery & magic, super heroes, every cabin competed with spirit and pride to win the spirit stick. We were also fortunate to have Rabbi Olitzky and Hazzan Holzer lead our Shabbat lunches on Fridays with lots of ruach (spirit) and passion. They also joined each cabin for Judaicrelated activities. We had the privilege of hosting counselors from Israel at Camp Ki Tov and were excited about the love of Israel that they brought to our camp. We also got the pleasure of having Ezra Flom join us in the middle of the summer. He was a huge help when we observed Tisha B’av, and Ezra also had a great time
planning our annual Camp Ki Tov undernight/overnight. As always, it is our goal to build long-lasting memories for the children at Camp Ki Tov, and we were more than successful. Thanks to the combined efforts of the administration, our clergy, and the loving parents. A big shout out
to our amazing staff of young men and women who dedicated their summer to making memories for our campers at Camp Ki Tov. Have a wonderful, healthy and happy year, and we look forward to creating more memories with your children during summer 2014 at Camp Ki Tov.
tive professional development through the summer that included required participation in one of four summer book clubs, each moderated by the 21st Century Learning Team. Comments about the books were posted all summer long through the faculty Ning, the MJGDS online social media platform private for faculty members. In addition, a portion of the first day of teacher pre-planning week was dedicated to discussions about the books that were read over summer break. The faculty summer book
list included: “Square Peg: My Story and What it Means For Raising Innovators, Visionaries, and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers,” by L. Todd Rose, is a book that illuminates the struggles of millions of bright, young children and their frustrated parents and teachers who are stuck in a onesize-fits-all school system that fails to approach the student as an individual. “Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning,” by Peter H. Johnston, is a book that demonstrates how the things we say (and don’t say)
have surprising consequences for what children learn and for who they become as literate people. “Dream Class: How to Transfer Any Group of Students into the Class You’ve Always Wanted,” is a book that offers practical suggestions for behavior management techniques. “Connected From the Start: Global Learning in the Primary Grades,” by Kathy Cassidy, is a book that makes a compelling case for connecting our youngest students to the world using the transformative power of Internet tools and technologies.
MJGDS summer reading lesson to be used as school begins By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
Every school, whether it’s public or private, requires some level of summer reading for their students to maintain and strengthen important reading skills such as vocabulary and comprehension. This year, in keeping in line with the Community of Kindness initiative, the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School’s fourth through eighth grade classes were required
to read the book “Wonder,” by R. J. Palacio. “Wonder” is a simple book that tells the story of a child born with a severe facial deformity. It is a beautiful story that touches on bullying with a message about kindness and acceptance. “Wonder” will be the foundation of discussions as the school continues to build and develop the Community of Kindness program. There was also collabora-
MJGDS greets new year with change By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
What’s new at MJGDS for the 2013-14 school year • Fourth and fifth grades launched 1:1 iPads initiative. • The Martin J. Gottlieb Day School will be implementing an advisory program for grades 4-8. Students will have an advocate/ support person and will meet in peer groups once or twice a month and individually as needed. Advisories are a primary vehicle for creating a more personalized learning environment, and provide a structure and a set
of practices for monitoring and supporting students’ academic progress. • MJGDS will implement the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” school wide. Developing these habits will help students tackle work and life challenges with new confidence. Students will be working on a new habit a month, and classes will be developing mission statements and activities to support each habit. • Brand new afterschool offerings will include 100 Mile Running Club, Chess Club, band, basketball and Thespian Club.
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