The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2009 - Page 19
The Latest and Greatest at JPS
New and Smiling Faces at
CJDS
By Nancy Zolotorofe
Is your child on track for
kindergarten? This was on the
minds of some JPS parents who
attended the preschool’s kinder
garten readiness program on the
evening of November 19. A
highly-esteemed panel of speak
ers discussed the developmental
skills needed to make a success
ful leap to big-kid school as well
as the “homework” a parent
should do before making the
decision. The latter might include
knowing the expectations of the
school your child will be entering,
finding out what your child’s pre
school teacher would recommend
in terms of placement, and grasp
ing where a child’s social develop
ment stands.
“This was a fantastic program,
especially because the cut-off
dates for kindergarten are chang
ing and parents have become even
more confused,” says Elise
Kosofsky, who has a child in the
4s and one in the 3 s. Preschool
director, Jen Lahn, agrees about
the program’s timeliness. She
Giving at C JP
By Stephanie Starr
Most families in the Jewish
community do not truly under
stand how wonderful an organiza
tion the Charlotte Jewish
Preschool is in terms of teaching
the values of giving and tzedakah.
As both a parent of two children
who attend CJP as well as the
Director of Jewish Family
Services, I can honestly validate
this more than most.
I see the wonderful sense of
excitement and pride that my chil
dren have when they bring coins
every week in their Tzedakah coin
holders for Shabbat or when they
bring non-perishable food to the
Food Pantry at JFS. It is infectious
and invigorating - a pure sense of
wanting to give to help others. As
parents, this is exactly what many
of us strive to teach our children in
this very materialistic world - to
give because it is the right thing to
do. Helping others provides a
wonderful feeling that sometimes
cannot be described in words. We
see it on the faces of our children
and hear it in the excitement of
their voices.
On the receiving end, I see the
needs of individuals and families
going through hard times and cri
sis. Poverty and difficult times do
not discriminate and are experi
enced in the Jewish community at
equal rates to those in the general
community. We are in one of the
worst economic recessions in his-
“You can’t control the wind, but
you can adjust your sails. ”
- Yiddish proverb
As we rapidly approach the
halfway mark of our 2008-2009
school year, we are pleased that
our CJDS middle school students
have had such a rewarding educa
tional and social experience. Our
Board of Directors took a “leap of
faith” by adding the fifth grade to
our existing middle school for the
current year. Students, parents.
Students at JPS presented Rabbi
Groner with a "big” check for the
community’s new Torah.
says, “Now is when parents are
considering their child’s ongoing
formal education for the following
year. Hearing from experts in the
field will arm them with tools
through the process.” This is just
one of many educational opportu
nities Lahn hopes to offer parents
that will enable them to make
informed decisions about their
children’s future.
Many thanks to panel members:
Mara Rosenberg (kindergarten
teacher at CJDS), Cheryl Wolfe
(Gessell examiner), Mandy
DeFilippo (CJDS lower school
director), Frank Gaskill, Ph.D.
tory. There is an increase in those
who are having difficulties in our
community, many who have never
dealt with this before. It is not
easy for most individuals to ask
for help or to accept it. I cannot
describe the true appreciation that
many individuals and families
verbalize for the assistance and
food that JFS is able to provide.
JFS would not be able to provide
this help without the generosity of
CJP and other community agen
cies.
CJP does many drives through
out the year to help Jewish Family
Services. Here are just a few of
these. During Sukkot, the pre
school classes were all assigned a
variety of non-perishables to bring
to the JFS food pantry. This food
drive lasted several weeks and
helped feed many families who
would have done without. The
children all delivered their items
to the food pantry with huge
smiles on their faces. They were
able to see the true effects of their
giving. Over the month of
December, CJP and J-Tots are col
lecting all “green” currency as
tzedakah on Shabbat. The money
collected will bring wonderful
presents for many individuals,
children, and families in need.
This program is proof that when
everyone gives only a small
amount, it can add up quickly and
go a long way. Just think about it -
a dollar a week for each child adds
and teachers have all been very
pleased with the success of the
program and the camaraderie and
friendships that have evolved
among the 32 current students in
all the middle school grades.
The economic challenges faced
by many in our community in
recent months have had a pro
found impact on our middle
school, and many other private
schools and colleges are facing
similar issues. It has become
apparent that enrollment for next
(part of the CAIS study group
for private schools), Beverly
Wakefield (4s teacher), and
Erica Katz (4s teacher).
Collecting Their Pennies
For the last year, children at
JPS have been busy filling their
tzedakah boxes (and searching
under couch cushions and in the
crevices of their car seats for
coins). Ultimately, they collect
ed $1800 to donate toward the
completion of a new Torah for
the community. Reaching this
monetary goal has allowed them
to share the mitzvah of sponsoring
an entire week’s portion of the
Torah; this section will be dedicat
ed to the children attending JPS
during the 2007-2008 and 2008-
2009 school years. On December
5, students celebrated this amaz
ing mitzvah by presenting the
preschool’s co-founder. Rabbi
Groner, with the money that was
raised. Then, the students marched
around the school in a Torah
parade, waving the torah flags
they made and playing musical
instruments. ^
Ms. Haley’s 4s deliver food to the
JFS Food Pantry and JFS employee
Nicole Vagnone.
up to $750. A dollar alone makes a
small dent; dollars together make
a big difference. Imagine how
many individuals and families this
can help. It is also so effortless
and easy. As a mother of three
who works full-time, I appreciate
any kind of way that I can help
others without having to do the
shopping myself Sticking a dollar
in a coin holder is easy.
There are many other ways that
CJP teaches children the philoso
phy of giving and tzedakah. I see
it in the classrooms daily. There is
a sense of nurturance and caring
that is exhibited by teachers and
administrative staff As a parent
and a professional in the social
service field, I want my children
to be in an environment in which
they experience daily reinforce
ment of kindness and giving. CJP
provides this and I could not
imagine my children anywhere
else. Thank you to CJP for all you
do for the children in our commu
nity and for all of your assistance
year will be well below our pro
jections, and there will be a greater
need for financial assistance
because of the economic down
turn. The Board of Directors has
carefully considered the effect of
reduced enrollment and its finan
cial impact on our ability to sus
tain the middle school program at
its current level of performance
and programmatic excellence. The
realities are disappointing but
undeniable. CJDS is very fortu
nate to have a strategic plan in
(Continued on page 21)
Charlotte Jewish Day School’s
Ein Gedi program has long been
respected as an oasis where
Jewish children experiencing
learning, behavioral, and
sensory challenges can be
nurtured emotionally,
psychologically, and aca
demically. As the Ein
Gedi program expanded,
so did the need for addi
tional staff, specially
trained to provide the
very best for these students.
Please join us in welcoming
Patty Reynolds to Charlotte
Jewish Day School. Mrs.
Reynolds teaches the Ein Gedi
students in the pre-adolescent,
middle school age group. Her
responsibility is unique, as she
strives to give these children the
tools they will need as they
“mainstream” into more tradition
al school settings.
Patty is native to Long Island,
NY and is a graduate of Empire
State College. Her passion for
teaching children with special
needs is a result of the struggles
she faced and conquered as a
youngster She has worked in spe
cial education for 15 years and
can think of nothing more reward
ing. Reynolds “golden rule” for
her classroom is in and of
itself inspirational. Her
room is a “leave your neg
ativity behind” zone,
which encourages stu
dents to respect one anoth
er, to treat each other as
they would like to be
treated, and to be non-
judgmental. Her students never
cease to amaze. The Ein Gedi II
students serve as reading buddies
with the Junior Kindergarten and
Kindergarten kids and are looking
forward to someday helping the
senior citizens of the Jewish
Community Center The sense of
pride that Reynolds instills in
these youths is palpable.
Patty resides in Monroe, NC
with her husband of 27 years. She
has two grown children who are
the apple of her eye. She is a his
tory buff and looks forward to
exploring the culture in the South
... both old and new. ^
Larry Horowitz, CLU, ChFC
Financial
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Charlotte, NC 28210
704-556-9982, Fax: 704-369-2918
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CJDS Middle School News
A
Patty Reynolds