The Charlotte Jewish News - May 2004 - Page 14
Spring at the Charlotte Jewish Preschool
We have had a busy year at CJP,
and we cannot believe that the
2003-4 year is almost over. We
would like to thank all of our fam
ilies, teachers, and staff for bear
ing with us in our growth (con
struction) phase. Next year ... in
Kate Raemore wears her frog hat at
the Seder.
Katneron Lesovsky enjoys eating
matzah at CJP's Seder.
our new building. We are so excit
ed.
Highlights from the last few
months include celebrating Purim
and Passover. Our children have
delighted the Oasis seniors and
staff of the JCC as they have
paraded around the JCC and CJP
— first in their Hamen/Queen
Esther costumes ~ then as slaves
running from Pharaoh AKA
Coach Dan. They have made
gragers and Passover plates and
have been learning all about
Jewish holidays that start with the
letter “P.” The children have also
participated in Passover Seders
while wearing frogs on their
heads. The fours can impressively
shout out the ten plagues ... ask an
adult, and see if they can do that.
Our 4s are graduating this
month and moving on to
Kindergarten. We will miss them,
but we know they are prepared for
the next educational and social
steps in their lives. We hope that
derful new playground. Our staff
and Board of Directors have been
working hard to ensure that the
transition will be smooth and easy.
Thank you again for your patience
during this time of expansion.
Happy summer.
To register for the 2004-5
school year, please call 704-944-
6776. For updates on CJP goings-
on, log onto www.cjpkids.org. O
Kaylie Brooks and Louisa Stem are
all dressed up for Purim.
they will come back and visit us as
the “big kids.”
As we clo.se out this final year
in the current CJP buildings, we
look forward to welcoming new
and returning students to our
brand new building with our won-
TheChariotte
Jewish
Preschool
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TIRS: Meeting the Changing Needs of
Jewish Families
.Children that are growing up
today in Charlotte have a very dif
ferent experience than their par
ents and grandparents. A child
growing up today is expected to
learn more and at a rapid rate.
While I was struggling to learn
how to skip in kindergarten,
today’s kindergartener is learning
how to read in earnest. All over
America, children are getting
homework every night from their
secular schools, even as early as
kindergarten. The world of play
has drastically changed as well.
While children of past genera
tions simply ran outside and
played freely in the parks and
streets, children of today are mon
itored for safety at all times; most
outdoors or sports activities arc
not spontaneous. Children are reg
istered to participate in soccer,
swimming, baseball, gymnastics
or camp. Furthermore, children’s
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social lives are also scripted
through boy scouts, clubs, or play
dates. And of course, most of the
Josh Kipnis, Josh Schulman, and
Perry Spitz work on a project at
Religious School.
time, today’s parents spend enor
mous amounts of time chauffeur-
ing their children from activity to
activity.
Families and children of today
are stressed out and pressured.
Many parents have spoken to me
about how tired their child is after
school and is having difficulties
finishing his/her homework and
then coming to Religious School.
Parents also want to insure that
their children become fully round
ed and are able to participate in
organized sports, ballet or other
extracurricular activities.
Unfortunately, many of these
activities create a scheduling con
flict with Religious School.
Temple Israel Religious School
has heard the concerns and is
responding to the needs of Jewish
families in Charlotte. Next year,
our first through fourth grade
classes will take place on Sundays
(10 AM-noon) and Tuesdays
(4:30-6 PM). While, kindergarten
students will continue to come on
Sundays only. This change will
allow students to attend Religious
School on Sundays when they are
not tired, do not have pressing
homework assignments, and
when there arc not usually con
flicting extracurricular activities
happening. In addition, students
will benefit from one extra half
hour of study. We tried out this
alternative schedule during the
2003-2004 school year on an
experimental basis. It was a
tremendous success. Attendance
was the best in the entire school
and students covered more materi
al and had a more thorough under
standing of the materials taught. If
our new schedule continues to be
successful and well received, we
will determine if the entire school
will move to the Sunday - Tuesday
format in future years.
Temple Israel is proud to be
able to make changes that meet
the changing needs of Jewish fam
ilies in Charlotte. ^
Fifth Grade CJDS Star:
Lila Kelso
The fifth grade class is
very proud of Lila Kelso,
our “star” who channels
her energy and shares her
flair for drama through a
variety of performing
opportunities. She was
recently cast in Madeline
at Children’s Theatre of
Charlotte. In this popular
adaptation of Ludwig
Bcmelmens’ stories of the feisty
schoolgirl, Lila played the
Penguin, the smallest creature at
the zoo. Her role featured lots of
comic schtick as she tried to wad
dle home with Madeline and her
friends, and later escaped from her
cage to run wild in the streets of
Paris.
Over the last two years, Lila
also acted in Charlie &
the Chocolate Factory
(as an Oompa-Loompa)
and The Hobbit (as a
Dwarf) at the Matthews
Playhouse.
In addition, she stays
busy auditioning for
roles in commercials
Lila Kelso feature films.
Through an agent in
Charlotte, Lila has been cast in
regional and national radio and TV
spots, and was asked to audition
(along with hundreds of thousands
of other kids across the country)
for the feature films The Polar
Express, Because of Winn-Dixie,
and the remake of Willy Wonka &
the Chocolate Factory. ^