2/26/2021 Head of School Message

Dear DKJA Community,

It has been another wonderful week at DKJA, as we wrapped up Grandparents and Special Friends Month. It has been a tremendous pleasure watching our students welcome our special guests into their classrooms and engage in meaningful and interactive activities throughout the entire month. While we look forward to welcoming our grandparents and special friends in person again in the future, it has been a blessing to host this month-long virtual celebration at a time when many of us have been isolated and have been in need of personal connections. My hope is that our students continue to always foster their relationships with their grandparents. L’dor V’dor. 

Grandparents play a special role in the lives of their grandchildren by helping to create and pass down Jewish traditions. For this reason, it is fitting that Purim begins as Grandparents and Special Friends Month comes to an end. Earlier today, our entire DKJA family, including our parents, grandparents, and special friends, came together for a K-12 virtual Shabbat in celebration of both events. To celebrate Purim, all of our students, remote and in-person, engaged in fun activities, including Megillah readings, preparing mishloach manot, gifting treats, and participating in Matanot La’evyonim, donating money to the less fortunate. Our Lower School students dressed up to celebrate the holiday and joined me on Tuesday night for a special Storytime with the Head of School. I was happy to read them one of my favorite stories in honor of Purim. Other fun activities this week included a hamantaschen baking class for our remote Middle School students and a special Purim party for our High School division. 

It has also been an exciting week for our fifth-grade students, who participated in a virtual ceremony where they officially received their first Tanakh. Parents, grandparents, and special friends joined the virtual celebration to watch our in-person and remote students receive their Tanakh, which they will use moving forward in class, and throughout their lives. This is a special tradition that our fifth graders have been participating in for many years. I am thrilled that we were able to continue our tradition this year in a safe, socially distanced manner. Mazel Tov to our fifth-grade students and their families. 

As another week comes to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to remind the DKJA community of upcoming events.

March 3 at 10:00 a.m. - The entire DKJA community is invited to join us for the 10th Anniversary of Leader in Me at DKJA. Leader in Me is a leadership program for all ages, where students learn how to become emerging leaders, be more goal-oriented, and have a successful future. DKJA is the only Jewish Day School in the world to be recognized as a Lighthouse School through Leader in Me by the Franklin Covey organization. 

March 10–12 - Students will be released at 12:30 p.m. on March 10 for Parent-Teacher Conferences. The school will be closed on March 11 for Parent-Teacher Conferences, as well as March 12 in order to allow our faculty, staff, and administration to take part in a professional development day. 

March 26–April 4 - DKJA school and office will be closed for Passover break from March 26 through April 4. 

April 18–22 - Please mark your calendars for Spotlight on DKJA, a special week-long celebration in honor of DKJA. The week will begin with a fun family road rally scavenger hunt, will include an online auction and spirit week, and will end with our Pinnacle Event, a virtual gathering to celebrate our exceptional school. Please see the flyer below for more information. Additional details will be forthcoming.

I wish you all a wonderful Purim celebration and a relaxing weekend. 

Chag Purim Sameach!