It has been an exciting and active summer for the administration and faculty at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Center. While many spent the last few months packed with family fun and sensational travel experiences, everyone ultimately circled back together in August, bonding over several extraordinary faculty development workshops. There is much that is new to share about the year ahead.
New programming at HAT this year includes the Awaken Your Brain! Morning Enrichment program. This program provides students with additional enrichment through reading, research, and technology; review time for class and test preparation; and development of organizational and study skills. “Also available to HAT students,” adds Janet Jenkins, director of general studies, “is Homework Center-Enhanced, offering assistance with strategies and basic homework help; time to complete activities and assignments; allotted time for required and personal enjoyment reading and supervised extended study and practice through technology.”
The Strelitz preschool has seasoned its curriculum with the renowned Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing program, which helps children develop the sensory-cognitive function of phonemic awareness. Unlike most reading, spelling, and phonics programs, LiPS® instruction directly applies phonemic awareness to the identification and sequencing of sounds in words. Students move through a series of steps to learn how their mouths produce the sounds of language. This kinesthetic feedback enables them to verify the identity and sequence of sounds within words, and to become self-correcting in reading, spelling, and speech.
“Developing phonemic awareness,” says Alene Kaufman, preschool director, “is necessary to becoming an independent reader and, ultimately, to becoming a proficient learner in any subject. Our goal is to give our preschool students all the tools, advantages and readiness for success in kindergarten and beyond.”
HAT and Strelitz also welcome these new faculty and staff members:
Janet Jenkins, who has been with HAT for 13 years in various teaching positions, as director of general studies.
Leon Covitz, fourth grade Judaic studies teacher.
Susan Klein Schwartzman, past HAT parent, as school nurse.
Katie Horvath as the new kindergarten general studies teacher.
Carlyn Goldstein, HAT alumna, as third grade general studies teacher.
The 2013-2014 academic year at HAT and Strelitz aims to be a pleasurable, fun, and academically superb experience, raising the bar on what it means to have a Jewish Community Day School education.
“Students have the opportunity to grow and learn, surrounded by a widely diverse group of friends from varied national, ethnic and economic backgrounds,” says Rabbi Mordechai Wecker, head of school. “Our highly involved family community, dedicated faculty and outstanding dual curriculum create an environment of profound meaning and success which remains true for HAT graduates their entire lives.”
For more information, contact Carin Simon, admissions director, at csimon@hebrewacademy.net or 424-4327. The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater/ Konikoff Center of Learning is a constituent agency of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Strelitz Early Childhood Center is an educational partnership of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Simon Family Jewish Community Center.
by Dee Dee Becker