Shalom, Mrs. Lunski.

The Kadima community suffered a loss this week, with the recent passing of Aviva Lunski, after a long illness. Mrs. Lunski ("Aviva" to her students) inspired a whole generation of Kadima kindergarten students; she taught Judaic Studies for many years at Kadima until illness sidelined her several years ago.

Mrs. Lunski was an artist, and I'd wager that her students' art projects can be found in family holiday decoration boxes throughout the homes of Kadima families. I know that we still have some of the decorations my son made in Kindergarten. My son was in one of Mrs. Lunski's last classes before her illness, and when we ask who is favorite teachers were at Kadima, he often pauses, looks up with eyes glowing, and says, "Aviva."

Mrs. Lunski had the sensibility and practicality of a sabra, and the first time you met her, you sometimes wondered how she could teach Kindergarten. But as soon as you saw her interact with the kids--respecting them, teaching them, loving them--you knew that her talent for reaching 5 and 6 year olds was truly special. She reached them and taught them so much.

We will remember Mrs. Lunski's art projects, her play "Hannahle" (which was performed annually for years by her students), and most of all, we will cherish her smiles, her hugs, and her love of her students. Perhaps most of all, we will remember the love her students had for her.

The funeral will take place on Wednesday, November 25th at 1:00 p.m. at Eden Memorial Park.

May her memory be for a blessing.

Five Hundred Bucks

At the Board meeting this week, the Board adopted a resolution authorizing the administration to implement a plan whereby existing families that refer new families who actually attend the school may be eligible to receive a $500 tuition credit.

But, as you might expect with a plan like this, there is a variety of small print in the plan, and many details and conditions. It's not that we don't want to give a $500 credit, but we just have to make sure that the program is implemented properly and effectively.

Yet, if you know of potential families who might be interested--or should be interested--in coming to Kadima, then send them our way. It may be worth $500 to you.

Shabbat Shalom.

What it's all about!

I know, another message. No messages for weeks, and now they can't stop. But I wanted to share this with everyone, it's from our Head of School:

I wanted to share some highlights from my *last hour* here at Kadima with you. It can be easy to get caught up in the "numbers and business" of Kadima, but here's one great reason to continue to do "what we do".

At 9:15am, I heard the voices of students singing "Hallelujah" all the way in my office, from the Beit Knesset. At 9:00am each thursday, the 2nd-5th grades join together for a schacharit service. So, I stopped doing the "business" of the school, and went to investigate. And, what did I find....a group of more than sixty students, and their teachers singing and "davening" vibrantly, spiritedly, and with a joy and love of both what they were doing, and their surroundings that you could touch. Rabbi Bluman and Justin Stein (music leader) did a commendable job of moving the service at a great pace, and explaining each of the tefillot with short "kavvanot". Toward the end of the tefillah, the entire group did the AMIDAH using the "weekday nusach". This is exactly as it should be in a Solomon Schechter School, where we distinguish between weekday (chol) and Shabbat tunes. We need to teach them both. Really, I was quite moved by the experience. It helped to remember WHY we struggle with the business of the school until 10:30pm. Hopefully, you can feel it too..

Then, 25 minutes later, I was blessed to join the 1st grade class at their "50s day celebration" (honoring the 50th day of school). The students are all dressed in jeans, t shirts, jackets, poodle skirts, slicked back hair etc...and they danced and swayed and had a great time celebrating the 50s, all topped off by ice cream floats (yes, I know, weird before nutritious and delicious lunch), but a joy for all.

It strikes me, our school is charged with the task of balancing a meaningful Jewish education, with a rigorous program of general studies (language arts, math, science, social studies)* and * to create an environment where our students learn to be great citizens.

It is a quite a task, but KADIMA IS UP FOR IT!

Well said.

New Core Documents.

Last night, at our Board meeting (which are open to all, and members of the community really should try to attend), the Board, among other things, examined the report of the Core Documents Committee. This was the culmination of a several month effort that began during the summer with the Executive Committee looking at our school and its purpose. It was continued by our Board during its August retreat, wherein they created a special Core Documents Committee to analyze the documents and revise them.

Our EVP, Mark Teitelbaum, led a stellar committee to analyze, listen, revise, revise, listen, revise and revise again, the documents. This is the kind of assignment that can easily fall by the wayside and simply never get done. Mark made sure that this did not happen, and he, along with the entire committee, deserve our thanks. As Kate Krause, a member of the committee said, redrafting the Mission Statement was harder than preparing her college thesis. Nonetheless, through sheer perseverance and hard work, the Committee got the job done.

What's more, the Board really reviewed the work and we had a great discussion about it. There was no rubber stamp, here. In the end, the Board approved the new statements, and our efforts to move forward continue.

Here are the new statements:

Statement (Revised 11/09)

Kadima Day School provides an integrated general and Judaic studies education that is comprehensive and academically challenging. Our commitment to educational excellence and Jewish tradition teaches our students to maximize their academic, social, physical and spiritual potentials. A Kadima education instills a strong sense of identity, preparedness for higher education and a commitment to responsible living guided by Jewish ethics and values.

At Kadima we believe that:

A modern, well-rounded curriculum that includes technology, Judaic studies, athletics and the arts instills a joy for learning beyond the walls of the classroom.

Active learning engages students to become creative, critical, and analytical thinkers.

Studying Jewish texts contributes to critical and analytical skills that are valuable throughout one's life.

Understanding ritual observance, possessing a love for Israel and studying Judaism develop each student's own Jewish identity and ensures our continuity as a people.

All knowledge is significant; everything we learn can inspire and help us along our respective paths.

A partnership between teachers, staff, parents and the larger community provides the foundation for moral sensitivity and empathy for others, which is essential to achieving one's fullest potential.

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The Goal of a Kadima Education

Kadima seeks academic excellence. We believe that the highest level of effort from every member of our community, including students, parents, teachers, administrators and staff, is necessary to provide each student with an excellent education. We believe that an outstanding academic experience is critical to each child's future.

Our curriculum is the foundation of our educational goals. Through our curriculum, we seek to produce graduates who are knowledge driven, literate communicators, self-aware individuals, problem solvers, and collaborative workers.

Knowledge Driven. Fortified with their extensive and comprehensive education, Kadima graduates intrinsically value learning. Kadima encourages its students to desire and seek knowledge throughout their lives. Kadima graduates recognize learning opportunities and actively pursue them, both within and outside the classroom.

Literate Communicators. The fundamental goal of our school is to provide a foundation of learning that will enable students to live successful and meaningful lives. Kadima graduates will: (1) speak fluently and confidently; (2) listen effectively; (3) read and write clearly, competently, and creatively; (4) process, evaluate and analyze critically; and (5) achieve academic proficiency in all disciplines.

Self Aware Individuals. We teach our students to engage in acts of tikun olam (repairing the world) and to live and act with moral sensitivity and empathy toward others. Our students recognize that they must respect themselves and others and contribute not only to the Jewish community, but also to the community at large.

Problem Solvers. Kadima teaches its students to question, think critically, draw conclusions, and apply that knowledge to real life situations. Kadima's academic environment is rigorous - excellence requires nothing less. We give our students the tools to motivate and self-direct so they may achieve their goals.

Collaborative Workers. Kadima is a community. Everything Kadima does stresses the importance of creating a vibrant, supportive community of students, parents and educators. Kadima teaches its students to contribute to group projects as leaders, participants, evaluators, and observers. Kadima students learn how to balance the needs of the individual with those of the community.

As graduates of a Solomon Schechter Day School, Kadima students develop their own deeper understanding of, and commitment to, Judaism. Our students create their own paths to meaningful, intellectual, sound, satisfying and productive lives.

Shameless Self Promotion

PEJE recently did a story on Day School blogging. PEJE interviewed me; you can hear the podcast of the interview, here.

Two posts in one day? I guess I am back.

Off the Edge of the Earth...NOT!

I haven't been posting for two reasons.

First, a variety of other pressing commitments have interfered with my ability to write. Second, we've been having some serious and deep discussions about Kadima and its strategic planning process. So there just hasn't been time to write.

We have a very important Board meeting tonight. We will be discussing a variety of tuition related issues as well as reviewing the fine work of the Core Documents Committee led by our EVP, Mark Teitelbaum.

Hopefully, I'll have the chance to be effusive about "what's going on" at Kadima soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Lots going on...

In the past week, we've had several meetings at the school regarding a variety of issues, including:

• Completing plans for our Admissions and Marketing Campaign
• Discussing our Annual Giving Campaign (yep, annual means every year).
• Revising our By Laws
• Revising our Core Documents

In addition to all of this, we have representatives of the ORT Yad Singalovski school in Tel Aviv visiting us this week. The OYS school is our partnership school; our eighth graders and their eighth graders engage in a great exchange program later on during the year.

I hope to write more on all of these topics a bit later in the week.