When then-fourth-grader, Samantha Caminker, proposed starting a school newspaper at HDS after reading The Landry News by Andrew Clements, she likely didn’t realize that she was reigniting a past tradition at our school. Neither did I when I encouraged her and offered to be the advisor for this endeavor. It was only by casual mention […] Read More

Wednesday, Sept. 13th, was HDS’ second annual Mensch Day and the 4th annual world-wide Character Day (http://www.letitripple.org/character-day/).  More than 133,000 events were held in 120 countries and in all 50 states to grapple with and celebrate the question, “How do we live a life with meaning and purpose?” and for us at HDS, how does […] Read More

Three of us huddle around a phone perched precariously on the back of a tiny classroom chair with our fourth colleague  speaking with us from Israel. Three of us are brand new to the kindergarten team (or in Hebrew ‘gan’), and one is beginning her eighth year in Gan, with a wealth of experience and […] Read More

We are all on a journey throughout our lives.  We change and we grow, and our ideas change and grow as we do.  This applies to our sense of Jewish identity, and as one of our final projects in Judaic Studies at HDS, 5th grade students explore their identity as Jews. This project is based […] Read More

Of the many events and celebrations we participate in at HDS, our celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) is among my favorites.  On that fun-filled afternoon, the entire student body is divided into multi-age groups, and the groups move from room to room to experience a variety of Israel-themed activities.  For over a decade […] Read More

Ocean Township Elementary School in Oakhurst, NJ – that’s where I spent the first six years of my academic life. It’s where I learned to climb on a jungle gym made from old tires and where my fifth-grade girlfriends decided which boy from “The Outsiders” they would marry. It’s also where my academic foundation was […] Read More

I love the HDS Talent Show.  That’s why, for the second year, I have (with help) produced, directed, stage-managed, choreographed, audio-edited, and performed in the show.  I am so enamored with the evening because it always lives up to its name to help us “Be Happy, It’s Adar.” By now, the students have all learned […] Read More

On Monday, we returned from our mid-winter break. It can be difficult sometimes to return from a vacation, but we were fortunate enough to begin our week by celebrating Rosh Chodesh Adar, which enabled us to return to school with real joy.  Each month, for our Rosh Chodesh celebration, we choose a different characteristic to […] Read More

When I was growing up, my family moved every 2 or 3 years. But each and every summer, we would live in Ann Arbor to go to the doctor, see my grandparents, go to our cottage up north, and swim at Huron Valley Swim Club. I had the same swim coach for 11 years. He was a taskmaster […] Read More

When the fifth graders enter the Gan classroom to meet their buddies for the first time, there is a palpable sense of excitement and nervous energy in the air. The fifth graders seem to stand a little bit taller as they realize that it is now their turn to be the leaders in the school.  They do a […] Read More