Contact Us
Daniel Sussman
Principal, Golda Meir Lower School
Phone: (858) 704-3759
Fax: (858) 704-3720
dsussman@sdja.com
Debbie Kornberg
Director of Judaic Studies, Golda Meir Lower School
(858) 704-3785
dkornberg@sdja.com
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Curriculum
Both the general studies and Judaic studies curricula are scoped and sequenced by grade level across all subject areas, including mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, Jewish holidays, tefilah, Bible, Israel, Jewish life and thought, and Hebrew language. There is a natural, developmental progression as students matriculate through grades K-5. The academic philosophy and skills for each subject are included in grade level curriculum booklets.
Overnight Field Trips
All students in grades K-5 participate in local field trips throughout the year. Overnight field trips begin when students enter the fourth grade.
Students in grades K-5 participate in a wide variety of local field trips throughout the year. These are planned by the teachers to coordinate with some aspect of the curriculum. Beginning in fourth grade, students attend overnight trips. Fourth graders fly to Sacramento and spend two days and one night touring the capitol, Old Town, and the gold rush country in conjunction with their study of California history. Fifth graders participate in a weekend Shabbaton at Camp Alonim, located at the Brandeis Bardin Institute in Simi Valley, California. They spend the weekend celebrating Shabbat together in a variety of ways including creative services, Israeli dancing, song sessions, nature walks, a team building ropes course activity, and art projects.
Tikkun Olam - Repairing the World
Participating in Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world, teaches students that we each have a responsibility to make the world a better place. Students learn that each individual working to do something good can lead to a community collectively making a difference in the world in which we live. Understanding what community means and feeling a sense of obligation to and respect for community are important goals at San Diego Jewish Academy. SDJA will often use current events and crises as learning opportunities to teach students that everyone has a responsibility to help when there is a problem or need.
Tzedakah
All grade levels participate in many tzedakah projects (fundraising efforts for non-profit organizations) throughout the year. Projects may be interactive, such as sorting and delivering Thanksgiving food to a homeless shelter or the giving of goods, such as clothing, books or toys to the needy. Kesef Katan (small pocket change) is collected on a regular basis and donated to a variety of Jewish and community organizations annually.
Building Character
Character education is a vital and serious component of the Lower School curriculum.
Cool Tools, our new character education curriculum, gives students, parents and staff a common language and concrete examples for demonstrating respectful behavior in all circumstances. All classrooms are equipped with toolboxes that contain various ”tools” for teaching concepts such as integrity, compromise and compassion. Formal and informal lessons familiarize students with these concepts, which are then integrated into the core curriculum wherever possible.
The Lower School Guidance Counselor teaches lessons on character-building strategies such as conflict resolution in all classrooms on a regular basis. In addition, the counselor has instituted a special program to introduce kindergarten students to strategies for resolving small conflicts on their own, an interactive program for K-2 students and their parents to encourage dialogue on moral issues, and peer mediation for fifth grade students to act as peacemakers on the playground for the younger students.
Every classroom has a bulletin board dedicated to the acknowledgement of students who perform good deeds beyond the expected behavior. In addition, public recognition of outstanding student behavior is recognized through the giving of special Mitzvah stickers and announcements at assemblies. We use every opportunity possible to help our students grow into individuals of strong moral character who care about themselves and others.
Special Events and Celebrations
Jewish Holidays:
The San Diego Jewish Academy strongly believes that observing the Jewish holidays enhances Jewish life on a consistent basis. To that end, each year students are engaged in studying the meaning and observances of Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Pesah, *Yom Hashoah, Yom Ha’atzmaut, Lag Ba’Omer, and Shavuot through a variety of teaching methods and practices. In addition to this, and with the assistance of SDJA’s PTO, the school is able to provide unique opportunities for the students to mark these special occasions on the calendar with various special programs and activities so they can actively experience each of the holidays in both a formal and informal manner. Through the Lower School’s Jewish holiday program, students learn that Judaism is rich in tradition and culture and that Jewish holidays are yet another link that connects us to one another and to each new generation of Jews.
All students K – 5 have Jewish holiday text books that enable students to further expand their knowledge and understanding of each of the Jewish holidays on an annual basis. Since this subject matter is taught in English, Judaic teachers also incorporate key Hebrew phrases and appropriate brachot (blessings) in Hebrew for each of the holidays. Hebrew teachers also incorporate teachings about the Jewish holidays during Hebrew language instruction.
*Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is taught age appropriately to third, fourth, and fifth graders with great care and sensitivity.
Shabbat is recognized every Friday on campus in the Golda Meir Lower School with a special kabbalat Shabbat service by grade, or in an all-school K – 5 community gathering. Kabbalat Shabbat is an opportunity for students to learn the Friday evening prayers, gather together as a community to end the work week and prepare to enter the Sabbath day of rest.
Book Characters' Tea: This event, for students in grades 1 and 2, is a celebration of reading. Students read a book, write a report, construct a visual display and dress up as their favorite character from the book. All projects and reports are on display for parents and students are prepared to discuss their book with all guests.
Research and Colonial Fair: This event, for students in grades 3,4 and 5, is the culmination of various curricular units combined with the learning of research skills. For the Fair, third graders study various Indian tribes, fourth graders each read a biography and fifth graders study Colonial America. All students present a written report utilizing basic research skills including taking notes, outlining, and writing an introduction, body, conclusion and bibliography. All students present a visual project that is displayed along with the written report.
Fifth graders present skits, songs and dances based on colonial times. In addition, students create an entire colonial village, including an apothecary, bank, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, restaurant and much more. Colonial America truly comes to life as students act out the parts of various townspeople who might have lived at the time.
Sefer Safari (Read-a-thon): This is a month-long event that emphasizes the importance of reading. Students are challenged by the principal to reach the goal of reading, collectively, a certain amount of books during the month of February. Students participate in a variety of activities that stress the importance, as well as the fun, of reading. Activities may include a storyteller, guest readers in the classrooms, art projects such as book jackets and bookmarks, and a Rock and Read, designed to keep a rocking chair rocking for an entire school day with staff and faculty taking turns rocking and reading to groups of students.
Special Assemblies and Programs: Each year, several special assemblies are planned to enhance student culture and learning. Sponsored by the PTO, these may include presentations by the San Diego Symphony or Philharmonic Orchestra, Chinese Acrobats, Mad Science, and other groups. Speakers on topics such as drug and alcohol abuse, computer safety and stranger danger may also be included.
Zikaron V’Tikvah (Remembrance and Hope) Project Memorializes Holocaust: Inspired by the documentary, "Paper Clips," and the poem, "The Butterfly," written by a child during the Holocaust, a group of lower school parents and staff initiated a project called Zikaron v’tikvah, (Remembrance and Hope). Beautiful 3” ceramic butterflies will be created by our students, faculty, members of the San Diego community, and hopefully people throughout the country, to adorn the walls of our campus. The butterflies, symbols of hope, freedom, strength and the survival of the Jewish people, will serve as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. It is our hope that over time 1.5 million ceramic butterflies will make their way to our school.
Butterflies have been flying in to the campus of San Diego Jewish Academy from Israel, Atlanta, St. Louis, Baltimore, Phoenix and San Diego! Over 1,500 butterflies have been collected since the Zikaron V'Tikvah project began in the beginning of 2006. Zikaron V'Tikvah (Remembrance and Hope) aims to collect 1.5 Million butterflies to represent those children whose lives were lost in the Holocaust. Volunteers are needed.
If you are interested in becoming a part of this special project, please contact Jan Landau at jlandau@sdja.com or (858) 704-3711
Other Events: American holidays are celebrated in various ways each year. Students may do dramatic or musical presentations, special flag raising ceremonies may take place, or programs such as Martin Luther King Live may be brought in to help students understand and relate to the significance of these special days.
There are many special events that take place beyond the Jewish holiday celebrations on campus. In grades K – 5, there is a culminating Judaic program that is symbolic of a topic that was studied in that particular grade. All grade-wide programs are celebrated with family and end with a special meal or treat. These grade-wide programs include:
| Kindergarten: |
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A Passover Celebration |
| First Grade: |
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Mattan Siddur |
| Second Grade: |
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Mattan Torah |
| Third Grade: |
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A Kabbalat Shabbat Celebration |
| Fourth Grade: |
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Havdalah Program |
| Fifth Grade: |
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Shaharit Service |
All students K – 5 also participate in the Torah Fair, which allows students to research a particular subject matter. Students are asked to write a report (or statement) and create a dimensional project representing the topic studied. Topics for each of the grades include:
| Kindergarten: |
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The Mezuzzah |
| First Grade: |
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Doing Mitzvot |
| Second Grade: |
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Tzedakah Organizations |
| Third Grade: |
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Synagogues |
| Fourth Grade: |
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The Story of Joseph |
| Fifth Grade: |
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Jewish Life Cycle |
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