• Do to increasing traffic volume in the library, the schedule has been somewhat revised to accommodate more students. The changes affect the older grades, and can be found here.
  
• Friday, February 12 is a PD day (for both Hillel and the public board), and the SJCC is offering a day program for students. Activities include swimming, sports, crafts, science and more. Space is limited. Cost is $35 for members and $50 for non-members (with a sibling discount). Email or call Gail Lieff at 798-9818, ext 303.

Teacher Profile - Janet Darwish
Better known at school as Morah Yaffa, Janet Darwish has been teaching at Hillel for 26 years. Most of that time was spent in kindergarten, both junior and senior. In the past few years, Janet has branched out into grades 2 and 3. This year, she is teaching grade 3 again, but she has taken on another role that allows her to get back to teaching kindergarteners and first graders again - she is the resource teacher for our new Early Intervention Reading Program.

For half the day, Morah Yaffa teaches General Studies in grade 3. She says the best thing about teaching grade 3 this year is that she taught the same students in grade 2 last year. "They are a great group of kids," she says. "I have the best class in the school. I know there are other teachers who say that, but I really do." Needless to say, Morah Yaffa has a lot of fun with her class, and they can often be seen wandering the halls in search of real-life examples to back up their learning in the classroom.

For the other half of the day, Janet takes small groups of students from grades 1 and 2 out of the classroom to work on their reading (above, Janet plays word games with the students). She is also starting to test the students in ADK for their reading readiness. The idea is to identify very early any children who might have difficulties with some aspect of reading and work more intensely with them on a daily basis. "Working with them every day," explains Janet, "allows me to  reinforce concepts repeatedly. And it is amazing how quickly these kids have responded." Janet says that between the classroom, the work she does with the students and the support they get at home, the students she has been working with have shown improvements beyond her expectations.

We have our winners!
The PTA has announced the winners in the cookbook selling contest. The students of 4A are the lucky winners of the pizza lunch, and 1L and 5K will each get a cupcake party. Of course, the treats will all be kosher, and the winners will be enjoying their rewards on Friday, January 15th. 

Ms. Robinson was very impressed with the efforts her grade 8 English students put into the assignment she gave them - to make a map of the island in Lord of the Flies. Above is one of the creative results she got.