June 29, 2021 by
2004, the last time we saw the Cicada X brood, was my oldest child’s first year at JPDS. Now, 4 kids and a generation of 17-year cicadas later, we are facing our family’s waning hours at Milton. In less than two weeks (around the same time the 2021 cicadas depart), my youngest child, and our […]
June 14, 2021 by
Thank you for entrusting your children to us and for being our partners in helping your children learn, grow and thrive. At the eighth grade graduation ceremony, I reflected on the sacred work of educating your wonderful children, and I wanted to share some of those same ideas with you today as our community wraps […]
May 27, 2021 by
One of the surprises of school life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the creation of new connections and new opportunities for finding joy across reimagined and redefined horizons – even as we navigated instances of limited or lost opportunity. During Milton’s recent capstone graduation trip, our eighth grade students and their […]
May 20, 2021 by
Congratulations to eighth graders Gabriel A. and Mayer F. on winning first place in the Cadena Initiative Regional Competition and kol hakavod to Aliza L., Nava F., Michal N., and Josie S. who were named finalists in the social entrepreneurship competition. The Cadena Initiative challenges middle school students to develop projects that mitigate the effects […]
May 7, 2021 by
Second grade scientists from Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School are contributing to a NASA scientific experiment. The elementary school students are participating in the ExoLab-8 Plant Experiment. Recently, red clover seeds and symbiotic rhizobia bacteria headed to space, to be grown on the International Space Station (ISS). Milton was one of the schools from around […]
April 27, 2021 by
Milton educator and Space Camp Director Melinda Viteri participated in an aerospace expo for teachers on ways to integrate aviation, space, robotics and more into the curriculum! Melinda was one of 30 teachers selected to participate in the program. The aerospace educators workshops included sessions on the science behind space suits, and integrating hands-on activities […]
October 4, 2017 by
As many of us know, Sukkot is about showing our faith in Hashem by replicating and living in the flimsy structures used by the Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness. This provides a tangible reminder of the fragility of our homes. Given this theme, it is interesting that the dedication of the first Beit HaMikdash, the […]
September 28, 2017 by
Brad Meltzer – the #1 New York Times bestselling author and TV host – came to our school last year to speak with third graders about his biography series, a genre the students had been studying. The children were inspired by his stories about the early lives and challenges faced by the real American heroes […]
September 27, 2017 by
Because of the Yom Kippur holiday, we do not read a regular parasha (Torah portion) this Shabbat. Instead, we recount the Avodah (Worship Service) that High Priest Aharon was commanded to conduct in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and his descendants in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple). One of the most striking parts of this service is the […]
September 20, 2017 by
Near the New North Campus, on the edge of an old graveyard, stands a memorial to Confederate soldiers. After noticing the stone obelisk at the start of school, the fifth grade Stars & Stripes class wanted to learn more. During the first week of school, we used a Thinking Routines exercise called “See, Think, Wonder.” Students looked […]
September 19, 2017 by
At the end of Moshe’s last speech to Bnei Yisrael, Hashem tells Moshe to write down a song to teach to the Israelites. “Put this song in their mouths,” Hashem says, “so that the words may become a witness for Me against them. After I bring them to the land that flows with milk and […]
September 14, 2017 by
At MILTON, we foster joyful and dynamic classroom communities through intentionally-created learning environments. Our approach reflects our vision of each child as a whole and unique individual and our commitment to a culture of inclusivity. We consider a variety of criteria – including social dynamics, gender balance, relationships among students, and best fit between the […]
September 12, 2017 by
In these parashot, Moshe describes the brit (covenant) between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael (the Israelites), urging Bnei Yisrael to uphold the brit and honor the Torah so that they may be rewarded with life in the land of Israel. He concludes his speech, blesses Yehoshua, and instructs the community to gather every seven years to […]
September 6, 2017 by
An important middah (moral virtue) is achrayut (responsibility). As teachers and as parents, we spend much of our time working to instill in our children a sense of responsibility for themselves, their behavior, and their work. But we also look for opportunities to teach our children that our responsibility does not end with ourselves – that, […]
September 5, 2017 by
In this parasha, Moshe instructs Bnei Yisrael (the Israelites) about the first fruit offering and elaborates on the terms of the covenant by listing the blessings for keeping the commandments and the punishments for disobeying them. One misconception that many people hold is that prayer did not begin as a Jewish ritual practice until after […]
August 31, 2017 by
The Scholar’s Forum program launched this week with a visit from two guest speakers, a study of Jewish texts in which students connected sacred writings to their own lives, and a warm and open discussion led by students who shared stories and memories about the indelible moments of friendship and learning they experienced together at […]
