Our Stories

Sixth Graders Take on Team-Building Challenges at Hemlock Overlook

September 24, 2014 by Beri G (’15) (Students)

On Monday, our sixth-grade classes went to Hemlock Overlook, a regional park in Clifton, Va., that offers outdoor environmental education and team-building for schools and other groups. There, we learned about the importance of planning and teamwork through team-building challenges. Some of these challenges were working together to solve a giant “Towers of Hanoi” puzzle, […]


JPDS-NC at the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for Shimon Peres

June 27, 2014 by Joshua Suchoff (Faculty and Staff)

JPDS-NC students and administrators attended the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building in recognition of the life and work of President of Israel Shimon Peres. We were honored to attend the ceremony and to see Ambassador Dan Shapiro and many JPDS-NC community members!


Sixth Graders Reflect on Graduating from JPDS-NC

June 25, 2014 by Ally K (’14) (Students) Bea F (’14) (Students) Gigi B (’14) (Students) Sabrina B (’14) (Students)

This week, we are graduating from the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital. Over the course of our final year at JPDS-NC, our teachers prepared us for middle school. Even though our workload expanded from fifth grade to sixth grade, our teachers made it possible for us to adapt to this change easily. […]


Green Committee Commits to Learning and Action

June 23, 2014 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Activities include guest speakers from NOAA and Rock Creek Conservancy, School Compost and Reduce Plastics Campaigns, and Environmental Skits The JPDS-NC Green Committee is a group of second through sixth grade students and teachers committed to helping JPDS-NC Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink! The committee meets twice a month during lunch to plan recycling initiatives, […]


Third Grader Engineers Conduct an Egg Drop Science Experiment

June 18, 2014 by Simone K (’17) (Students)

In science, the third-graders did a project called “Egg Drop.” There were 12 groups, and each group was challenged to use recycled materials to protect an egg that was going to be dropped from the school’s roof. Each group was given tissue paper, a paper towel, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, an egg carton and string. […]


Fourth Graders Put On a World Expo

June 11, 2014 by Ellie H (’16) (Students)

The fourth grade prepared a World Expo on June 2, which included many wonderful exhibits, videos of dances, country projects, pen pal letters and more. Every fourth-grade student researched one country and learned about its physical features, holidays and landmarks, cuisine, clothing, famous people and challenges. Students decorated posters with flags, pictures, maps and essays. […]


JPDS-NC Students Perform Israeli Dance at Annual Showcase

June 4, 2014 by Sabrina B (’14) (Students)

Last week, we had our fifth annual Israeli dance show. At the show, students perform group dances to Israeli music. The students work together as a class to learn the dances. All students in the younger grades learn Israeli dance and perform in the show, but it is an elective for fifth- and sixth-graders. In […]


Fifth Graders Experience Outdoor Education at Chesapeake Teva

May 28, 2014 by Sami H (’15) (Students) Sophia M (’15) (Students)

Fifth-grade students from JPDS-NC just returned from Chesapeake Teva, a four-day, three-night outdoor education program where Jewish students from different schools learn about the environment and how Judaism connects to nature. At Teva, students go on long hikes through the beautiful nature and learn about different topics that connect Judaism to nature, including ecology, togetherness, […]


Second Graders Build Musical Instruments out of Recycled Materials with Musician David Fenster

May 21, 2014 by Ari B (’20) (Students) Avital P (’20) (Students) Eitan N (’20) (Students) Eli H (’20) (Students) Gabri K (’20) (Students) JuJu J (’20) (Students) Lilli L (’20) (Students) Miriam G (’20) (Students) Samuel H (’20) (Students) Shoshana L (’20) (Students)

Did you know that there are many ways to make music from recycled cans? The second grade at JPDS-NC learned from an Israeli percussionist named David Fenster that music is everywhere, even in your body. He showed us how music comes from our heartbeat and our feet, as well as fruits, nuts, a bow and […]


Third Graders Conduct Research about the Fifty States

May 14, 2014 by Sarah B (’17) (Students)

Each year, students in third grade at JPDS-NC get to do a project about the 50 states. Students learn about their states for three months. First, each child reads a book about their state and composes four questions. After that, it’s time to start to make our own books. Students write about what their state […]