Our Stories

In the News: The Kohelet Foundation Interviews Prize-Winning Teacher Vas Pournaras

May 4, 2017 by Vas Pournaras (Faculty and Staff)

The Kohelet Foundation interviewed JPDS-NC teacher Vas Pournaras about his work on the prizewinning Kindergarten Community Library Project, along with two other JPDS-NC teachers. The Kindergarten Community Library Project won the Kohelet Prize for Development of Critical and/or Creative Thinking. Read the interview here >


In the News: The Kohelet Foundation Interviews Prize-Winning Teacher Lisa Davis

May 4, 2017 by Lisa Davis (Faculty and Staff)

The Kohelet Foundation interviewed JPDS-NC teacher Lisa Davis about her work on the prizewinning Kindergarten Community Library Project, along with two other JPDS-NC teachers. The Kindergarten Community Library Project won the Kohelet Prize for Development of Critical and/or Creative Thinking. Read the interview here >


In the News: The Kohelet Foundation Interviews Prize-Winning Teacher Xani Pollakoff

May 4, 2017 by Xani Pollakoff (Faculty and Staff)

The Kohelet Foundation interviewed JPDS-NC teacher Xani Pollakoff about her work on the prizewinning Kindergarten Community Library Project, along with two other JPDS-NC teachers. The Kindergarten Community Library Project won the Kohelet Prize for Development of Critical and/or Creative Thinking. Read the interview here >


Happy Passover Video!

April 7, 2017 by Hannah Seidel (Faculty and Staff)

Chag Same’ach! Happy Passover! We hope you enjoy this video of our students learning and celebrating Pesach!


Inquiry and Curiosity: Three JPDS-NC Sixth Graders Participate in DC STEM Fair

March 9, 2017 by Elana Cohen (Faculty and Staff)

Have you ever wondered whether acidic fruit conducts electricity better than less acidic fruit? Or whether the pesticides we use on plants actually impact the growth of those plants? What about considering the effect of temperature on a polymer used for watering plants? Or how the food a chicken eats impacts the color of the […]


Growing Through Writing

March 2, 2017 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

After their successful Ancient Egypt Exhibition this week, our Sixth Grade students sat with their written compositions and the artifacts they created, and reflected on the ways they have grown as researchers and writers. They also considered the ways in which the process of writing has helped them grow as students and human beings. Yonatan […]


JPDS-NC Faculty Teams Awarded Two of Six Kohelet Prizes for Excellence in Jewish Education

February 22, 2017 by Naomi Reem (Faculty and Staff)

JPDS-NC’s faculty teams were awarded two of the six 2017 Kohelet Prizes for Excellence in Jewish Education. The Kindergarten General Studies team – comprised of Lisa Davis, Xani Pollakoff, and Vas Pournaras – won the “Award for Development of Critical and/or Creative Thinking” category for the Community Library Project from the 2015-2016 school year. A cross-grade, multi-disciplinary […]


Fourth Graders Learn About Asylum Seekers

February 2, 2017 by Vinny Prell (Faculty and Staff)

In the fall, as part of the exploration of communities and cultures around the world, the Fourth Graders began learning about people seeking political asylum. This unit of study provides our children with some insight into regimes and governments around the world. One of its goals is to create empathy for and an understanding of […]


First Grade Open House includes exhibits on Rock Creek Park’s History, Flora, and Fauna and Presentation of Original Hebrew Stories

February 2, 2017 by Caren Szanton (Faculty and Staff)

Last week, First Graders exhibited their expertise and creativity at their first Bayit Patuach (Open House) of the year, showcasing models of historic structures built from recycled materials, curated writing portfolios, multimedia representations of animal habitats, and clay sculptures of various plant species. Throughout the first semester, First Grade students explored the theme “Encounters with […]


Pre-K Students Explore Identity

January 19, 2017 by Revital Finkel (Faculty and Staff)

Students in Pre-Kindergarten explored the concept of Identity over the course of the first semester. They began by defining identity as “who you really are.” While acknowledging that we are all constantly changing and growing, our study began by having the children look at the things that currently identify or represent them. We augmented our […]