By Lauren Midelton and Elissa Tischler, Kindergarten Teachers To play or not to play? The answer could be detrimental. As Kindergarten teachers we recognize the importance of unstructured play and incorporating movement into daily learning. In Kindergarten at Hillel, children … Read More
Requiring Recess Is Smart for Students
By Lauren Midelton and Elissa Tischler, Kindergarten Teachers To play or not to play? The answer could be detrimental. As Kindergarten teachers we recognize the importance of unstructured play and incorporating movement into daily learning. In Kindergarten at Hillel, children … Read More
Expecting Gold, Finding Silver
By Melissa Michaelson, Principal If we always expect gold out of our children, or from those who surround them, we will forever miss the opportunity to see the silver linings in life. As Steve Freedman stated in last week’s blog, … Read More
Closing Thoughts Part I- Place Some Trust in Your Children
We are living in a strange time for parenting. It seems every month another book comes out about over-parenting and its consequences. In short, over-parenting involves micro-managing your child’s life, hovering, and attempting to prevent your child from any physical … Read More
A Diverse Library Collection Offers Windows & Mirrors into Our World
By Dana Friedman, School Librarian A topic that has surfaced repeatedly in the library world is the importance of offering a diverse collection. Specifically, is it paramount to have a book collection that showcases diverse points of view, and if … Read More
UMatter!
By Rabbi Yarden Blumenstein, Judaic Studies teacher UMatter. It’s a complete sentence. In today’s social media driven, high-speed world of unhealthy comparison, our teens and tweens struggle with that concept – that they actually matter to someone. If we are … Read More
Life at Our Fingertips, Thanks to ENIAC
By Marnie Diem, Coordinator of Technological Adventures On February 14, 1946, the first electronic computer was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania. The ENIAC took up 1,500 square feet, and weighed as much as 15 cars. Today’s computers can be … Read More
The Urgent Question: Who Am I?
Yogi Bera once said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” That has not stopped innumerable people, from all walks of life, from predicting what the future will be for our children when they are grown. A day … Read More
Our Vision is Alive – And Evolving
By Melissa Michaelson, Principal Our visionary approach to education is one of the many reasons that Hillel Day School is unique. We don’t stay in one place; rather, we are always seeking the next best version of ourselves while keeping … Read More
It’s Full STEAMath Ahead at Hillel
By Joan Freedman, Director of Curriculum Two years ago we invited our families to school for Pi Night, a wildly successful evening devoted to math in all its magic. So why expand to a full-fledged STEAM Event? Because we feel … Read More
Homework: The Battle Continues
Exercise the brain like a muscle or give kids time to work on the family farm? Educators have been debating the effectiveness of homework as a tool for learning for over a century. Support for and against homework has ebbed … Read More