Moving from Me to We

You never know how this year is going to go when you apply to become a ShinShin. We heard some stories, asked a lot of questions, got through training, and people tried to help us prepare for this year, but every person we talked with had a completely different experience from the person who preceded Read More…

With the festival of lights nearly upon us, it is time to reflect on this year. Change is hard for me. I have never really embraced it on the front end but usually end up loving the results. With that being said, my family decided to make some big changes this year. Among them was Read More…

Just before Thanksgiving,  I traveled to Nashville to present our junior kindergarten’s work on reaching out to Milwaukee’s refugee community at NAEYC’s (National Association for the Education of Young Children) annual conference. This is the largest conference of early childhood educators, sponsored by the largest early childhood professional membership organization, in the world. My presentation, Read More…

There are many positives about working and teaching at Milwaukee Jewish Day School. One of those positives is that the administration, the board, and our generous donors are focused on continuous professional growth. Not only do we participate in weekly professional learning with our colleagues, all staff also have the opportunity to seek professional learning Read More…

I remember asking my third grade teacher why we had spelling tests and what the words on the list had in common. She never gave me an answer. Instead, I was taught tricks to remember spelling patterns that seemed to make no sense, provided strategies for memorizing, and failed more spelling tests than I can Read More…

Knowing there are families at MJDS that have been involved for 20, or 30+ years, I know we are not truly a “veteran” family. We’ve been involved since our older daughter – now in 4th grade – entered in Junior K, and six years does seem like a long time to be connected to MJDS. Read More…

Transitions affect people in so many different ways.  Transitions can be as simple as your children having new students in their classrooms. Regardless of the size of the transition, individuals and those around them are often affected differently. Once in a routine, children typically respond more positively to transitions.  While they aren’t easy for anyone, Read More…

Shana Tova! Thank you for supporting our school, and for current and alumni families, for trusting us with your children and partnering together in their growth and development, as learners and leaders in our world. I wish you and your families a sweet and healthy new year. As you gather with family and friends over Read More…

Your voice, as a parent/MJDS student/alumni/alumni parent/grandparent/staff emeritus/board member, is powerful and important. If you are interested in guest blogging to share a story or your perspective, please email me at alippman@mjds.org so we can identify when/how to amplify your voice. I hope to be inundated with interest!  

For my parents, the day JFK was shot remains one of, if not the defining moment of their generation. This act of violence continued to impact our country for years, affecting policy, security, international relations and so much more. My parents could recount exactly where they were and how they felt and responded in the Read More…