- May 12 – Late Start for Professional Development
- May 12 – U.S. Sports Banquet, 5:30pm - Strear Family Gymnasium
- May 13 – HIP Trip Informational Meeting for 9th Grade Parents & Students, 7:30pm - Judaic Library
- May 14 – Kabbalat Shabbat for K-3, 2:15pm - Strear Family Gymnasium
- May 14-17 – Out of Town Shabbaton – Grades 7-12
- May 18 – DCJE Annual Meeting, 7:45am - Discovery Lab
- May 19-20 – Shavuot, No School
- May 21 – Click here to Register for Summer Blast Specialty Camps by May 21 and receive the 10% Referral Discount
As many of you know, Denver Jewish Day School will become the new name of our school, beginning August 1, 2010. The new name emerged after months of research, assessments, planning and strategic development.
Denver Jewish Day School will continue to offer a unique model for wisdom and achievement that integrates high-quality college preparatory and Jewish education in an individualized, supportive environment. The new name will serve as a catalyst to reintroduce and re-energize the school in our Jewish community.
Based on the research, Herzl/RMHA's board of directors and executive team determined the new name best reflects who the school is and what it does in a clear and compelling fashion and will enable the school to move forward in a strong, positive way with its unique K-12 school model. We've developed a new tag line, which also will reflect the school's brand: Extraordinary Education. Timeless Traditions. Inspired Lives. The shortened version of the new name will be Denver JDS.
Rose Community Foundation generously funded the strategic planning process, which included the hiring of marketing and branding consultants and the development of a marketing plan. Many board members, faculty, staff and community members contributed to this effort.
The new name will aid the school as it reaches out to Denver's expanding Jewish community, many of whom have only recently moved to the Denver area. According to the 2007 Jewish Community Study, nearly half of all Jews under age 40 have lived in the area less than 10 years.
The current name of the school, Herzl/RMHA at the Denver Campus, was implemented as a compromise name after Theodor Herzl Jewish Day School and Rocky Mountain Hebrew Academy merged in 1999 and joined on one campus in 2002. Since then, the school has been known informally by at least six different names. The new name assists the school in uniting as a K-12 continuum.
The complete roll-out of the new school identity will take several months. A full change of all signage and systems will be completed when funding is in hand. No funds will be diverted from teachers or classrooms to make this name change. The school colors will be red and black, and the mascot will remain the Tiger.
I hope you are excited as I am about this change and the future for our wonderful school. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions at any point throughout the name-change process.
Thank you for your support!
Wabash St. Bridge and the Realignment of Wabash St.
You may have noticed that several structures on our west side property are being demolished this week. This is in preparation for the realignment of Wabash St. and the construction of the Wabash St. Bridge. Construction of the bridge and road should begin in June. Wabash St. will curve to the west, beginning where the faculty parking lot is located, thereby moving traffic further away from our school buildings. The portion of Wabash St. currently located in front of the Campus will become an internal Campus road.
Construction of the bridge and the realignment of Wabash St. will take place contemporaneously and the project should take about one year to complete. The construction project should not interfere with traffic on the current Wabash St. since the staging ground for the work will be to the south and west of the road. Click here to view a drawing of what the realignment will look like. Special thanks to David Foster for his tremendous work on this project.
This summer we are going to be running an amazing camp here at school under the leadership of Josh Lake. Kids between the ages of 4 and 15 will enjoy favorites such as Science Matters, icamp™, Sports Blast, Dodgeball, Digital Photography, Art, Cooking, Knitting, Todd Schayes Basketball Camp and much more! Camp dates are June 7 through August 6, 2010; half-day and full-day programs are available. Registration for Summer Blast Camp is currently open. Click here for more details and registration information.
DCJE Annual Meeting
Shabbat Shalom,
Avi Halzel
President/CEO
2009-10 Annual Appeal
Be sure to make your donation to the Annual Appeal and make a difference in the future of our school! You have until June 30, 2010 to make your gift. Give online at www.dcje.org, or print out this form and give to the office or contact Krista Boscoe at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 720-449-9552. Thank you for your support!
AppleWalk
All-school Directory Ads
We are again offering you a discount for placing an ad in our All-School Directory. Advertise your business and services to our entire parent body. Please click here for more information.
Rose Community Foundation's Live On program
Herzl/RMHA has been offered $7,500 from the Foundation if we can get eighteen (18) new people to join The Legacy Society and fill out the one page donor record form attached here.
Please contact Krista – 720-449-9552,
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to help make this happen.
Simchas, Smiles and Sometimes Sorrows
Life cycle events and many more occasions can be Honored and Remembered in Herzl/RMHA's new giving program, Simchas, Smiles and Sometimes Sorrows. The minimum donation (CHAI $18.00) up to your choice for a maximum donation (the stars). Please click here for more information.
Mazel Tov to Sophie Pomeranz on her recent honor from Habitat for Humanity.
Important Avid 4 Adventure reminder for Lower School Families
Our Avid 4 Adventure program is quickly approaching! Please return your signed forms and payment ($18 per child) to the Lower School office by Friday, May 7. Thanks again to PTO for bringing this exciting program to our school. Click here to obtain the necessary forms.
Field Day Reminder
Please note that field day activities were re-scheduled for Friday, May 21st. It will be a regular school day with field day activities taking place in the morning. Please remember to send your children to school with hats, water bottles and sunscreen.
Third and Fourth Grade Overnights
Our fourth grade students will have a special overnight sleep-in in the Lower School next week, May 13-14th. They will visit Jump Start for special team building activities in the morning and go to the Argo mine near Idaho Springs in the afternoon. They will return to school for a special Israeli dinner and activities led by teachers, Susan Klein and Upper School students.
The third grade students will go to The Plains Conservation Center on May 26 and May 27. They will participate in numerous activities that reenact the lives of early Colorado homesteaders.
Art Show Gallery Week
Student artwork will be displayed throughout the Lower School from May 26 –28th. Please mark these dates on your calendar and come to view the beautiful creations completed in art classes this year. The culmination of the Lower School Art Show Gallery Week will be at the end of the school day on Friday, May 28, with the regular PTO Ice Cream event, after the final Kabbalat Shabbat of the year. Parents should collect their children's art work at this time on Friday, May 28, as well.
Avid 4 Fun activities will take place May 26-28th. Please make sure that permission slips and $18 per child are sent into the front office by Friday, May 7th. We would like every student to be able to participate in these special activities. Many thanks to PTO for making this program possible.
May 12, 5:30 pm in the Strear Family Gymnasium. Please click here for more details.
Art Show on Thursday, May 13 - 3:45 in the Strear Family Gymnasium
Come and see what students in grades 6-8 have accomplished this year. Please click here to view the flier.
Graduation
This event is coming soon. Don't forget to mark your calendar for May 27 at 7:00 pm to honor the class of 2010.
Experiential Education
Everyone is back from a grade – appropriate out-of-school learning experience. Here is a summary of the experiential education programs during the 2009-2010 school year.
| Grade 6 | Out-door education | Snow Mountain Ranch |
| Grade 7 | Service Learning | Denver |
| Grade 8 | Integrated American Studies | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Grade 9 | Jewish Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California |
| Grade 10 | Hebrew Immersion Program | Israel |
| Grade 11 | Panin Program | Washington, D.C. |
Year-end activities
Click on the links for important information about the upcoming Shabbaton May 14-16 for students in grades 7-12 and the day at Elitches on June 4 for the whole school. The deadline for forms to be submitted to the Upper School office for Shabaton registration is May 7. Please read and follow the links closely so that your student will be included in these important activities.
Girls Running Club at RMHA
Come be a part of the fun! For 6th – 8th Grade Girls – and moms too (if interested). Please use this link to read more.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher appreciation week is May 10-14. We will be distributing an appreciation card to each teacher so please, have your kids write a nice card or two and leave them in the box on the PTO table in the lobby by this Friday, May 7. We are grateful for your help in making this a special week for your teachers!
PTO Fundraising
Parents, as you know in addition to community building, PTO spends a portion of time raising funds for the school. We are happy to announce that we have raised the $5,000 that we traditionally give to the school. Your money goes toward teacher salaries, operating expenses and classroom materials. Thank you for your continued support!!
Lower School Art Show/Walk
The Lower School Art Show/Walk will take place at the Lower School Wednesday - Friday, May 26, 27, and 28. Items will be displayed in LS hallways, and on bulletin boards only. Everyone should plan on spending some time wandering through our "gallery" looking at some of this year's art.
Looking Forward to Next Year
As the school year winds down, we are looking ahead to next year. Please contact Chandra Rosenthal,
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, with any ideas for PTO for next year. She would love to hear your ideas for community get-togethers, fund raisers and any feed-back from this year's events. Involved parents help make a school a success!
It's that time of year! Can you help out at the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair?
The fair will run from May 11th - 15th. Set-up will be on the morning of Tuesday, May 11th and tear-down will be the following Monday. We will also need volunteers to help out before and after school each day during the fair.
Sixth Grade Tikkun Olam
The 6th grade Tikkun Olam class has organized a service-learning project called Kids to Kids for the Denver Children's Home. The Denver Children's Home is an organization for neglected and troubled youth. The home has many counselors and therapists to help the children through their hard times. The children attend school there where they can learn to interact with others. The 6th grade class has decided to help The Denver Children's Home by collecting supplies for the Home so they can help their kids. We have put many boxes out around the city as well as in the Lower and Upper schools. We are collecting hygiene supplies, toys in good shape, art supplies/kits, books and magazines, and packaged socks and underwear. Any of these items will help the Denver Children's home meet their kids needs and help their children grow and succeed. If you have any questions about drop-off locations or what we are collecting contact Sara Kornfeld at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Sixth Grade's Tikkun Olam Project – The Zoo is calling!
- Herzl/RMHA Lower School Lobby
- Herzl/RMHA Upper School Lobby
- HEA, 3600 South Ivanhoe Street, Denver, CO 80237-1196
For more information go to http://www.denverzoo.org/conservation/cellPhone.asp
Thank you for donating your cell phones ~ Herzl/RMHA 6th grade Tikkun Olam class, Spring 2010
Project Angel HeartWe are Gillian Brown and Yael Kornfeld, an 11th grader and 10th grader at RMHA. We are participating in the Tikkun Olam elective, and as our project we chose Project Angel Heart. On April 29, 2010, over 300 participating restaurants will agree to donate 25% of their food sales to Project Angel Heart. Diners simply eat out for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner at participating restaurants. By eating out on Dining Out for Life® day, they support their favorite eateries, enjoy delicious food, and benefit Project Angel Heart, all at once.
To view all the restaurants that are participating in Dining Out for Life, visit http://www.diningoutforlife.com/denver/participating.
Please help this worthy cause!!!
Contact us if you have any questions or concerns:
Gillian Brown - 303-957-6911
Yael Kornfeld - 720-318-7570
A Drop in the Bucket
Anna Gergely is raising money for her Bat Mitzvah project which is called "A Drop in the Bucket." This money will go to provide clean water for citizens of Uganda through the group The Clear Water Initiative. Donations are being collected in a bucket which is located in the vending area of the Upper school. Please contribute! This is a wonderful cause and organization. See Anna for more information or go to their website at http://www.clearwaterinitiative.org. Thank you!
As many of you know, people in Haiti are still in recovery mode, and thousands are still homeless. The rainy season has arrived and the hurricane season is about to begin. The purpose of our project is to raise money for tents in Haiti. The tents will be sufficient homes for families for a few years until they get the opportunity to get their lives back on track. We will be placing boxes in the Upper School Commons and Lower School lobby. We will also be raising money elsewhere in order to achieve our goal. The money will be going to ahomeinhaiti.org.
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Matan Halzel, Evan Sabetay, and Ari Grant
Sports Equipment Drive
Samantha Berenstein, Rebekah Lackner and Talia Halfon are running a sports equipment drive for a sports gift organization. The sports equipment being collected will be sent to third world countries. Students and parents are encouraged to drop off sports equipment in the front office.
Rick Recht Live in Concert
Saturday, May 8, 2010 8:30 pm. Come and celebrate Shoshi Shaw's Bat Mitzvah with a free concert. Suggested donation of $5 to the Stink Bug Project, a non-profit group that raises money for the training of companion dogs for critically ill children. Click here for more details.
Refer a friend who registers for a Creative Journeys Summer Camp and get a $50 discount. Please click on this link for more information.
Community Garden Plot at Ekar
Get a Community Garden Plot at Ekar, a new urban communal Jewish farm and garden located next to Denver Academy of Torah, Glassman Education Campus. Just a few garden plots remain! The cost is $72 for the season plus a $25 deposit returned whenever you give up your plot. Registration forms and more information about Ekar can be found at www.ekarfarm.org. If you are not ready for your own plot or already have one at home, please check out the website for further information about work days and other opportunities to get involved!
Bring your Haggadot Yearning to be Free...Call For Objects
The Mizel Museum is seeking community participation in collecting artwork for its new, permanent exhibition, 4,000 Year Road Trip: Gathering Sparks, slated for opening August 2010. Mizel Museum curator, Georgina Kolber, is searching for privately owned Jewish objects, Jewish artifacts and contemporary Jewish artwork to enhance an exciting new exhibition about Jewish life and culture that will bring cultural awareness to local citizens and visitors. The museum is particularly interested in ritual objects about Torah stories, haggadot or sidurrim of unusual derivation, contemporary Israeli art, objects from Jewish pioneer pieces and unique objects that tell the story of the Diaspora.
Save the Date
Jewish Women in the Art Exhibit and Program, May 16, 2010. Please view the web information here.
Limmud Colorado
Memorial Day Weekend, May 28 - 31, 2010 University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO. More details here.
The JCC Maccabi Games® are coming to Denver!
The Games are a unique Olympic style athletic competition for Jewish teens. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to get involved as an athlete, a host family, or as a volunteer August 1-6, 2010. To learn more about the 2010 Denver JCC Maccabi Games® visit http://www.jccdenvermaccabi.org/ or call 303-316-6318.
Ramah in the Rockies
Grand Opening Sunday, June 13th, 11:30 am - 3:00 pm. View more details here.
Federation's Schlep the Slopes set for Sunday, August 8
The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado's Schlep the Slopes Bike Ride returns to the area on Sunday, August 8, 2010. Use this link to read more.
Bnei Akiva
Please click here for latest Bnei Akiva updates