Honors and Awards Descriptions
PNM Classroom Innovation Grant
2008
Kindergarten teacher Leanne Szymansky was awarded a PNM grant to study kinesthetic learning in Kindergarten children. An excerpt from the grant proposal reads ". . . Children learn thorugh different types of input and experiences, specifically visual, auditory and kinesthetic, however, the majority of classroom instruction in most programs is designed to be delivered through visual and auditory modalities. This project will provide an increased range of kinesthetic experiences to support and extend the learning of the students in our kindergarten program."
The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) Match Grant
2008
The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) and the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) awarded a $12,500 1:2 matching grant to Solomon Schechter Day School of Albuquerque for a donor contribution of $25,000 through their MATCH donor incentive program.
The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) Excellence in Marketing Award
2008
SSDS received this award in the area of Community Communication for the Menschenings Newsletter "in recognition of the evolution from in-house to professional design and production."
The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) Expertise Grant
2007
Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) in the area of financial management with noted consultant, Eric Amar. The grant will help bring the learning from the PEJE Strategic Financial Modeling for Day School Stability Conference back to the school in a concrete way.
PNM Classroom Innovation Grant
2007
Robin Pence, Technology Specialist and Hebrew/Jewish Studies teacher was awarded a PNM Classroom Innovation Grant based on establishing computer video conferencing between SSDS students and students in Israel to bridge connections and foster cross cultural learning.
PNM Classroom Innovation Grant
2006 Spring
My Kindergarten Journey
Kindergarten students in Leanne Kimbrough's class will learn about themselves through documenting their kindergarten journeys during the 2006-2007 school year.
In Ms. Kimbrough's words: "This project is designed to allow children tangible access toward understanding their personal and academic growth through picture walks, storytelling, and shared creative experiences. Young children often need support in the reflective process, which is a critical foundation for lifelong learners." Throughout the year, each child will work to create a visual timeline of his/her journey as a kindergarten student with digital photography, written expression, paper and other craft, and cooperative learning experiences.
The project will culminate in creative and cooperative production of physical and electronic portfolios by each student. An event will be planned near the end of the school year during which the children will present their portfolios and be invited to share stories from within them. The students' electronic portfolios will be displayed as a slide show on a large screen using the projector while the students read and interpret their own work.
Expressing Community Grant
Fall, 2005
University of New Mexico Place Program and Harwood Art Center
This project involved a cultural exchange and collaboration between the third and fourth grade students of Solomon Schechter Day School and the fourth grade students of Acoma Pueblo. The two communities established a relationship through a visit to Acoma Pueblo, yearlong pen-pal correspondence, and collaborative art projects. The project fits into the fourth grade social studies theme of studying New Mexico and pueblos.
Students learned about each other’s culture and how many similarities there are. They learned they each have their unique language, prayers, symbols and histories and were able to share those with one another.
As a culmination of the project, the students designed and created a ceramic mosaic mandala that incorporated both Jewish and Native American symbols. This mandala is a permanent part of a labyrinth built on the grounds of Solomon Schechter Day School. For the dedication of the labyrinth, students, teachers, and parents from Acoma came to Solomon Schechter. The Acoma Buffalo Dancers performed in full costume and the Solomon Schechter students sang Hebrew and Jewish songs.
During the year, Nancy Paine Brady made many trips to Acoma Pueblo to teach and create artwork with the Acoma students and create a separate mandala that was installed on the grounds of their school. It was such a successful collaboration that there has been talk of making this special relationship between Solomon Schechter and Acoma Pueblo an ongoing one.
Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path and is meant to be a meditative and healing activity. Through experiences like these, it is hoped that the next generation can learn more tolerance, understanding and appreciation for others and live in peace.
PNM Classroom Innovation Grant
Spring 2005
The personal note written on the bottom of the acceptance letter that Solomon Schechter received from the Executive Director of the PNM Foundation read:
"Wow — your proposal was terrific! It received the most points of any of the 258!! Congratulations and best wishes for a great year in the classroom. I wish I were a student in your class."
That "terrific" proposal was put together by Jewish Studies Coordinator, Rabbi Chavah Carp, and combines the Jewish value of Ba’al Taschit (conserve) with the building of a greenhouse and study of desert agriculture.
The students were involved in every aspect of the project including building the greenhouse. The project included researching soil, water conservation and desert irrigation systems including those used in Israel, building an irrigation system, planting seeds, comparing climate zones of New Mexico and Israel, creating a pest-free greenhouse without the use of chemicals, learning about hydroponic growing, determining drought-resistant plants, harvesting their plants and vegetables, and keeping journals about the findings.
Many of the plants grown were ones the students could use for Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuout celebrations — the three Jewish harvest festivals. The plan was also to donate much of their harvest to the Shalom House residents. Students compared their findings with those of horticultural researchers in Israel and the United States.
Back to topPNM Earth Study Grant
Spring, 2004
Solomon Schechter Day School of Albuquerque was awarded one of only 50 Earth Study Grants given by PNM out of 150 applicants.
The grant centers around recycling awareness and energy conservation; specifically the desire of the students to bring recycling practices not only to their school but to the entire Jewish Community Center campus on which we are located. The entire school participated with each grade having their own individual job to contribute.
The second and third grade students researched the benefits of recycling. They took a field trip to the local recycling plant and learned first hand how materials are recycled. Then they learned presentation skills and were successful in communicating their new knowledge to the Jewish Community Center staff and Shalom House residents.
The fourth and fifth grade students researched recycling on the internet, in the library, newspapers, and magazines, and then wrote a persuasive letter to Mayor Chavez suggesting the City of Albuquerque develop a plan to pick up recyclables at schools and businesses – something they don't currently do.
With the grant money, the school purchased recycling containers for the campus. The kindergarten and first grade students learned how to design and print out signs to attach to the containers identifying them as plastic, paper, aluminum, etc, as well as posters to post around the entire campus.
The art teacher worked with fifth grade students to create a recycled paper and cardboard totem and collage. The completed projects are on display at the school as a reminder that "trash" can be recycled to create works of art.
The entire project tied in with the school's Jewish values curriculum. One value the children study is "Ba'al Taschit" which means conserve, reduce, re-use, and recycle.
The recycling program continues today. Although the students were unable to convince the city to pick up the recyclables, parents volunteer each week to take them home and put them out with their own recycling.
Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education Grant (PEJE)
2000
Solomon Schechter Day School of Albuquerque received a four-year, $250,000 challenge grant from PEJE for the start-up of a middle school.
Solomon Schechter began and maintained a small but wonderful middle school for four years. After that time it was determined that the Albuquerque Jewish community was too small to produce the critical mass of students needed for a middle school, and it was discontinued in 2004.
Art Exhibit Invitations
Ongoing
Solomon Schechter Day School has been extremely proud of it’s fine arts program headed by Nancy Paine Brady. Because of Ms. Brady’s leadership and the incredible artwork she inspires our students to produce, the school has received many prestigious invitations to exhibit their work that are unusual for an elementary school to receive.
- Albuquerque Sunport
- In the spring of 2003, Solomon Schechter was invited to exhibit their artwork in the three large display cases in the airport entry way from the parking garage.
- Presbyterian Hospital (fall, 2003 and fall, 2006)
- When an employee of Presbyterian hospital saw Solomon Schechter’s art display at the airport, she called the school to ask if an exhibit could be arranged for the neo-natal unit of the hospital. This was the first time Presbyterian had done such a display of children’s artwork. It was so well received that Presbyterian purchased three of the pieces to be part of their permanent collection and made the display of children’s artwork an ongoing program.
A second exhibit of SSDS student art at Presbyterian occurred in the fall of 2006 when Presbyterian opened a new children’s wing. - Weems Art Fest (2003, 2004, 2005)
- The well-known Weems Art Fest held each year in Albuquerque invited Solomon Schechter to have a table for three consecutive years. The students worked many hours after school to create a variety of art works to sell at their booth as a fundraiser.
Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans
A number of Solomon Schechter students have been honored with the publication of their poetry in this annual nationwide publication produced by Anthology of Poetry, Inc.