What's Going on at Wornick?
Voice of the Ram
July 2021
 Tuesday, July 6, 2021 26 Tammuz 5781  Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK Public Speaking through All Disciplines and Grade Levels
Wornick students are given opportunities to practice public speaking with confidence from the moment they join our community. Public speaking opportunities strengthen our academic program and encourage students to discover new passions. 
Wornick's Honoring Their Lives Project
Every year, our community marks Yom HaShoah, Israel's official Holocaust Memorial Day, through a solemn day of collective mourning. At Wornick, our students from 4th grade and above reflect on this devastating time and its impact on Jewish life and peoplehood. In 8th grade, all of our students study a unit on the Shoah, adding more context to why observing this day is important.
Last year, more than 30 families and Head of School Adam Eilath came together on an evening ahead of Yom HaShoah to share testimonials about family members who were affected by the Holocaust. We know that there are many more stories being carried by members of our community, and we would like to provide an opportunity for those stories to be shared for our students, parents, and community to live into perpetuity for future generations.
If you would like to share your family's story from the Holocaust in a platform that may be incorporated into our Yom HaShoah program, public website, and 8th grade curriculum, please fill out the following form. We will follow up with all interested participants with more information.
Thank you for helping us to honor their lives so that future generations will always know what happened and what we might be able to learn from this catastrophe. Please complete the form in the link here to let us know if you are interested.
 Wagshul Wonders
As a way to honor first grade teacher Karen Wagshul's years of service at Wornick, Head of School Adam Eilath announced an annual publication featuring student's art and writing. The publication features 12 works from Wornick students pieces with the theme perseverance. See the publication here .
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Meet Erin DeNola Class of 2007
Upon graduating Wornick, Erin attended Carlmont High and Sonoma State, later pursuing her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at Dominican University. Erin worked as a local OT in a private office and recently opened her own practice, Skilled Therapy and Play Services in San Carlos. Taking a holistic approach to working with children in the clinic, school and home settings, Erin progresses clients in sensory processing, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and more.
Erin fondly remembers her time at Wornick and recently started coordinating alumni events with some of her fellow classmates. The first event aimed at alumni 21+ took place at Fieldworks in San Mateo last month, and they plan to meet this fall and for a Friendsgiving in November. Erin sees it as an opportunity for the young Jewish community of past graduates to network, reconnect and mentor one another. The group also plans to start a teenage alumni group to help future Wornick graduates transition into high school.
All former Wornick students are welcome to attend future events! If you would like additional information, please email Esther at egillette@wornickjds.org __________________________________________
We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here . Other News
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Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org. See a sneak peek at what students are doing this year here.     
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School |
June 2021
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Tuesday, June 8, 2021 28 Sivan 5781 Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK Seventh Grade Tzedakah Projects
In conjunction with the traditional time when many students become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the Tzedakah Project is a challenging year-long course facilitated by the team of English, Social Studies, and Judaic Studies teachers. Each student identifies a specific world problem through the lens of their own Jewish values. Students become engaged advocates for their chosen cause. After months of methodical preparation, the students are cloistered together to make the case to their peers about why their project should receive funding. With difficult choices in front of them, the class works together to find consensus about how their funds should be allocated. Our students raised over $18,000 this year for their nonprofits! Kol Hakavod! 
 Fifth Grade Artist Project
STAY CONNECTED TO WORNICK
We invite all alumni (21+) to join us at Fieldworks for an alumni reunion on Sunday, June 13 at 2:00pm. We can't wait to see you!
Though you can't be on campus, you can still see what's happening at Wornick this year! See how our Wornick community is thriving by viewing our our video here and stay in touch with us on Facebook and Instagram. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Meet Joel Abelson Class of 1994
From an early age, alumni Joel Abelson knew that he wanted a career in sports. He attended Michigan with the intention of becoming a sports broadcaster, and during his senior year he volunteered to coach basketball. He found his true passion in coaching and interned with the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that would later become the Charlotte Hornets.
Joel knew an acquaintance who was an investor in a minor league basketball team and he was able to get a meeting with David Kahn, former GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves. From this connection, he was able to secure a position with the Tulsa 66ers as an assistant coach. His time in the NBA D-League took him to the Idaho Stampede, Sioux Falls Skyforce and later to the Reno Bighorns as the head coach. Later, Joel would move to New York to become the Director of Basketball Operations for the Westchester Knicks, a feeder team to the New York Knicks. During his time in the NBA, he even helped facilitate the purchase of the Sioux Falls Skyforce by the Miami Heat.
Joel credits his Jewish education for helping him make connections throughout his career. The Jewish community provided encouragement, support and instilled Jewish values within him. Today, Joel lives in Miami with his college sweetheart and three young children. __________________________________________
We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here. SPREAD THE WORD
Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org. See a sneak peek at what students are doing this year here.
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School |
May 2021
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Tuesday, May 4, 2021 22 Iyar 5781 Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK This month we reflect on our professional community's educational focus groups. Part of a new initiative this year, the groups are organized around the following topics: Diversity, Project-Based Learning, Outdoor Learning, Choices, and Community. The videos below highlight the work within our Diversity group as well as projects that came to fruition within the classroom. Professional Learning Communities
 Third Grade Identity Project
Exploring Identity and Current Event Connections in Middle School Language Arts
Middle School Language Arts teacher Nika Bogoslovsky introduced several new books to her students this year, including Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Literature provides an opportunity to explore a variety of experiences and author perspectives. These books also provided our middle schoolers an opportunity to engage in discussions around identity and current events.
 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Meet Ian Ullmann Class of 2011
It was during the Tzedakah project at Wornick that Ian experienced his sink or swim moment. He pushed himself to persevere through the uncomfortable moments such as asking for donations and presenting to an audience. At Wornick, he learned to find the confidence to come out of his shell and speak in public, a skill that would continue to be refined through his college years.
Following high school at JCHS, Ian felt that he went through the motions as he prepared his college applications. He came to the realization that he was not quite ready to go off to school. Instead, he joined the military Air Force reserve. "It was like a gap year," he says. Ian matured even further and learned the importance of being selfless. The following year, Ian began his undergrad at Bard College. He recently graduated with a degree in history and political science.
Today, Ian still serves our country as a reservist while also working a full time job at College Possible, a unit of AmeriCorps. He is an advocate for education and he is fulfilling his mission by helping students in primarily low-income communities apply for college and sees them through to graduation. Ian is passionate about educational and equity work and sees empowering others as essential to his career journey. __________________________________________
We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here . STAY CONNECTED TO WORNICK
We are excited to welcome Raz Serero '07 and Max Kaplan '07 to our newly formed Alumni Committee! The committee is planning an event for alumni ages 21+ on June 13 from 2-4pm in San Mateo. Please save the date and email alumni@wornickjds.org for more information, or to get involved.
Though you can't be on campus, you can still see what's happening at Wornick this year! See how our Wornick community is thriving by viewing our our video here and stay in touch with us on Facebook and Instagram . SPREAD THE WORD
Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org. See a sneak peek at what students are doing this year here.
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School
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April 2021
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021 25 Nisan 5781 Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK Kiddush Ha-Hayyim Project  ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Meet Ariel Light Class of 2002
Ariel entered college open to exploring other disciplines, but within three days she found herself joining Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. Her sophomore year, she was nominated to join the council and later was voted President. Her work within the organization coupled with her degree in Psychology and Social Action led to her work as a social justice advocate.
She interned with the American Jewish World Service and became a Jeremiah Fellow at the renowned Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice. During this time, she realized the power of action and the impact that every person can have with a "boots on the ground" mentality. Ariel has participated in various peaceful protests advocating for justice, including the Women's March in San Francisco. She believes that creating programming around social justice helps move the work forward. She worked as a Development Associate at Beit T'Shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center with a program focused on Jewish spirituality, psychotherapy and recovery. She later became a Senior Counselor at Diller Teen Fellows (and worked alongside Wornick Jewish Studies teacher Ms. Walklet!). Today, Ariel is the Communications and Operations Specialist at Shalhevet, a Jewish high school in Los Angeles. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Jewish Education - Educational Leadership at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Ariel believes that her Jewish education at Wornick and beyond shaped the lens with which she views the world. Having the baseline in Jewish education was crucial to her journey. She is profoundly impacted by the concept of tzedakah. "Even opening a door for someone can change their day," she says. "Learning to do things for others, even tiny things, can leave a huge impact on individuals." __________________________________________
We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here . STAY CONNECTED TO WORNICK
This spring, Cantor Doron Shapira of Peninsula Sinai Congregation, along with alumni Dr. Nicole Barkhordar ('96), Erin DeNola ('07), Alyssa Feigelson ('13), Bradley Lent ('06), and Josh Nayberg ('06), held the first Alumni Committee Meeting. The goal is to reach out to the greater Wornick alumni community for networking and events. If you are interested in joining the committee, or even just attending an event, please contact Esther Gillette at egillette@wornickjds.org to learn more. SPREAD THE WORD
Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org. See a sneak peek at what students are doing this year here.
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School
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March 2021
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021 26 Adar 5781 Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK First Graders Run for President An annual tradition in Ms. Wagshul's class, this presidential campaign is one of the students' most memorable projects. Students learn about the presidents and the voting process, campaign to their fellow classmates with a speech, slogan, campaign poster, and a goody bag to lobby their vote. Votes are cast to choose their class president! This process follows the iconic Teddy Bear Toast and occurs in Ms. Wagshul's class every spring. It encourages critical thinking, creativity, public speaking, and thoughtful reflections around the voting process.  __________________________________________  Learning How to Compare Jewish Laws to Contemporary Companies In 6th Grade Jewish Studies class, students recently completed a unit where they learned and evaluated Jewish laws on property damage from the Mishnah (a body of Jewish law). For one of their assessments, they interviewed parent volunteers who work in a variety of settings and fields and evaluated what the Mishnah might say about today's corporate challenges. Students demonstrated an incredible capacity to compare, evaluate and analyze in this unit! __________________________________________ Middle School Science Fair Middle School recently competed in the school science fair. Presentations were completed via Zoom and students each student presented their hypothesis, experiment, and their findings. Topics ranged from trajectory, bacterial growth, air flow, and more. There were 3 winners in each of the middle school grades. The top eight of the finalists will represent Wornick at the San Mateo County STEM science fair at the end of March.  ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Meet Emmett Verba Class of 2014
A year ago, it was hard to imagine finding inspiration in anything, but Wornick grad Emmett Verba had an idea. He moved from Colorado back to the Bay Area due to the pandemic to create a first of its kind business. Emmett started Emmett Cooks with fellow Wornick grads Josh Lipson, Max Eisner, and his siblings. Designed to be a "finish in your home" meal delivery kit, they created meal kits with the contents cooked 90% of the way. The business model took off and they moved from cooking at home to cooking in an industrial kitchen. At its height, they prepared and delivered more than 120 servings per week.
From working in restaurants on both the service and industrial side, Emmett started the business with a solid understanding of what the customer wants and how to distribute it in a way that makes sense. The menus were inspired by flavors around the world including Mediterranean, Southern, Burmese, Japanese, Indian, and more. Along with the selection, Emmett and his team created videos and instructions demonstrating how to finish the last steps to make the gourmet meal complete. They switched menus weekly so they could utilize the freshest, most in season ingredients.
Emmett believes that his time at Wornick helped drive his entrepreneurial spirit. "Wornick emphasized the importance of critical thinking and helped develop design thinking skills," he said. He believes that the more structured critical problem solving processes instilled in Middle School led him to understand marketing and how to consider the end-user throughout the business development process.
Emmett decided to take the Emmett Cooks concept to Boulder late last year and now leads the Luna Culinary Collective. The business hit the ground running at the beginning of February and continues to grow.
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We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here . STAY CONNECTED TO WORNICK
Earlier this month, Cantor Doron Shapira of Peninsula Sinai Congregation, along with alumni Dr. Nicole Barkhordar ('96), Erin DeNola ('07), Alyssa Feigelson ('13), Bradley Lent ('06), and Josh Nayberg ('06), held the first Alumni Committee Meeting. The goal is to reach out to the greater Wornick alumni community for networking and events. If you are interested in joining the committee, or even just attending an event, please contact Esther Gillette at egillette@wornickjds.org to learn more. SPREAD THE WORD
Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org. See a sneak peek at what students are doing this year here.
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School
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February 2021
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Tuesday, February 2, 2021 20 Sh'vat 5781 Wornick teachers and staff look for ways that students can connect and engage with things happening in our community and world. Curiosity is encouraged and students are introduced to unique experiences throughout their time at Wornick. Our goal is for curiosity to flourish after their time at Wornick and lead to limitless opportunities for our alumni. Every month we will share unique student experiences on-campus, as well as spotlight an alumni who exemplifies Wornick's values. EXPERIENCES AT WORNICK Third Graders Learn About Local Government and Interview Foster City's New Mayor Third grade curriculum includes an introduction to local government. In a traditional year, students walk to Foster City Hall, take a tour and meet the mayor. This year, our Ms. Kosh ensured that the students still had an enriching experience through a virtual interview with newly elected Mayor Sanjay Gehani.  __________________________________________  Eighth Graders Read Holocaust Survivor Kathryn Winter's Book and Have a Virtual Roundtable Discussion Eighth grade Jewish Studies teacher Ms. Walklet encourages students to reflect on the events of Jewish history and the Holocaust. The class read Katarina , a semi-fictional novel set during this time and written by Holocaust survivor Kathryn Winter. They spoke with Kathryn from her home in Berkeley. She detailed her broken childhood in Slovakia, spoke of the discrimination and racism she experienced, and differentiated isolation between then and now. Following the interview, students spoke of the honor they felt speaking to one of the estimated ten percent of Holocaust survivors still alive. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
 Julia Green, Class of 2016 Equipped with a sense of wonder, empowered by seeing past limitations, and inspired by her 8th grade trip to Israel, Julia Green graduated from Wornick ready to take on the world. She headed to the newly established Design Tech High School looking to create something new. Along with her friend and former Wornick student Anabelle Gutman, she helped establish a new Global Service Program with an initial trip to India, all while in her freshman year. Founded with the belief that travel should be an integral part of experiential education, this ecotourism program allows teenagers to experience the world while serving others. Though Julia graduated last year, the program is thriving and enables students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to participate.
Julia took a gap year to participate in the Global Citizen program and teach English internationally, but the pandemic cancelled these plans. On the suggestion of a friend, Julia moved to Puerto Rico for 3 months last fall to help volunteer during the pandemic while exploring the ethical issues of travel during a global crisis.
Kismet and her unrelenting sense of curiosity determined Julia's next journey. Soon she will be headed to India to au pair for a family that runs an ethical trekking group, one of her many outdoor passions. With college and post graduate work in the plans, Julia is interested in ethical tourism and wilderness psychotherapy.
Inspired yet? Us too. Follow Julia's adventures as she questions the ethics, social justice, and experiential learning opportunities around global tourism by listening to her podcast Gen Nomadic. __________________________________________
We ❤️ our Wornick alumni! We would love to hear what you're up to and feature you in a future newsletter. Keep in touch here . STAY CONNECTED TO WORNICK
    MARCH 7, 2021 You don't want to miss an engaging night filled with joy and laughter during our virtual gala. Our honorees Barbara Jacobs , the iconic first grade teacher Karen Wagshul , and Wornick philanthropist Michael Wornick are looking forward to see you!
6:00 pm Chai Circle Reception 6:30 pm Program with Comedian and Emcee Elon Gold
Enjoy games, comedy, raffles, and so much more! Registration deadline is Thursday, February 18 Tribute deadline is Friday, February 12 SPREAD THE WORD
Wornick is annually recognized by Bay Area Parent as a "Best of the Best" independent elementary and middle school. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about how our challenging academics and timeless Jewish values set Wornick Jewish Day School apart, please share this link or connect them with admissions@wornickjds.org.
©2021 Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School |
