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Welcome to 2nd Grade!

Welcome to 2nd Grade!

We are excited to begin this school year and are hard at work preparing to greet your special second graders on the first day of school, Tuesday, September 3rd.

On the first day of school, please send your child with:

  1. A dairy or pareve morning snack (every day)
  2. A dairy or pareve lunch (every day, unless your child is signed up for school lunch)
  3. Water bottle (labeled with their name, can stay in school)
  4. Spare change of clothing in a labeled bag (stays in school till end of year)
  5. Wearing sneakers, or shoes they can comfortably run in (PE days are Tuesday and Friday)

(We recommend you include a short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, shorts, pants, socks, and underwear as this bag will stay in locker for duration of school year, and might be needed during different seasons.)

No need to send your child with other supplies, such as pencils or markers, as everything they need will be provided.

Drop off and Dismissal:

A change from first grade to second grade is that students come up to their classrooms independently. If your child arrives before 8:15, they should head directly to the gym for early bird and not come up to the class. If they arrive after 8:15, they should be dropped off in the lobby by a grown up and proceed to their classroom on the first floor independently. We will talk more about how we build independence with students in second grade at Back to School Night on Monday, September 16th.

Classroom teachers will continue to be responsible for dismissal. Please send dismissal changes to teachers the day before. Last-minute and urgent changes, should be sent by 12:00 pm on the day of, in order to receive a confirmation email in return. We appreciate your mindfulness, as we are not on email throughout the afternoon while teaching your children.

 

More about the second grade teachers:

 

From left to right: Ilana, Marisa, Shira, Jessica

Jessica Dalfen (General Studies), jdalfen@hannahsenesh.org

Jessica is a proud second grade Senesh teacher for the past 8 years alongside Shira. She attended Binghamton University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in English. She has her Masters degree in elementary education from Hunter College and her certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. Currently, she is finishing her coursework towards her Special Education certification- she is trying to take over the education world and learn strategies to support all types of learners.

Jessica strives to create a safe community where all students feel recognized, challenged, engaged, and respected. She is looking forward to another wonderful year of learning and smiles!

Shira Becher (Hebrew and Judaic Studies), sbecher@hannahsenesh.org

Shira is thrilled to embark on her tenth year at Hannah Senesh! This is her ninth year teaching second grade with Jessica and she is looking forward to another great year of learning and growth. During her time at Senesh, Shira helped to launch the school’s Hebrew Immersion Camp, which she directed the past nine years. She has also mentored new teachers and written diversity curriculum for the Judaics department.

Shira received her BA from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, with a concentration in National and Religious Identity. She studied advanced Hebrew language instruction at Hebrew College in Boston and Drama Therapy at Tel Hai College in Israel. Shira completed her MA in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Most recently, she attended two seminars this summer: “Race and Equity in the Context of Jewish Education” and “Meeting the Needs of All Learners in the Hebrew and Judaics Classroom”. Above all, Shira strives to infuse her classroom with joyful learning through music, movement, mindfulness, and collaborative work and play.

Marisa Miller (General Studies Associate), mmiller@hannahsenesh.org

Marisa is excited to begin her role as an associate second grade teacher at Senesh this year. Previously, Marisa worked in New Orleans as a second and fourth grade social studies and science teacher. She attended Susquehanna University where she studied education and minored in history and women studies. The special secret about Marisa is that she is a Senesh alumni! She looks to infuse her positive experiences as a student in Senesh into the classroom. Marisa loves to stay active by playing rugby, playing with her cats, and enjoys all kinds of art. She is thrilled to meet all the second graders and support them in their journey of development!

Ilana Nowatzky- Bendet (Hebrew Heritage), inowatzky-bendet@hannahsenesh.org 

This is Ilana’s seventh year teaching at Hannah Senesh.  During her time at Senesh, Ilana developed the Hebrew Heritage program along with Nir Rikman, the head of the Hebrew Department. Ilana has been teaching this program both to Middle school and lower school and she is so excited to teach the Hebrew Heritage program in second grade this year. 

Ilana is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she studied history, archaeology, and education. She holds a Ph.D. in history at that institution. Her work experience includes twelve years as a history high school teacher as well as two years of educational program and curricula development at the National Memorial Center of Yad VaShem. She moved to New York from Israel ten years ago with her husband and two children.