Why JDS? Busy Summer Days at the JDS

By Megan Hyman

an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learning experience he’s had there. I’ll never

By Megan Hyman

he decision parents make about

When it came time for Joseph, our now five-year-old son, to get back into an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learn

One of the major tenets of the JDS is a devotion to the development of bright, confident students who are well prepared to meet the world. This couldn’t be more representative of our experience.

The JDS has enabled strengthen – they check on the playground and other in the hallways. older children care for Evelyn is always so proud the “big kids” helps her pack at the end of the talks about his “reading stantly!

The decision parents make about where to send their children for

Sadly, our chapter in Allentown is coming to a close. For professional reasons, wesion of the school year. Our love for the community that Amy Golding, her staff, and volunteers have created will stay with us forever. The friendships we’ve made as a family through the school will remain and we know these memories made here -

While our wonderful families might go on travel adventures and many of our beloved students go off to camps both near and far, our faculty rolls up their collective sleeves to get the JDS ready for the 2023-2024 school year. We are proud to be able to be creating more cohesive wings: our lower school collection of classrooms will all be together, our elementary hallway will give our second and third graders a special place to call their own, and our upper elementary and middle school will be entering several newly designed classrooms, including our dedicated performing arts studio, where music class and our elective theater program will thrive. The science lab is being prepared for our new STEAM elective offered to middle school, along with the abundance of science exploration

Of course, none of this happens by itself! Not only are our teachers using their summers to ensure each classroom detail is just right for every student, we have a team of dedicated staff members who magically transform boxes and new equipment into a beautiful environment for our students. Mr. Tyler and Mr. Rich work tirelessly with the help of their summer interns Nate and Brandon. Miss Adrienne manages our office with finesse and Miss Sue keeps the business side of the school in tip top order. We are so grateful to everyone “behind the scenes,” including many volunteers who do not take a summer break. We thank all of them!

We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Al lentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed

When it came now five-year-old an early childhood the welcoming, vironment at for us to turn. staff worked tirelessly changing guidelines still make the for its students. in this environment, his third year as he loves the dynamic ing experience forget when he full Pledge of Allegiance words to the Hatikvah This year, his to join the three-year-old the same teachers siblings of her very shy at first, that and truly enthusiasm. her love of art, the sweetest friends. updates and photos app throughout sion of where to send your child to school in the Lehigh Valley, we found the JDS an extremely supportive place, a refuge from the uncertainties that we all face in-

One of the major tenets a devotion to the development confident students who to meet the world. This representative of our Sadly, our chapter in ing to a close. For professional are moving back to Texas sion of the school year. community that Amy and volunteers have created us forever. The friendships a family through the and we know these memories will bring us joy for years For any parent grappling sion of where to send your in the Lehigh Valley, an extremely supportive from the uncertainties our daily lives, and the ment to instill a love of ish values.

Our kids became ing the quarantine