Students return to SIA

your dollars at work

Students return to SIA on Campus

Fourth Grade social distancing line.

Carin Simon

Strelitz International Academy students returned to the Sandler Family Campus for in-person learning on August 24. After almost six months away from their school and their friends, SIA students were clearly excited to be back.

It was a unique and busy summer as SIA prepared to return to Campus. Since March 13, when SIA went virtual, along with every school in Virginia, Heather Moore, head of school, was determined to open safely on August 24 as planned. It was important to open on time, she says, to be able to better meet the educational, social, emotional, and childcare needs of the Strelitz families.

As word spread that Strelitz was opening, the admissions department became flooded with inquiries. Many families who had been satisfied

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with their neighborhood public schools grateful to be back on campus and didn’t applied for admission. The International seem to mind this unusual start. Baccalaureate Program, Jewish education On the first day of school, students and face-to-face learning, made the deciwere ready with their personal assortment sion to switch an easy one for many of cute masks to express their style, parfamilies. By mid-summer, classes had ents were patient in the drop off line, and waitlists. even the littlest learners were happy to

Opening school safely during COVID -19 be handed off to their teachers. The stuis not an easy task. It requires the implemendents have been resilient and the parents tation of many safety measures, including thrilled and grateful. no parents or visitors on campus, mask Jasmine Amitay, an SIA parent, wrote wearing, social distancing, desk screens, on SIA’s Facebook page, “Thank you for and a daily health screening conducted by everything you did (and keep doing) to parents, along with student temperature keep our kiddos safe! The boys had the checks during carpool drop off. best 1st day ever!”

“Our COVID team began meeting in SIA is creatively planning to gather May to begin researching and planning virtually for parent and family events. a way to open school safely this fall,” Many SIA community highlights such as says Moore. “The team met regularly and developed safety protocols and ordered equipment to ensure we could open. Once we had a plan in place, we opened summer childcare for early years on July 6 to help our families who had been in need of childcare for their little ones.”

During the planning stages, SIA Sam Krupnick, first grade. created a COVID parent handbook to help everyone acclimate to the new rules that parents, faculty, and children would need to follow to maintain a safe environment.

A virtual meet and greet took place the Friday before classes started so that students could meet their teachers and see their classroom. Parents and students were Noa Cohen in Kindergarten working at her desk.

your dollars at work

Shabbat Singalongs and parent coffees will not be possible this school year due to SIA’s safety protocols. The Parent Volunteer Committee has met virtually and is working on a schedule of virtual events for parents and families.

After five long months of being apart, SIA’s students are happy to be able to see their friends, learn with their classmates, and enjoy a normal routine. And, their parents are happy, too.

To learn more about the Strelitz International Academy, contact Carin Simon, admissions director, csimon@strelitzacademy. org or 757-424-4327.

This is part of a series of articles spotlighting local and overseas partner agencies that are beneficiaries of the United Jewish Federation Tidewater’s annual Community Campaign.

Willow Baker, age four, walks into school with her little brother, Leo, age two.

Julie Blumenthal, happy to drop off her kids in carpool, gives a thumbs up.

Leah, grade 5, Alex, grade 3, and Max Steerman in Kindergarten ready for their first day back at school.

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MEET: Holly Puritz, MD

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Make Calls. Earn Money.

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater seeks individuals through December to contact community members to support the 2021 Annual Community Campaign. Ability to use Zoom Video Conferencing is important. Temporary positions. Flexible hours. Remote work optional. This is a great opportunity to help the community and earn dollars!

For more information, contact Taffy Hunter, Director of Human Resources, thunter@ujft.org or 757-965-6117.