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As we close the month of March and look ahead to April, I am filled with pride, gratitude, and optimism. These past weeks have reflected the very best of MDA: academic excellence, joyful Jewish life, meaningful community connection, and a shared commitment to student growth from Early Childhood through Grade 12. 💙✨
🌸 March Highlights: A Month of Learning, Leadership & Celebration 🌸
March was rich with milestone moments and inspiring achievements across all sections:
🎭 Purim & Jewish Learning: We began the month by celebrating Purim, filling our campus with joy, creativity, mitzvot, and community spirit. From costumes to learning about courage and responsibility, our students embodied the values behind the celebration. 🎉📚🗣️ Student Voice & Ownership: Our Primary School Student-Led Conferences (Trimester 2) were a powerful reminder of what happens when students take ownership of their learning, articulating growth, reflecting on goals, and celebrating progress alongside their families. 🌟🔬 Secondary School Science Fair: The Middle and High School Science Fair showcased curiosity, inquiry, and innovation. Our students demonstrated impressive critical thinking and problem-solving skills, hallmarks of an MDA education. 🧪🚀🎓 Academic Milestones: Each milestone marks growth, resilience, and continued excellence. 📈📘
End of Trimester 2 for Early Childhood and Primary | End Quarter 3 for Secondary
Grade 11 AP Seminar Final Presentations, reflecting deep research, collaboration, and communication skills
🤝 Community & Connection: From Parent Focus Groups to meaningful service learning, such as the Grade 3 visit to Casa de Abuelos, March highlighted the importance of empathy, connection, and partnership within and beyond our campus.
🌿 Looking Ahead: April at MDA 🌿
April invites us into a time of reflection, remembrance, celebration, and renewal, deeply rooted in Jewish values and academic achievement.
📚 Book Fair: The Early Childhood and Primary School Book Fair will bring families together around a love of reading, always a core pillar of lifelong learning at MDA. 📖🎨🍞 Pesach & Spring Renewal: Erev Pesach & Pesach Break (April 1–10): We wish all our families a meaningful and joyful Pesach as we pause, reflect, and recharge together. 🕊️✨📚 Classes Resume (April 13): We look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready for a strong final stretch of the school year.🕯️ Days of Remembrance & Reflection: These moments allow us to honor memory, resilience, and collective responsibility with reverence and care. 🕯️🇮🇱
Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day (April 14) | Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day (April 21)
🇮🇱 Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel Independence Day (April 22): A joyful celebration of Israel’s independence, identity, and connection to our Jewish heritage, celebrated with learning, pride, and community spirit. 🎉💙🎓 Academic Showcases & Celebrations: These events highlight leadership, scholarship, and the continued development of confident, thoughtful learners. 🌟📘
Grade 10 AP Seminar Final Presentations (April 24) | Grade 12 AP Research Final Presentations (April 16)
🎨 Schoolwide Spirit: EC Black & White Day (April 24): A joyful celebration of creativity, unity, and school pride for our youngest learners. 🖤🤍
🌈 In Closing 🌈
MDA continues to thrive because of the strength of our partnership: students, families, educators, and leadership working together with shared purpose and values. Thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your unwavering support. As we enter April, may we be inspired by renewal, grounded in remembrance, and energized by the promise of continued growth ahead.
B’Shalom,
Dr. Raymond J. Schmidt
Head of School
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The month of Adar filled our school with a unique and beautiful energy — the joy of Torah learning combined with the powerful message of Purim. Across every division of MDA, students not only celebrated the chag with excitement and unity, but also deepened their understanding of the story, mitzvot, and timeless lessons that Purim brings to Jewish life.
In Preschool, our youngest students explored the story of the Megillah through dramatic storytelling, songs, and classroom activities designed to bring the characters and message of Purim to life. The morot invested tremendous creativity into helping the children internalize the story in a joyful and age-appropriate way, ensuring that their first encounters with this important part of our tradition are both meaningful and positive. The children learned about the mitzvot of Purim and the themes of emunah and prayer that run throughout the story of Esther and Mordechai.
The learning then came alive through beautiful shared experiences: a lively Purim show performed by the teachers, festive celebrations, and a special activity where grandparents joined their grandchildren to prepare mishloach manot together — strengthening the bond between generations while celebrating the joy of the holiday.
In Primary School, classroom learning throughout the month connected Torah, Hebrew, and Jewish values with the upcoming celebration of Purim. Students studied the story and halachot of Purim, including the four mitzvot of the day, while continuing their Torah learning through the parashiot of Yitro, Mishpatim, and Tetzaveh. In Dinim classes they explored the halachot of berachot and the proper intention when making blessings, while Hebrew classes strengthened vocabulary, conversation, and reading skills through songs, projects, and interactive activities.
The highlight of the month was our school-wide Purim celebration. Primary and Middle School students began the day at the Punta Pacífica Bet Max ve Sara Synagogue, where they participated respectfully in tefilah and listened to the reading of the Megillah together as a community. From there, the celebration continued at Crazy Park, where the joy and camaraderie of Purim were fully felt as students celebrated together in costume and spirit. The experience allowed students not only to learn about Purim, but truly to live it.
In High School, learning during the month of Adar connected classical Torah texts with the themes of Purim and Jewish identity. Students studied chapters of Sefer Yehoshua and Shoftim, exploring leadership, faith, and responsibility, while Dinim and Tzurba classes examined the halachot of the Megillah and the Four Parshiot leading up to Purim. Discussions around the story of Esther highlighted courage, hidden miracles, and the responsibility each Jew carries toward the Jewish people.
Across many classes, students also explored the deeper message of Adar — “Mishenichnas Adar marbim besimcha.” Through projects, discussions, and presentations, they examined how authentic Jewish joy is connected not only to celebration, but to generosity, unity, and strengthening our identity as part of Am Yisrael. 
Watching our students celebrate Purim together was truly inspiring. The costumes, laughter, and excitement were wonderful — but even more meaningful was seeing them connect the joy of the day with its deeper lessons of emunah, courage, generosity, and unity.
May the spirit of Adar continue to fill our school with joy, growth, and Torah.
Rabbi David Bassan
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Purim Joy: Costumes, Carousels, and Kindness
Our Purim celebration was nothing short of magical! The school was transformed into a sea of color as students arrived in their favorite costumes. The day was packed with high-energy fun, including:
The Megillat Esther Play: Students watched the story come to life, cheering for Esther and Mordechai.
The Carnival Experience: Laughter echoed from the carousel and the bounce park, where students burned off all that festive energy.
Mishloaj Manot:In the spirit of Matanot La’evyonim and friendship, each child carefully prepared a special mishloaj with their grandparents. They also selected a dear friend—to share these treats with, learning the beautiful value of thinking of others and giving with kindness.
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Team Spotlight: SPARK Team Professional Development
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This month, our faculty took a break from the traditional classroom setting to become students themselves during a dynamic Professional Development session led by our incredible SPARK Team.
The session was designed to put teamwork and problem-solving to the test. Teachers were divided into small groups and challenged to work unitedly to crack complex puzzles and complete a series of collaborative tasks. The atmosphere was electric—filled with laughter, strategic thinking, and a healthy dose of friendly competition!
By stepping into these challenges together, our educators practiced the very same collaboration and critical thinking skills they foster in our students every day. It was a wonderful reminder that when we work as one, there is no puzzle we can’t solve. A huge thank you to the SPARK Team for organizing such an engaging and high-energy afternoon of growth!
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Journeying Toward Freedom: Pesach Preparations
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As we bid farewell to Purim, we began our journey toward Pesach. Our classrooms are now filled with the history of our people.
The Story of Exodus: Students are learning about the bravery of Moshe Rabeinu and the miracles that occurred as he led the People of Israel out of Egypt.
Hands-on Learning: From "crossing the sea" in creative play to recognizing the symbols of the Seder plate, our little ones are becoming experts on the holiday of freedom.
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Big Moves for PK4 & Kindergarten 🚀 Afterschool Program Take-off
Our new Afterschool Program is officially in full swing! Two days a week, our PK4 and K students are diving deeper into their passions:
Reading & Writing: Building the foundations of literacy through storytelling and phonics.
Sports & STEAM: A perfect blend of physical activity and "Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math" challenges that spark curiosity.
🎓 Graduation Practices Begin
It’s a bittersweet milestone! Our Kindergarteners have officially started their weekly practices at the Gymboree. They are currently learning the choreography and songs for their upcoming graduation. We can already tell it’s going to be a performance to remember!
Academic Milestones: Parent-Teacher Conferences
We successfully closed our 2nd Trimester this month. On March 18th, we held our Parent-Teacher Conferences. It was wonderful to share with the parents the incredible progress children have made.
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As we approach the end of March, the final month of our second trimester, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a period filled with meaningful learning experiences, growth, and connection across our Primary School.
One of the highlights of the month was the visit from our Kinder students to the Primary (PP) campus. They enjoyed a wonderful day alongside our first graders, participating in water play and sports activities. These shared experiences are invaluable, as they help build friendships and strengthen students’ confidence, supporting a smooth and joyful transition into Primary School.
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In that same spirit of community and celebration, we came together for our Purim celebration at Crazy Park. Students from 1st grade through Middle School had the opportunity to connect, laugh, and celebrate together, creating lasting memories in a joyful and inclusive environment.
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We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to all Primary parents who joined us for our Student-Led Conferences. This space is essential in fostering student agency, as it allows our learners to take ownership of their progress by sharing their accomplishments and reflecting on their goals. These moments of collaboration between students, teachers, and parents are key to continued growth and success.
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As we look ahead, we are preparing to begin our final trimester. Please note that our Passover break will take place from April 1st to April 12th, and classes will resume on Monday, April 13th.
During this last trimester, students will participate in our LATET (Social Service) projects. These experiences are designed to nurture empathy, responsibility, and community engagement. Detailed information will be shared by grade level in the coming weeks.
Additionally, we are excited to announce our upcoming Book Fair on April 30th. We invite all Primary students to dress up as their favorite author or book character. The day will include a variety of engaging activities for each grade level, including our internal Battle of the Books competition for students in grades 4–6.
Thank you once again for your trust, partnership, and continued support. We look forward to closing the school year together with purpose, enthusiasm, and continued growth for all our students.
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As we are well into the month of March, we remain deeply committed to the mission of Magen David Academy and the high standards of our secondary section. Recent feedback from our community has provided valuable insight into areas where we can further strengthen our daily operations and instructional rigor.Our primary focus this month is ensuring that every minute of the school day is dedicated to meaningful student engagement. We are reinforcing "bell-to-bell" instruction, where faculty members engage students in planned learning activities from the start of the period until the dismissal bell. To support this environment of academic focus, we are strictly enforcing our existing electronics policy to ensure that phones do not distract from the learning process.Additionally, we are revitalizing our "Active Supervision" protocols to ensure that all learning spaces are consistently attended and that students remain in their designated areas. By prioritizing a visible administrative presence and consistent classroom expectations, we aim to strengthen the home-school partnership and ensure that every student recognizes the immense value of being present and engaged every day.
In relation to this update, please note that all authorizations for late arrivals or early dismissals must be sent to secondaryoffice@magendavidacademy.org.
When sending your email, kindly include the following information to help us expedite the process:
Student’s first and last name
Grade level
Time of departure (if leaving early)
Transportation method (Uber, driver, etc.)
If, due to an unavoidable circumstance, your child needs to arrive late and leave early on the same day, please include both details in one email.
We urge you to consider the policy regarding Excused Absences, as not all absences from classes will be considered excused, even if previously notified by parents.
For MS/HS school assistance, please contact Mrs. Aisha, our new administrative assistant, in the email above.
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Before we look ahead, we must celebrate the incredible results of that very perseverance. We are thrilled to announce that several of our seniors have already received acceptances to top-tier universities! These milestones are a testament to years of grit, and they serve as a brilliant reminder to our younger students that the work you do today—even the assignments that feel small—builds the bridge to your future.
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From our Humanities Department:
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Ms. Stewart created a classroom reference poster for our secondary students (Grades 9–11) titled “Know the Difference.” The chart provides a clear, concise comparison of persuasive, argumentative, and report writing, highlighting the key purpose and features of each style. This visual summary greets students as they enter the classroom and serves as a quick reference during lessons, writing tasks, and discussions: Report — Inform; Persuasive — Convince; Argumentative — Prove.
Grade 9 worked on creating their Utopia projects and presented them to teachers. They improved greatly from their previous presentations and should be very proud.
Grades 10–12 are preparing AP Seminar and AP Research presentations. Many participants are also in the musical but continue to put in strong effort. Parents are welcome to attend the presentations on these dates:
30 March, 13:00–15:10 — Grade 11 AP Seminar
31 March, 08:10–10:10 — Grade 11 AP Seminar
14 April, 08:10–15:30 — Grade 12 AP Research
20 April, 10:10–12:10 — Grade 10 AP Seminar
21 April, 10:10–12:10 — Grade 10 AP Seminar
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From our Math Department:
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This month, our mathematics students across all grade levels have been hard at work mastering everything from the foundational rules of integers to the complex beauty of the unit circle. Here is a look at what’s happening in our classrooms:
Middle School: Foundations and Problem-Solving
Math 7: Our 7th graders are building a rock-solid foundation by mastering operations with integers. Students are learning the nuances of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative numbers. This mastery allows them to simplify complex algebraic expressions with newfound confidence.
Math 8: Focus has shifted toward the deep application of linear equations. Students are being challenged with complex assignments designed to encourage "productive struggle." By tackling these tougher problems, they are developing the resilience and problem-solving skills required for the rigors of high school math.
Algebra & Geometry: Real-World Connections
Algebra 1: The focus is on the power of exponents. Students are exploring exponential properties and applying them to real-world models, such as calculating compound interest. This unit bridges the gap between classroom theory and understanding financial growth over time.
Geometry (9th Grade): Students are diving into trigonometry. They aren't just learning formulas; they are applying these skills to solve real-life word problems, such as calculating distances and angles in practical, everyday situations.
Algebra 2: Our scholars are "decoding" the architecture of polynomials. This involves both "breaking down" expressions through advanced factoring (GCF and trinomials) and "dissecting" them using long and synthetic division to solve for roots.
Precalculus: Advanced Modeling & The Unit Circle
AP Precalculus: Students are currently mastering the unit circle. They are developing a deep understanding of how angle measures and coordinates relate directly to sine and cosine function values.
Precalculus (Polynomial Modeling): These students are reinforcing their knowledge of polynomial mathematical models. By using technology to build these models, they are learning how to analyze context-specific situations and make accurate mathematical predictions.
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From our Science Department:
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We proudly hosted our third annual Science Fair, celebrating the theme “Innovation Powered by Curiosity.” Students showcased a diverse range of projects across multiple disciplines, demonstrating creativity, independence, and strong problem-solving skills. The event highlighted student ownership, with learners taking initiative from concept to execution and engaging meaningfully with peers and visitors.
As we move forward, we aim to strengthen project development through earlier planning, structured checkpoints, and increased opportunities for refinement. We look forward to continuing to build a culture where curiosity drives innovation and learning.
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The Physical Education department continues working throughout March to achieve our goals in every class taught by our teachers. We also launched our internal futsal league during recess, in which students from 10th to 12th grade and staff members participate.
With this initiative, we aim to continue promoting healthy recreation during recess, as well as interaction between students and school staff. March also marks the start of our competitive leagues: Collegial Pro in the U-18 category, where we are the current champions and where some of our graduating students will be playing their final matches, and Boys Champions, in which we will be participating for the first time with an U-14 team.
We also played friendly U-14 and U-18 soccer matches against our neighbors at Howard Academy, resulting in a draw in both games. We also played a friendly U-14 basketball game against the Trial School, which we won with a score of 40-29.
The Physical Education department is very pleased with the work we have been doing and we invite parents to participate in the interscholastic games and to support the school's internal league.
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March Character Value of the Month: Joy (Simcha)
Joy, Simcha, is more than a feeling. It is a powerful expression of gratitude, purpose, and connection that enriches our classrooms and community.
Joy inspires a love of learning, strengthens belonging, and fills our school with curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm. It reminds us to celebrate one another’s growth and accomplishments.
As a PreK to Grade 12 Jewish Day School, we believe cultivating Simcha nurtures resilience, optimism, and a deep appreciation for both learning and identity.
When joy is present, students thrive, educators are inspired, and community grows stronger.
May this month inspire our entire MDA family to learn with joy, lead with joy, and live with joy.
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Amber brings positivity and happiness to the classroom. Her attitude and smile make others feel comfortable and motivated.
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She’s a very good friend, responsible and always finishing her work on time, and she is also joyful with everyone around her.
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Yaffa is an honest student who always acts with integrity and is a very good, trustworthy person.
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A huge congratulations to our incredible cast, crew & directors of GREASE...for the heart, hustle, & magic you poured into every moment.
You turned hard work into something unforgettable....what a way to shine!
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In charge of our Copy Center and Supplies, Francisco keeps MDA running smoothly by ensuring teachers and staff have everything they need, from printed materials to everyday essentials. He is also the go-to person for lost and found, somehow always helping reunite students with their missing items. Reliable, helpful, and always willing to assist, Francisco plays a key role in supporting our entire school community. We are so grateful for all that he does each day.
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Welcome to our new staff member
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We’re excited to kick off a MDA tradition! Each month, all staff can anonymously shout out a colleague who truly represents the MDA spirit, makes a difference, goes the extra mile, and lifts up our community.
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations, and a huge congratulations to this month’s honorees:
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High School Humanities Coordinator
AP Seminar & AP Research Teacher
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Your hard work and heart shine bright, and we are so grateful for everything you do for our students and our school.
Keep the nominations coming… next month’s spotlight might be yours!
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