The Epstein School
Encyclopedia
The Epstein School is an independent
Jewish day school
located in Sandy Springs, Georgia
for children from 18 months through eighth grade and is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association
. The Head of School is Stan Beiner. The school has two campuses, and has a summer camp.
, then called Underwood Hills Elementary. The school's mascot is the Eagle, as represented by the Epstein Eagle crest.
, but teaches cultural diversity
, tolerance and acceptance of all. In 2008, Epstein Middle School participated in the Faith on Wheels Project, a cultural and religious exchange with three different schools with 3 different religious faiths: Jewish
, Christian
and Muslim
.
curriculum, the school also offers additional support in the learning lab and Sha'ar, a special education program. Each year, the school holds its annual middle school celebration of Hebrew Song and Dance, Shiriyah. At the end of each school year, 8th grade students visit Israel
, as a culmination of their studies. Recently, Spanish has been introduced to 7th and 8th graders.
. The book was part of the students' Language Arts
studies and features stories about 23 survivors of The Holocaust
and how they rebuilt their lives.
Studio, in which middle school students produce and direct a weekly TV broadcast for the school.
Students are also the featured on-air talent, writers, anchors and camera operators. Each year, students culminate their broadcast studies with a visit to Fox 5 News - WAGA -Atlanta
.
(SAIS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS).
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
located in Sandy Springs, Georgia
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Sandy Springs is a city in north Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. With a 2010 population of 93,853, Sandy Springs is the sixth-largest city in the state and the second-largest city in Metro Atlanta. Sandy Springs is located in north Fulton County, Georgia, just south of...
for children from 18 months through eighth grade and is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association
Solomon Schechter Day School Association
The Solomon Schechter Day School Association is the organization of Jewish day school that identify with Conservative Judaism. The association provides guidance and resources for its member schools in the United States and Canada...
. The Head of School is Stan Beiner. The school has two campuses, and has a summer camp.
History
Founded in 1973, Epstein is a bilingual (English-Hebrew) school. The school was originally housed in the Ahavath Achim Synagogue. In 1987, the school moved to a new location. It later purchased the building and began plans for renovation and expansion. The building that was purchased was originally a Fulton County Elementary SchoolFulton County School System
The Fulton County School System is a school district headquartered in East Point, Georgia, United States. The system serves the area of Fulton County, Georgia outside the Atlanta city limits...
, then called Underwood Hills Elementary. The school's mascot is the Eagle, as represented by the Epstein Eagle crest.
The Early Childhood Program
In the Early Childhood Program headed by Principal Cathy Borenstein, exploration plays a major role in the curriculum. Hands-on activities that require children to use senses such as sight, sound, smell and touch define the schools’ early learning programs.Middle School
The Epstein Middle School is headed by Principal Myrna Rubel. The school is idealogically conservativeConservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
, but teaches cultural diversity
Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...
, tolerance and acceptance of all. In 2008, Epstein Middle School participated in the Faith on Wheels Project, a cultural and religious exchange with three different schools with 3 different religious faiths: Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
.
Bilingual curriculum
The Middle School curriculum is bilingual. Recognizing academic challenges for students of a dual languageDual language
Dual language is a form of education in which students are taught literacy and content in two languages. The majority of dual language programs in the United States teach in English and Spanish, although increasing numbers of programs use a partner language other than Spanish, such as Arabic,...
curriculum, the school also offers additional support in the learning lab and Sha'ar, a special education program. Each year, the school holds its annual middle school celebration of Hebrew Song and Dance, Shiriyah. At the end of each school year, 8th grade students visit Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, as a culmination of their studies. Recently, Spanish has been introduced to 7th and 8th graders.
Language arts
In 2009, a hard bound book previously published by Epstein Middle School students, Go Where Your Eyes Take You: Creating a New Future after the Holocaust was archived by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and EducationUSC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education
The USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, formerly Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, is a nonprofit organization established by Steven Spielberg in 1994, one year after completing the Academy Award-winning film Schindler's List...
. The book was part of the students' Language Arts
Language arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
studies and features stories about 23 survivors of The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
and how they rebuilt their lives.
Technology/video production
Students use technology in all subject areas, and every classroom has internet-linked computers. Elective classes include digital photography, website design and robotics. The School has the Genz Television ProductionTelevision studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
Studio, in which middle school students produce and direct a weekly TV broadcast for the school.
Students are also the featured on-air talent, writers, anchors and camera operators. Each year, students culminate their broadcast studies with a visit to Fox 5 News - WAGA -Atlanta
WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
.
National recognition
- In 2005, Epstein was identified as a U.S. Department of EducationUnited States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
Innovator and is one of only three Jewish day schools in the nation to be honored as a 2004 Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools ProgramThe Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
by the U.S. Department of Education.
Athletics at Epstein
Epstein offers many sports including tennis, basketball, soccer, track and field, softball, baseball, and volleyball. Most sports are offered for both girls and boys.Accreditation
The Epstein School has dual accreditation from Southern Association of Independent SchoolsSouthern Association of Independent Schools
The Southern Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 340 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 180,000 students...
(SAIS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS).
- In 2009 the National Wildlife FederationNational Wildlife FederationThe National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over four million members and supporters, and 48 state and territorial affiliated organizations...
recognized The Epstein School's Sustainable Educational Garden and Teaching Pond as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.