Portland Jewish Academy

Check out this week's Spotlight! 🔵 🤾 😎

Learn how student initiative and leadership brought the gaga pit to PJA.

Leadership for the Gaga Pit Learn how student initiative and leadership brought the gaga pit to PJA.

Move over, Smoky Bear. Our 4th-grade rangers are officially on duty! 🐻✨🌲

This spring, our 4th Graders have been diving deep into the history, wildlife, recreation, and wonder of America's National Parks. Each student chose a specific park to research and crafted their very own "Ranger Talk" stepping into the shoes of a real park ranger.

Family, friends, and fellow students joined us for a wax-museum-style showcase, where our students confidently gave their ranger talks. To close out the amazing afternoon, our newly minted rangers led all of our visitors in a solemn Ranger Pledge. With right hands raised, the room echoed with promises to take care of our parks. "From the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the canyons, we will honor our National Parks."

We are so incredibly proud of our 4th graders' hard work, dedication, and passion for protecting nature!

Science, but make it delicious! 🍪🥒

Our Middle School Science Expo took place last week, and the results were absolutely yummy and full of surprises. Our brilliant Science Club students have been meeting weekly during lunch and recess to design experiments, analyze data, and dive deep into their passions.

While our taste-testing participants had a blast helping out with the alternative flour chocolate chip cookie experiment, the other groups uncovered some unexpected findings. The marshmallow group discovered the younger students had more restraint than the older ones when it came to sweets. Meanwhile, the pickling group learned they definitely wouldn't make lemon juice pickles again, and accidentally created a pink pickle - watch out grocery stores!

A massive congratulations to all of our participants! It was incredibly fun asking questions, hearing your hypotheses, and learning that sometimes the unexpected results are the best part of science. You all cooked up some top-tier, Michelin-star worthy research!

Check out this week's Spotlight! 📖 💭 💪

Learn how PJA students explored new genres and celebrated their literacy milestones with an epic, Olympics-themed Reading Challenge finale.

Reading Olympics PJA students explored new genres and celebrated their literacy milestones with an epic, Olympics-themed Reading Challenge finale.

Building a better world, one story at a time! 📚✨🌍

Yesterday was such a heart-filling day at PJA! We loved seeing our families come together for our Tikkun Olam Layeladim program. This special K-2 initiative gives families a new picture book each week to read together at home. The stories cover important topics that might not arise naturally in everyday conversation, from hunger and immigration to language differences and the life cycle.

By exploring these complex themes early on, we help our children grow into engaged citizens of the world. We are so lucky to partner with our families in the beautiful and vital work of raising the next generation of mensches.

We are deeply grateful for the tireless dedication of our educators and feel so proud to honor their hard work during this Teacher Appreciation Week. ❤️🌿✨

It has been a meaningful "Zen Week" so far, made even more special by the heartfelt cards our students created to show their love and the delicious homemade goodies provided by our generous community. The PJA Kehillah has thoughtfully curated this time of rest and renewal with calming yoga and our sensory Spice Shuk to ensure our teachers feel truly celebrated and supported.

Check out this week's Spotlight! 📚 🐻 🧠

Discover how our 8th graders are rediscovering the joy of literacy and building deep community through the unexpected power of the weekly picture book read-aloud.

Beyond the Pages How a weekly storytime ritual is transforming 8th-grade literacy into a powerful experience of connection and deep thinking.

⚡ The technology at kids’ fingertips has changed dramatically — but their core needs have not. How do parents strike a balance between healthy development and an ever-evolving digital world?

Join ParentMap and Andrea Davis, founder of Better Screen Time next Tuesday to learn her slow-tech approach and remember, it’s never too late to create a tech-healthy home. ❤️

Portland Jewish Academy is proud to partner with ParentMap to offer complimentary access for our school community. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗝𝗔'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁! Then register using PJA's code for the live Zoom webinar and replay video here: ParentMap.com/davis

Our 2nd graders recently returned from their expedition to the Amazon Rainforest! 🌿🦥

Kitah Bet recently showcased their Amazon Expo, the culmination of weeks of research, writing, and hands-on building in the Maker Space. From crafting costumes and building an immersive rainforest set, our second graders blew the community away with their expertise. It was a perfect blend of science and art that left everyone inspired by the wonders of the rainforest.

"It was wonderful to see the work, time, and research that the second graders had invested in their projects. What really brought the Expo to life, though, was the enthusiasm the students had to share it, and the curiosity it sparked in everyone from grandparents to kindergarteners. Who knew that a jaguar could bite through a turtle’s shell?!" - PJA Parent

Way to go, second graders!

Check out this week's Spotlight! 🙌 💙 🌟

Discover how our 7th graders stepped into the spotlight to lead a moving journey of leadership and hope.

Legacy and Leadership Discover how our 7th graders stepped into the spotlight to lead a moving journey of leadership and hope.