The Name Game

What's in a name? A lot, if you ask the leaders of the East Valley Jewish Community Center.

Whoops, make that East Valley Jewish Community Center.

In July, the JCC's Board of Managers voted to change the organization's name to reflect big changes expected in the near future - particularly a capital campaign drive designed to raise funds to build a permanent home for the East Valley JCC.

"The East Valley JCC has a history of more than 30 years serving the community," said President George Jacobson.

"The name change to the East Valley JCC reflects the tremendous growth and evolution of the East Valley Jewish community in recent years. It also reflects the transition to a new chapter in the JCC's history, with our anticipated move to a permanent home and the growth in programs and services planned to serve the dynamic needs of our community."

This isn't the first time our JCC has had a name switch. The Tri- City JCC incorporated under that name in 1983 when JOT (Jewish Organization of Tempe) became a branch of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Phoenix. Originally, the name reflected the three cities that comprised the geographic area the JCC served, namely Chandler, Mesa, and Chandler. Since that time, we have seen the tremendous growth of cities like Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek and others. Clearly, we are serving more than three cities! It was time for a change.

The name will change, but the same great services you've come to expect from the East Valley JCC will continue, of course, under the East Valley JCC. A new logo is forthcoming, and members can expect to see the two names used interchangeably for a while, as we make this exciting transition. "As the Capital Fund Committee and the Board continue planning for the future needs of the JCC in the East Valley community, the new name is an indication of the forward momentum," said Ilene Blau, the JCC's executive director.

Silent Auction Items Needed

We need auction items to include in the silent auction offerings at the "Bet On Our Future" Casino Night. Coveted items include: weekends at resorts (local and out-of-town), golf packages, sports memorabilia, weekend vacation homes, tickets to sporting events, electrical appliances, computer, decorative and household items, jewelry, art, spa packages, etc. We'd even love to have a pedigreed puppy to raffle. If you can help us with any additions to our fabulous raffle, please let Meg or Ilene know. All donations to the JCC are tax deductible.

AROUND THE CENTER

Terrific Tuesdays for Seniors

Welcome!! Hope you all had a wonderful summer, traveling to exciting places, seeing old friends and family and making new friends. Are you ready for a season filled with interesting and mind stimulating speakers and presentations? We are, and know you will be too!

Programming for Terrific Tuesdays focuses on the active senior interested in a variety of educational and social presentations. All East Valley residents are welcome. Membership in the JCC is not a requirement for attendance. $1.50 for JCC Members / $2.00 for non-Members. Refreshments will be served.

Tuesday - September 7th at 10:30 a.m. - PLEASE JOIN US. Our bagels and coffee get-together! See old friends and meet new ones after a long and hot summer.

Tuesday - September 14th at 10:30 a.m. - Doctor of Optometry, Daniel McGehee, from the Swagel Wooten Eye Center will be our guest lecturer for the day. This will be a very interesting and informative topic for us all!

Tuesday - September 21st at 10:30 a.m. - David Wendt, a local musician will entertain us today. He plays a unique guitar and bass combination with a synthesizer. Using a drum machine and vocalist harmonization, we get a "Big Band" sound. Sounds like fun - join us!!

Tuesday - September 28th at 10:30 a.m. - Continuing our series of programs on the "Mitzvot" by a local rabbi, we welcome Rabbi Andrew Straus of Temple Emanuel as the speaker for today.

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Annual Meeting

Elections to the TCJCC Board of Managers were conducted at the Center's Annual Meeting held on June 15. George Jacobson was re-elected as Board President for another two-year term. Continuing on the Board were vice-presidents Jonathon Andell, Jill Barenbaum, Alice Finn Gartell, George Goffman and Howard Paley. Jesse Klein will continue as treasurer while Linda Rickel will remain secretary. New members of the Board include Jonathon Bodow, Joe Goldblatt, Kacey Gregson, Julia Miessner, Jay Scherotter and Tim Weber. Incumbents include Ben Benedict, Eric Hizme, Michael Kielsky, Jon Marks, Louis Paul, Jody Phister, Jennifer Touhill and Sonja Trontz.

Recognition and awards were presented to a number of committees and individuals for outstanding achievement. Lisa Edson, JCC Youth and Camp Director was recognized as JCC Staff Person of the Year while Daryl Edson was recognized as Outstanding Member of the Year. Individual awards were presented to Michael Kielsky as Rookie of the Year and to the Bowl-A-Thon Committee chaired by Jill Barenbaum. Howard Paley received the President's Recognition Award and George Jacobson received the coveted Allen Benedict Award for Outstanding Board Member.

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Mommy & Me Returns

Mommy and Me, a program for mom's (or grandma's) and their young children between the ages of 14-30 months, will resume on Wednesdays at the JCC. Activities will include stories, crafts, food projects and songs revolving around the Jewish calendar, in addition to many other developmentally appropriate experiences.

This program is open to the entire community. The cost is $6.00 per class for JCC or local synagogue members, $8.00 per class for all others. The fee includes refreshments and arts and crafts supplies.

Hours of the class are 9:15 - 10:45 a.m. at the JCC. For more information please call the Mommy & Me teacher, Leah Zilberman, at 480-491-3646. Classes will begin September 1, 2004 if a minimum of five people sign up.

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Daddy & Me

What is Daddy & Me you ask? It's a chance for Dads to spend more quality time with their child(ren) and give Mom a break! Our Daddy & Me program will meet every other month to do a variety of activities or go on outings. It is open to any Dad and their child(ren). Your child's participation each month will depend on the appropriate age level for the planned activity.

This month we are meeting at the Hall of Flame Museum on Sunday September 26th at 12:00 noon. Get ready to have some fun and get wet! You and your child(ren) will hear a firefighting story, play on a real fire engine and try on some firefighter gear. But best of all you will get to play with water as you have a wild bucket brigade race and spray water from hoses just like the real firefighters do! Don't forget to bring a change of clothes for everyone!

The cost for this afternoon of fun is $7.00 per person (kids 2 & younger are free!) We must have a minimum of 20 paying participants or the event will be cancelled! Please sign up and pre pay for this event by Wednesday September 22nd. Call Lisa at (480) 897-0588 if you have any questions.

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Tributes

To George and Diana Jacobson in memory of George's mother, Lola Goffman from Alan and Ilene Blau, Richard and Linda Rickel, Jesse and Janet Klein, and Fred and Lois Zeidman.

To Laurie Horewich and family in memory of Laurie's father, Al Lentz.

New Members

Seth and Regina Abraham
John and Lesha Carlson
Patty Haberman and Tom Ferguson
Les and Kara Finkel
Mike and Amy Furman
Eloy and Laurie Gonzalez
Asher and Debby Hirsch
George and Michelle Kokalis
Tom and Cammie Kryka
Beth Lamb
Lauri Smith
Patrick and Elizabeth Valandra
Jennifer Wilson

SCHOOL • YOUTH • CAMP

Summer Camp 2004

Wow! Hats off to another successful summer! As usual, the campers had a great time swimming at Escalante Pool, playing on the computers and playing in our new recreation and games room, going to Arts & Crafts with Jennifer, Sports with Howard, and Israeli Culture with Nicole, Sharon (our summer Shlichim from Israel) and Hadassah. The campers sang lots of camp songs that I'm sure they'll be singing throughout the year like "Ride Around My Big Fat Pony", "Gigolo" and "Shake your Tuchas"! Talk about field trips - there were many...Cosmic Bowling, Polar Ice, Stratum Laser Tag, Broadway Palm West Dinner Theater, Sunsplash, Skateland, Herberger Theater and the list goes on! Our older campers went on a few away trips this summer too. The 3rd & 4th graders went down to Tucson. On the way down there they stopped off at the Tucson Children's Museum. They also spent time at Game Works and Old Tucson Studio's where they all landed in jail! Our 5th - 8th graders enjoyed two away trips. They spent a few days in Long Beach California. The group had a big Bon Fire/BBQ on the beach with the Tucson and Alpert JCC's and spent an entire day (they closed down the park!) day at Universal Studios before heading back home! Their second away trip was off to Lake Powell where they camped on the beach, spent the day at Adventure Cove jumping off the trampoline into the water, then off to Sedona for dinner and a movie! On their way back to the East Valley JCC they stopped off for a morning tumble at Slide Rock!

Maccabiah week was fantastic! Both Universal Blue and Walt Disney White teams did a great job. Their scores were so close all week long that it came down to the final skit, march, song etc before we could determine that the White team came out on top! Congratulations to both teams for a job well done!

Our Mitzvah Mania Week was fabulous! The kids brought in gently used clothes, toys and canned food and collected Tzedekah, which added up to a BIG donation to The Thomas J Pappas Homeless School. Our PB & J day was a big hit! The parents and campers made over 600 PB & J Sandwiches that were donated to a local shelter to feed the homeless.

The Annual Rock Show was a big hit! This year we held the show at the New School for the Arts. What a great High School! The Counselors and Junior Counselors worked extremely hard and boy did it show! The campers had a great time and put on such a wonderful performance, it makes it all worthwhile! Hats off to Daniel Nemet and Danny Davis for a job well done. Weren't they great emcees?

This summer we married off Jason Krell and Julia Forte! Rabbi Deitsch performed the mock wedding ceremony! Rabbi Deitsch's beard was a tad gray, but it's understandable since our groom was 164 years old (and the bride was only 40 years old!). We had our own violinist Alexandra Odneal playing at the ceremony, plus Amanda (One of our Counselors) sang a song to the Bride and Groom. After the ceremony the bridal party went on a bus ride (decorated with a "Just Married" sign across the back of the bus!) around town! Immediately following "The Music Man" (DJ - Doron Lapid) provided music for all the campers to enjoy. They danced the afternoon away!
The flower girls were Kate Gregson, Shana Bergmann, Maya Gabay & Dani Trontz. Julia's mom & dad were Carly Zankman & Nick Bergmann, her maid of honor was Jessica Teiman and her bridemaids were, Natalie Radzik, Shayna Edson, Rebecca Mulera, Amanda Friedson, Alison Ochs and Kassandra Kellenberger. Jason's mom & dad were Lexy Prenzno & Arash Parsi, his best man was Matt Krell and his groomsmen were, Justin Andell, Sonny Manuelito, Sam Cooper and Morgan Weiss. Rabbi Deitsch and Doron, thanks for adding more class to our camp wedding!

The last week of camp was crazy and full of activities and, of course our last day of camp was filled with fun and sadness. Thanks to Dale Teille of Big Brothers Productions for providing us with the Karaoke music for all the kids (and staff!) to sing and dance to! They had a great time! A huge thanks to Hadassah, Howard, and all the camp staff for their dedication and for giving so much of themselves to help make camp such a success. Hey Hadassah, how many grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna sandwiches and noodle lunches did you make?! Thanks, they were ALL yummy!

Have a great school year and we'll see you next summer, but don't forget to join us during the year for our mini camps (Fall, Winter & Spring Camp, Veteran's Day and President's Day).

Youth Clubs

Calling all boys & girls in 1st through 7th grade! The East Valley Youth Department has 3 great youth clubs: Club 12 (1st & 2nd graders), Club 34 (3rd & 4th graders) and Teens & Tweens (5th, 6th & 7th graders). These clubs meet once a month to enjoy in-house events such as recreational games, obstacle courses, bingo & pizza, etc. Or, we will meet outside of the JCC for outings such as Fiddlesticks, bowling, ice skating, etc. There will a nominal fee charged for each event to cover any costs for the event. Group rates are passed on whenever possible to help keep the fees reasonable.

Moms & Dads, the great thing about these Youth Clubs is we'll watch the kids! You just drop the kids off at the event then come back when the event is over!

Our first event for this year will be on Tuesday September 14th from 6:30 - 8:00pm at Fiddlesticks in Tempe. The cost is $9.00 per person.

This event is open to all 3 youth clubs (Club 12, Club 34 & Teens & Tweens). Call Lisa to sign up or for more information. Deadline to sign up is Monday Sept. 13th.

Early Childhood

The 2004-05 school year has gotten off to a great start. Our staff is enthusiastic about new students and ready to begin the process of learning, socializing and having fun through a myriad of experiences.

This year's enrollment numbers are terrific! We have 102 children in our preschool and kindergarten and we're thrilled. This is an increase of almost 30 children at the same time last year. Four out of our seven classes are full. Limited openings remain in young threes and both fours groups.

We have a wonderful staff, comprised of experienced, caring, nurturing and enthusiastic teachers and aides. As always, we look forward to a fantastic, productive school year.

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Meet the Teacher

Our school welcomes Pam Morris who is returning after a hiatus, to teach our older pre-kindergarten class.

Pam is an experienced educator who has taught preschool and kindergarten as well as directing a temple nursery school. Educationally, Pam earned both a B.S. degree in Psychology and a Masters in Early Childhood education at SUNY Binghamton in New York.

The Morris family resides in Chandler. Their daughter Rachel attends pre-kindergarten at the JCC. It is a pleasure to have Pam as a member of the JCC staff "family" again.

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Indoor Gym Room

During the summer we inaugurated our "new" indoor play / gym room. In order for the space to be licensed, the floor under the play equipment needed to be cushioned by mats that meet Department of Health Services regulations for fall zones. Although it wound up being quite expensive to purchase the mats, there is now a cool, inviting room where young children can enjoy themselves, use up some of their inexhaustible energy and stay out of the heat. The room will be available year-round, not just during the heat of the summer and it adds to their many experiences while at the "J."

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Innisbrook Gift Wraps and Accessories

The TCJCC School will be selling Innisbrook gift-wrap and accessories again this year. In addition to high quality, beautiful gift bags, wrapping paper and ribbons, this years catalog features candles, delicious candy, cocoa & apple cider mix, nuts, cookies, holiday frames, spices and more!

Innisbrook catalogs are available at the JCC or you can order online at www.Innisbrook.com. Be sure to mention our school number 102328 when ordering online. Our school receives a full 50% of all sales. Proceeds will be used to enhance our classrooms with new manipulatives, dolls and books.

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After-School Enrichment

This year's offerings of "After-School Enrichment" classes provide opportunities for children to experience gymnastics and movement, scrapbooking, music, drama, adventures in literature, tumbling for twos, ceramics and karate for kids.

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Rummage Sale

Start cleaning out those closets, sweeping out the garage, and emptying those attics! It's time to start thinking about donations to the TCJCC for our fall Rummage Sale. We can't store things yet, but please set some of your "much loved, gently used" items aside for us! All donations are welcome: clothes (children's and adult's), kitchen items, purses and/or backpacks, toys, linens, lamps; all those items that you no longer have room, or use for. All these items may be boxed or bagged and brought into the Center beginning October 4th. Letters of donation are available for those wishing one. Larger items, such as: furniture, stoves, dishwashers, etc., will need to be delivered to the Rummage Sale site in Tempe. The Rummage Sale will be held October 29th & 30th. Please see Diane for directions.

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Got PC?

If you are upgrading your home PC and want to donate to a worthy cause (tax deductible of course), give your old PC (in working condition) to the TCJCC Day School! Call 897-0588.

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Entertainment Books 2004

Great for the Holiday Season! Don't forget to pick up your 2004 Entertainment Book at the Front Desk. There are some great additions to this years East Valley selection! Support the JCC by purchasing your Value Book here!

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DAY SCHOOL NEWS

Welcome back Day School! We are so glad that everyone had fantastic summers. The Day School is thriving this year. Each teacher has jumped right into teaching. It's like we never left!! Keep an eye out for new issues of the JBAM (student council newspaper). We look forward to a choir concert in early November. Cookie Dough sales will be sent out in time for Hanukkah this year. Come by and see our students and teachers hard at work some time this year.

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AIMS & Stanford 9 Results

Day School results are in for 2003-04 AIMS tests and Stanford 9 tests. We are very proud of the obvious hard work that our students and teachers put in last year! The results are in and the answer is: AWESOME! The AIMS scores show 100% of our students from Grade 3 through Grade 5 exceeded the Arizona State Standards. The test was broken into Math, Reading, and Writing. This was the first year that our school gave the AIMS test. Our Stanford 9 results were just as impressive! These are shown below denoting year, area of study, and actual growth in Grade Equivalency. For example, if a 2nd Grader scored a 3.8 in Reading, this is equivalent to a 3rd Grader in the 8th month of school taking the same test.

5th Grade	2002 to 2004	Reading	4.5 to 11.3
	2002 to 2004	Math	4.2 to Post High School
	2002 to 2004	Language	4.9 to 10.6
4th Grade	2002 to 2004	Reading	2.8 to 8.3
	2002 to 2004	Math	2.7 to 12.3
	2002 to 2004	Language	3.8 to Post High School
3rd Grade	2002 to 2004	Reading	1.7 to 5.3
	2002 to 2004	Math	31.9 to 5.7
	2002 to 2004	Language	2.5 to 5.9
2nd Grade	2003 to 2004	Reading	1.6 to 2.7
	2003 to 2004	Math	1.8 to 3.1
	2003 to 2004	Language	2.1 to 2.3
1st Grade	(2004 Only)	Reading	(2.0)
		Math	(1.8)
		Language	(1.6)