Lower Elementary

This month, 1st-grade classrooms turned into animation studios. Focusing on 3D design concepts, students selected books by visiting authors Laurel Snyder and Leslea Newman to adapt into stop-motion films. The project emphasized the complete design process: students began with storyboarding and character creation before moving to technical production using iPads, the Stickbot 2.0 app, and green screen effects. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to practice collaboration while exploring new technology.

Our students lit up the Innovation & Design Lab with Chanukah creativity across the grades! Mechina and Kindergarten students designed festive paper dreidels, exploring creativity through hands-on making. Second graders built spinning cardboard dreidel automatons, using automata design with cams, levers, and linkages to create playful, moving sculptures. Third graders brought technology into the celebration by crafting circuit-powered menorot. Together, these projects beautifully highlight how science and art come together at Davis—sparking imagination, problem-solving, and a joyful connection to Jewish holidays.

Arts Night was a joyful celebration of creativity and community, inspired by our theme of Peace, Love, and Light. The evening opened with a beautiful art exhibition curated by Mrs. Ganz and Mrs. Lentz, followed by inspiring performances by members of the International Thespian Society, the Lower School Chorus under the direction of Mrs. Gimpelevich, the Middle School Decibels under the direction of Ms. Kendrick, and the Middle School Fusion Band under the direction of Mr. Michek—all emceed by ITS President, Lila Morris.

Through every brushstroke, note, movement, and story, our students demonstrated the extraordinary power of the arts to illuminate truth, foster empathy, and bring people together in peace, love, and light. Bravo to all, and heartfelt thanks to our exceptional Visual and Performing Arts Department for an unforgettable evening!

Congratulations to Ms. Shoen and her talented ballerinas for their wonderful performance this week! The young dancers in Mechina, Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade showcased the techniques they learned in the after-school Ballet and Jazz program.

A week full of ruach! Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the dress-up days each day of Spirit Week. Each theme was memorable as students, faculty, and staff dressed up in unique outfits showcasing our creativity and school spirit. We kicked off with Pajama Day, followed by Jersey Day, Mismatched Day, Art/Music Day, and Color Day.

Mechina celebrated its first-ever Thanksgiving Day Parade, complete with festive parade floats. Students arrived dressed in Thanksgiving-themed attire—football players, cheerleaders, turkeys, and more—adding excitement and color to the day. The celebration wrapped up in the gym, where students shared what they were grateful for and sang songs for the families in attendance.

Rabbi Gershom, the sole rabbi of the Abayudaya Jewish community in rural Uganda—a century-old community of about 2,000 Jews—visited The Davis Academy during a longer trip to the United States. He came to teach students about his community and to share its unique Ugandan Jewish melodies. Deeply moved by the school, he expressed his wish that such an educational opportunity could exist for the children in his own community. His visit helped the students and faculty more fully appreciate the concept of Klal Yisrael: the belief that the Jewish people, though spread across the globe, are united as one family.

What an incredible way to explore landforms! Second grade students used the Davis AR Sanscape, a groundbreaking creation by Tech Pioneers. Inspired by programs developed at UC Davis, this tool combines topography and augmented reality. A layer of white sand serves as a dynamic surface, displaying a topographic map that adapts in real time to changes in the sand's terrain. Using an XBOX Kinect sensor, the system continuously scans and updates the contours, reflecting the evolving landscape. Students were amazed by this innovative fusion of technology and geography!