User:Clou2epstein/The Epstein School

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 Assocation. The Head of School is Stan Beiner. The school has two campuses. The Main Campus is located in Sandy Springs and an additional Intown Preschool campus is located in Buckhead. The school has a summer camp that is open to the public. The school's mascot is the Eagle.

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 purchased a new building and began plans for rennovation and expansion. The building that was purchased was originally a Fulton County Elementary School, then called Underwood Hills Elementary.

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. The Early Childhood Program Principal has a Masters Degree from Emory University in Educational Audiology. Prior to joining Epstein, Borenstein spent 20 years with the Marcus Jewish Community Center, of Atlanta.

Middle School
The Epstein Middle School is headed by Principal Myrna Rubel. The school is idealogically conservative, but teaches cultural diversity, tolerance and acceptance of all. In 2008, Epstein Middle School particpated in the Faith on Wheels Project, a cultural and religious exchange with three different schoools with 3 different religious faiths: Jewish, Christian and Muslim.

Bilingual curriculum
The Middle School curriculum is a rigorous bilingual curriculum. Recognizing academic challenges for students of a dual language curriculum, the school also offers additional support in the learning lab and Sha'ar, a Learning Styles 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.

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 Education. 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.

In 2009, an Epstein sixth-grader, also became one of five nationwide winners in New York-based publisher Scholatic Corporation's Perfect Teen Book Club Contest.

Technology/video production
Epstein's Media and Technology program's primary focus is on information literacy. Students are immersed in technology in all subject areas across the curriculum. The school has a wireless mobile technology lab; every classroom is equiped with computers that are internet-enabled. Elective classes such as digital photography, website design and robotics offer students additional ways to enrich their studies.

As part of the school's technology program, The Epstein School has the Genz Television Production 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.

National recognition

 * In 2005, Epstein was identified as a U.S. Department of Education Innovator and is one of only three Jewish day schools in the nation to be honored as a 2004 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.


 * In 2009 the National Wildlife Federation recognized The Epstein School's Sustainable Educational Garden and Teaching Pond as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Accreditation
The Epstein School has dual accreditation from Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).