A Day in the Life
No two days are the same at LJCDS. Students from the Early Childhood Center through Upper School immerse themselves in learning and are encouraged by their teachers to take risks, try new things and cultivate different parts of themselves.
OUR COMMUNITY
Before School
Morning
Tiny Torreys
Tiny Torreys
8 a.m. Students come in, put their backpacks in their cubbies and then have free choice time. We have a sensory table, Play-Doh, light table and all kinds of toys and baskets.
8:45 a.m. We gather for circle time where we review the calendar—day...
8 a.m. Students come in, put their backpacks in their...
Junior Kindergarten
Junior Kindergarten
8:30 a.m. Off to PE! It’s a great way to start the day with running, skipping and movement.
9:30 a.m. We go to the Spanish room, where kids sing songs and play games, all in Spanish.
10:30 a.m. We do a group lesson—usually a...
8:30 a.m. Off to PE! It’s a great way to...
Lily
Grades 1
Language Arts. My favorite subject is Language Arts. I like to write and illustrate stories because I get to work on my handwriting and draw WOW pictures that impress my family when I bring them home. I worked on a fiction story about gardening.
Language Arts. My favorite subject is Language Arts. I like...
Ynéz
Grades 3
World Language. Spanish today was all about Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead in English). We learned the different ways people celebrate the holiday in different Latin American countries and got to practice new vocabulary words.
World Language. Spanish today was all about Día de Los...
Kiran
Grades 7
History. We just started a debate unit in history. You’re assigned to a team to argue for or against three topics: the military’s use of dolphins, if homework is good or bad and if the NFL should do more to prevent head injuries.
History. We just started a debate unit in history. You’re...
Talia
Grades 8
Physical Education. I play on the volleyball team, which practices during PE. I like how we get to work as a team and how we celebrate when somebody does something good. I like that I get to play with all of my friends.
Physical Education. I play on the volleyball team, which practices...
Matthew
Grades 9
Humanities. In English, Ms. Gheewala has us throw a softball around to control the flow of the discussion. After, she shows us a heat map of who’s been contributing to the discussion, who hasn’t as much, and then what she calls our golden moments—things...
Humanities. In English, Ms. Gheewala has us throw a softball...
Sophia
Grades 10
Humanities. English is my favorite class because literature is so intertwined with other subjects, especially history and philosophy. When we read The Plague by Camus, we had a great discussion and talked a lot about dignity.
Humanities. English is my favorite class because literature is so...
Jameel
Grades 11
Music. I play trumpet in the concert band. The people there are hilarious to be around. It’s a chance to get away from the stress that school can bring. Last year, I got to play in the orchestra for “Chicago The Musical.” It was...
Music. I play trumpet in the concert band. The people...
Sophia
Grades 12
Science. LJCDS offers neuroscience—which no other school does. I wanted to take neuroscience because I have an older brother with autism and a younger sister with learning disabilities. I’ve always wondered what made their brains different. I’m really enjoying this course.
Science. LJCDS offers neuroscience—which no other school does. I wanted...
Afternoon
Tiny Torreys
Tiny Torreys
1 p.m. It’s rest time—time for students to get their mats out and rest their bodies. Some of them sleep; others will look at books.
2 p.m. More outside playtime! The kids discovered a grasshopper on the playground, which they were very curious about....
1 p.m. It’s rest time—time for students to get their...
Junior Kindergarten
Junior Kindergarten
12 p.m. Pick-up time for half-day students. Full-day students have lunch and then rest time.
1:45 p.m. Outside playtime
2:15 p.m. Closing meeting, where we talk about what we did today and preview what we’ll do tomorrow.
12 p.m. Pick-up time for half-day students. Full-day students have...
Kiran
Grades 7
World Language. I decided to take Mandarin because I’m half Chinese. I like it when we do a candy challenge, which is speaking or pronunciation practice. If you get all of them right, you get a little bit of candy. It’s a good motivator...
World Language. I decided to take Mandarin because I’m half...
Jameel
Grades 11
Biology. My favorite class is biology. In lab, we did an experiment on cellular respiration, which we studied—and now got to see in action. We put beads into vials of water and potassium hydroxide and then pumped in oxygen to see how much they...
Biology. My favorite class is biology. In lab, we did...
Sophia
Grades 12
Design and Innovation. My favorite class is Design and Innovation. I personally enjoy the free-flowing creativity and the combination of art, design, and innovation. I’m so invested in learning about every tool and material in the room: 3D printer, laser cutter, milling machine, plus...
Design and Innovation. My favorite class is Design and Innovation....
Sophia
Grades 12
Service-Learning. I serve on the Community Service Board. We do a lot of fundraising and organize volunteers. The field hockey team just did a fundraiser for leukemia; volleyball did Dig for the Cure for breast cancer. We also have the Giving Tree every year....
Service-Learning. I serve on the Community Service Board. We do...
Flex
Matthew
Grades 9
Flex. I’m in the Economics and Investment Club, where we’re investing actual money. Each student can pitch a stock to the rest of the group with a presentation, and then we vote on it. If we vote yes, it gets added to our portfolio.
Flex. I’m in the Economics and Investment Club, where we’re...
Jameel
Grades 11
Flex. At Future Doctors and Scientists, we went over how to use a micropipette, which is the basis of all medical labs. We practiced adjusting the micropipette to a certain amount of volume, pushing the water out onto wax paper and then sucking it...
Flex. At Future Doctors and Scientists, we went over how...
After School
Jameel
Grades 11
Football. I play football, which I really enjoy. It’s a community—coaches and peers—that’s filled with love for each other and the sport. I also like that I can still play in the band. My friend, Isaac, and I stash our instruments under the bench,...
Football. I play football, which I really enjoy. It’s a...