By Kathy Bossuk, Director of Communications
When Suzie Newman first walked through the doors of Rodeph Sholom School in September 1991, she began a journey within the Rodeph Sholom community that would span over three decades and touch the lives of countless children and families. Beginning as a co-teacher in the Twos classroom, Suzie quickly found her passion in early childhood education, later moving to the Threes program before taking a brief hiatus during the 1995-96 school year as she awaited the birth of her twins.
Upon her return in the fall of 1997, Suzie assumed the role of part-time Associate Director and then transitioned into the Director of the First Program, overseeing approximately 150 students in the Twos and Threes housed on the 5th floor of Congregation Rodeph Sholom. When the school consolidated its four divisions (Bridge, Pre-K-1st, Elementary, and Middle School) into three in 2008, Suzie was appointed Head of Early Childhood Division (ECD), a position she has held with distinction ever since.
From Dance Studio to Classroom
Prior to joining Rodeph Sholom School, Suzie’s path to education took several turns. After college, she pursued dance and taught movement classes to children, which sparked her love for working with young learners. She also gained experience in Arts Management before returning to school to earn her Master’s degree in Education. Before Rodeph Sholom School, she worked at The Heschel School as a movement specialist, combining her passion for the arts with her growing interest in education.
What drew Suzie to Rodeph Sholom School was the opportunity to serve children while continuously learning new skills and being exposed to different ideas and approaches to education. As someone new to a career in education at that time, she found the possibilities both exciting and rewarding. She also felt that her strong Judaic background would be an asset in informing her educational approach in the classroom.
The connection between Suzie’s personal and professional life deepened when two of her three children, Judah and Isaiah, attended the School from the Threes program through 3rd Grade. While they had a wonderful experience at the school, Suzie recognized the importance of maintaining separation between her work and home life. Interestingly, she notes that caring for young children at work each day allowed her to continue living in the world of the young child while naturally preventing her from hovering over her own children’s lives. This balance allowed her children the freedom to face small challenges independently, learn from natural consequences, and develop resilience–ideas she supports in early childhood classrooms.
A Philosophy of Flexibility and Individual Growth
Throughout her tenure, Suzie has maintained a pragmatic educational philosophy that is not beholden to any single approach. Instead, she advocates for flexibility and a willingness to adapt to what works best for each child. This child-centered approach emphasizes the importance of supporting students’ social and emotional development, recognizing that in early childhood education, no academic lesson is so crucial that it should overshadow a young child’s emotional needs.
“What I love about early childhood education is that nothing we teach academically is so important that it cannot be put on hold to deal with a life or emotional event,” Suzie remarked. She believes strongly in recognizing the uniqueness of each child and meeting them where they are developmentally, while providing them with a strong foundation for how to function in society.
A cornerstone of her educational approach has been the integration of Jewish education into everyday classroom experiences. Rather than treating it as a separate academic subject, Suzie has championed an approach that follows and celebrates the Jewish year naturally within the classroom. She believes this creates a beautiful flow to the school year and helps instill pride and self-awareness in students.
Innovative Programs and Lasting Impact
Under Suzie’s leadership, several innovative programs have flourished within the Early Childhood Division. Perhaps most notable is the Central Park Study Program, which serves as a capstone experience for Kindergarten students before they transition to 1st Grade. This comprehensive unit allows students to explore Central Park through various field trips, gathering firsthand experiences that enrich their classroom learning.
The program culminates in the Central Park Breakfast, a special family event where students share their expertise on specific park locations, perform original songs about the park, and present a collaborative 3D model built from recycled materials. The children also display watercolor paintings of landmarks they visited during their field trips.
Another of Suzie’s significant contributions has been the implementation of the Emergent Curriculum Program. This student-driven approach allows Kindergarten children to suggest and vote on topics they want to study, such as puppetry, outer space, animals, or transportation. Teachers then build a curriculum around these interests, significantly increasing student engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
These programs have yielded remarkable results. In one instance, an “Amazing Space Center” transformed a classroom after students explored outer space through field trips to the Hayden Planetarium and Intrepid Museum. The curriculum was enhanced by visits from experts from Cornell University’s Spacecraft Planetary Facility and former NASA astronaut William Gregory. Students created constellations, space suits, helmets, a working solar system model, and telescopes, much to the delight of their parents.
Another successful project was the Puppetry Showcase, inspired by performances at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Students learned from experts like Joseph Yosi Levinson, Pamela Arteaga Mata, and Broadway star Courtney Balan before developing their sewing skills and creating and performing their own puppet shows in small groups.
The Heart of the Program: Teachers and Families
Suzie is quick to credit the success of these programs to the abilities, creativity, hard work, dedication, and collaboration of the exceptional Early Childhood Division teachers. One of her primary goals has been to build each grade level as a cohesive team, sharing educational goals for students while allowing enough flexibility for teachers’ unique passions to shine through.
For Suzie, the most rewarding aspect of her career has been watching children grow and develop relationships beyond the security of their homes and families. She has valued the opportunity to develop trusting relationships with very young children as they begin to explore the wider world and to support and reassure both children and their families through the challenging early years.
She particularly treasures certain traditions and events, including the Kindergarten Passover performance for families and the creation of illustrated Haggadahs in Pre-Kindergarten. She’s also fond of the Threes students’ project in which students create stuffed animals and their homes, make decisions about where they live, and tell stories about their animals—an activity that nurtures students’ social and emotional development.
Above all, Suzie has valued working with her colleagues within the flow of the Jewish calendar, infusing holidays into lessons, and especially the punctuation of each week with Shabbat celebrations on Fridays.
Looking Ahead
As Suzie prepares for retirement in 2025, she anticipates an adjustment period before engaging in more travel, spending time with her two grandchildren, and being available to the incoming Head of Early Childhood Division, Rachel Deitch. She looks forward to having more time for sewing, knitting, reading, exercising, and possibly volunteering with children or at the Congregation.
When asked about specific retirement plans, Suzie responds with her characteristic openness and flexibility: “I will figure it out!”
After more than three decades of nurturing young minds at Rodeph Sholom School, Suzie Newman leaves behind a legacy of compassionate, child-centered education that has shaped not only the Early Childhood Division but the lives of generations of students who have passed through its doors. We thank her for her years of dedicated service.
To learn more about the Early Childhood program and how Rodeph Sholom School might be a good fit for your family, contact admissions@rssnyc.org or inquire below.