All students are strongly recommended to have a Bernard Zell branded shirt to wear for certain school events, such as the Hanukkah Music Festival and on Grandparents and Special Friends Day | Arts and Humanities Festival. Students are also encouraged to wear BZ gear on Fridays for Shabbat.
Shop the Bernard Zell Spirit Store with fun, fresh designs, and support the PTC Be Innovative Grant (BIG)!
You can also purchase school-branded gear from Lands' End.
Support the Bernard Zell PTC and purchase labels for school from Mabel's Labels.
All proceeds from PTC fundraising go towards the Be Innovative Grant (BIG). This grant was created by the PTC to support our faculty and staff in implementing innovative projects and ideas that would otherwise go unfunded.
Early Childhood Supply List
Please contact Head of Early Childhood, Abby Aloni with any questions regarding Early Childhood supplies. Download the PDF here.
To help your child feel comfortable and prepared, please bring the following items labeled with their name on the classroom preview day, Friday August 28.
1. The "Just-in-Case" Change of Clothes
Please place one complete change of labeled clothing (even socks and undies!) inside a gallon-sized, labeled Ziploc bag. This bag will stay in bins in our bathrooms and should include:
2 shirts
3 pairs of underwear
2 pairs of shorts or pants
2 pairs of socks
2. Daily & Classroom Essentials
Water Bottle: 1 leak-proof, lightweight water bottle (clearly labeled with your child’s name).
Indoor Shoes: 1 pair of hard-bottomed shoes to be kept at school.
Notes
Please no slippers!
These do not need to be new; they simply act as a backup if your child wears boots to school or if their primary shoes get wet.
Layering Piece: 1 hoodie or sweatshirt (this will hang permanently in their cubby for chilly days).
Flushable Wipes: 4 packs of flushable wet wipes. (These are communal, so no labeling is necessary!)
3. Family Connection (Photos)
We love to weave your home life into our classroom! Please provide:
1 4x6 photo of your child
1 4x6 photo of your family
Please write the names of all family members (and pets!) on the back of the photograph so we can learn everyone's names.
Outdoor & Weather Gear
We love to play outside in all weather! Please ensure your child has the appropriate gear at school for each season.
Pro-Tip for Outerwear: Look for items labeled waterproof, not just water-resistant. We highly recommend items with a rubberized finish for the best quality and durability! Brands we’ve found to be very successful are HAPUI, Cuddle Club, Reima, and Tuffo.
☀️ Summer / Spring / Fall
(should come at the start of school)
Rain Gear: A rain suit (highly preferred, as a one-piece is much easier for children this age to put on independently!) or waterproof rain-bibs/overalls & a rain jacket
Rain boots
Sun hat
All labeled, please!
❄️ Winter Gear
(We will let you know exactly when to bring these to school later in the year)
Snow Gear: A snowsuit (again, a one-piece snowsuit is preferred for easy dressing) or snowbibs/overalls & a winter jacket.
Winter Boots: Completely waterproof, seamless boots, such as Bogs (any fabric on boots can get soggy and lead to wet feet).
Waterproof mittens (gloves are too challenging for solo dressing).
Warm hat or a balaclava.
For Extended Day Students Only
If your child is staying with us for the Extended Day program, they will also need:
Rest Mat: 1 rest mat. You can find excellent options online; here are two examples for your reference:
Rest Time Friend: Your child is welcome to bring one lovey to snuggle with. To make transitions easier, we ask that this be a special lovey that lives at school and stays tucked inside their rest mat.
These headphones will be used with classroom iPads and our Chromebook cart. They have a special inline microphone for recording and are volume-limiting to protect students' hearing. Each student's headphones will be kept at school and follow the student to their next year class as he/she moves throughout the Lower School. Although we anticipate this to be a one-time purchase, parents may be asked to replace them if they are lost or broken. The headphones we are recommending can be found at this link - Recommended Headphones.
Two extra sets of clothing (shirt, pants, underwear, and socks) labeled with your child’s name in a plastic shoe box.
1 sweatshirt clearly labeled with your child’s name
1 or 2 special kippot, labeled with your child's name. We will provide a generic kippah should you choose not to purchase any.
An adult-sized t-shirt to be used as an art smock (no button-downs please) - used is perfectly acceptable! Clearly labeled with your child’s name.
A water bottle that can be tightly sealed and also opened and closed by your child, labeled with your child’s name.
Lower School Supply List
Please contact Head of Lower School, Rachel Silverberg, with any questions regarding Lower School supplies. Download the PDF here.
Please have 10 pre-sharpened for your locker and give the rest of the pre-sharpened pencils to your teachers at the start of the school year
One (1) roll of Scotch tape (MS Art)
One (1) noise-canceling headphones with mic, for home and school use
Headphones with a built-in mic: If your child already has headphones with a built-in mic from last year that is compatible with the Chromebook, you do not need to purchase anything additional.
Five (5), Kippot (in keeping with Jewish tradition, this is required for male identifying students and optional for all others), labeled with the student's name, with a labeled bag to store extras
Note: While you may purchase any notebooks, the Mead 5-star plastic covered single-subject notebooks are highly recommended and preferred not only for durability, but for selection of colors.
Note: While you may purchase any notebooks, the Mead 5-star plastic covered single-subject notebooks are highly recommended and preferred not only for durability, but for selection of colors.
The color match is important, so that the notebooks match the folders the school is providing:
