It is a chilly winter afternoon, but the air is heated with excitement as fourth grade students from Cohen Hillel Academy and preschoolers from the JCCNS’s Masoret class enjoy a PJ and Pizza Party at Hillel Academy.

The students are part of a program where preschoolers from the JCC visit the Jewish day school and spend time with a fourth grade buddy, as well as other members of the Hillel Academy team.

“I like playing with my buddies,” said five-year-old Gillian, who is in her second year in the Masoret program. “I think the program is a great way to show preschoolers a vision of the community,” said her mother, Heather Gold of Swampscott.

CHA Headmaster Ken Schulman, architect of the program, approached the JCC in the summer of 2008 with the idea. The Masoret class visits Hillel Academy on Monday mornings for two hours, participating in Jewish studies with kindergarten teacher Deb Noah, a science, technology or math lesson with Schulman, snack, and a prayer with Hebrew/Jewish Studies Curriculum Supervisor Fran Sharpe. They also get to spend time with their fourth grade buddy in Meryl Rich’s class.

Cara Goldwasser of Marblehead has two children enrolled at Hillel Academy, and feels her daughter Giulia, a Masoret student, will feel very comfortable going to kindergarten because of the unique partnership between the JCC and Hillel Academy.