Even “How are you doing?” is a multifaceted question for Joan Gufinow these days.
“Let’s see: 2,500 boxes, 250 book carts. But I’m fine,” gushes the director of Sacramento’s Shalom School.
Gufinow can’t be blamed for having difficulty thinking outside the box — she’s surrounded by them. After nearly 30 years at its former location in a building owned by the Sacramento-area Jewish federation, the school undertook a marathon three-day packing session and moved a mile and a half down the road to a brand new building.
While the official ribbon-cutting is Monday, Aug. 20, classes opened for infants and toddlers on Tuesday, Aug. 14 (the 250 students at the school range from the tiniest babies to sixth grade).
The new structure, which required a capital campaign of more than $10 million and took more than a year to build, is located eight miles east of the state capitol building on the grounds of the Mosaic Law Congregation.
The Conservative synagogue has given Shalom School a 40-year lease; rent is a dollar a year.
Moving from a former public school to a building that was created with the needs of Shalom School’s infants, toddlers and youths in mind is a long-awaited relief for Gufinow.
That’s not to say it hasn’t been a full box of stress lately.
“Teachers usually have a week to get ready for school and look over their curriculum and go over their class lists. That’s the beginning of any normal school year. We have to do those things, plus unpack,” she said with a laugh.
“They’re still fixing our doors. They’re still fixing our lights. We can’t go on the grass yet, it’s too newly planted. The playgrounds haven’t arrived yet and won’t for another four to six weeks. I tell people it’s as if you had just moved, your house is all in boxes and 15 people show up for Passover dinner.”