AMOS & CELIA HEILICHER MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH DAY SCHOOL

Specialists

Our highly skilled specialists in music, fine arts, and physical education round out the whole-child curriculum at Heilicher.



Lee Metzger

Lee Metzger, Athletic Director/Physical Education Teacher, was born and raised in Sioux Falls, S.D., and holds a B.S. in health, physical education & recreation from South Dakota State University. He has been involved with athletics in many areas including: training camp for the Minnesota Vikings, coordinating youth sports leagues, coaching, and officiating. Lee enjoys going to the lake, camping, hiking, golf, and going to the movies.

 

 



Aimee Orkin, M.F.A., Art Teacher, earned a bachelor's degree in art from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an associate's degree in architectural drafting from Minneapolis Technical Institute. She holds an M.F.A. in scene design for theater from Brandeis University. Aimee has been teaching art at Heilicher since 1995. She enjoyed having her two daughters as Heilicher art students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Her art projects most recently have included painting and drawing celebrations of life, murals, marriage contracts/ketubot/כתובות, and other Judaic art. Her artwork is in the permanent Judaic collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. She is a member of both the Interfaith Artist Circle and the Jewish Artist's Lab, and she exhibits with them regularly. To see her work, please visit the artist circle website at interfaithartistcircle.com.



David Shaw, M.A., Music Specialist/ISACS Accreditation Chair and Teacher Representative, joined the Heilicher faculty in 2001. He earned his B.A. in music education from Western Illinois University and his M.A. in educational administration from the University of St. Thomas. David also completed a fellowship for Aspiring School Heads through the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). David has advanced training in the Orff method of teaching as well as in the Kodály and Dalcroze music approaches. He is extensively involved in the accreditation process for our school with the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). He completed a three-year tenure on the Professional Services Committee at ISACS in 2015 and assisted in conference/workshop planning for member schools in a number of states. His other ISACS work includes being on visiting teams to evaluate programs at different independent schools in the Midwest. David is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and is an ISACS lead learner. David loves learning in addition to traveling and especially enjoys seaside destinations on both coasts.

 



Victoria (Vic) Thor, Art Teacher/Grades 7 and 8 Play Producer, earned her B.A. magna cum laude in art history and studio arts with minors in Jewish studies and Spanish from the University of Minnesota. Vic joined the Heilicher faculty in 1999. She is particularly interested in integrating art with other areas of study, such as natural sciences and technology. Vic's current medium is printmaking, and she has exhibited prints in and around the Twin Cities. She also has pieces in private collections. Beyond children and art, she is interested in travel, wildlife and habitat preservation, gardening, and reading. Vic is the proud parent of two Heilicher alumni: Josef and Lily. Her family also includes husband, Marty Harris — a professional illustrator and graphic designer — and an adopted retired racing greyhound, Tootie.