The title of the article in Hebrew about this school was ‘New School in Shachamon Makes Waves'.  And indeed, the name that was given to the school means exactly that:  Waves.  Galim.  The Galim school, with Hagit Hazan as its headmistress, has 157 pupils in grades 1 - 3 and is growing. 

One of the first things done after opening the school was institution of a democratic process to name it.  Ms. Hazan believed that by involving teachers, parents, and pupils in the process, there would be a greater feeling of belonging and social involvement in the school.  Potential names were submitted by ‘school families', the list was narrowed down to several names, and these were put to the vote at school, accompanied by representatives of the pupils, teachers, and parents.  The ballot boxes were then opened in their presence and the name ‘Galim' was the winner.

A festive evening was held, emceed by the third grade pupils.  It included a rich variety of activities including words from the Mayor and the City Rabbis, shows put on by girls and women from various Matnas classes, and gifts prepared and presented by representatives of the other primary schools in Eilat.  There were also activity stalls and food stalls organised by the parents' committee, the proceeds of which would go to the benefit of the pupils.  Now that they have named their school, the next thing the pupils want to do is design a logo for it.

According to numerous parents, including one who narrowly escaped being run down together with her children, the City was in such a hurry to open the new school that it did not bother planning or ensuring safe road access to the school.  The mother who nearly lost her life and two children to a bus in spite of trying to cross as safely as possible, pointed out that the school site just sat there for several years doing nothing and then in recent months, there started a flurry of activity to complete construction, plant landscaping, and do just about everything except make sure the children could go safely to and from school even with parents, never mind without.

The road by the school is only two lanes (one each direction) with no islands or parking spots.  When the school first opened it did not even have a crosswalk.  Cars stop in the middle of the traffic lanes in order to collect or leave off children or worse, go up onto the sidewalks, and children have to thread between cars and cross through the very heavy traffic that accumulates at those hours.  After claims that crosswalks are not painted except at intersections, shortly after a pointed newspaper article in Ha'Ir Eilat, a crosswalk was created in front of the school.  Regarding the rest, Municipal spokeswoman Dana Zinati said that plans to move the entrance to the school to another side with better and safer access are ‘in the final stages of planning and approval'.