Message from Assistant Head of School – Teaching and Learning – April 2019
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Stacey Smilovitch, Assistant Head of School – Teaching and Learning
A Passover meal requires a very special and intense preparation. This volume of cooking takes patience and passion. The delicacies we create are not something you can rush. Whether you are making a brisket, kugel, or Matza ball soup, these specific dishes, by their very nature, demand the passing of time. For many of the greatest recipes, the longer it cooks the better it tastes. We are driven as educators to create recipes for success! Each ingredient is essential in ensuring that all children receive a fundamentally strong educational experience.
Appetizers: Our school community must be a place where students not only come to learn but are also ‘home’. It is a place where children belong to something greater than themselves. When they leave the nest it will remain a part of their history. Lessons are not for today, but for life. Students are empowered and parents are partners.
Main course: Our curriculum has coherence. It spirals and fits together like a puzzle. Students know what to expect, yet novelty abounds. Broad areas of learning are embedded. We breathe literacy and cross-curricular integration. Data fuels the engine.
Side dishes: Our climate for learning is tangible. From physical space, to visual appeal and movement, it is all about the journey. The weather must be ideal for the duration of the visit; creative and risk free yet structured and disciplined.
Dessert: We value honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. We cherish each course, have pride in our accomplishments and care deeply about our guests. That is our commitment to their character…and tummies!
Wishing everyone health, happiness and peace. Chag Sameach!