What if the year started and it just went great?
I took a few minutes and peeked back to my last six “Shofar, So Good” blog posts and although they all had lots of wonderful things to share about the first days of school, there was almost always a lens or a frame with which it had to be contextualized. The last three school years prior to this one was some version of “Despite COVID protocols” or “Even with COVID” or “Coming out of COVID”. And the years prior to that each had their own “thing” that we were navigating from, through or towards. I had almost forgotten what it could look like if we “just” had the students, teachers and families to pour all our love and attention into.
Of course, there is always something. Not everything went or goes according to plan. But if you were to say, “Hey, Jon, how would you say things are going after the first two weeks of school?”. Well…surely I would say…
Shofar, so good.
Here’s just a little taste of what the first days at OJCS have looked and felt like…
…we began our first day with a shared set of “Welcome Ceremonies” for parents in both JK and SK to mark the beginning of their children’s formal Jewish day school journey at OJCS. We gathered under tallitot as each grade- level team shared a welcome poem with their students. We joined together in shehechiyanu and then it was time for hugs, kisses, last photos and goodbyes. We are always honoured – and never take for granted – when a family chooses OJCS to provide the sacred and holy task of education, and we hope this is just the first of many rituals and moments we share together in the years to come.
…we also used our first day to mark a kind of havdalah – separation – between the summer and the start of school. [Traditionally, havdalah is the ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of the new week. We have “adapted” it to mark the beginning and the end of each school year.] It was actually a pretty warm first day, so we took it to the Gym and with school as big as it has been in years and years, it was thrilling to see that we no longer are able to make one circle – we have graduated to a spiral.
…I wrote at length all about our Middle School Retreat which we’ve never done so early (or so well!). The hope is that the goodwill and sense of community we build at the retreat follows us back to school, and it is wonderful to see that actually come true. The vibes upstairs are at all-time highs. Can’t wait for Middle School to hit those North Stars!
…”STEM” or “STEAM” is not just eduspeak or jargonese. The meaningful integration of Science, Art and Math happens on a regular basis at OJCS and is frequently amplified through Jewish learning and experiences. And it is not reserved for our oldest students or our fanciest spaces. Want proof? Look at the picture! This week, JK investigated apples. They learned about how they grow, what parts they have, what colours they can be, and finally what they taste like!
…how do we leverage our relationships with the many institutions we are blessed to have here in our nation’s capital? This Grade 5 Social Studies class will be spent the week exploring a “History Box” from the Canadian Museum of History. Can’t wait to see what these students learned…and what else this relationship will yield.
…thanks to a grant from the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, our Hebrew Faculty has been receiving coaching and support from Hebrew at the Center – the leading institution for promoting Hebrew fluency in Jewish day schools in North American. We are thrilled with the results so far…we were thrilled to see them highlight work we are doing when the printed an article about us that included…
…and as the week drew to a close and Rosh HaShanah beckoned, how nice for Kitah Alef & Kitah Bet to have spent a morning with Chef (and OJCS parent) Dov Korkh! The students made round challah, with sweet honey, to prepare for Rosh HaShanah.
Parent volunteerism? Check! Jewish learning and experiences? Check! #Ruach? Check!
As the eve of a new Jewish Year approaches, it is my most sincerest hope that this is the year we’ve been waiting for. To all the teachers, staff, parents, students, donors, supporters, and friends in this special school- thank you for your enthusiasm and your hard work. 5784 is shaping up to be a quite an amazing year!
From our family to yours, “Shanah tovah!”
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 19th for Back to School Night. In addition to all the normal things one discusses at Back to School Night, this year we will also be sharing highlights of our new updated “Behaviour Framework” and ways for parents to be even-better partners.
