Category: Reflections from a Headship

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #3: Transparency

Why would a Head of School publish board reports, blog weekly, and invite the world into classrooms online?  Why make every family survey public? Why post meeting agendas and reflections before anyone asks?  Why, in short, would you willingly lead in full view?

For me, the answer has always been the same: because we asked our teachers to.

Going all the way back to my time in Jacksonville as the head of MJGDS, we launched classroom blogs and student blogfolios to help parents see into the learning process.  Teachers were expected to open their practice, and I knew I couldn’t ask something of my team that I wasn’t doing myself.  So I started blogging.  And I never stopped.

What began as modeling evolved into a methodology.  Here, at OJCS, transparency became a leadership strategy, a pedagogical philosophy, a brand identity — and most importantly, a cultural norm.

Looking Backwards: Why We Went Transparent

When I arrived at OJCS in 2017, I inherited a school that needed rebuilding — not just in curriculum or enrollment, but in trust.  And for me, rebuilding trust meant radical transparency.

Inspired by what I would later codify in a presentation called “Radical Transparency: Finding Wellness Through Brazen Vulnerability”, I made a conscious choice to lead in public.  That meant:

I called this ongoing series “The Transparency Files”, and it was never just PR. It was pedagogy. As I once wrote, “transparency is not an initiative — it is a disposition.” It’s a way of being in relationship with your community.

Blogfolios, Blogfolios Everywhere

One of our biggest culture shifts came from embedding that same philosophy of transparency into teaching and learning.

At OJCS, we developed a school-wide blogfolio platform where every student maintains a digital portfolio of learning.  But these aren’t just showcases of final work.  They’re public learning journals — spaces for reflection, process, revision, and voice.

I’ve written about this shift many times, including this (First) Trip Around the OJCS Student Blogfolio-Sphere, and even shared moments where my own children were the test cases for what authentic documentation of learning can look like.

The result?  A culture where students take ownership of their learning, teachers reflect on their practice publicly, and parents gain real-time insight into school life.  Transparency became not just what we said, but what we all did — together.

Transparency as Pedagogy, Not PR

As I’ve written in “Transparency as Pedagogy”, the point of all this wasn’t optics.  It was ethics.  Educational ethics.

We want students to own their work — so we model that by owning ours.

We want teachers to iterate and reflect — so we give them space to blog honestly.

We want families to trust us — so we show them how we think.

And as I later reflected in “Transparency as Good Business”, transparency is a trust-builder.  And trust is the only sustainable growth strategy for a Jewish day school.

Looking Forward: From Transparency to Culture

What started as a leadership strategy has since become a cultural norm. Teachers, students, and families now expect communication to be open, frequent, and reflective.  It’s not radical anymore — it’s routine.

This culture of transparency paved the way for us to clarify and align around our North Stars (post pending!).  It made it possible to co-create mission, strategy, and school identity in public.  And it gave every stakeholder — from students to trustees — a reason to believe we meant what we said.

Because they could see it.

Final Reflection

Transparency isn’t about oversharing.  It’s about earning trust through clarity, vulnerability, and consistency.  It’s about documenting the journey, not just the destination.

And maybe more than anything else, it’s about this: If you can see it, you can believe in it.  And if you believe in it… you just might want to be part of it.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #2: Les résultats en français et le bilinguisme à l’OJCS

In a trilingual Jewish day school, French isn’t just a subject—it’s a statement.  A declaration that our students can be proudly Jewish, fluently bilingual, and fully Canadian all at once.  This year’s Francofête celebration was a joyful reminder of how far we’ve come.  But like all meaningful school growth stories, the journey toward French excellence at OJCS has been anything but linear.

This second post in the “Looking Backwards to Look Forward” series reflects on the incredible progress we’ve made in French language outcomes and the evolving vision of what it means to be bilingual—no, trilingual—at OJCS.

Looking Backwards: De l’incertitude à la confiance

There was a time—some of our veteran parents will remember it well—when the very mention of French at OJCS was cause for concern.  We had families who loved the Jewish and General Studies offerings of our school, but quietly (or not-so-quietly) began looking elsewhere after Grade 3 to place their children in the public board’s French Immersion programs.  It wasn’t just about instructional minutes or vocabulary lists—it was about confidence.  Could our graduates truly function bilingually in Canada?

That question drove a major strategic reset in how we approached French at OJCS.

Nous avons écouté. Nous avons agi.

It began with Town Halls and parent consultations, the results of which were shared transparently through blog posts like this French Town Hall Recap and others.  What emerged from these conversations was both a diagnosis and a direction: we needed a clearer, more rigorous, and more immersive approach to French that parents could trust.

Enter TACLEF—an early and important partnership with an external benchmarking program that provided individualized assessments and targeted next steps for students.  As documented in this post, it helped our French team begin to professionalize and personalize how French was taught and learned at OJCS.

Un socle plus solide en Maternelle à 3e année

One of the biggest shifts was our investment in French before the Core/Extended split in Grade 4. By enriching K–3 with more immersive and academically rigorous French experiences, we laid a stronger foundation for both tracks.  Today, students experience meaningful immersion even before they enter Extended, and Core students benefit from that as well.

Réinventer le programme “Étendu”

For students in our Extended track, we’ve worked hard to create a program that increasingly mirrors what one might expect from public school French Immersion—without sacrificing any of the other pillars of an OJCS education.  A bold example of this is the prototyping of French-language PE, which was shared in this blog post. Teaching physical education en français does more than increase instructional time—it increases confidence, context, and connection.

And the results? Well, the simplest metric might be this: we no longer lose students due to French. That’s anecdotal, yes—but it’s a powerful indicator of changing perceptions, and more importantly, changing realities.

Looking Forwards: DELF, identité, et la puissance du trilinguisme

We’ve always said we are a trilingual school—English, Hebrew, and French. But in the years ahead, we’re working to move from claim to clarity: what does trilingual fluency look like by Grade 8?  What does it feel like?

S’appuyer sur le DELF

The last three years mark a significant leap forward in our French program: the integration of the DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française), an internationally recognized certification awarded by the French Ministry of Education and aligned with CEFR standards (A1, A2, B1, B2).

Starting in Grade 5, our students begin working toward the competencies needed for success on the DELF by Grade 8.  We’ve restructured our curriculum to align with DELF expectations, especially in Grades 7 and 8 where speaking and listening take priority.  We’ve also invested in resources like Littératie en action to support this transition, allowing students to explore social studies and science en français—just like in public immersion programs.

And how’s it going?  In the past two years, 100% of our Grade 8 students have passed the DELF—a powerful sign that we’re not only preparing students well, but giving them real confidence in their abilities.

The proof doesn’t end in Grade 8: our graduates are returning from high school saying, “French is easy.”  That’s a new and remarkable kind of feedback.

Une voix en français

While we value reading and writing in French, we know that speaking is the ultimate proof of fluency—and the hardest skill to master.  That’s why our next frontier is amplifying student voice in French: through presentations, assemblies, conversational games, and performances.  The goal?  For students to graduate from OJCS speaking French with confidence and joy, not just test scores.

Trilingues. Juifs. Canadiens.

Finally, there’s a deeper vision at play.  OJCS graduates aren’t just learning French for travel or tests.  They’re learning it as part of a larger identity: as proud Jews living in bilingual Canada.  Being trilingual is more than a skill—it’s a strength.  It’s the ability to code-switch across communities, to feel at home in diversity, and to lead in multiple languages.

Mot de la fin

When we tell the story of French at OJCS, we’re not just talking about curriculum—we’re talking about culture.  A culture of transparency, growth, and pride.  One that took the hard feedback seriously, asked big questions, and made bold changes.

We still have work to do.  But the journey from Grade 3 exits to DELF-certified graduates is a remarkable one.  And as we look forward, we do so with the confidence that our students won’t just leave OJCS bilingual or trilingual on paper—they’ll live it out loud.

And for OJCS Parents…we hope your children enjoyed this year’s Model Seders and other Passover Activities!  Please fill out your Annual Parent Survey if you haven’t yet!  Enjoy Passover Break!

Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach!  Wishing you a kosher and joyous Passover! A Zissen Pesach to all!

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #1: A Floor, But No Ceiling (Personalized Learning)

Last week, I introduced a series of blog posts, “Looking Backwards to Look Forward” as I begin to contemplate the end of my 8-year tenure as Head of the Ottawa Jewish Community School.  They will not come in consecutive weeks, however, this week, I will move forward with the first post of this series focused on one of our North Stars that was, in fact, my “North Star” before becoming our North Star – an approach that has defined my work across all headships and in the field itself, so much so, that it is the actual title of my blog: “A Floor, But Not a Ceiling”.

Introduction (Looking Backwards):

When I first wrote about personalized learning at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS), I described our foundational promise to parents clearly:

“The promise we make to parents is that there will be an appropriately rigorous independent-school floor for every child, and no ceiling on expectations for how far each child may fly.  Our responsibility is to lovingly push each child toward his or her maximal potential.”

This metaphor of a sturdy “floor” paired with limitless “ceilings” guided our pedagogical decisions from day one.

What We’ve Learned (Anchored in Real Examples):

Looking back, personalized learning emerged as one of our most impactful educational innovations—deepening student engagement and improving outcomes precisely because we took personalization seriously.  Authentic personalization at OJCS meant understanding the unique starting points of each learner and providing genuine opportunities for meaningful growth.

Specific examples brought this promise vividly to life in our classrooms:

  • SK Literacy:  When a student arrives in Senior Kindergarten already reading fluently, s/he is not asked to spend the year sounding out letters. Instead, s/he receives immediately challenging reading materials aligned with their advanced skills.
  • Grade 2 Math Enrichment: Grade 2 students demonstrating mastery of grade-level math concepts aren’t left unchallenged; they are provided enrichment opportunities to go both deeper and father, but in-class and with pull-out enrichment opportunities.
  • French DELF Certification:  In French studies, personalized learning was evident through our preparation for the Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (DELF) assessments.  Rather than teaching French as a one-size-fits-all course, students engaged in language instruction targeted to their individual proficiency, allowing them to earn internationally recognized certifications that authentically matched their skill levels.
  • Grade 4 Jewish Studies:  Students explored Jewish identity through personalized projects, like those featured on the Grade 4 Jewish Studies Blog, where each child’s individual experiences and questions shaped meaningful Jewish learning.
  • Middle School Science Inquiry: As highlighted in our Middle School Science  Blog, students don’t merely cover the curriculum—they pursue independent, interest-driven inquiries, taking their explorations beyond foundational standards to areas of personal passion.

These examples weren’t isolated; they represented the broader culture of differentiated teaching and learning we intentionally cultivated.  [Want to see tons of examples across the grades and curricula?  Check out the OJCS Blogosphere & OJCS Student Blogfolios!]

Challenges and Realizations (Anchored in Artifacts – CAT-4 Analysis):

Yet, even as we celebrated successes, our annual reflections—particularly my detailed blog posts analyzing CAT-4 standardized test results—reminded us of areas needing attention.  As repeatedly documented, data often validated our success at pushing high-achieving students even further but also raised persistent questions:

  • Were we consistently and effectively reaching every child—especially those requiring intensive support—to ensure our “floor” was genuinely rigorous for all?
  • Could personalized learning unintentionally widen achievement gaps, making equity even more essential?

Our response to these insights often include integrating evidence-based practices.  For literacy, for example we are informed by the “Science of Reading”, reflected in our adoption of the Amplify literacy platform. Amplify allows teachers to use precise, data-driven insights to personalize instruction effectively.  Similarly, platforms like IXL provided personalized, adaptive practice across multiple subjects, ensuring all students progressed meaningfully from their unique starting points.

Further, our comprehensive student-support network—covering enrichment programs, remediation, resource services, and ESL—ensure personalized learning remained inclusive and equitable, helping bridge potential gaps.

Looking Forward (Guiding Questions):

Reflecting authentically on these insights prompts critical guiding questions as we look ahead:

  • How can we deepen professional development so every teacher feels confident and well-equipped to personalize instruction effectively across subjects—from French to Jewish Studies, from Math enrichment to literacy intervention?
  • What new systems or approaches are needed to guarantee our personalization truly benefits every learner, particularly those most at risk of falling behind?
  • How will we consistently leverage data-driven reflection—such as our annual CAT-4 results and insights from platforms like Amplify and IXL—to continuously adjust and improve?
  • What new assessments will we create to ensure we apply the same rigour to Hebrew and Jewish Studies as we do to secular content?

As we move forward, our commitment to personalized learning remains steadfast yet nuanced.  We must ensure the educational “floor” remains robust and rigorous for every student, while genuinely eliminating ceilings—so each child truly has the opportunity to soar exactly as far as their unique potential can carry them.

Introducing “Looking Backwards to Look Forward”

Looking Backwards to Look Forward: An Introduction

It was exactly Purim, eight years ago, that Jaimee and I shared the news that we were leaving Jacksonville, Florida and were headed to Ottawa.  Eight years is a long time, but I still recall with great clarity how I felt during the interview process, why I accepted the position, the challenge and the opportunity I believed it presented, and walking the empty halls during the Summer of 2017 filled with equal parts excitement and anxiety about the journey we were about to embark on together here at the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

The beginning of any new headship by definition represents standing at the intersection of past and future.  I have always viewed the life of a school as a rich narrative, each era a distinct chapter authored by those at its helm. When I joined OJCS, I became a co-author of its unfolding story, building upon the visions of those who came before and setting the stage for those who would follow.

Coming into a new community as Head of School always involves navigating history and tradition while simultaneously pointing toward innovation and growth.  This intersection—rich with potential, laden with responsibility—is exactly where transformative leadership takes place.  Now, as my tenure enters its final stretch, I find myself at that intersection again—though the view feels profoundly different.  Instead of gazing forward into uncharted territory, I’ve turned around to reflect, to assess, and to ask honestly:

What did we achieve?  What truly mattered?  And how might these insights inspire future leadership?

Thus was born this new blog series: “Looking Backwards to Look Forward.”  Over the coming months, I’ll revisit pivotal moments, decisions, and ideas from my tenure at OJCS.  Each reflection will follow a consistent rhythm:

  • I’ll start by naming a “big idea”—something that significantly shaped our school’s journey.
  • Next, I’ll revisit and quote directly from my original blog posts to recapture the initial vision, my early hopes, and even the uncertainties we faced.
  • Then I’ll explore the journey since that moment—what unfolded, what we learned, and how we adapted along the way.
  • Finally, each post will close by raising essential questions and possibilities, offering future leaders, educators, parents, and community members an invitation to dream and build upon these foundations.

This reflective practice isn’t about nostalgia or legacy-building—rather, it’s an opportunity to spotlight the key decisions we made as a community, to understand their lasting impact on our students, staff, and families, and to thoughtfully imagine the next steps ahead.

For example, in the next reflection, we’ll revisit the concept of “Personalized Learning”—what we called a “floor, but no ceiling.”  This represented a major shift in our educational philosophy. At the time, I wrote:

We believe each student deserves to be met exactly where they are—and then challenged to go as far as their talents, efforts, and aspirations can take them. This isn’t about removing standards; it’s about recognizing that standards are the starting line, not the finish.

That was our bold promise then.  Eight years later, we’ve gathered powerful evidence—successes, setbacks, and profound growth.  How has personalized learning reshaped our classrooms?  How has our teaching staff evolved as facilitators of student-driven learning?  And importantly, what’s the next frontier under new leadership?

In the months ahead, I’ll reflect on other foundational decisions and initiatives from my headship: how we personalized learning, strengthened French outcomes, built a culture of transparency, nurtured leadership at every level, and clarified our core values through our North Stars.

Finally, we’ll culminate in reflecting on perhaps the deepest and most enduring theme of all—clarifying and strengthening the “J” in OJCS. Reinforcing our school’s Jewish identity has been my greatest passion and perhaps the most nuanced task of my tenure.  We’ll revisit how we deepened our school’s Jewish character, celebrating victories and openly acknowledging ongoing challenges.  And we’ll ask honestly: What opportunities still await?

Why do this now?  Because leadership in a school is rarely just about the leader—it’s fundamentally about the institution, the community, and its future.  Reflecting on these past eight years isn’t merely looking backward; it’s giving those who follow clarity, context, and insight—a foundation from which they can meaningfully shape the next chapter of OJCS.

As we stand together at this intersection—celebrating what’s been accomplished, acknowledging the road traveled, and anticipating what’s yet to come—I warmly invite you, the readers, our current and prospective families, to engage deeply.  Share your own reflections, your memories, your ideas, and your hopes for the future of OJCS.  After all, as Rabbi Tarfon famously taught:

“It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:16)

As my chapter at OJCS comes to its final pages, the narrative of our school continues to unfold.  The beauty of a school’s story lies in the fact that it never truly ends—it evolves, deepens, and passes from one set of hands to another.  I will soon hand the pen forward, confident that those who come next will write thoughtfully, courageously, and joyfully, authoring the next inspiring chapter of the Ottawa Jewish Community School’s ongoing story.

Our collective responsibility isn’t to finish the journey—it’s simply to ensure it continues purposefully, thoughtfully, and joyfully.

Looking backwards to look forward—I’m excited to embark on this final reflective journey with you.

Being “Ready” for High School Used to Mean Something Different

[Please find here an adapted version of the words I shared at last night’s Ottawa Jewish Community School Graduation:]

When you go from being the oldest students in school to being the youngest, it can feel – as it did to ten of the spies in this week’s parashah – a bit like being a grasshopper amongst giants.  We tend to think about the transition to high school as being about “academic readiness” or “social acceptance” or “executive functioning” – the typical things any good middle school ought to ensure be true as it sends its graduates out into high school.  And considering how close COVID remains in the rearview, all those things were more complicated for this generation of graduates.  Now we layer on the events that took up most of this class’s graduating year – the tragedy of October 7th and its aftermath – and we realize that being “ready” for high school sadly now requires the additional categories of “preparedness for possible encounters of anti-Semitism” and “Israel advocacy”.

In Parashat Sh’lach, Moshe sends twelve spies to scout the land of Kena’an. Ten of them return with reports of fear and doubt, convinced that the land is unconquerable.  Only Yehoshua and Kalev stand firm in their faith and courage, urging the people to trust in God’s promise and move forward.  As you stand at the threshold of high school, you are a bit like Bnei Yisrael standing on the brink of the Promised Land.  The future is full of unknowns, challenges, and opportunities.  The world you are stepping into has been profoundly affected by the event of this past year what with the walkouts, disinformation and anti-Semitic/anti-Israel incidents on so many of our local high school campuses.  But just as Yehoshua and Kalev demonstrated, how we choose to perceive and respond to challenges will define our journey.

Perspective shapes our reality.  The ten spies saw insurmountable obstacles in Kena’an, but Yehoshua and Kalev saw possibilities and potential. As you move into high school, you may encounter situations that may seem daunting—new subjects, social dynamics, and greater responsibilities. Instead of seeing these as insurmountable challenges, try to view them as opportunities for growth and learning.  Cultivate a growth mindset that seeks out possibilities and remains optimistic, even in the face of adversity.

Courage is essential.  Yehoshua and Kalev stood against the majority, advocating for what they believed was right.  It wasn’t easy, but their bravery paved the way for Bnei Yisrael’s eventual entry into the Land.  It seems likely now more than ever that in high school, there will be times when you will need to stand up for your values, make difficult decisions, and perhaps go against the grain.  We have seen OJCS graduates take the lead in organizing and advocating on high school campuses throughout Ottawa in response to anti-Semitic incidents and anti-Israel disinformation.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward despite it.  Remember that true courage comes from within and is bolstered by your sense of purpose and integrity.

Faith provides us with strength.  Yehoshua and Kalev’s confidence stemmed from their faith in God’s promise.  For us, faith can take many forms in addition to the traditional ones.  It might be faith in your abilities, faith in the support of your family and community, or faith in the values that you have been taught here at OJCS.  This faith will be your anchor in turbulent times, giving you the resilience to face challenges and the assurance that you are not alone.

Graduates, you have shown remarkable resilience and adaptability during your time at OJCS.  You are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to make a positive impact in a world desperately in need of it.  Embrace the future with courage.  Be the positive force that sees potential in every challenge and have faith in your ability to create a better, brighter future.  And, when necessary, be brave in the face of challenges.

Ken y’hi ratzon.

“Radical Candor” is Good for Schools, Parents & Children (Or “What I Learned This Week @ DSLTI)

In the bustling world of education, the role of a school leader is multifaceted.  Beyond the daily operations and academic management, there lies an essential task: the continual growth and development of leadership capacity.  Just as students benefit from ongoing learning and enrichment, school leaders too must invest time and effort into honing their skills and expanding their knowledge base.  While this may occasionally necessitate their absence from the school, it is a valuable investment that ultimately enhances the school’s overall effectiveness and long-term success.  So, while it may create temporary inconveniences, parents can rest assured that their school’s leader is actively working to strengthen the institution’s foundation for the benefit of every student and family.

I had the opportunity this week to facilitate a Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) Retreat with the theme of “Conversations.”  This retreat served as a valuable opportunity for me to enhance my leadership skills and gain insights into fostering meaningful dialogue within our school community.  The topic of “Conversations” resonated deeply with me, especially the work we did on Radical Candor—a concept that emphasizes open, honest, and empathetic communication.  Just as we strive to cultivate a culture of Radical Candor among our staff and faculty, we also recognize its significance in nurturing strong parent-school partnerships.

As we navigate another exciting admissions season at OJCS, I thought I would try to connect some dots through one of my favourite blogging formats…the good ol’ “Q& A”:

Q: What role does parent partnership play in enrollment retention at the Ottawa Jewish Community School?
A: Parent partnership is crucial for enrollment retention at our school.  By fostering strong relationships between parents and educators, we try to create a supportive community where families feel valued and engaged. We hope this leads to higher and higher retention rates as parents are more likely to continue choosing our school for their children’s education.

Q: Can you explain the concept of Radical Candor and its relevance to parent partnership?
A: Radical Candor, as described by Kim Scott, emphasizes the importance of open, honest, and empathetic communication. In the context of parent partnership, this means creating opportunities for transparent dialogue between parents and faculty.  By embracing Radical Candor principles, we can strengthen our relationships with parents and enhance their trust in the school community.

Q: How does the Ottawa Jewish Community School implement parent partnership strategies?
A: We implement various parent partnership strategies, including Goal-Setting Conferences, Parent-Teacher Conferences, a PTA, opportunities to volunteers, Town Halls, blogs and blogfolios, “office hours”, open doors and – when necessary – even exit interviews are a reflection of partnership.  These initiatives provide opportunities for parents to voice their opinions, share feedback, and actively participate in decision-making processes.  By involving parents in these initiatives, we demonstrate our commitment to partnership and collaboration, which ultimately contributes to enrollment retention.

Q: What are some benefits of parent partnership for both the school and the parents?
A: Parent partnership offers numerous benefits for both the school and the parents.  For the school, it leads to higher retention rates, improved parent satisfaction, and a stronger sense of community.  For parents, it provides opportunities to be actively involved in their children’s education, build relationships with teachers and staff, and contribute to the school’s growth and success.

Q: Can you provide an example of how Radical Candor principles are applied in, say, parent-teacher conferences?
A: During parent-teacher conferences, we encourage open and honest communication between parents and faculty. Teachers provide feedback on students’ progress, challenges, and areas for improvement, while parents have the opportunity to share their insights and concerns.  By embracing Radical Candor principles, we create a supportive environment where both parties feel heard, valued, and empowered to work together towards the best interests of the child.

Q: How does the Ottawa Jewish Community School ensure continuous improvement in parent partnership efforts?
A: We are committed to continuous improvement in our parent partnership efforts.  This includes seeking feedback from parents through surveys, conducting regular evaluations of our initiatives, and actively listening to concerns and suggestions from the community.  By staying responsive to the needs and preferences of our parents, we can adapt and refine our parent partnership strategies to better serve our school community.

Q: In what ways does the school demonstrate its commitment to learning and improvement, even when faced with challenges?
A: As stated, the Ottawa Jewish Community School conducts exit interviews as part of its commitment to learning and improvement.  These interviews provide valuable insights into the reasons behind a family’s decision to leave the school.  By listening to parents’ feedback, whether positive or negative, and taking actionable steps to address any concerns, the school demonstrates its dedication to continuous growth and enhancement of the educational experience.

As the calendar continues to steamroll forward, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the many parents who have re-enrolled their children at the Ottawa Jewish Community School.  Your continued support and partnership are invaluable to us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together in shaping the future of our students.  For those families who have not yet made the decision to re-enroll, I invite you to engage in open dialogue with us.  Let’s have conversations that inspire growth, foster collaboration, and strengthen our bonds as a community.  Together, we can achieve extraordinary things and create a learning environment where every child thrives.

If Not Now: My Daughter in Israel

One of my concerns about October 7th once the security concerns began to be addressed wasn’t about the weeks in front of us, but the months.  For a good stretch of time, the focus on Israel was overwhelming in every sense of that word.  We had a fundamental imperative to both be and feel safe.  There was education to provide our students.  There were displaced Israeli children to absorb and to welcome.  There were rallies for solidarity and rallies for advocacy.  There were media requests and a need for thought-leadership.  And yet, we knew that there was inevitably going to come a time when people’s natural attention spans and bandwidth for crisis was going to yield to a shift and perhaps create a fracture.  And perhaps we are at, or nearing that time…

It isn’t to suggest that our (the school‘s) attention is waning or certainly not that our eye has moved off the ball of security even an iota.  It is, however, to suggest that people have begun to walk down different paths of engagement depending on their personal connections and experiences.  At our school, we still have teachers and families who are awaiting news of hostages and serving on the front lines of Gaza.  We still have siblings and friends experiencing anti-Semitism in their public schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.  We are still teaching “current events”, praying, raising money and engaging in acts of social justice.  But as time inches forward, I think it is fair to say that it simply isn’t top of mind for each and every person as it was…and I state that as a fact of human nature, not a judgement.

I am experiencing the way the heartstrings can be strung and restrung through my parenting.  When we made the decision as a family to stay here in Ottawa for our daughters’ high school years, in a place without a true Jewish high school, we committed to a variety of educational experiences that would build a bridge from their rigorous Jewish day school foundation to their studies in university.  One of those experiences was to spend a semester of Grade 10 studying in Israel.  And that decision got a lot more complicated since Maytal was scheduled to leave for Jerusalem in January.

Our older daughter’s experience was curtailed and compromised by COVID, but she did go.  Our girls are Ramahniks through and through, and although there are other programs, Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), was our only choice.  Normally there are upwards of 60-80 teens with a healthy Canadian cohort.  We were looking forward to Maytal getting to have the “full TRY” and then October 7th…

After months of wondering about whether the trip would go, and then worrying about whether sending her was the right choice, we made the family decision – with Maytal as its fiercest champion – that despite the number of students barely in the teens, and without a single other Canadian participating, that now really was the time.  (It very much felt like a true, “If not now, when” moment.)  And so we found ourselves a couple of weeks ago gathering with other families at Newark Airport to send our children to a very different Israel than the one we knew months ago.

Let me pause to state something obvious.  Maytal is in a bubble of privileged North American teens in Jerusalem.  She will only travel to the safest of places under the safest of conditions.   She is not living in a city near the border and we are not comparing our concerns for her wellbeing to those who are truly living in harm’s way.  Not for a moment.  That doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t think she is brave for choosing this time to be in Israel.  (It also won’t stop my mother from worrying herself sleepless until she returns in May.)

Each ping of the WhatsApp brings news of the next adventure or a picture from the most recent one.  She has bonded with her group and has started the experience in full.  She is going to have the time of her life and being in Israel – now – will be extraordinarily impactful on her in ways we could guess and ways we cannot imagine.  We are blessed to be able to provide her with this opportunity (and grateful to the many people and institutions who helped us make it possible).

But each ping of the WhatsApp also brings anxiety.  Each news update on the state of the crisis lands differently than it did a few weeks ago.  I don’t feel like I should say this, but I don’t know how to say it differently – obviously as a member of the Jewish People, I always have skin in the game when it comes to Israel.  But now, for a short while, I also have flesh and blood.  And whether it should or not…it feels different.

I share all of this in the spirit of wanting to ensure that we continue to ask ourselves what is the right amount of space the situation in Israel should continue to occupy – for our school, for our families and for ourselves.  I know there is no “right answer” but I guess I hope that whatever newfound insight or empathy (again, I don’t think that is exactly the best word) or perspective having a child of my own living in Israel provides me, that it helps guide me to the right place.  And invite you to reflect for what the right amount of space you believe it should occupy as well.  Are we doing too much or too little as a community?  As a school?  (As a family?)

Let me know what you think.  Let’s make sure Israel remains in our thoughts and our prayers and our actions even as life inevitably encroaches.

It only gets harder and more complicated the longer it goes.

#StandWithIsrael

#AmYisraelChai

Shofar, So Good: Save the Drama for your Llama

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.

We Each Have Our Torah to Teach: My Charge to the OJCS Graduating Class of 2023

[Please find here an adapted version of the words I shared at last night’s Ottawa Jewish Community School Graduation:]

I was sitting in this room a few weeks ago listening to Rabbi Kenter offer his final sermon in our community, and he shared that he had learned in rabbinical school that essentially a rabbi only shares one sermon – in lots of different ways, offered many times over, but with one essential idea that is a marriage of who that rabbi is and what he or she is called to share.  This idea – that we each have one sermon to preach, one story to tell, one contribution to make, and that we spend our lives figuring out what it is and how to do it resonates with me and will be something I continue to wrestle with.  But for tonight, the question it inspires is, “What would it mean to know that we each have our own unique torah to teach and how might time spent in Jewish day school help us to both learn our torah and learn how to teach our torah?

Of course, when I say “torah” I mean it both literally and metaphorically.  Our students have, of course, learned much actual Torah during their many years of spiral parashat ha’shavuah, deep dives into powerful narratives from Tanakh, explorations into the origins and traditions of holidays of both Biblical and rabbinic origins, and by dipping their toes into the Sea of Talmud.  And our students have taught Torah frequently as well, especially through the process of writing and delivering divrei torah while in Middle School (not to mention the parallel learning that takes place during the b’nei mitzvah process).  But more broadly, tradition encourages us to adopt a less-narrow view of “torah” to include much of what constitutes an OJCS education.  They have studied the “torah” of Math, Science, Social Studies, French, English, and all other subjects and topics of learning during their years is school and have learned to teach that torah through the many projects, blog posts, public speaking events and other creative opportunities our teachers provide for our students to share their learning.  But academics are only one facet of the “torah” our students learn and learn to teach at OJCS.  They experience the “torah” of art, music, drama and PE.  They learn the “torah” of leadership through Reading Buddies, Knesset, and Maccabiah.  They experience the “torah” of community through retreats, trips, assemblies and holiday celebrations.  And, of course, they put actual Torah into action through the many tikkun olam projects they plan and participate in through our relationships with the JCC, Hillel Lodge, Tamir, TIPES, the Kosher Food Bank, the Jewish Cemetery, our new Middle School Mitzvah Trip experiences, with more and more meaningful opportunities being developed each year.  Whether we mean “torah” in the narrowest or most expansive sense, our graduates have spent years wrestling and learning and trying and growing and teaching and sharing torah.

Graduates.  Now, as you prepare to leave OJCS and move onto new adventures, we hope that your time here has helped you consider what your one true sermon is and how you will share it with the world.  What is your torah to teach and how will you teach it?  How will you continue to learn and how will you continue to share what you learn?  How will you apply your learning to making the world around you a better place?  What will be your unique contribution to your families, your schools, your Jewish communities, your larger community, and the world?  Standing here, I say with great confidence that although I cannot know how each of the stories of your lives will be written, I do know that based on the strong foundation your parents have provided you with through the gift of Jewish day school, that you will continue to write Jewish stories of significance and we will follow those stories with pride, with wonder and with gratitude.”

Ken y’hi ratzon.

The Transparency Files: Self-Evaluation

With the theme of this year being “Getting Our Mojo Back,” one thing that you can be sure of as the calendar turns to May and June, is that I will deliver you a series of “Transparency Files” blog posts!  OJCS Parents will soon receive their link to our Annual Parent Survey, and so I will again begin with a self-evaluation and will continue with the sharing of results of that survey, the results from our Annual Faculty Survey (which is shared directly with them), and will conclude with a discussion of next year and an introduction of the 2023-2024 OJCS Faculty.  [These posts will not follow week-by-week.]

We are in that “evaluation” time of year!  As Head of School, I have the responsibility of performing an evaluation of staff and faculty each year.  Fittingly, they have an opportunity to do the same of me.  Our Annual Faculty Survey presents current teachers and staff with the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback of my performance as Head of School.  Our Annual Parent Survey presents current parents with an opportunity to do the same (as part of a much larger survey of school satisfaction).  Please know that the full unedited results of both are sent onto the OJCS Board of Trustees Head Support & Evaluation Committee as part of their data collection for the execution of my annual performance review.

You are welcome to review last year’s self-evaluation post before moving onto this year’s.  Like last year’s, I am going to skip the cutting-and-pasting from my goal-setting document and simply present to you a few big ideas that come from my “principal’s” bucket, and not as much from my “head of school’s” bucket (i.e. fundraising, marketing, budgeting, etc.).

…thanks to a grant from Prizmah we partnered with PJ Library on a variety of events to grow the number of Jewish families in Ottawa who are familiar with our school!  Highlights included a Library Storytime, lulav & etrog-shaking in our OJCS Sukkah, and two different “Havdalah in the Park” programs – one in Centrepointe and one in Alta Vista.  We are looking forward to building on this relationship in the years to come!

…in order to fully mark the transition from COVID to…now…we thought it was important to revisit three “Critical Conversations” that were so helpful to our growth (in every sense of the word) during our first few years together.  We, therefore, held three “Town Halls”: 1) Let’s Talk About the “J” in “OJCS”…Again: The JS Town Hall 2022; 2) Let’s Talk About French…Again. L’assemblée de Français 2022; and 3) Let’s Talk About the Future…Again: The “Sneak Peek” Town Hall 2023.    Our hope is that we have successfully put all our families on an even playing field as to how we got from where we were to where we are…and provided clarity as to how we plan to get from where we are to where we are headed.

…we began our three-year journey to full CAIS Accreditation by focusing on getting organized and beginning to think through succession planning both on the lay (board) side and on the professional side.  As we complete this journey, we seek to help parents in our community better understand how we fit into the private school landscape, as OJCS will – eventually – join Ashbury and Elmwood as the only CAIS Accredited schools in Ottawa.

…in addition to launching French-language PE this year, we tried to shine a brighter spotlight on all things French at OJCS with La célébration de la semaine de la Francophonie 2023, which culminated in a wonderful Francofête attended by parents.  We look forward to building on both as we continue to focus attention on French outcomes for OJCS graduates.

…we piloted a Middle School Information Night for Grade 5 Parents and will follow up in June with a Taste of Middle School for Grade 5 Students.  We want to do a better and better job celebrating the value proposition for Middle School at OJCS.  Beginning the conversation earlier can only help.

…with the help of a generous grant by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa‘s Fund for Innovative Capacity Building, OJCS Hebrew Faculty worked with Hebrew at the Center over the balance of this school year on a curriculum mapping consultancy.  Once complete (in another 1-2 years), we will have a deliverable for both teachers and parents that fully describe our benchmarks and standards for all Jewish Studies topics across all grades.

What did not get done or what still needs work?

A lot!

First order of business will be moving forward on our amazing $1.5 million reimagination (now $2 million) of classrooms at OJCS thanks to an anonymous gift.  We have been working with an architect firm –  Figurr – and look forward to launching this summer.  [Stay tuned for all of what that will and won’t mean for the start of school.]  The future of education in Ottawa really will be built right here at OJCS!

Second order of business will be continuing to reconnect with our families and our community.  We aspire to be more than a school, but people’s lives are so busy!  What can we do differently next year?  What should we do differently next year?  What should a PTA be and look like?  What kinds of friend-raising activities could we or should we be facilitating or encouraging for OJCS parents?  What kinds of Jewish experiences could we be promoting or providing for OJCS families?

Third order of business, somewhat related to this year’s theme, is “teachers teaching”.  After years of worthwhile complications and interruptions through task forces, consultancies and quasi-administrative portfolios, next year will be about streamlining, simplifying, quieting and calming.  We have reached a new stage of our journey as a school and what is required now is refocusing on what our most sacred tasks are – teachers teaching and students learning.

Those are just highlights.

If you have already contributed feedback through our surveys, thank you.  [Remember the deadline for your feedback to be included in reporting is May 15th.]  Your (additional and/or direct) feedback – whether shared publicly, privately through email or social media, or shared through conversation – is greatly appreciated.  As I tell our teachers, I look forward to getting better at my job each year and I am thankful for the feedback I receive that allows me to try.