Tag: “The Anxious Generation”

Empowering Our Students to #WinAtSocial: Introducing The Social Institute at OJCS

As educators and parents, we stand at the intersection of unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The digital world has transformed how we connect, learn, and share, but it has also introduced a host of complexities that can deeply impact our students’ wellbeing. At the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS), our commitment to nurturing resilient, ethical, and tech-savvy students has led us to continuously explore innovative solutions to modern challenges.

Over the years, we have stood on each side of the bell curve, so to speak.  We have always been early adopters – and adapters – for new technologies (iPads, BYOD beginning in Grade 4, interactive whiteboards, etc.) and platforms, recognizing that we have a responsibility to cultivate literacies and develop competencies so that our students are able to thrive in the schools of both today and tomorrow.  And we’ve introduced initiatives like the Middle School Cell Phone Detox, providing students with much-needed boundaries and balance, and partnered with parents through soon-to-be-launched book clubs around resources like The Anxious Generation. These steps, alongside encouraging movements like #WaitUntil8th, reflect our belief in fostering thoughtful engagement with technology rather than avoiding it altogether.

Today, led by our Vice Principal Melissa Thompson, we’re thrilled to take the next step in this journey by partnering with The Social Institute (TSI). This partnership represents an exciting and proactive approach to equipping (first) our middle school students, their and all OJCS families, and our faculty with the tools and insights needed to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

Why This Work Matters: Aligning with Our North Stars

At OJCS, we hold ourselves accountable to our North Stars—the core values that shape our mission. From fostering a culture of belonging and academic excellence to preparing students to engage meaningfully in the broader world, our North Stars remind us of our sacred obligation: to provide a Jewish education that is both timeless and timely.

Our embrace of The Social Institute aligns seamlessly with these values. Rather than simply focusing on restrictions or warnings, TSI empowers students to make high-character, informed choices in their digital and social lives. Their philosophy complements our belief that technology, when used thoughtfully, can amplify Jewish values of kindness, responsibility, and respect.

Who is The Social Institute?

The Social Institute is a leading organization that partners with schools to provide cutting-edge resources for navigating modern social experiences—both online and offline. Their flagship program, #WinAtSocial, delivers a positive, practical, and student-led curriculum that helps students develop essential skills for healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, and digital citizenship.

What sets TSI apart is their unique approach to teaching life skills:

• Proactive, Not Reactive: TSI focuses on opportunities rather than pitfalls, helping students see how technology can enhance their lives while teaching them to recognize and manage risks.

• Student-Driven Design: Co-created with students, TSI’s lessons are engaging, relevant, and grounded in real-world scenarios. They’re “snicker-tested” to ensure they resonate with young people.

• Holistic Engagement: Beyond students, TSI equips teachers and parents with resources to extend conversations at school and at home, fostering a unified approach to supporting our children.

What Does This Look Like at OJCS?

Starting this January, OJCS will “soft launch” The Social Institute’s program with a focus on Grades 6–8. Over the next few months, students, teachers, and parents will have access to TSI’s comprehensive suite of resources, including:

• Interactive Lessons: Students will engage with lessons designed to address current social trends, character development, and emotional intelligence.

• Teacher Support: Educators will receive turnkey tools and professional development to integrate TSI’s program seamlessly into our curriculum.

• Parent Resources: Families will benefit from webinars, playbooks, and discussion guides to continue the conversation at home, ensuring alignment between school and family values.

Through this partnership, we aim to create a shared language and culture around healthy technology use. By leveraging TSI’s data-driven insights and real-time updates, OJCS will stay ahead of emerging trends, tailoring our approach to meet the evolving needs of our community.

Grounded in Jewish Values

As a pluralistic Jewish day school, we recognize that our students are deeply embedded in the digital world. The question isn’t whether they will engage with technology but how. Our responsibility is to prepare them to navigate these spaces thoughtfully, grounded in the ethical teachings of our tradition.

Judaism teaches us to value b’tzelem Elohim—that all people are created in the divine image—and this principle calls us to interact with others with dignity and respect, whether in person or online. By partnering with The Social Institute, we are reinforcing this value and ensuring that our students are equipped to be leaders in both their local and digital communities.

Looking Ahead

This partnership is not just about a program; it’s about a mindset. At OJCS, we believe in educating students who are prepared to thrive in a complex, interconnected world. The Social Institute provides the tools to make this vision a reality, helping us empower our students to not only succeed but to lead with integrity.

We are excited to embark on this journey and invite our entire OJCS community to join us. Together, we can ensure that our students #WinAtSocial—navigating the challenges of the digital age with confidence, character, and Jewish values as their guide.

The 2024 OJCS Middle School Retreat: Disconnect to Reconnect

We had to pivot to a new location this year (Todah Rabbah Camp Shomria!), but it was worth it in order to return a full experience at our Seventh Annual OJCS Middle School Retreat!  Our theme for The 2024 Middle School Retreat was the same as it was for our Faculty Pre-Planning Week as it will be for the whole school and the whole year: Disconnect to Reconnect.  Over three days, we had all kinds of community-building experiences and programs and we engaged in three different peulot (informal Jewish educational programs) where our students, by class, by grade, and as a full middle school had a chance to review and lean into the permanent values embodied in our North Stars and the “7 Habits” while learning about the value of “disconnecting” and how our reliance on technology can sometimes get in the way of our “connecting” with our community, our school, our classmates, our friends…and ourselves.  I was very impressed by the level of engagement and the quality of conversation – whether we were inside, outside, sleepy or wide awake – that our students contributed to this part of the experience.

Here’s a snapshot (or many) of our experience:

Day #1

  • We arrived mid-morning, settled in, went over rules and boundaries, and unpacked.
  • Then we had lunch together.
  • Next up, Moreh David organized a Jewish Studies-Themed Scavenger Hunt that took us all around the camp while reviewing our basic Bible and Holiday Facts.
  • Then, our very own OJCS Parent, Steve Papai (thank you!) came up to supervise our canoeing and kayaking on Otty Lake.  Those who weren’t interested in the waterfront, were able to read and do arts and crafts with Miss M.
  • After that, we came together for our first peulah (activity) on the topic of “Disconnect to Reconnect”.  We learned what it meant to be a “Hokie” and a “Pokie”, explored what it mean to work collaboratively with those who have different norms, talked about the kind of MIddle School community we want to create and sustain, “crossed a wild river” and – of course, ended with…the Hokie-Pokie.
  • We finished with hanging out, watching a movie, playing night volleyball or ga-ga, reading, relaxing, etc., and then…lailah tov!

Day #2

  • We began our day with a delicious group breakfast and an outdoor Tefillah, which set the tone for the adventures ahead.  After fueling up, we made our way to Marked, where students tested their strength and endurance through a series of challenging outdoor obstacle courses and showcased their precision and accuracy during  thrilling games of laser tag.
  • In the late afternoon, we returned to camp where the fun continued. Students cooled off with a refreshing swim in the lake and enjoyed relaxing canoe rides.  Others took advantage of the many amenities the camp offers, including basketball and tetherball.
  • As evening approached, we gathered for a delicious BBQ dinner.  Following dinner, we engaged in our second peulah focusing on “mindfulness” and shifting one’s attitude by reimagining daily school experiences through a new lens (i.e. “Math” as “Brain Exercise” and “Eating” as “Mindful Eating”).
  • We ended our day on a high note with a cozy bonfire.  Students ate roasted marshmallows and sang songs, creating a perfect end to an action-packed day.

Day #3

  • We got up early, ate, did Tefillah, cleaned up and packed up!
  • We did our final peulah, this time focused on trust and how to carry forward the conversations and the relationships from the retreat back to school.
  • We finished up with a great survival skills training with Mr. Ray & Mr. C. and then it was time to load the busses and head back to OJCS!
Please  be sure to join us tomorrow for “Back to School Night” from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  We can’t wait to show you the new spaces, to go deeper into The Anxious Generation, and to share with all you need to know to be great partners during this exciting 75th anniversary year!

A Middle School Cell Phone Detox

[NOTE: This is an extended version of an email sent this week to all parents in Grades 6-8.  I share it here as it likely will be of interest to our full OJCS community and possibly some of our fellow-travelers on the journey of schools.]

These are busy times indeed and with the rush of special events and the end of year coming into focus, this may seem like an odd time to launch yet another new initiative.  However, for us, it is always the right time to do what is necessary to ensure the wellbeing of our students.  A number of us on our Educational Leadership Team (beginning with Acting Vice Principal Melissa Thompson) have been reading The Anxious Generation and following the discussion on one of its big ideas, “Wait Until 8th“.  Both deal with the negative impacts of constant and chronic use of smartphones, in particular, on young and developing minds.  For those OJCS families continuing into 2024-2025, you can almost guarantee that will be the ONE BIG IDEA for next year – a leading theme of “Back to School Night”, the subject of parent education sessions, and a series of cohorted book groups focused on Grades 2-4.
But even right now, with just weeks left in the school year, our teachers in the Middle School are reporting an uptick in cell phone usage during school hours with resulting negative behaviours and a negative impact on social interactions.  Now, in theory, this should not be a thing.  Our school’s existing policy on cell phones is clear.  No OJCS student is permitted to possess a cell phone during school hours on campus property.  Yes, for those parents who wish for their children to have cell phones to use to safely navigate before or after school activities, they are permitted to have them, but they are supposed to remain in backpacks for the entire length of the school day.
Needless to say, we have not found complete success with enforcement, and both to calm the currents, and to learn for the future, we have moved forward with a full cell phone detox for middle school students at OJCS from May 15-24th.  Here is what it means: All cell phones that find their way to campus are being collected first period, stored in the office during the day, and returned to students last period.  (Any parent who does not want the school collecting their child(ren)’s cell phone(s), are keeping them home during these days.)  For local folk who follow the conversations with the public board or the Ministry of Education, you will notice that they, too, are shifting their policies in a way that is much more closely aligned with our proposed new direction.
Additionally, we have asked parents for their support in two areas: 1) Any student who wears an AppleWatch or any other kind of Smart Watch is being asked to either leave it at home, have it collected along with the cell phones, or have its connectivity disabled while at school.  We are checking on those students to ensure appropriate use.  2) Even with this detox, students still have their laptops/tablets.  Students are not supposed to be texting, emailing, or messaging with their parents during the school day.  This is impossible to 100% oversee, so even as we ramp up our supervision, we have asked for parent partnership in reminding their child(ren) by either not answering messages that come during school hours or – if parents are truly concerned by a message – to please redirect them to their teachers who are there to help them.
We are only a day or two into this experiment and we are grateful to our parents for their partnership in helping us to better enforce our existing policies.  At OJCS, we want children to be free from distraction and distress while they should be safe at school to learn and to engage with their peers in real life.  We’ll see what happens and will report back our findings and recommendations about next steps.
Thanks to all OJCS Parents who took the time to fill out this year’s Annual Parent Survey!  Although there has been a slight uptick in reponses, we are still far shy of a plurality of students/families.  I am going to keep the survey open until May 21st hoping that the holiday weekend provides you with the additional bandwidth to contribute your feedback.  These results do matter and directly impact programmatic choices, so please take the small amount of time it requires and make your voice heard.