Dear Heschel Families,
Welcome back! I hope you have had many moments of joy, awe and wonder with your children over the summer break.
This summer, I spent some time studying in Jerusalem at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and I look forward to greeting you in the fall fresh with inspiration and ideas. In addition to welcoming back families, I am excited to greet so many new families to the Heschel community. We are now in our 8th year of consecutive enrollment growth as more and more families choose a Heschel education for their children.
As we grow, our school remains steadfastly committed to our educational vision, which integrates a deep love for Jewish learning with the highest academic standards. Our inclusive pluralistic community invites Jewish families with diverse perspectives to join in a respectful learning community. Our cutting-edge integrated curriculum is based on research and development of best educational practices. Our teachers are passionate educators dedicated to nurturing the habits of heart, soul, body and mind that enable children to flourish academically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. And, our reputation as a thought leader in education continues to flourish through our collaboration with the Lola Stein Institute and THINK magazine.
As an institution dedicated to on-going improvement, we continue to strive for excellence in all areas of operations. To enhance our capacity for differentiated teaching and learning, we are pleased to announce that Claire Merbaum will be taking up a full-time role as Director of Child Study (Grades 4-8) and Child Study Consultant. Claire brings a wealth of experience in mediated learning and child development to our team that will help serve the needs of all children in the school.
Our community is a village of participants, and as we enter into a new year, I want to acknowledge all those who keep our community strong through their dedicated volunteer work. New volunteers are always welcome, and there are many valuable and rewarding ways to get involved in the Heschel community.
I am also deeply appreciative of the support our families and community offer for curriculum development, teacher training, and our tuition assistance program. You help us ensure that an excellent Heschel education remains dynamic and accessible. Thanks to the generous support of current and alumni families, we now have three established Centres of Excellence in Integrated Judaic Arts, Meaningful Mathematics, and Environmental Education and Ecological Stewardship.
As a learning community, we share important values that make our school a safe, stimulating environment in which to learn. To ensure that these values are alive and active in our school we have published a Derekh Eretz Code of Conduct that expresses our core values. The Code is available as an online form here and on our website. Please take a few moments to read the code with your children, and to join us in committing to role model and uphold the inclusive, nurturing, and positive culture of our school.
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and the whole Heschel community, I wish you an enjoyable remainder of the summer and look forward to seeing you and your children soon.
b’shalom,
Moreh Greg, PhD
