Taking a Break

Judging by the sound of the cheering in the Merkaz on Wednesday, one might have guessed that a famous celebrity had arrived. And, you would be partially correct. We definitely had some celebrities represented, but not in the way that you might think. Each of our Middle School students had picked a character from a book and organized themselves with the help of Mrs. Amkraut into one of the more interesting fashion shows that I have ever seen.

With judging by the faculty, the entire student body selected which characters were the best in a variety of categories ranging from most curious to most colorful. The Middle School students designed their costumes and wrote their own introductions as Schechter parent Sheri Gross invited them to take the stage. So many wonderful characters came to life from Bilbo Baggins to the man who had caps for sale to Frog and Toad. Our students were truly excited by watching their favorite characters  from children’s literature come to life before their eyes and it is time for us to take advantage of that.

We are mid-way through Read for Life - Go for the Gold and it is incredible to see the number of books voluntarily read by our students. Yesterday, I saw a teacher looking intently at the wall filled with student book reviews. When I asked what she was doing, she said she was getting ideas for new books to read both for herself and for her class. She took their comments seriously.

I have previously written about the power of reading and winter vacation is the perfect excuse that you have been looking for to encourage your children to read. Ask your children who their favorite character was or the character that they were most intrigued by (If you need some inside information, here is a link to the cast of characters from the fashion show). Make time in your vacation schedule for a quick trip to the library or if you are travelling take advantage of the ebook lending library that our local libraries have. It would be awesome to see the already crowded book review wall even more full when we return in January.

I wish our staff, students, and parents a well-deserved, much-needed break. I look forward to seeing you all back here on January 6 to continue our terrific school year. There is a lot more excitement and wonderful learning opportunities to come as we move into the New Year.

Best wishes for a safe and relaxing winter vacation.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares

Stop, Do, Hug

Most of the time, I have a hard time remembering what I ate for breakfast. It’s not that I am having a hard time remembering things. It’s just that as things go, it is not one of the more important things in my life. Memory, though, can be a funny thing. We will forget the name of a childhood friend, but remember the lyrics to an 80’s sitcom theme song.

Some memories, however, are incredibly powerful and have burned themselves into our brains. Psychologists refer to these memories as flashbulb memories. These are memories where the images, and perhaps sounds or even smells, of a particularly surprising event that was either important or emotionally powerful become pictures in our brain.

Many of us share common flashbulb memories depending upon our age. It might be the Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, or September 11. Or, the memories may be intensely personal, such as the birth of a child or your wedding day. Last year, we acquired a new flashbulb memory with the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I can remember very clearly what was going on at my school, who I was with, and, certainly, how I was feeling emotionally. This weekend, with the anniversary approaching, I am sure that many of these memories will be stirred up again as stories reappear on TV, Facebook, and the newspaper.

In the light of such a dark memory, our challenge is more than just how do we preserve the memory of those killed on that horrific December day or what steps our leaders need to take to prevent a future senseless loss of life. Our challenge lies closer to home. As parents, grandparents, teachers, or caregivers, how do we create positive memories that will overpower the horrors that could shadow our children’s lives? How do we create brighter lights that will push the shadows away?

From the darkness that is our collective memory of Newtown, take time each day, each week, each month, to brighten the lives of the children around you. Show them your love. Put down your phone and focus not on the constant barrage of emails and status updates, but on the status of those in front of you. Take them with you to engage in acts of chesed (kindness) and teach them the value of repairing the world around us. Show them the importance of treating each person that they encounter with dignity and respect. Help them treasure everyday moments and let them know how deeply you care about them. Create memories with them that they will treasure for a lifetime and empower them to do the same for their children, God willing, in the future.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares

Me and My Buddy

Thursday morning was a great day for door duty during arrival. Not because it was a balmy 60 degrees at the beginning of a Cleveland winter that the entire community has been warning me about, but because I had really good company. Two eighth graders joined me at the door to welcome students into the school. Each stood by a door, smiled, and greeted students, parents, and staff as they walked in with good morning or boker tov.

About midway through arrival, a preschooler ran in the door with a big smile. He was stopped by another eighth grader in the hallway who pointed out who he had just run past. The preschooler turned around and saw that his middle school buddy was one of the students at the door. The smile got bigger, particularly when his buddy called him by name. He ran back, had a quick conversation, and with even more energy, bounced his way towards his classroom.

This is the power of our preschool-middle school buddy program. As you’ve heard before, each child in the preschool has a middle school buddy who joins them many times throughout the year for an activity that is planned collaboratively between the two divisions. Earlier this week, the buddies joined together again to share in a Chanukah celebration. Sitting in the promenade, together with Kathy Fromson, they sang songs, danced, and lit the chanukkiyah(Chanukah menorah). The enthusiasm and ruach (spirit) reverberated down the hallway and brought smiles to the parents volunteering at the Book Fair and to staff walking past. The activity concluded with classroom projects where the the buddies worked together to frost (and eat) cookies, play games, and make dreidels out of marshmallows.

The importance of this collaboration is not in the type of activity that is put together, but rather in the relationships that it builds between the two groups. Having an older buddy connects our preschool students to the rest of the school and sets their sights on the many opportunities that are in their future at Schechter. For our middle school students, a preschool buddy is more than just a lens into their past. It is an opportunity to learn how to mentor and serve as a role model for a younger child. They begin to understand what it means to have someone look up to you with wonder in their eyes and want to be just like you because you are the epitome of cool for them.

The power of a Schechter education lasts far beyond our doors and we want the connection to Schechter to last longer than just a preschool to eighth grade education. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, a number of our alumni took time out of their holiday celebrations to help us create a new brochure that highlights just how powerful a Schechter education is. You will find this new brochure in your re-enrollment packets next week.

To help us continue to build these relationships, alumna and faculty member Orli Rabkin has taken on the role of Alumni Coordinator. Our alumni just received the latest Alumni Note. If you are an alumnus or know one, please help us keep up with the many amazing things that our alumni are doing. Send us a kvell or give us an update on what’s happening.

This is how we forge Relationships for life.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares