As I reflect on this school year, I am struck by how many of the enhancements our school made that were a result of early planning that began nearly six years ago.
Six years ago, our school began a new program called Mishpachot. This initiative, funded by Hal Neuberger has expanded each year. This year, we added board members to our mishpachot and started a monthly challah bake, where the parents of students in each mishpacha come to school before Kabbalat Shabbat to learn the art of baking challah. This new piece, the brain-child of Danielle Blake and carried forward by Julie Goldstein, is also thanks to the hard work of Morah Michal Almalem who prepares the dough, teaches the parents and in her beautiful way, and inspires our families. Next year, our program will expand again as we learn the art of Babka baking, as well as several other Mishpachot related programs.

A scene from a Parent Challah Bake, a student getting sorted into a Mishpacha, and members of a Mishpacha working together during Kabbalat Shabbat
During the 2020-21 school year, we opened the year during the Covid pandemic. We moved forward with our new strategic plan and expanded our outdoor education with outdoor classrooms (which this past summer became beautiful pavilions), the Heather Samuel’s Butterfly Garden (which this year became a monarch way station), a chicken coop (which our Bornblum Middle took on this year as a Design Thinking project) and the hiring of Director of Marketing and Communications (a position that Zack Orsborn has masterfully filled these past two years).
During the 2021-22 school year, we put together a Design Thinking team and built a Design Lab thanks to the Shainberg Foundation. Our Design Thinking Lab has expanded out of one room and into the Library, with Laser cutters that we use to create projects and promotional items, 3D printers, a sound recording studio, green screens, Cricut machines, and an endless amount of materials. Design Thinking this year allowed us to create a Middle School capstone project. These projects allowed our students to learn more about our local community, the Jewish community and community needs in Israel. We will continue to expand our use of Design Thinking in the coming year through our Middle School DT time and our further integration of Design Thinking as the language of our school.

Students releasing butterflies in the Heather Samuels Butterfly Garden, Middle Schoolers cleaning out the Bornblum Chicken Coop, and Middle Schoolers working on a Design Thinking project
This year, in many ways, has also felt like a pandemic as we shifted our attention to the situation in Israel since October 7th. It has made for a difficult year and yet, like our strategic plan during Covid, we pushed through on our accreditation from SAIS.
Our SAIS Self-Study and accreditation process this year had our faculty, staff, and board explore how we can continue to grow and expand as a school. Through our new Cups of Connection and Link newsletter, we are finding new ways to engage in conversation with our parents. These initiatives will allow us to be more transparent as a leadership team and allow our parents to have a fuller picture of what our school has to offer.
We have also spent time focusing on how to continue to promote and build an even stronger middle school. This effort will allow our students in the Middle School to have a program that not only meets their needs but enriches their full school experience. We have some exciting changes in store for our Middle School next year to allow us to capitalize on several signature programs.

A scene from a Cups of Connection event, the Eighth Grade graduates, and Middle Schoolers posing with artist Ephraim Urevbu
We recognize that this year has been a year like no other. Our school and community have come together in a way that should make us all proud. We could not have imagined the events of October 7th and what it would mean for our teachers, staff, students, and parents. As our school became the soundtrack for Israel, we saw the unwavering Zionist spirit that is a part of our school and community. We have been lucky to have the support of many of our independent school friends who have stood with us this year, against antisemitism.
Our school is a safe place for Jewish students and families, and I encourage each of us to share that publicly. As much as we want our other private and public schools to be safe places, what we have built here should not be ignored. What we teach in our Middle School specifically is advocacy for the State of Israel and how to amplify our voices against antisemitism. Make sure your children and your friends’ children are here to learn that, specifically in those grades.

A scene from Yom Ha’atzmaut, Middle Schoolers during a mock Passover seder, and students singing an Israeli song during Kabbalat Shabbat
Finally, as we close out this incredible year, I am drawn to the words of several of the songs our students have been singing this year:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121, sung by Yosef Karduner)
I hope that you are still keeping track of
Good moments to remember
Once upon a time, people wrote songs to you
In notebooks.
Do you remember?
(Moledet by Chanan ben Ari)
We are brothers, the whole house of Israel, who are given over to trouble or captivity, whether they abide on the sea or on the dry land:
May the All-present have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to freedom, from darkness to light, and from subjection to redemption, now speedily and at a near time.
(Morning prayers)
Wishing everyone a summer of Shalom, a summer where our hostages are returned, and a summer of peace for the Jewish people, here in the US, in Israel, and around the world.
