It’s Not about the Gifts!

I hadn’t intended to blog about Chanukah this year since I tend to address hot issues for our parents, and Chanukah was not on the list of topics, or so I thought.

Just yesterday, two concerned families individually shared one potent message with which our school entirely agrees – it’s not about the gifts!

Families in our community choose to observe Chanukah in a wide range of ways and have varying perspectives on the place of gifts in our celebrations. Some believe strongly that gifts are out of place on Chanukah. Other families wish they could give gifts but are not financially able to or are stretching to provide modest gifts. Others enjoy the exchange of presents symbolizing the appreciation they feel for one another. We respect all approaches.  But most of all, we respect children and their sensitivities.

This year there have been some exuberant conversations among children describing their gifts. They have not meant to cause discomfort, yet inadvertently they have. Our teachers will be gently guiding classroom conversations away from gifts and towards other, substantive components of the celebration of Chanukah. I share this with our families so that as conversations about gifts arise, you consider speaking with your children about your perspectives on gift giving, support them to understand that different families have different customs, and help them to embrace your own practices.

It’s not about the gifts!  It’s about the values and teaching by doing and by example.

OK, it’s a little about the gifts – but in the spirit of Gemilut Chasidim (Social Action), it’s not what we receive, rather what we share.  Working with Westchester Jewish Community Services, our students and families filled requests of more than 140 children whose families cannot afford holiday presents. We provided gifts for the children of teen mothers who are going to school and seeking employment. We supplied presents for needy babies and elementary school age children through local community clinics.

In a modern twist on Chanukah, our fifth grade Hebrew classroom visited the Amit School in Meitar, Israel – a suburb of Beer Sheva in the south of Israel via Skype. Our students and their partner fifth graders in Meitar celebrated together: lighting the chanukiah (menorah) and singing Hebrew holiday songs. They played dreidle and with each spin asked one another questions about the holiday in Hebrew. Our children enjoyed celebrating with new Israeli friends, speaking with them exclusively in Hebrew, and nurturing Ahavat Yisrael (Love of Israel).

Each of the three school days during Chanukah we are joining together as a kehilah (community) with a joyous school-wide Tefilah U’Shmirat Mitzvot (Prayer and the Observance of Mitzvot) and a lighting of the chanukiah (menorah). Each day is dedicated to a different theme: light, heroism, and miracles.  Thursday evening we will enjoy a Chanukah dinner and celebration coordinated by our PTO.

Let’s not forget the arts. In the school’s front hall there is a display of creative chanukiyot (menorahs) designed and built at home by students as a means of self-expression through ritual art. Additionally, our choir has been singing each of the weekday evenings of Chanukah at the Ritz Carlton in downtown White Plains, bringing a love of Jewish music and celebration to the broader community. We even made it onto News 12 Westchester!

Did I leave out any of our core values? There is Talmud Torah (Love of Learning) – engaged, substantive learning in classes throughout the school about the meaning of Chanukah. With Kavod (respect), I end this post where I began – let us all strive together to support our children to be respectful of the range of perspectives in our community about gift giving and remember, whether or not we give gifts – it’s not about the gifts!

Chag Urim Sameach - Wishes for a joyous Chanukah celebration!

Is October 31 Anything Other Than, Well, Monday?

In the past, we have not acknowledged Halloween at all in school, simply pretending that we had never heard of it. 

Yes, some of our teachers have some years given less homework on October 31 because students might be “busy.” And yes, some of our students have struggled with peers going trick-or-treating when they do not. 

Although at school we ignored the event, our silence did not change the fact that families have different perspectives concerning Halloween and students know it.   

One year, our fifth grade teachers mentioned that it is possible families might have some extra candy lying around and asked students to bring it in to donate to a local soup kitchen for goody bags to give out to children at the soup kitchen’s annual Thanksgiving feast. We donated our candy, without indicating that we had any clue why families just might have more sweets at home than usual.

Not to worry – there will be no costumes, candy or celebratory parades. We respect enormously those families who do not participate in Halloween celebrations because they are troubled by the pagan origins of a night on which the boundaries between living and dead were believed to have overlapped. We similarly respect those families concerned about the connection to the Christian holy days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. And, we respect those families disturbed by the reference in the phrase “trick or treat” to malicious “tricks” played on homeowners if treats are not distributed.

At the same time, we understand the neighborly community-building feel other families enjoy on Halloween. And we embrace the spirit of sharing our blessings with others, not only giving food to those who are hungry - a major focus for our student government this year, but also sharing our extra indulgences (i.e., candy) widely. Halloween’s roots are at least partly a harvest festival, with some similarities in spirit to Sukkot and Thanksgiving.

This year, without celebrating or even discussing Halloween at school, we openly admit that we are not sequestered. We know that October 31 is Halloween. We know that conversations have taken place between parents and children about whether and how each family will react to this day: allowing trick or treating, giving out candy to neighborhood children, both, or neither. Regardless of our differing perspectives on Halloween, many of us will have extra candy at home. And, as a school, we are committed to the core value of gemilut chasidim (social action).

Got Candy?
Let’s transform the day into an opportunity to do Hadavar Hanachon – The Right Thing! We will encourage our students to donate at least a portion of those excess treats to people who are very deserving: our troops in Afganistan. If you are among those families who either go out for the evening or simply close the shades and dim the lights on Halloween eve, you can still encourage your child to share tasty snacks you may have at home with our troops. 

So, bring in your candy and snacks. Leave them in the bins at the front doors of the main building. We will send them to our troops with notes thanking them for their service to our country.

It’s a small gemilut chesed project, demonstrating gratitude for the blessings we enjoy and recognizing our responsibility to give to others. While modest in scope, it is a project that empowers us to begin to take focus off whether or not we trick or treat to how we together help others. There will be larger gemilut chasidim projects to come as our student leadership focuses our attention on the dramatic problem of hunger locally, nationally, and globally. In the coming weeks, you’ll hear much more.

Meanwhile think not of what candy you will get or not get: think instead of what you can share.

The Power of “We”

Community! Collaboration! Connection! Energy! Ideas! Action!

The school year begins with the power of “we” – our community working together to enrich the intellectual and spiritual lives of our children.

What’s in store for our school this year?  A dynamic PTO with new and returning leadership to strengthen the bond between our families and school.  New community action groups with parents and teachers dedicated to enhancing Jewish life, gemilut chesed (social action), Israeli culture and health & wellness.  Family curriculum nights where students and parents playfully learn together.  Refined and strengthened Student Services to better meet the needs of all learners, whether in enrichment or support.  Expanded science program with more fully integrated classroom and lab studies, using our indoor and outdoor labs, trails, and gardens.  An exciting balanced literacy program to enhance reading and writing skills in English and Hebrew.  Technology plan to build skills and encourage creativity, while teaching our students to become responsible, safe digital citizens.  A facelift for our walls with bright banners and colorful pictures expressing our mission and core values to reinforce who we are as a school and community.

And looking ahead to 2012-2013, we are designing our new library-media center and planning and training for the introduction of Singapore Math.

Join us! Become more engaged with our Schechter Westchester community.  By bringing together our ideas, talents, passion and time, the power of “We” will make a wonderful difference in the lives of our children and our families!

Literacy Pronoun Watch: The only pronoun used in the writing of this blog entry is “we”; there is no “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” or “them.” With tremendous room for the individual, together we are greater than alone; united we will offer so much to our children and our community. That is the power of “we.”

What’s on my mind… What’s on yours?

It’s been far too long since I’ve written.  It’s not for lack of information to share; paradoxically, it’s because Schechter Westchester has been so busy.

For us at school, we’re gearing up – at once preparing for the upcoming academic year while remaining fully present in this year, attentive to our students, and ready to use each and every precious day to support their learning and their personal growth. Spring is by no means a time for winding down.

There is so much I want to share it’s hard to know where to begin. Topics on my mind include class placement and hiring new teachers – this possibly tops the list of activities that are demanding my attention at this time of year. There is also much ado about important curricular innovations in each discipline and in overall approach, the fruits of which you will begin to see as early as next fall.  A group of teachers has been meeting to discuss academic excellence and the role of homework in supporting classroom learning. We’re entrenched in conversations about a strengthened and deepened focus on gemilut chesed (social action) and reflecting on more deeply infusing our curriculum and programming with core Jewish values.

What peeks your curiosity about our school work?  What topics would you like to learn more about?

Here are two homework assignments: one for me, one for you:

• My assignment is to write more regularly.
• Your assignment: Take the poll! It’s right on this blog and tell me what’s on your mind.

Post your questions and comments, and offer your insights and perspectives.  Don’t be shy! Our dialogue and new insight into these areas can help you better understand the Schechter Westchester experience.

Take the poll now!

A Day in the Life

A fourth grade science fair, fifth graders speaking only Hebrew during lunch at an Israeli restaurant; a visit from a Yonkers public school fifth grade class; preparations for our school Passover sedarim.

This is only a hint of the exciting events happening here … all in just one day.  Add to this the bustle of our hard-working maintenance crew, led by Pat Bueti, keeping our generator up and running, and you’ll see images from a very busy day.

So, what is the connection between these different activities? Each is important in the way it connects what our children learn in school to real life experiences.

During the science fair, students posed original scientific questions, investigated answers, and presented their findings to one another. While speaking conversational Hebrew in an authentic setting, our fifth-graders had “light-bulb” moments when they realized for themselves that they are ready to make the language come alive during visits to Israel. Our students welcomed children of different cultures and faiths to our school, sharing our traditions and learning about others’. Throughout the school, preparations were underway as our children anticipate adding meaning and substance to our model Passover sedarim and bringing this home to their family sedarim. Meanwhile, they also learned from watching the maintenance staff’s hard work to keep the classrooms warm and bright, gaining a greater appreciation for the creature comforts we often take for granted and of the behind-the-scenes efforts that create the backdrop for our school days.

Of course, this is just a snapshot of what happened on a particular day. Life at Schechter Westchester is vibrant, creative, and energetic everyday. Yet behind the flurry of activity is deliberate thought and planning. Know that these experiences are greater than the sum of their parts. They are designed carefully to meet our high standards and are infused with Jewish values.