Do you remember what you were doing four years ago? In these strange times where days blend into each other and time seems to move both more quickly and more slowly, I find it helpful to ground myself in a time that feels solid and clear.
The summer of 2016 is the perfect moment for me to focus on – it was my first summer at Yavneh. I wrote in a press release that I couldn’t stop smiling; I felt lucky and grateful to be part of a community that was perfectly aligned with my educational philosophy. A community filled with compassionate individuals, where each student was celebrated. Even though my journey had just begun, I felt like I was returning home. Read more
Just like I did that summer, this past July I schlepped my boxes of books through the quiet hallways, moved furniture around, and hung pictures. I didn’t have time to paint my office like I did four years ago, but hope to rectify that over a long weekend sometime this fall.
The majority of this summer was spent on planning and imagining how to keep our Yavneh community together and learning while using virtual platforms. We welcomed the community to our first day of school on Zoom, engaged our students in relevant lessons, and continued to put our students at the center of their learning. In a less than ideal world, we were able, to some degree, to plug back into something familiar, welcoming, and engaging.
Now that we have received a waiver to be able to provide in-person instruction, we are transitioning to welcome our students back to campus. The Board voted to reaffirm Yavneh’s commitment to being virtual for the first six weeks of school, until October 5th. When looking beyond the first six weeks, our first priority is to protect the health and safety of our entire school community. We believe that it is likely we will face health challenges for months to come. Each opening/closing decision requires a careful balance of factors to ensure we keep this commitment to community health and safety while providing the best education possible to our students.
As much as I enjoy thinking about days past, it is important to look to the future with clarity, determination, and directed purpose. As a community, it is vital that we gather all the information available to us to make informed decisions about how we forge ahead.
In this new year of 5781, while we continue to hope for health and happiness, we will plan and act to ensure a vibrant, safe, and strong Yavneh community.
Shanah Tova,
Cindy
