Remembrance is a core Jewish value. But our remembering is not one of cold intellectual distance. It is a warm, personal, and experiential undertaking. And so we wish we could have held our assembly in person.
Creative, driven, compassionate and a “Jill of all trades” are some of the words we would use to describe Danilack Middle School art teacher, Rachel Albert. It’s no surprise that her class is a favourite among students who look forward to learning and creating alongside Ms. Albert. Read on to hear about what inspires her, and how she aims to inspire each and every one of her students.
Although the current situation is a difficult and unfortunate one, it has provided us with an abundance of examples of caring in our community. In times of difficulty, we see clearest how we are thinking of one another, and how closely-knit our community truly is. We have loved seeing photos and social media posts of how your children are adapting to their online learning at AHS, and we have received many messages of support and feedback from our families, for which we are deeply appreciative.
About a month ago, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency as thousands of Chinese citizens had contracted the virus, and the entire city of Wuhan was placed under quarantine. As we aim to provide our students with authentic learning experiences, we saw this as an opportunity to engage our students in a project where they could develop valuable skills and learn about social responsibility in a contextualized and meaningful way.
When I was a student in the Chidon Hatanach, every year, in every division, the top placers would always include students and graduates of Associated. This year, at the International teen Bible Contest in May, there will be two AHS alumni out of 4 participants representing Canada. For me, this is true proof of what we do here at Associated. We meet the excellence we pursue.
What do we gain by reading a detailed description about the building of the Mishkan, a structure which no longer exists? In fact, we can learn a number of important life lessons and principles from the building of the Mishkan, such as a life of Terumah, a life of giving.
The transition from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 1 is the first big jump in a child’s educational journey and a magical year of exploration and discovery. At Associated, our teachers recognize that there is a big shift in the daily structure for students when they start Grade 1 and are dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition from Bet Hayeled to Kitah Aleph.
Although there is not much spring to look at outside, in Israel, the month of Shvat brings visible signs of renewal and growth in nature, reminding us of the many parallels between the life cycles of the trees and other plants, and our own lives, especially in the field of education. As we gear up for Tu B’Shvat, regardless of the snow outside, we are becoming excited for a holiday that is all about planting.
