Dear Emery/Weiner Parents,

 

I hope this message finds you & your families well. I write to share some early-semester thoughts.

 

According to Plato, "The beginning is the most important part of the work." So if your child is off to a good start, share this Greek wisdom and encourage them to keep it up. 

 

If, on the other hand, your child is struggling a bit, you can always share something from Jewish tradition:  "In the beginning," the Torah says, "the earth was tohu v'vohu" -- meaning "formless and empty." But soon thereafter, there was light, beauty and goodness in the world. In other words, even amidst pervasive darkness, there is great potential. So encourage them to be patient (and diligent).

 

Philosophy aside, we're delighted that the pain of our mid-August start date is behind us, and we hope that everyone's re-adjusting to the pace of school life. Speaking of which, the early feedback on the new weekly rotation and daily schedule has been extremely positive. We realize that the new approach isn't perfect -- no schedule is -- so we'll continue to monitor the situation. That said, the first-period study hall and flex-time start certainly seem to be providing several of the benefits we had hoped for and anticipated. Mornings in both the Upper and Middle School buildings are now characterized by quiet calm, not rushed chaos, as kids politely congregate, talk with teachers, visit with friends, study silently and prepare for the day ahead.

 

On a less sanguine note, we've already had a few disciplinary issues -- some on campus, some off. Apparently, some of our middle school students are talking and texting during Bar and Bat Mitzvah services -- to such an extent that I've received several negative reports from congregants and Rabbis at our local synagogues. Needless to say, this behavior is not only disrespectful to others in attendance, it's embarrassing for our school. Please know, I'm acutely aware of the challenge involved with kids maintaining attention in long services when surrounded by their peers -- and unsupervised. So then, let's try something different:  I implore you to either sit with your child or arrange for another adult to do so. I believe this is the only way to solve this long-standing, frequently-repeating problem. On the Upper School side, a student was expelled for stealing.

 

In sum, though my annual priorities as Head of School vary from year-to-year -- a subject I'll return to in a future email soon -- our fundamental institutional goal remains consistent: To create the most engaging and effective learning environment possible. Every decision I make is viewed through that lens -- what's best educationally for our students. But an Emery/Weiner education is not only about academics; it's also about what we call the three C's -- Character, Commitment and Community. Which is why, for example, we begin every year with a unique Opening Ceremony -- an event designed not only to infuse joy, but to convey a serious ethical and developmental message. And which is why I shared the unfortunate news above. We know kids will make mistakes, but we must hold them accountable when they do.  It's what I refer to as the fourth or "Silent C" -- Consequences.  Perhaps most importantly, we must model for our children the values we strive to teach.  To this end, I hope you'll review the attached documents -- Student, Teacher and Parent Ten Commitments, all of which were written by members of the respective groups.  Our expectation is that every member of the EWS community signs the appropriate version -- our teachers, for example, post theirs in classrooms -- and most importantly, lives by these standards. Please review the Parent Ten Commitments and sign electronically here. 

 

Incidentally, if you missed this year's Opening Ceremony -- the theme of which was "Don't Hide, Do Seek" -- we'll be posting video clips on our website next week.

 

As always, thanks for entrusting your children to us; it's an honor and responsibility we take very seriously.