Robbins Hebrew Academy – Architects of a new day school model.

I would like to thank all the administrators, staff, teachers and parents who participated in the curriculum evenings this past week and helped make them a great success.  This was a wonderful opportunity to continue building our collaborative learning community as partners in the education of your children. 

We are on a path of continuous improvement to provide the best education for your children. At Robbins Hebrew Academy, we are the architects of our future, and a leader in the education of Jewish children, with a program designed for 21^st century learning.  Through the creation of our new school model with critical thinking as its foundation, RHA is poised to be the first Jewish day school in Toronto to apply to be a candidate school for accreditation by SEAL (Standards in Excellence & Learning.)

SEAL is an association for independent and private schools that focuses on developing and promoting educational excellence, school improvement and leadership. SEAL is a proud member of the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada and is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools.  For more information on SEAL, go to www.seal.edu. I have been a member of the SEAL board for many years and I am thrilled to bring my experience with this process to help RHA become accredited.

We began this process by creating the vision of our mission: the ideal “relationships” needed for 21^st century graduates.   As critical thinking is foundational to our vision, the curriculum at first was designed to honour this vision and make achievement of critical thinking more likely.  Our teachers began by building their understanding of “critical challenges” to determine what success looked like.

We have embarked on a process of continuous school improvement in order to provide the best education in both General and Judaic Studies. This process is inclusive and supports all types of learners, as we believe a Jewish education is important for all.

As “architects” we have now created the detailed documents or “blueprints” that describe the richness of our curriculum. These documents are created to align with the SEAL accreditation process.  To achieve these standards, we have delineated the best practices in teaching and learning to ensure the integration, scope, sequence and continuity of the program.  “We used Schooling by Design (Grant Wiggins, 2007), Five Minds of the Future (Howard Gardner, 2007), The Global Achievement Gap (Tony Wagner, 2008), and other educational research sources to support the curriculum portion of our strategic plan that is being designed to achieve the school’s mission.

Robbins Hebrew Academy students are fortunate to be on the leading edge of education with their LEARNING POWER.

I look forward to the year ahead and many future opportunities for collaboration.  My door is always open and I would be happy to talk to you.

G’mar Chatimah Tova and an easy fast.  May you be inscribed in the book of life.
Claire Sumerlus

New Year – New Beginnings

The beginning of the school year coincides with Rosh Hashanah, a time for spiritual renewal.   As we embark on our exciting and remarkable journey this year, it is important for all of us to reflect on the past year and plan our route for the future.   The process of spiritual renewal involves life long learning and change.  We as a school have undergone much change and are confident that this will lead to a wonderful experience for your children – spiritually, emotionally and educationally.   It is our hope that the students of RHA will increase their learning power and continue on the road to being 21^st Century learners.  On behalf of the teachers and staff, I would like to welcome everyone back to school.

There are a number of exciting changes in personnel at Robbins Hebrew Academy this year.  Our name is not the only new feature.  I would like to welcome Silvia Eilath as the new Principal and Shayla Morrison as the new Vice Principal of our Bayview Campus, and Seth Goldsweig as the new Vice Principal of our Bathurst Campus.  Ashley, Silvia, Seth and Shayla together with our top-notch teachers and staff make an outstanding team.

I would like to also welcome Nava Blankenstein as the new Director of Finance, Dyanna Zaidman as the new Admissions Coordinator/Bayview Campus Receptionist and all our new teachers.  We have four new teachers at the Bathurst Campus:  Leanne Matlow, Ilana Oziel, Jenny Sumerlus and Andrea Schaffer.  We also have four new teachers at the Bayview Campus:  Roth Rohn, Daphne Dunlap, Avee Helfand and Lisa Lipetz.  Shana Haberman is our new Judaic Studies resource teacher and she will be teaching at both campuses.

We have two long time members of the Administration House team that retired at the end of August – Charlotte Bermack-Roth who handled the facilities and Sue Walsh, the Director of Finance.  We wish them both a happy and healthy retirement.

Rosh Hashanah is a very significant time in our lives.  We are provided with an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh during the process of Teshuva.  It is a time for us all to strive to be a better person.  Rosh Hashanah is a holiday filled with hope for the new year.

I would like to wish you all a Shana Tova and G’mar Chatimah Tova.  May our journey this year be a sweet and successful one.

Sincerely,

Claire Sumerlus

Walk with Israel

It’s been a very fortunate year for Robbins Hebrew Academy.  Through the generosity of Larry Robbins in blessed memory of his wife Miriam, z”l, an endowment fund has been created that will help to sustain 21^st Century RHA Jewish education for generations to come.

This year, in the spirit of Tikkun Olam, to continue in Larry’s footsteps and support the organizers, our Bathurst parents, Bruce and Lianne Leboff, would like to invite all of you to join the Robbins Hebrew Academy team at the UJA Walk with Israel on Sunday, May 30, 2010.  Through the caring and close community at Robbins Hebrew Academy, students learn to recognize and act on the deeper meaning of charity (Tzedakah) and repairing the world (Tikkun Olam).  Our students work to learn about social responsibility by giving of themselves and getting personally involved.  We emphasize the personal commitment for all causes.  One of our goals is to have our students gain a deep understanding of what it means to be a Jew and live a Jewish life with a strong love and connection to the state of Israel.  This is our opportunity to stand up and help Israel.

This year, the United Jewish Appeal annual Walk with Israel will be helping young children in the city of Bat Yam, with proceeds being allocated through the United Israel Appeal Canada to children’s projects.  Located just south of Tel Aviv, Bat Yam has been plagued with severe unemployment, poor living conditions and an educational system that faces many challenges.  The city is also home to a high population of Ethiopian immigrants striving to integrate into Israeli society.  Through your support, this community will be nurtured and given a chance for a brighter future.  This is a wonderful way for our students to get personally involved in helping other young children in Israel.

We have a brand new Robbins Hebrew Academy banner and hope to have the largest representation from any Jewish day school in Toronto.  Don your RHA t-shirts and sweatshirts and join us for the kick-off party at 9:00 am in Coronation Park.  When you arrive at the park, look for the beautiful white banner with the green and blue logo that matches your t-shirt.  I look forward to walking with all of you.

Register to Walk with Israel on the Robbins Hebrew Academy team at www.walkwithisrael.com

P.S. Join Amanda and Joshua Belzowski on Sunday, May 16 at 33 Post Road for their Lemonade Stand  and Cookie Counter in support of The Heart and Stroke Foundation.  For details click here or go to http://www.lemonade4heart.org.

TGIF

And I really mean it this time.  I mean it because this Friday is the big Friday after the big Thursday.  Our school has a new name, and now everyone knows the name, and the name game insane can stop.

For months, I have been touring USDS and telling prospective parents all about our wonderful school.  Several weeks ago, I began to drop the news that we would soon be re-branding and that the school would have a new name.

The inevitable question would be, of course, what is the name going to be?

And, the inevitable answer would be, “of course, I can’t tell you.”  It was an exciting secret shared by few.  A secret in the school hallways, in the neighbourhood bagel shop, in the carpool line up and, for me, even at my own kitchen table.

“Really”, my kids (who are students in the school) would say to me, “mom, you can tell us.”  I never did.

Now, we all know.  We are Miriam & Larry Robbins Hebrew Academy.  And believe me, I will tell the story of our new name to anyone who wants to listen.  My job is to show the school and what a gift I – and we all – have been given.

Now when I tour the halls and talk about our curriculum, our critical thinking, our amazing school gym, our menschlichkeit and all that we have to offer, I can also say we will go forward from a place of strength like never before.

As I walk the halls with the future of our school, I will tell them about the families who have come before them. The families who set the tone for what USDS was – a school rich in Judaism and learning, and what the Robbins Hebrew Academy will continue to be.  Our past will come with us into our future.

And while there is much to say about the wonderful man himself, Mr. Larry Robbins, I know he would much rather I talk about Jewish education and how important and vital it is to teach our kids our history and to teach it well.  At the end of the day, that is what we do.  Teach kids.  Jewish kids who will one day join the 21st century global community and make us all proud.

So, yes, TGIF, and Shabbat Shalom.  I can’t wait for Monday.

Shalom from Robbins Hebrew Academy

It is hard to believe that on March 1^st I celebrated my first anniversary at Robbins Hebrew Academy (continuing in a proud USDS tradition).  It feels like the time has flown by and I’ve only been here for a couple of months.  You are a warm and welcoming community and I am so excited to have the honour of being Head of this great school.

 As I look back over the accomplishments of our first year, I am overwhelmed by the amount of progress we have made.  This is in a large part a tribute to our dedicated and hard working staff and of course our amazing Parent community.

After all, we all know the adage that “it takes a village to raise a child”.  We are so fortunate to have a community that works together to help enhance the educational experience of our children.

How many people start a new position and shortly thereafter have a large endowment, new name, and 21^st Century Learning Power?  Our profile of a RHA 21^st Century Graduate portrays a lifelong learner, steeped in Jewish culture and traditions, who embraces critical thinking and uses technology to further enhance their abilities; confident and achievement oriented, but with a focus on understanding the context not just the content, a nurturer of self and others, committed to Israel, globally aware, culturally sensitive and engaged with peers, the community and the world around them.

We are hard at work on our Strategic Plan and are working together diligently to make us the best Jewish Day School in Canada.  We are committed to our three campuses – south, midtown and the north in the near future. 

Students are building “relationships” for their future.  At RHA children’s “relationships” are the foundation for their learning.  Each student’s unique blend of needs, interests and talents are met with a ‘made-to-measure’ learning experience through critical inquiry of our general and Judaic studies.

This philosophy provides the groundwork for children to learn, explore and flourish in the Portfolio Program – the five identified areas of a RHA education: Academic Excellence, Tikkun Olam, Jewish Life, Menschlichkeit and Creative and Healthy Lifestyles.

On our new RHA website, we have created two new videos about our School.  Please check out what our students have to say about “Learning Power” and what our Parents have to say about ‘Why you should choose a RHA Education for your child’.

Please remember that my door is always open.

Shalom,

Claire Sumerlus

Congratulations to Robbins Hebrew Academy.