Parent Perspective:
Nurturing an Enthusiasm and Love for Learning
by Becky (Gideon - Grade 1)
My son, Gideon, is in first grade at Schechter. This Passover, he decided he was going to form a band of students for the holiday. He would be the conductor; his friend would create the banner for the performance; and he and several of the kids in the class would sing and play instruments. The band was going to be called the Silly Wackadoodle Kid Band Guaranteed on the Jewish Holidays. According to my son, this band was going to perform Manish Tanah in his classroom. Skeptically, I asked his teacher, Shula Levy, if this was true. "Yes," she confirmed. Gideon had organized his classmates, and they were going to perform on the Monday before Passover.
That Monday, my mother-in-law, husband and I arrived at classroom 1-4 at the designated time. We were given tickets for admission. Gideon's general studies teachers were there, as well as the first-grade class from next door. The performers gathered at the front of the classroom and, accompanied by a musical CD, they proudly sang the four questions.
From the start, I was amazed by how incredibly supportive Shula was of my son's endeavor. She could have squashed the idea. She could have told Gideon that it was silly. Or she simply could have ignored his repeated pleas and demands to do a performance.
Instead, Shula helped the students organize the day. She offered to get them instruments. She opened up her classroom to an audience. And in doing so, Shula allowed the students to take ownership and personalize a traditional part of the Passover seder and a part of their Jewish education. I am sure Gideon will never forget singing the four questions with his classmates before a live audience. He will remember both the experience and the Hebrew lesson within it.
My experience at Schechter this morning confirmed that we made the right decision when we chose to send our son to this school. Shula's decision to let the Silly Wackadoodle Kid Band Guaranteed on the Jewish Holidays perform Ma Nishtanah is just another example of the warm, supportive and encouraging environment that pervades Schechter. It also illustrates how the teachers at this school nurture an enthusiasm and love for learning in their students. We are truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful community. Thanks, Shula!
