Dear Ezra Families and Friends,
We so miss all of you, but especially your children. My morning is just not the same without seeing those happy faces coming into the building. I even miss those sleep deprived, grouchy adolescents who do not even return my good morning greetings! I have begun asking teachers to include me in zoom meetings, just so I can remain connected with each and every child.
We have continued to have as much continuity in our days as possible. Some unique firsts have been experienced by our community. We were invited to attend a virtual Brit Milah by the Mund/Dashevsky family. We have had Kabbalat Shabbat and tefillah on line, first Torah readings and today Pesach tutoring with older students in "breakout rooms" helping their younger counterparts. Our students have taken virtual field trips, listened in on webinars that included the likes of Natan Sharansky. We are really trying to make the very best of this difficult situation.
Teachers continue to pour their hearts and souls into their teaching and interacting with their students. Please stay in close touch with them. We need you to continue to be our partners in this endeavor. Your particular perspective can truly help us to determine what is working and what can be enhanced or improved. In that vein, I am sharing an FBI website with you. It includes children, parent and teacher sections that will help to educate all of us on safe internet practice. Now, more than ever, with so many of our children spending more time on screens, this is crucial information to share. Please help your children to go through this material and to take it seriously.
The Montessori Preschool teachers have also been working very hard to stay connected with their students and families As Morah Lana reports, "This has been quite a change for everyone and stressful times require thoughtful questioning and constant analysis, with numerous Zoom staff meetings!" The Montessori teachers are collaborating on video uploads, including storytelling, science experiments, Passover yoga, music lessons, puppet show, child friendly recipes, weekly Torah parsha, book reads... A daily email is sent out at 8:20am with activities for number engagement, language enrichment, art activities and gross motor games, as well as links to uploaded YouTube videos. We are doing class Zoom meetings twice a week with the preschoolers, which have been interesting, challenging and fun! We'd much rather be with your children at school, but we'll weather this together, staying strong, healthy and positive.
All of this being said, we know that working from home, caring for children, spouses and yourself can be a challenge. We are all here to help in any way possible and I encourage you to reach out if there is anything I can do for you, even if that means just a little bit of adult conversation! I am in the office daily from 8-3 (203-389-5500) so feel free to reach out.
Wishing you a happy and healthy Shabbat Shalom,
Melanie