By Robin Pappas, Director of Early Learning Nine years ago, when our Early Childhood Center opened, we committed to providing a play-based, child-centered, and developmentally-appropriate preschool. Students took ownership of their learning, understood the process behind their projects, and most … Read More
Best of Both Worlds and Our Future
Maddie was a state champion in debate, Seth was an AIPAC intern, and Hannah works for Microsoft while Yoni is at Google. Laurenne recently completed her service in the IDF as a Lone Soldier, Robert was elected 9th grade class … Read More
A Man Who Dared Greatly! (And What We Can Learn from Him)
This is not the blog I expected to write the first week of school. However, the death – and life – of Senator John McCain is so significant to me that I felt compelled to write about him; not about … Read More
The Dark Side of the Internet – A True Story
This past fall I received a call from the F.B.I. That was a first. The investigator told me that the agency had recently arrested a pedophile, and confiscated his computer. On it, investigators found pictures; one was of a boy … Read More
We Have a Problem – Israel
As exquisitely expressed in the Torah, Israel has inextricably been integral to who we are and why we exist. There is a direct and clear connection between the land, God, and how we should act. This can be found in … Read More
Will Your Children Be Ready?
The tension between the realities of the future and the comfort of a reliably perceived past are palpable. Put another way, the security of “this is the way we have always done it,” versus the uneasiness of preparing for an … Read More
Face Time, Not “FaceTime” – By Robin Pappas
Any time a child spends looking at an electronic screen – a smart phone, an iPad, a computer, a television – is considered screen time. How much time does your child spend looking at a screen? Research shows that children … Read More
For the Love of Israel
We live in complicated times where almost everything seems to be politicized. Israel is no exception, and is a lightning rod when it comes to political divisiveness both globally, and more concerning, within the Jewish community. It is not that … Read More
Why We Tell Our Stories
Do you ever cuddle up with your children and share memories of your childhood – special moments, trips, or family traditions? Do you remember your parents doing the same with you? I clearly remember loving to listen to my parents … Read More
What a Standardized Test Can’t Predict is What our Students Need to Learn
The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, World Economic Forum, and Scientific America run stories routinely about what students need to learn and do to be successful in the future. An endless stream of studies, counter-studies, information, … Read More
The Walkout Matters
If we measure how the world seems to be going at this very moment, we may conclude it is getting worse. However, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker makes strong arguments that the world is getting better across many measures, as … Read More