Mazal Tov to Our Resilient Grade 8 Graduates

Dear Bialik Graduates of 2020, Mazal tov to you all! .כל הכבוד על המאמץ, העבודה, הנחישות, והאכפטיות שהביאו אותכם לרגע הזה Completing your time at Bialik represents a wonderful accomplishment, one which should give you and your families a tremendous sense of pride. This is true of every graduating class, of course, but all the […]

Presenting Our 2020 Valedictorians

It is a time-honoured Graduation tradition to hear from not one, but four Bialik Valedictorians — one for each language taught. We were so moved by their speeches at our Virtual Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony. Despite having had to deliver their addresses to a camera lens instead of an audience of their loving family and […]

Please Don’t Drop the Self-Care Ball

Parents are by nature carers. We intuitively put the needs of our children first. After all, they depend on us. In times of stress and uncertainty, the demands of everyday life for parents are magnified, and all the more so now during this long period of confinement and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our roles […]

NEWS RELEASE: Bialik Uses 3D Printers to Help Make PPE for the Community

Bialik Hebrew Day School has answered Ontario’s call to create Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) using their state-of-the-art STEM Lab’s 3D printers. As part of the Community Shield initiative created by InkSmith in Kitchener, Ontario, the school has printed PLA components for over 100 face shields since they started production two weeks ago. They will continue […]

Mindfulness and Being a ‘Present’ Parent

Parenting is a privilege and a gift that I treasure daily. If there is one thing I have learned as a parent to my three children, it is to be present and fully engaged when I’m with them. My experience as Bialik Himel’s School Counsellor reinforces my belief that there is no such thing as […]

Pesach in the Time of COVID-19

Dear Bialik Families, This year, the world over, our Pesach Seders will be different. Of course, we will be celebrating in much smaller groups, limited to our nuclear families, and perhaps connecting with others for Zoom Seders. But I also predict some ad hoc additions to the Haggadah text. As we dip our fingers in […]

Reflections on Day of Giving

I wrote this blog after the Day of Giving and so much has changed in this short time due to the Coronavirus. With all the uncertainty around us, our new social distancing and now, Bialik’s Online Learning Program, I have seen our community come together for the greater good to look out for one another […]

Announcement of School Closure Due to COVID-19

Dear Bialik Parents, GTA Jewish day school professional and lay leaders held a conference call to decide on the appropriate measures to take in light of the COVID-19 situation. Below, please see the joint message that we are sending to the folowing Jewish day school communities, among others: Associated Hebrew Day SchoolsBialik Hebrew Day SchoolB’nei […]

Don’t Let Anxiety — the ‘Cult Leader’ — Run Your Child’s Life

As the school counsellor of Bialik’s Viewmount Branch, my role has certainly evolved over the past four years. Without a doubt, it has become increasingly focused on supporting anxious students and consulting with their parents who, at times, might be feeling a little anxious themselves. My new normal is not at all surprising. It is […]

6 Ideas for Parents to Get Kids Reading

According to a research study from 31 countries, homes that have 80 or more books have a positive impact on childhood literacy. This begs the question, should we be loading up our homes with books? Do e-books count? What if we own the books, but have never read them? While there may be merit to […]