Rosh Hashanah Reflection and Renewal

Dear Bialik Community Members, The first thing that many of us do when we open the calendar for a new school year is to check the dates of the High Holidays — Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. We want to know if they come “early” or “late”, and when we […]

Our Parents’ Farewell Address

At our Pre-Graduation Zoom Ceremonies, we were privileged to hear from two alum parents, Joanna Sugar’84 at our Viewmount Branch and Melita Sager’95 at our Himel Branch. Both their heartfelt addresses to the Class of 2021 spoke of the impact Bialik has made on their lives and those of their families. ———————– Viewmount Branch Good […]

Our 2021 Valedictorians Speeches

As a school that teaches four languages, it is a treasured Bialik graduation tradition to hear addresses in each language from our four valedictorians at our Graduation Ceremonies. Kol Hakavod to Katie Ossip, Yiddish Valedictorian, Corey Bensky, French Valedictorian, Jacob Mann, Hebrew Valedictorian and Abby Mandelcorn, English Valedictorian. We are proud to share excerpts of […]

Head of School’s Graduation Address

Dear Bialik Graduates of 2021, Mazal tov to you all! .כל הכבוד על המאמץ, העבודה, הנחישות, והאכפתיות שהביאו אתכם 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 […]

Our Attitude Determines Our Outcome

We were so stimulated and impressed by the finalists at our Grade 8 English Public Speaking Competition. Our students worked extremely hard to research, write and deliver their speeches with confidence and poise. We are proud to share the first-prize-winning speech from Abby Mandelcorn, who as the judges said, “Took a year-and-a-half and summed it […]

Working, Living, Learning — All from Home

Here we are again — over one year later — in lockdown. The phrases “stay at home,” “flatten the curve” and “physical distancing” have become all too familiar. “Languishing” has become the new buzz word to explain how many parents are feeling and COVID-19 fatigue has permeated all of our households. This emotional burnout is […]

Pesach is Coming!

!שמחה רבה שמחה רבה אביב הגיע פסח בא Great joy, great joy, spring is here, Pesach is coming! This classic Pesach song is just one of many that ring through Bialik’s hallways, most years, as Pesach approaches. In fact, we begin hearing these songs almost as soon as the Purim costumes are put away! These […]

Recess Matters

Like many of our students, one of my favourite “subjects” at school was — and remains — recess. As a kid, recess was both “me time,” an opportunity to literally and figuratively shake off the morning, and “we time,” a much-needed opportunity to build friendships. Recess was the class where I was the one who […]

This Tu Bishvat, What Will You Plant?

Tu Bishvat — the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat — is a perfect holiday for educators! It is a one-day festival on the Jewish calendar that can become the focus of an entire unit in the classroom. Tu Bishvat lends itself readily to teaching about how and why we celebrate birthdays, how […]

Helping Your Child Gain Independence while Learning Remotely

One of my favourite lines about child development comes from Dr. Alex Russell, a psychologist who specializes in supporting families and educators. He says — and I’m paraphrasing slightly — children need a healthy dose of “non-catastrophic, painful failure.” Now, I should note that the last few times I attended a speaking function where he […]