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 […]

Demystifying ADHD: A Guide for Parents

When we hear the term ADHD, it is common to think of a child zipping around the playground like the Road Runner from Looney Tunes or an Alvin and the Chipmunks character, sitting at the back of the class, daydreaming, and “bored.” While these behaviours may capture some children with ADHD, they do not accurately […]

The Power of Yet

When I was teaching in the Elementary Division, I would work with my students each day to “retrain their brain.” I would get the students to call out thoughts that represent a fixed mindset. They found this easy and I’d hear statements such as “I can’t do it,” “I’m not good at that,” “I’m not […]