Our Values

School life and decision-making at Bialik are governed by the following values:

Academic Excellence
Jewish Values & Menschlechkeit
Tzedakah
Ahavat Yisrael
Financial/Educational Accessibility

Academic Excellence

Here at Bialik, we are proud of our ongoing pursuit of excellence in our programming. We set and achieve high standards across our curricula. Our rigorous academic programs facilitate the development of higher-level thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.

Our dual curriculum facilitates the healthy development of our students’ Canadian and Jewish identities. Our general studies program, which follows the guidelines set out by the Ontario Ministry of Education, provides our students with the skill set necessary to excel while at Bialik and beyond. At the same time, Bialik’s education engenders a strong Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

While continuing to honour our roots in the Labour Zionist Movement, our programs are constantly evolving to meet the demands of a changing world. Our aim is to help our students learn to value their Jewish heritage within the Canadian and global contexts.

Jewish Values and Menschlechkeit

At Bialik, we seek to teach our students the values that will serve them well as future leaders in the Jewish community and wider Canadian society.

Our program reflects the values central to Labour Zionism: a commitment to the State of Israel,  and the promotion of a sense of social justice that emphasizes the dignity and social worth of every individual.

We instill in our students a deep sense of character that focuses on values such as honesty, cooperation, respect, courage, responsibility, and empathy through both traditional academic and experiential learning. Our program provides our students with a common vocabulary that helps to define our community as one in which being a mensch is paramount.

We take great pride in our environmental education and sustainability program. From ‘Walk to School’ days to school gardens, students at Bialik have made green living an integral part of their lives, and an important part of our Tikkun Olam program.

Tzedakah

Our focus on Tzedakah helps our students understand the value of giving back, while providing opportunities for students in all grades to get involved on a personal level. Bialik’s approach to Tzedakah encompasses four spheres each of which has a ‘doing’ component that actively engages students in Tikun Olam. Each sphere has its own campaigns and educational objectives.

Sphere #1 – Our Bialik Family

Our students learn about the financial sacrifices that all families make to provide their children with a Bialik Jewish education, and the values represented by a decision to send children to Bialik. We raise funds for tuition subsidies for those families that need support to access a Bialik education.

Sphere #2 – Our Jewish Community

Our students learn about diversity, the range of needs of children their own age, and the importance of supporting other Jews in our local community. We raise funds for Zareinu – a GTA Jewish day school that supports students with severe physical and cognitive disabilities.

Sphere #3 – The Wider Civic Society

Students learn about the human body, healthy living habits, and the need to support secular institutions that promote health and quality of life in our city. We raise funds for Sick Kids hospital.

Sphere #4 – Israel

Students learn about the multiple connections between Israel and communities such as ours in the Diaspora; different populations in Israel; and the value of reaching out to Israelis in need. We raise money for Na’amat, a women’s Zionist organization that funds day care centres and other social service organizations in Israel.

Ahavat Yisrael

Paramount to the values of Bialik is Ahavat Yisrael, the love for Israel. A cultural and spiritual connection with Israel is developed through study of the history, literature and music of the State. Students also have the opportunity to interact with Israeli visitors throughout the year. Our Shinsinim, young Israelis who come to our school for a year of pre-army volunteer work, bring Israeli culture to Bialik. Tzedakah programs such as Shai Le’chayal help students feel a sense of responsibility to the Israeli community by sending gifts to Israeli soldiers. Similarly, having the opportunity to interact with IDF Band soldiers, who visit to perform for the school, reinforces these feelings.

Our experiential programs result in deep and lasting emotional connections to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. These fully integrated programs constitute a powerful learning tool that makes Israel an important part of our students’ cultural identities.

Accessibility

Educational

Here at Bialik Hebrew Day School, we work tirelessly to provide our students with full access to our rich Jewish and General Studies curricula. Our commitment is to endeavour to meet the needs of all children who walk through our front doors, including those with unique learning profiles and challenges.

We ensure this commitment by embracing differentiated instruction, a teaching approach that respects and caters to the many different student learning styles and affinities in every classroom. In addition, we have a strong, professionally trained core of Resource Teachers who work alongside our classroom faculty to ensure that all students receive the attention and support that they need to reach their potential in every subject area.

Financial

We strive to ensure that no Jewish child is denied a Bialik education for financial reasons. We offer tuition support for students in all grades – from JK through to Grade 8 – whose families qualify under the guidelines provided by UJA Federation’s Centre for Jewish Education.

Applications for tuition support are mailed to every Bialik family prior to the start of each school year. A fully confidential committee reviews all tuition support requests and support is based on each family’s financial situation.