This fall issue of The Journey magazine celebrates how we are continuing to move forward, as a Davis kehillah (community), with both optimism and strength. Onward Davis Academy!
The collective commitment of our faculty, students and families, who along with medical experts, professional advisors, administrators, staff, Board members and graduates make up this incredible community, enables us to continue to embrace this historic time not only as a challenge but most importantly as an opportunity to evolve, grow, and thrive. Together we carry on through the pandemic, leaning into our timeless values as the foundation upon which we face the great challenge of our time, while ensuring hope for and confidence in our children and their future.
Throughout most of the summer it appeared that we would begin this year without needing to implement extensive COVID-19 protocols. However unfortunately the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant, along with the absence of vaccine eligibility for children under 12, required that we begin the year being more mindful than originally anticipated. And yet even with many important mitigation strategies in place, we have recalibrated our approach from last year to include many aspects of a “typical” school year, balancing the academic, physical and social-emotional needs of our children, and ensuring a fantastic learning experience infused with great Davis ruach (spirit).
The Journey highlights just some of the many amazing experiences happening all around our two campuses. Each day there are students coding in our Innovation and Design Studio and praying in our chapel, running laps on the indoor track and performing improv on our stage. They are learning Spanish and Hebrew and collecting leaves in our Nature Sanctuary; playing drums, analyzing parts of speech, singing Hatikvah, glazing pottery and factoring trinomials, even while thinking about the next MAAC league volleyball game! Not even a pandemic can stand in the way of our enthusiastic, curious and optimistic children! And so, we embrace them, and their future, as our mandate to evolve and thrive.
We haven’t compromised on learning, laughing, praying, dancing, playing, collaborating, and growing together and there is no doubt that we have what it takes to carry onward and upward with strength and commitment and plenty of Davis L.O.V.E! We hope you can feel the L.O.V.E in the pages ahead as we truly Live Our Values Every day.
Amy Shafron Lisa Freedman Head of School President, Board of Trustees
2021–2022
President
Lisa Freedman
Vice Presidents
Mark Edelstein
Micah Goldstein
Brian Mand
Secretary Lisa Haynor
Treasurer Kevin Levingston
Immediate Past President
Evan Toporek
Karl Altmann
Abby Bechler-Karsch
Mara Berman Dana Bernath
Scott Bohrer
Barbie Bregen Steven Cohen
Ann Davis Elizabeth Davis Russell Falkenstein
Vanessa Frank Julia Galanti David Goldberg Billie Greenberg Jeff Hopkins Bennett Kaplan Hope Kaufman
Jami Kohn
Debbie Kurzweil
Bobbi Perlstein
Josh Perlstein Michelle Rosenberg Stacey Rothberg Bill Rothschild Carol Rubin
Linda Selig Stanley Sonenshine Jason Tessler Sam Tuck
Trustees for Life
William Breman (z”l) Dulcy Davis Rosenberg Jay Davis Sidney Kirschner
Past Presidents (in order of service)
Jan Epstein 1990-1992
Carol Nemo 1990-1996
Dean Benamy 1996-1999
Harriet Zoller 1999-2000
Bryan Fields 2000-2003
Ben Sillins 2003-2005
Billie Greenberg 2005-2007
Tonia Sellers 2007-2011
Sam Tuck 2011-2014
Debbie Kurzweil 2014-2016
Jon Leven 2016-2018
Evan Toporek 2018-2020
Amy Shafron Head of SchoolNevercontent to rest on yesterday’s successes, Judaism is a tradition that embraces the idea of “onward.” Whether out of necessity or simply out of a desire to explore the endless possibilities of human existence, Jews and Judaism have, for thousands of years, embraced opportunities to evolve, grow, and thrive. When the 2nd Temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70, Judaism would have perished. Instead our ancestors said “onward” and created many of the practices and traditions that are central to Judaism today.
At The Davis Academy we speak often of L’dor V’dor (“from generation to generation”). Yes, L’dor V’dor refers to the timeless values and traditions that we hand down again and again, but L’dor V’dor also speaks to the challenge that each generation faces in adapting, translating and evolving Jewish tradition to meet the challenges of the time. Each and every generation faces different challenges and opportunities and for that reason, each generation turns to our shared heritage to call out and emphasize those aspects of our tradition best suited to our unique moment.
The Talmud, and Jewish tradition more generally, abounds with stories that demonstrate the “onward” facing spirit of Jewish tradition. In one story, the rabbis outsmart even God. In another story Moses
visits the study hall of the great sage, Rabbi Akiva only to find that Rabbi Akiva is an even greater scholar than Moses was in his day. Judaism’s entire vision for humanity can be summed up in the simple truism: our best days are in front of us.
Here at The Davis Academy we are proud to be aligned with a forward looking, optimistic, and empowering tradition. We feel called in our work to ensure that our best days are indeed in front of us. For thousands of years our ancestors have embraced the mandate to learn, grow, and evolve. Our commitment toward creating the best of all possible worlds has equipped us with the resilience to weather many a storm. During these tumultuous times, there’s no doubt that we have what it takes to move onward with strength, vision, and resolve.
Thank you to The Davis Academy community for welcoming our family with open arms. Joining Davis mid-year during a pandemic could have made for a hard transition for our family, and especially our then-3rd grade daughter, but instead we were swept right up into this warm, supportive, nurturing, generous and loving community. Our children are thriving and truly have never been happier. We are so very grateful for the twists and turns in life that brought us to this incredible school and gave us an opportunity to be a part of the Davis Academy extended family.
—The Brown Family: Jody, Scott, Stella (4th Grade), Carter (1st Grade)
When asked to describe his experience at Davis, Jacob answered with one word— “fun.” The Davis Academy’s ability to foster a love of learning is truly one of its most remarkable attributes. Every morning is met with excitement to start the day and every afternoon includes an abundance of stories of Davis’ innovative lessons and activities. The teachers at Davis take the time to understand each child’s unique character and strengths and as parents we could not ask for anything more. Davis is so much more than a school- it is a cohesive community that welcomes every student and family with love, warmth and ruach. We feel so blessed to be able to send Jacob to a school like The Davis Academy.
—The Appelstein Family: Alexis, Joshua, Jacob (1st Grade), Charlotte
We are very fortunate to have our children at The Davis Academy. Our son has dyslexia and spent two years at The Schenck School. When it was time for him to leave, we started our school search. We wanted a place that would challenge our kids, but would also provide them with support. The Davis Academy was able to provide both. The faculty and staff are fantastic at what they do. It is a nurturing environment offering children just the right mix of challenge and support, as well as amazing opportunities for growth and development. We love the community and friends we have made. We couldn’t be happier to be at Davis!
—The Cahill Family: Lori, Dusty, Dylan (6th Grade), Addie (3rd Grade)
In 2019, right before the pandemic hit, we had the opportunity to tour the Davis campus and meet some of the amazing faculty. This was the last school that we toured out of a handful of other schools. While all the others were wonderful, we walked out of Davis with our decision made. The decision came very naturally without even a thought since all our extended families live in Los Angeles, we wanted to give our children a family and a community in Atlanta. This is the feeling we have at Davis-Family, Community, Academic Excellence… What else can we ask for? Davis Academy was going to be a part of our family. The experience speaks for itself, we see both of our kids thriving, not just on report cards, but every single day when we pick them up from school. The smiles on their faces, the amount they want to share, the great friends that they have made is absolutely priceless. One of the most important aspects of this amazing school that we have noticed is that the entire faculty and staff are so happy, welcoming and warm. Every morning they all have a smile on their face and are ready for our kids. How special is this, and how lucky are we to have the opportunity to be in such a special school, community and family?
—The Toub Family: Hedi, Farid, Ari (1st Grade), Ayla (Mechina)
First graders experienced mindfulness training in Jewish Studies. They learned how to get to a space of focus, Morah Meirav asked them to close their eyes and imagine the color and feeling she described with detail. With additional exercises and discussions about listening inward to themselves, and understanding what’s important, the experience tied in the V’AHavta prayer, which is based on love and what is most dear to us to love and to focus on. Morah Meirav said, “through mindfulness students learn how to listen with intention (Kavana in Hebrew) and to be in the present moment. This is the preface to anything truly “tefilah,” and anything we want to do or experience fully.”
This fall, multiple fields and gyms have been filled with motivated athletes participating in soccer, cross country, volleyball, softball, ultimate frisbee, and now basketball. On the field and in the gym, students strengthened their physical skills, technique and abilities for each sport, while incorporating values of accountability, humility and self-discipline. Regardless of final scores, coaches ensure student athletes are focused on spirit and respect as they develop as individuals and as a team. We are proud that almost 90% of Middle School students are participating on Davis teams in the Metro Atlanta Athletic Conference and spreading Davis LOVE throughout the region.
Fourth grade students go back to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area to participate in the beautiful High Holy Day ritual of Tashlich. This learning experience happens after Rosh Hashanah, and students explore Tashlich from multiple perspectives including creative writing, physical activities, and popular media. Students experience a real intention of improvement and renewal as they think of the things they’ve done wrong in the past year and symbolically “cast off” their mistakes by throwing pebbles to the river.
The Davis Academy again offers free bus transportation for the 2021-22 school year, making this year 2 of the pilot program. The pilot program successfully started in the 20192020 school year as part of an initiative to make Davis easily accessible to families across Metro Atlanta. After a pandemic related XXX year, the program continues with expanded routes, serving hundreds of students from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, East Roswell, Sandy Springs, Morningside, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chastain, and Dunwoody.
The PTO’s Back-to-School Carnival was a tremendous reunion and celebration. Children had a great time playing, dancing, painting, and enjoying delicious ice cream. Thanks to Davis parent volunteers who created such a spirited event to start our year.
This year, second grade led a school wide tzedakah project, Operation Isaiah Food Drive. Students encouraged Lower and Middle School students to bring food items for the Kosher Food Pantry at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS). In addition to filling multiple bins, families made virtual donations to support this amazing project.
The Davis Academy continues to design, create, and collaborate in new ways to bring to life our student-centered approach to Judaism and Jewish life. This year’s Sukkot and Simchat Torah celebrations were joyous, meaningful, and memorable. Students in Mechina through 8th grade decorated beautiful sukkot on both campuses, and some grades welcomed their families. The Torah Procession (Hakafah) during Simchat Torah made its way through the lower school halls, where students waved flags, danced and cheered with ruach, while the Middle School students unscrolled the Torah around the gym. These celebrations were a perfect way to rejoice and be thankful for our Davis kehillah.
The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org
Eighth graders participated in an annual leadership retreat at Camp Ramah Darom in Clayton, GA. Students strengthened individual leadership skills, built community, and deepened their grade-level connections with activities ranging from tzedekfocused tikkun olam study sessions, to team building challenges and campfire ruach. As students left the retreat, they felt encouraged to think about their passions, how they can fulfill them and ultimately, how they can increase their impact of action during their final year at The Davis Academy and post graduation.
Eighth graders participated in a special reenactment of the Second Continental Congress under the direction of George Washington (Mr. Barry, Middle School Social Studies Teacher). Students brought history to life impersonating 56 original delegates and American Revolutionists representing the thirteen original colonies, such as: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. While in character, students debated topics around taxation, military actions, and whether to pursue independence from Great Britain. Parents “witnessed history” as the delegates of the 13 colonies adjourned to bring their brilliance to life as a unified (yet sometimes divided) political body. Through this extraordinary educational experience students enhanced their leadership skills and self confidence while developing appreciation of our American History.
Recognizing that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our Student Government Association took the lead in the Middle School by planning a “Pink Out Day” to raise awareness for breast cancer, a “Color Out Day” to support awareness for many other forms of cancer and a Penny Wars competition to raise funds for the American Childhood Cancer Organization (6th grade), American Cancer Society (7th grade) and Aurora Day Camps (8th grade) in addition to putting together bags for a community event in memory of Davis Academy mom, Emily Moore who passed away from cancer. Our Middle School community is certainly living our value of Tzedek (righteousness) and striving to make the world a better place.
As soon as the CDC approved the FDA’s recommendation for the Moderna vaccine booster for those working in school settings, we wasted no time! The Davis team received their vaccines on campus in the early hours of the morning. This mitzvah brought community pride we continue to prioritize the health & wellbeing of our faculty & staff. The shared feelings of relief and appreciation make being part of this kehillah even more meaningful. The Davis Academy expresses its deepest gratitude to Davis parent and pharmacist, Dr. Dawn Sasine, and Tuxedo Pharmacy for making this possible.
While the World Series was underway, the Davis kehillah was excited to celebrate the beloved Atlanta Braves with plenty of Davis ruach! And thanks to Rabbi Micah the spirit and love for the game of baseball turned into values-based learning experience with the release of his newest song, “Keep Swinging.” A beautiful song with a universal message about resilience, grit and teamwork that pays tribute to a great Atlantan, Hank Aaron. Rabbi Micah was deeply inspired by Aaron’s courage, grace, and legacy both on and off the field and based the song on the following quote from Aaron: My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.
We are blessed to have Shinshinim back on campus. This year we welcome Amit Youker Harel and Nave Avitan. The Shinshinim are recent Israeli high school graduates taking a gap year in Atlanta before their military service. They infuse their love of Israel into our school through art, song, dance, and holiday observances. For the last four years (with the exception of last year due to Covid-19)
With plenty of red and blue, tons of ruach and much Davis LOVE we celebrated The Braves winning the 2021 World Series! As parades and celebrations took place around Atlanta, The Davis Academy had fun too! Students and faculty & staff went “all in” with their team spirit. At the same time, we also celebrated the Federal approval of COVID-19 vaccinations, and hundreds of Davis students received their vaccine in our Davis clinic.
The Davis Academy has been a coveted placement for Shinshinim because of our dynamic and energetic student body, our unique and refreshing approach to Jewish practice and our school’s deep love of Israel. The
The 22nd Annual Golf Tournament was held at the end of August, rescheduled several times from our original date, May 2020. It was a great day of community support for our school, honoring long standing volunteer and past president Sam Tuck. Many generous corporate sponsors and volunteers contributed their resources and time to make the day a great success. Hold the date for our next tournament—May 9, 2022!
It’s Snow Time! The Davis Academy performing arts team is getting ready for an incredible Frozen Jr. production, taking place March 20 & 21 of 2022. This year marks the 18th Davis Academy musical production making it a “chai” school musical. As the school navigates the pandemic and the return of the school musical this year, several components of the Broadway-style musical experience will be determined and adjusted. The hope is to have the full student kehillah play a part in this beloved Davis tradition which has involved 879 student performers and crew over the past 18 years. This tale of acceptance, magic, adventure, family, and true love promises to melt many hearts.
“I
When passing through the halls of The Davis Academy Lower School, such phrases may be overheard as students navigate their days in and out of the classroom. Cultivating school wide verbiage is just one of the facets that results from the social emotional learning explicitly taught in the Guidance curriculum across the grade levels and is also reinforced in all aspects of the students’ day. In preparation for Middle School years and beyond.
Now more than ever, it is critical that school is a place where not only a child’s academic intelligence grows, but also an environment in which the whole child can be seen, heard and valued. When it comes to happiness and success, emotional intelligence (EQ) is as important as developing intellectual abilities and potential (IQ). Emotional intelligence is like a GPS that can help an individual navigate their way around obstacles and toward interpersonal and intrapersonal success.
“Kiss your brain!”
“I
It is through implicit and explicit education and application that students learn how to foster and grow their ability to understand, use, and manage emotions in positive ways, to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Through emotional intelligence, students build stronger relationships, succeed at school, and achieve personal goals. It can also help connect with feelings,
Guiding students to better understand themselves and create meaningful relationships with those around them.
just made a beautiful oops!”
can be a flexible thinker!!!”
turn intention into action, and make informed decisions about what matters most.
The five principles that define Emotional Intelligence are at the backbone of the social emotional learning that takes place in Mechina through Fifth Grade: self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationship skills. The themes and topics of this curriculum are taught in developmentally appropriate ways, using bibliotherapy, technology, arts and crafts, movement activities and discussions, and are facilitated by the Lower School Counselors, Jamie Rindsberg and Annie Peskin.
A Growth Mindset is a concept that becomes a guiding force early on through our students’ academic and extracurricular experiences. By learning that it is okay to make mistakes and safe to try new and challenging things, students are more likely to take risks and live up to their truest and highest potentials. Parents will likely hear about the “Power of YET” from their kindergartener who shares that they cannot ride a two-wheeler yet, and also from a third grader who has not yet mastered their multiplication facts. In first grade, students discover that when doing hard things, or trying new things and making mistakes, our “brain grows.” Resources and language are shared with parents to integrate the learning at home.
Second and third graders learn about the power of empathy. Students wear a cape and show off the superpower of empathy as they demonstrate how an empathetic person would respond or behave under different scenarios. To deepen the learning, students are divided in teams and work on an Empathy Escape Room, where they use their powers collectively to solve empathy-themed puzzles, unscramble code words, and earn empathy hearts to “unlock themselves.” Not only is it a fun activity, students learn the difference between an empathetic person and a self-involved person, as well as how to put empathy into practice in everyday situations.
Kindergarten students learn that a little bit of worry is healthy and protective, but ideally, we would like to stop a worry from growing bigger as it may keep us from doing things that we want and need to do. After reading the book, The Very Hungry Worry Monster, by Rosie Greening, students learn that lots of people worry about lots of different things and it is important to talk about it, name it, and brainstorm ways to “defeat or lessen the worry.” Students then create Worry Monsters, a variation of a worry box to help them tangibly notice a thought or worry, write it down, and let it go by feeding it to the monster. The lesson is shared in detail with parents with additional resources to support, practice, and continue the learning at home.
When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful.”
Students created their own “growing brain” and shared examples when their brain grows:
• My brain grows when I… lose a baseball game and try harder next time.
• My brain grows when I… try swimming in the deep end.
• My brain grows when I… write, because it is hard.
• My brain grows when I… keep falling when I try to ride my two-wheeler.
I am your very own worry monster, and I will always be here; When worries pop into your head, don’t let them turn to fear. Take a piece of paper and make sure you write it down; put the worry in my mouth and watch me gobble it down.”
Fourth and fifth grade students learn that words are powerful—they can make a person feel amazing or they can make a person feel really hurt. Once words are spoken, kind or unkind, they are forever imprinted on the heart. After reading the book Mr. Peabody’s Apples, by Madonna, they learn that sometimes it is impossible to undo the damage that rumors can cause. To make this lesson more concrete, children worked in groups to squeeze toothpaste onto a heart and worked hard to do the impossible: put all of the toothpaste back into the tube. Just like gossip, rumors, and lashon hara (negative talk), once it’s said it’s said: it’s near impossible to take it back. Students see that even when you apologize or try to make something better, you cannot ever completely erase the hurt of those “sticky” unkind words. They are stuck to the heart and there is a lasting effect.
Students working on an Empathy Escape Room, solving empathy-themed puzzles to earn empathy hearts and "unlock themselves."
The educational landscape is ever-changing and The Davis Academy continues to prioritize the evolving needs of our learning community. There are several trends that have been highlighted across the country since the onset of the pandemic and yet, they are themes that we have historically integrated into our learners’ experience. These trends include prioritizing the integration of online tools to support teaching and learning, the use of augmented and virtual reality to create experiential opportunities, especially as mobility is impacted by the global pandemic, and finally, expanding our students’ understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As a global economy, we are preparing students for roles that do not yet exist and as such, they must have the technological prowess to adapt rapidly and communicate cross-culturally. As a result, we continue to integrate the use of online tools into the teaching and the learning for digital fluency. Examples include the use of Flipgrid in Mrs. Cohen’s and Mrs. Stein’s eighth grade Language Arts class after students read Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use” reminding readers of how our heirlooms connect us to our ancestors. Prompted by the teachers, students used Flipgrid to share their own short videos describing their family heirlooms. Tools, such as Flipgrid, allow our community to connect through storytelling. Mrs. Bolnick’s fifth grade math students participate in digital escape room experiences with
A. During science, sixth grade students virtually go into a spaceship to experience a journey out of this world. B. Eighth grade students use Flipgrid to share the stories of their family heirlooms. B
the help of BreakoutEDU. BreakoutEDU is a digital tool that challenges students to use clues to solve riddles related to their curriculum, such as order of operations. Students in Mechina through second grade are taught to use SeeSaw, a digital platform for student engagement. As an example, kindergarten students used SeeSaw to read a book entitled When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, which celebrates the joy of nature. Using SeeSaw, they practiced their handwriting and counting skills centered around the themes of the book.
Another technological trend is the use of augmented and virtual reality to simulate an experience so that students are immersed in a three dimensional environment that reinforces the curriculum. For example, in eighth grade science, students explored the intricacies of the Oculus Quest VR headsets to first learn how to control them and how to manage the altered depth perception. Students were able to experience how objects in the virtual reality space can be moved and manipulated. As they were also studying mass, the First Steps VR app allowed students to explore the impact of gravity on mass. These VR headsets encourage active learning through movement and total immersion in an alternate reality relevant to the learning.
A third trend is leveraging the use of educational technology to expose students to diverse cultures in order to expand their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) knowledgebase. One such example is a collaborative project in which third grade students and the fifth grade Library Ambassadors connected with students in the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Iceland, Thailand, India, as some examples. Our Davis students researched fairytales and folktales that originated in the United States and created digital tools showcasing how these tales have shaped our society over time. With the creation of bookmarks, videos, and multimedia presentations shared digitally among these different countries, we were able to learn from their students just as they were able to learn from us.
The inclusion of these tools ensures that the learning can continue anywhere, as long as there is an internet connection. As such, we blend these tools into the on-campus learning experience so that our students are prepared for what the future may bring. Trends in educational technology will continue to evolve as the world around us changes. As new trends emerge, The Davis Academy is committed to curating and implementing best practices for our learning community.
C. Mechina students using VR to explore dinosaurs in prehistoric times. D. Sixth graders go on a very special field trip to space during Science. They virtually explored the moon and saw earth from a whole new perspective. E. Third grade students listen to a Malaysian 3rd grader sharing a talk tale to discover how the theme of loyalty has shaped their culture. F. Third grade student Conrad, proudly showing off that he was born in Malaysia. G. Eighth graders enjoy an exciting session of Digital PE with a variety of virtual reality physical education activities.
ASlifelong learners, educators at The Davis Academy enjoy vibrant professional development throughout the year. The approach to professional development is multi-layered in order to target a variety of topics and appeal to different learning styles. With external trainers, in-house sessions led by our own faculty, and relevant faculty learning events throughout the year addressing a variety of topics, professional development is uniquely meaningful to our learning community.
At the launch of the 2021-2022 school year, we hosted three important intensive training sessions for our faculty. First, all Mechina through 2nd grade teachers and teaching assistants participated in a 10-hour course on reading instruction based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach, geared to benefiting all readers. The O-G Approach is a direct, explicit, multi-sensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling. Our 3rd- 8th grade faculty engaged in a training on executive functioning, led by Scott Hamilton, PsyD, and Tamara Hamilton, LCSW. Our faculty learned how the brain develops over time and were given overviews of specific executive functions, such as working memory, task initiation and processing speed. In addition, they gained knowledge of global strategies to address weaknesses in executive functioning within the classroom setting. Lastly, all Lower and Middle School faculty participated in a SMART Technologies training learning how to increase student engagement with the new
Lumio. This innovative software works in conjunction with our SMARTboards.
At the onset of the school year we also launched a professional development menu in order to personalize ongoing learning so that we are meeting our teachers where they are to address their target areas for growth. Teachers selected from four major topics: educational technology to encourage more comfort using digital tools to support the learning in the 21st century, behavior management to ensure the work flow continues harmoniously with the ability to address different behavioral situations, teacher leadership to encourage the growth and development of teacher leaders, which can be modeled in the classroom toward student leadership, and finally, mental health so that we are well equipped to appropriately support the social and emotional needs of our students and teachers.
Once their topic of interest is selected, participants choose from a curated list of resources that will best support their learning style. The cohorts come together to share and discuss
what they learned and the questions that arose in their independent studies. A second component to the professional development menu is to observe two or more colleagues to discover best practices. And finally, the third component of the menu includes an external activity in which teachers participate in a relevant webinar, conference, or other form of learning that will best meet their needs. These include the Atlanta Area Technology Educator summits, national conferences, as well as presenting to peers at other area schools.
Throughout the year, we incorporate professional development into our afterschool faculty meetings so that again, we are well-equipped to address the current needs of our student body. The first faculty meeting of the year highlighted how we instill our Jewish values into our teaching and learning. Our second faculty meeting addressed the ways in which we can support non-binary and gender fluid students with an educational program focused on terminology and inclusivity. We continue to host relevant faculty events throughout the year on a variety of topics. Each of these professional development opportunities positively impacts our learning climate. We learn by not only looking inward but also by exploring the external educational landscape. We will continue to do what is best for our students as we invest in our community’s personal and professional growth and development.
