Ya Gotta Mean It

By Rabbi Shalom Horowitz, Torah Academy of Jacksonville

Blueprint: Torah Academy of Jacksonville

Vision Statement: Our vision is a community Torah day school with an ongoing commitment to excellence in Judaic and General Studies education run in a respectful, safe and nurturing environment.

Application: Spending the summer break to build, grow and improve guided by our vision statement and core values.

#1. Community Torah school. Torah Academy personifies the goal of a community school. We have students from many religious and academic backgrounds. Torah Academy works with many Israeli families, families that relocate to Jacksonville, as well as many families that have been in town for many years. Many of our supporters never had children that attended Torah Academy. However, they have a deep appreciation for the diversity and superior Torah and secular education that we offer all children. Having children play and interact with kids that are slightly different from themselves is also a tremendous social learning experience.

#2. Ongoing commitment to excellence in Judaic and General Studies education. Measuring excellence in any area of life can be subjective. How does one define and measure excellence objectively? For a school there are a few methods. One used at Torah Academy is by aligning both the Judaic and General Studies with national standards testing. I am proud to share that even during a pandemic year (when we only missed three days of school) our middle school averaged in the 90th percentile in the NWEA standards test. With all the stress and distraction of Covid, the teachers and students stayed the course and thrived. In Judaics, we have partnered with COJDS, the consortium of Jewish day schools to help with curriculum improvement and standardized testing. This past May, the eighth graders were administered the J-SAT8 test. In many of the core subject matters the students did great. At after school meetings, the Judaic faculty met to discuss areas of growth and improvement based on the results. During the year we use the L’ehavin Chumash program which is designed by COJDS as a comprehensive and thorough skillsbased Chumash program. The L’ehavin program also incorporates Ivrit into its core structure of learning.

Finally, there are many new curriculum upgrades. We have a new comprehensive halacha and parsha program that builds on the previous year’s knowledge. It is sequenced from year to year and builds on knowledge and success. In General Studies we are implementing a new and revised ELA book reading component. With the addition of Mrs. Breindy Lazor who has taught both high school and college ELA, Torah Academy is set to soar to even greater heights!

Torah Academy is also building a new hands-on and interactive science lab. Mr. Junior Rodney, our outstanding middle school science teacher is getting his own brand new science lab. In fact, he’s helping design some of the furniture. Of course, the beneficiaries will be the students. #3. Run in a respectful, safe and nurturing environment. The students and faculties' mental and physical safety is of first order. This summer, thanks to a state grant we are adding 10 new cameras to the outside and interior of the facility. We are also adding 20 terabytes of memory. We have also applied for a federal grant for new fencing around the building.

Middos and good character are the foundation of a school's success. Children must respect their peers and teachers, and teachers must respect their peers and students. To that end, we are starting a new morning line up routine in which we say that every person is created in the image of Hashem and everything we think, say and do must show that we are. That will be followed by the recitation of four verses from the Torah that highlight and demonstrate the importance of respecting every human being. It is critical that the day begin by focusing on seeing the beauty in each other and appreciating the tremendous value that the Torah places on every single person. This must become the culture in which the school functions.

It’s not enough to just have a vision statement. Ya gotta mean it! The way we are making sure that we are following our vision statement and core values is by using them as our guide and compass to grow in all areas of school life; academically, socially and emotionally.

May every teacher and student at Torah Academy and beyond be blessed with a successful, happy and healthy year.