“I Believe the Children are our Future…” (and that future looks very bright at BYDS)
On behalf of the Board of Trustees at BYDS, we want to thank our parents for your continued confidence this year and for “a job very well done.” With just a few weeks remaining in the school year, we wish you all a hearty Mazel Tov for surviving (and even thriving) during the challenges caused by the pandemic.
While over 50% of the nation’s children have been unable to attend classes in person for much of the year (and many are still at home), most of our students have been on campus since September. Sure, they wore masks while in the building, applied more sanitizer than thought humanly possible and washed their hands over and over again (while singing happy birthday TWICE).
But they never stopped “enjoying” a relatively normal school experience. They attended in-person classes in cohorts with their teachers and friends, and engaged via technology with those who were learning remotely. They worked math problems; took spelling and vocabulary tests; spoke Hebrew and Spanish; completed science experiments; displayed their creative sides in art and music; participated in various school bees; learned of our Jewish traditions, celebrated holidays and welcomed Shabbat to end each week. They competed and exercised on PE courts and fields and burned off energy while playing during recess. They ate lunch in classrooms and enjoyed snacks during their short breaks. They even completed the requisite MAP and ERB testing to help our school plan and enhance our curriculum for the future. Yes, despite the immense challenges faced by each of us, our kids accomplished a great deal and enjoyed a semblance of normalcy in their daily lives. And you parents were there every step of the way.
Given the uncertainties, the concerns, the fears, families took so many extra precautions that seemed unimaginable at the beginning of the year and then became routine as the days, weeks, months passed. You got your kids up early each day; filled out that COVID form; sat in line for a temperature check; and followed the BYDS protocols throughout the year. You reacted to each child’s sneeze, runny nose or stomach ache in a different manner than in years’ past, and even suffered alongside your kid through that uncomfortable COVID test when required to return to school.
You managed login instructions and computer glitches when students were learning remotely either by choice or through quarantine. You worried not just about homework and exams, but about home Internet connections, classroom layout, needed time for fresh air outside, and so many other non-traditional concerns. You communicated with teachers and staff through phone calls, texts, emails and online video conferences since no one was allowed on campus. Some traditional school get-togethers became drive-bys; others became Zoom calls. While the school did everything in its power to make things as normal as possible, you adjusted to the times and made the best of the situations.
As a Board, we focus on long-range strategic planning and fiduciary issues at BYDS, but do not get involved in the day-to-day educational/curriculum aspects. We are kept abreast on these matters by Head of School Jennifer LeVine and her administrative team. And yet, we are eternally grateful for the confidence you have shown our school professionals and the work you did to follow the protocols, manage your kids’ schedules, and successfully navigate these challenging times. So on behalf of the BYDS Board of Trustees…“Thank You Very Much, Todah Raba, Muchas Gracias.”
Warmest regards and many thanks to our fabulous parents,
Jennifer Deutsch (outgoing chair)
Ron Brounes (incoming chair)
and the entire BYDS Board
