Two weeks ago, we directed attention to the “remarkable achievement”, that despite — and in some way, on account of — the Covid pandemic, enrollment in our day schools had actually increased for the first time in 17 years. Adam…

As planning for the start of the school year yielded to performing, many educators offered their reflections and insights about the lessons learned over the past six months of pandemic-related “revolution”. Seven acknowledged experts in the fields of Early Childhood…

The self-reflection and the purposeful soul-searching that are the individual, private gateways to Rosh Hashanah compel us to dedicate this last missive of 5780 to the diverse, caring, giving Jewish community of the GTA. We do so in keeping with…

From time to time we have referred readers to educationally related research from Cardus, an Ontario-based think tank studying – inter alia – “the institutions, communities, beliefs, leaders, and intricacies of civil society that collectively compose the social architecture of…

One year ago, at this time our key parental/grandparental concerns before the children’s return-to-school were schedules, carpools, backpacks, school supplies, new shoes, class designations and extra-curricular activities. This year, we still have those concerns. But Covid-19 arches over and envelopes…

The news this week that the federal government is transferring some $2B to the provinces to help schools be ready to receive students in our new Covid-19 world was gratifying. Ontario is slated to receive up to $760 million. That…

As the number of days before back-to-school diminish, anxieties heighten. We want our children to be in the classroom. That is where they belong. We want them, first and foremost however, to be safe. Every school has a plan to…

By now, schools have communicated return-to-school plans to their respective parent bodies. We hope and we pray the transition to September learning will be medically safe, educationally successful, emotionally and psychologically safe. Though questions persist and absolute certainty in decision-making…

Since writing last week’s update, the Government of Ontario has provided official guidelines for the return to school in September. As of this writing, parents await official instructions from Jewish day schools to advise them how their respective school will…

As of this writing, the uncertainty hovering over the re-opening of schools significantly complicates families’ abilities to plan their lives. What form will learning take on the first Tuesday after Labour Day? In-class? Zoom? Hybrid? In keeping with the conservative-evidence-based-science-protect-human-life-first…