One of the skills that we look for when evaluating kindergarten readiness is how children handle transitions. Are they able to separate from their parents at the start of the day? Are they able to end an activity and move on to the next? Our teachers are careful to create a visual display so that students can anticipate the flow of the day. Knowing what to anticipate gives many students an important coping mechanism to get through the many transitions that will be required.
This year, we have all become excellent at navigating transitions. From navigating between learning platforms to schedule changes to continually evolving guidelines on safety, we focused on our patience, flexibility, and perseverance. We were greatly helped by a number of individuals who joined our team this year to support students on campus, teach virtual classes, and were maternity substitutes. Alexis and Roni Hernandez enabled us to bring students back to campus by providing support in classes, at recess, in the office and during dismissal. Naomi Arnold and Sarah Sinizer-Hopkins taught in Gan/Alef Virtualli class as well as lead virtual chavurah for all of our lower school students. And both of our Dalet teachers delivered healthy, happy babies this year – many thanks to Sarah Gribetz, Sharon Elia, and David Sabes for being their substitutes.
In addition, there will be some transitions in our staff for next year. Dano Costello has made the difficult decision to take the next steps in his professional journey. He has taught science and math in our middle school for two years and has taken a position as the Director of Summer Camp at Camp Natoma in San Luis Obispo County. Dano shared with me how he appreciated his time at Yavneh and how much he will miss us. I know that we will miss Dano, as well. We are thankful for his contributions to our school and wish him the best as he continues on his professional journey.
As we finalize the hiring process to complete our faculty, we are excited to share more information with you before the new school year begins. As in previous years, we announce the teaching teams in August.
As we transition into our summer vacation, I wish us all time to relax, rejuvenate, grow and learn from the world around us and prepare for the wonderful things that lie ahead. We will continue to communicate over the summer about back-to-school events and look forward to seeing you on August 24th for our first day of school.
