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By Rabbi Michael Cohen, Head of School
Above Photos: Mrs. Yael Shapira, Geometry; Mrs. Joy Mailmon, Language Arts
On Tuesday night, December 10th, Derech Emunah hosted an Open House to showcase our facility, faculty, and students. It was a fun and interactive evening attended by parents of prospective students, current parents, board members, and community members.
Mrs. Path, Academic Director, and I welcomed participants and outlined the one-of-a-kind program that we provide for girls here in Seattle. We deliver a challenging dual curriculum that focuses on Judaic and General Studies for young women who will become future leaders of their family and community.
Participants went to a classroom where six different teachers (in a variety of subjects, including Chumash, Language Arts, Math, and Physics) presented a sample, seven to10-minute class. Each mini-class demonstrated the educational approach embraced by our faculty.
This approach included the teacher’s using:
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A “Hook,” something to excite the students about the subject matter they are about to learn, and
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Guided practice to help students internalize and concretize their learning
As an example, Mrs. Joy Maimon, who teaches Language Arts, explained a concept that enables people to write in a more compelling, descriptive way. After displaying specific examples on the monitor, the “students” were given a sheet of paper and asked to enhance the phrases they saw using the technique she just introduced. Many “students” shared their handiwork.
Thankfully, parents were not assigned homework. But it was clear that our Open House “students” understood the lessons very well.
Our Madricha and Alumna, Shani Klitzner, and two current Derech Emunah students, Aliza Margolese and Tali Margolese, spoke about their experiences at Derech Emunah and the profound impact that it has had on them.
In the coming weeks, there will be opportunities for 7th and 8th-grade students to visit the school individually or in groups. We appreciate the all-important choices that parents of 8th graders will be making in the next few months regarding which high school is the best fit for their daughter.
We will create every opportunity possible to help parents and their daughters make a wise and informed decision that meets their needs.
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