By Rabbi Michael Cohen, Head of School

After nearly three months of preparation and anticipation, we welcomed our excited and wonderful students back to school.

There is much to celebrate.

Over the summer, I interviewed teachers and created an excellent team of professionals who will work together to ensure Torah and Academic excellence.

Our students came to school ready to have fun with friends and to focus on their learning.

Our Zoom online classes will now take place exclusively in one room, reducing distraction and interference.

Our Madricha, Shani Klitzner will supervise Mincha in the middle of the afternoon in the Bet Medrash where the students say the prayer for the Israel Defence Forces and Achainu Kol Bais Yisroel.

I am delighted to introduce you to new staff members who will be teaching in Derech Emunah this year.

• Rebbitzen Aliza Tannenbaum will teach Chumash.

• Mrs. Yael Schapira will teach Geometry and Navi

• Mrs. Rachel Polsky will be joining us from TDS where she taught last year; she will teach Neviim Rishonim.

• Ms. Sarah Path is returning to Derech Emunah as our Academic Director. She will work with teachers and students to ensure that classes are meeting their academic goals.

• Ms. Path will also be available for students to discuss educational issues on an as-need basis. In addition, once a week, she will supervise a guided Study Hall and provide STEM support. Ms. Path has many years of experience as a Science Teacher, and in developing curriculum, grading policies, and assessment practices.

• Mrs. Anjana Ravi who received a Masters in Computer Science and Engineering will be teaching Pre-cal, Algebra 2, and Computer Science. She has experience tutoring and teaching students of various levels from Middle School to University.

• Mrs. Joy Maimon will be teaching Language Arts to the joined 9th and 10th grades and like last year will teach Language Arts to the combined 11th & 12th grades.

• Mrs. Joy Maimon will also teach Civics this year to the combined 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th grades. Her class in the large classroom is already a buzz of activity.

• Mr. Alfred Sidman, who holds an M.A. in Education and an M.S. in Biology will teach Physics to a merged 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Grades. He is a veteran high school instructor with more than twenty years of experience teaching Science to high school students.

• Mrs. Jenny Assouline will be teaching Hebrew Language using a program called Bishvil-Haivrit (generously sponsored by a grant from the SAMIS Foundation). The program brings Hebrew alive with state-of-the-art print and digital materials enriched with new media, sophisticated interactive activities and an advanced Learning Management System (LMS).

What a great line-up!

We look forward to a very successful school year.

Below: Photos of Derech Emunah  students enjoying themselves at Greenlake during Orientation, the day before the start of school.