Of All Schools, Why Hillel?

From an educator's Lens

Seriously, why Hillel?? What draws people to a school on the corner of Doheny and Olympic? One thing is clear to anyone walking the Hillel halls- our students consider Hillel their second home. However, we know why our students love Hillel. There is a natural community warmth pervading the air on every floor. The students adore their teachers, the uplifting energy, the love of learning through projects and innovation. We completely understand why the kids are smiling and sensing that positive vibe! But why would educators fly in from Washington DC, and as far as Japan to teach at one of the city's oldest Jewish day schools? It's truly astounding!

When asked, "Why Hillel? " , new 4th grade co-teacher Samantha Post shared, " I wanted to help students not only understand academic work, but to guide them on their way to attain the highest level of inner self-reflection.  Hillel focuses on the whole child which is why I am proud to say I work here." Her co-teacher, Lauren Provenzano, shared, "What drew me to Hillel initially was the wonderfully student-centered curriculum! The programs you implement leave so much room for student choice and differentiation to really focus on the needs and strengths of each student." Cassandra Ashbaugh, 2nd grade teacher who arrived from Japan just 3 weeks ago, read through the school website and discovered that she, "was drawn to Hillel because the mission statement and educational philosophy closely aligned with my own." Our reputation of developing not only a student's high academic ability but also emotional and social skills clearly precedes us.

But there is more! Hillel is  a place where teachers can develop through a variety of educational professional development programs, through our in-house mentoring, and through our seriously collaborative teaching environment. To illustrate, Michelle Larian, new 5th grade co-teacher states, "From my initial visit to the school, I felt the support, love, professionalism, and acceptance every teacher dreams to experience." Sondra Soldati, 3rd grade co-teacher, adds, "the emphasis on treating children as complex individuals who all have their own unique strengths and talents impressed me greatly." Rebecca Hicks, 2nd grade co-teacher highlights that the "small class sizes are best for students because they receive more differentiated instruction and more one-on-one support." We are so fortunate to have lured the best of the best to our school to discover that Hillel is truly the best of the best in terms of high academics, strong programming and, indeed, blessed with the highest quality of faculty members. We wish all of our students, families and teachers a healthy, happy new school year and Shana Tovah!