Annual Report 2007-2008/5768 - The Rashi School

Kavod Rashi Highlights
2007-08
“Our faculty views teaching
as a calling, not just a job.”
Dr. Matt King, Head of School
Professional Development
The success of Rashi’s educational program can be directly attributed to
our talented and caring faculty and staff. In 2007-08 we continued to
strengthen our professional development program that includes mentoring
for new teachers, weekly staff meetings, “rounds” in which faculty
members observe each other teaching, and book groups where teachers
analyze the latest literature on education in Rashi book groups.
The school has created numerous opportunities for teacher leadership
and growth through peer coaching and committee work. The result:
teacher retention is high and our students benefit from teacher’s
extraordinary commitment to the school.
Bullying Prevention
This year, Rashi became the first Jewish day school in the
country to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention program,
an international program that provides prevention,
education, and intervention tools to help make schools safer
and more positive places in which to learn. All Rashi teachers
received Olweus training, and they are approaching the issue
from a Jewish perspective, creating anti-bullying rules and
activities that are consistent with our core values.
Drama increases self-confidence and strengthens
performance skills as students present skits and fulllength
plays that are integrated with curricular topics.
In the second year of our expanded athletic program,
more than 50% of students in grades 4-8 took advantage
each season of the opportunity to participate on a Rashi
sports team (soccer, basketball, baseball/softball) and play
games against other area independent schools.
6 Critical Minds