Welcoming a New Year at TanenbaumCHAT—From Dr. Amy Platt, Head of School

Dear TanenbaumCHAT Community,

It has been wonderful to watch our school come back to life. From my early days in August until today, I have seen the slow unfolding of something exceptional.

In those early weeks, I watched staff working quietly behind the scenes to prepare our school for the return of administrators, teachers and students. Summer school provided a small glimpse into the rigorous learning and student energy that fill these halls. Last week, I enjoyed meeting so many faculty at our Welcome Back BBQ and, of course, greeting 400 new Grade 9 students and watching their spirited interactions with our exceptional student leaders. Throughout it all, I have had constant reminders of why we do all that we do: our students.

This week, I saw TanenbaumCHAT come alive.

The big hugs between friends and the excitement of students and teachers greeting one another at the beginning of new learning journeys showed me the incredible communal energy of our school. I saw classroom routines being established with care and kindness. I saw pedagogical excellence in action, right from the start, and I saw a school filled with many opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and thrive both inside and outside of the classroom.

As we close our first week together and prepare to welcome Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah, there is something particularly meaningful about these three beginnings coinciding: the start of a new school year, the start of a new week, and the start of a new Jewish year. All three invite us to look forward with meaning and purpose, and to consider the kind of community we want to continue to build and be a part of in 5787.

As we gather around the table with our families this evening and welcome the Jewish New Year, I am reminded of one of the central prayers of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy is Avinu Malkeinu, אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנו. Each refrain begins in the plural, Our Father, Our King, a powerful reminder that as Jewish people, we are stronger together. At TanenbaumCHAT, we live this value daily as we elevate the opportunities for students to engage fully in school life as part of a kehillah, a community. We know that together, as students, families, faculty and community supporters, we are stronger when we act in unity.

My hope for each of us as we begin the new year is that we lean into our community, embrace the possibilities ahead, and find the many ways we can support and strengthen one another through our commitment to TanenbaumCHAT.

All the best for a sweet and healthy 5787 and an exceptional school year.

Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah.

Dr. Amy Platt,
Head of School