Parashat Shoftim

Robert Browning penned the words:

G[-D]'s in [H]is Heaven—

All's right with the world!

This line came to my mind on Tuesday as the children settled into their classes and began yet another year of school.  My paraphrase: The students are back in school; all’s right with the world.

So much energy goes into preparing the school for a new year.  There is the obvious physical labor entailed in cleaning and repairing the rooms themselves, (and for this year, installing new lockers). There’s the decision-making about what we need and then the ordering of supplies.   There is the planning for themes and programs, interviewing and hiring of staff.  There’s meeting with prospective students and their families. There is the plethora of other meetings, to work out the schedules for the various classes and the creation of the calendar.  Week after week finds us submerged in details. The final days before school opens involve more meetings and more planning, creating new bulletin boards and reviewing curriculum, tweaking the details, shaping the lessons, worrying about what will be.  And then there’s the first day, watching the students walk down the hallway, some tenuously holding onto their parents’ hands, some walking quickly ahead, some smiling broadly, and others with quizzical expressions, not really sure what they are feeling. (And before the student enters, there are all the teachers who haven’t slept because they are just as nervous as many of their students!!)   But in the end, after a few minutes, all is calm.  The students are in their classrooms – right where they belong.  First day jitters have been met – and conquered!

Because our first day of school was also Rosh Chodesh, we were blessed to have the sounds of a joyous Hallel echo in the hallways, filling them with beautiful music.On Wednesday, Tefilah ended with the sounding of the shofar as we set our sights towards Rosh Hashanah.

There is a feeling of completion – of everything being “right.”  I marvel year after year at the excitement we all feel at the expectations of what the year will bring, at the prospect of a new class of children to love and enjoy.  I continue to be amazed at and impressed by the enthusiasm of teachers who have had so many 1^st days of school, but who have not lost their sense of wonder and enthusiasm, who continue to strive to reach each child and make this the best year ever.

We have had a wonderful first few days of school and we anticipate an amazingly fantastic year.  Your children seem so ready to get to work, to make new friends, to learn and to grow.  Thank you for sharing them with us; we are excited and we are ready.