Silence isn’t always
“golden.” As parents, we know that sinking feeling when all of a sudden,
the voices of the children at play go silent and we rush in to see exactly what
they are doing. There is that silence when we don’t know what to
say, don’t know precisely how to use our words. Silence is not
something we usually equate with the sounds of the Lower School.
Exactly what are the
sounds of our Lower School? As I walk through the hallways and stop into
the classrooms, I expect to hear anything but silence! Instead, I hear
the melodious sounds of classmates greeting each other in the morning,
frequently like long-lost friends! It is hearing “boker tov” as students
enter our hallway. It is that time of year when I am hearing the sounds
of Maoz Tzur and other Chanukah-related songs. I saw and heard
students during this past Tuesday’s indoor recess working out the rules of
various games (a very complicated process at best!), laughing together, and
cheering each other on. Mrs. Graber’s music students are continuing with last
week’s environmental drumming presentation and are making music with various
household items. The 4th and 5th grade girls’ choir
is joining their harmonious voices in preparation for this Sunday’s performance
at Barnes and Noble. A Kindergarten class was moving to the beat of a
lively tune and then very seriously talking on Skype to a classmate receiving
medical treatment, helping him pass the time in a pleasant way. Second
graders are preparing their songs for their Kabbalat Hachumash.
Fifth Graders are working in small groups, producing original scripts (in
Hebrew of course) for class presentations while also working cooperatively in
General Studies, listening to each other and incorporating their ideas as they
build models of the Original Colonies. Fourth graders are acting out
scenes from the Navi, Sefer Yehoshua, learning how to be spies, as well as
focusing on Rashi's Midrashim. Third grade is enjoying their
counting game, going higher and lower, while interspersing humming.
It is the sounds of knowledge
and prayer and enjoyment and cooperation, of learning how to relate to
others. As we have returned to school from one holiday and begin to
prepare for another, it is beautiful to hear the sounds of learning at its many
different levels. There is the time for silence or quiet, as
developmentally appropriate, to use inside voices as well as to listen to
others. We show respect for other people when we use our self-control
(this month’s Middah) to listen to their ideas and even consider them, when we
show that we know we can learn from others. However, even given all that,
the Lower School is rarely “quiet.” It is more like a steady hum!
Silence may be “golden;”… that is what the early morning time is for, to
appreciate the life that is coming into the building, the sounds that will fill
the rooms and ring from the ceilings.
Today we had a few
moments of expectant silence, as the students so beautifully and as quietly as
possible, lined the Lower school hallways, as a surprise, waiting to cheer on
Mr. Quartey as he left to participate in a Chai Lifeline Marathon. Many
of the students had made signs and their exuberance was palpable. It was
a lesson we felt was worth the time taken out of the normal daily routine to
show our support, to recognize Mr. Q’s efforts. What an
exciting way to help bring a week to a close. Shabbat Shalom
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