Parashat Korach

Last night’s Showcase truly was amazing.  I, like you parents, am a bystander; I watch the rooms come to life; I see the children working on projects; I smile when I hear their excited voices talk about their efforts; I am pulled into room after room by students wanting to show me their work; I marvel at the teachers’ ability to turn their class rooms into display rooms, with joy and excitement – with pride in their students.  Thank you to so many of you who came last night, to share our pleasure in your children’s achievements!

As Showcase unfolds, it is exhilarating to watch your children leading you from exhibit to exhibit, showing off their own work, sharing – and praising - their friends’ attempts, and curiously looking into other rooms – to reminisce about what already was and to preview what might be in the years ahead.  One of the keys is that this is the children’s work; this is the result of their own labor, creativity, skill, thoughtfulness, and time.  Obviously there are teachers behind each child, teaching, guiding, suggesting, helping, allowing the children to use their own ideas, shaping those ideas – but not confining them, encouraging their students to soar.

We always talk about the home-school partnership, how we partner with you the parents.  As we head into the last full week of school and into a glorious summer, we think of the numerous ways we benefit from this partnership.  Obviously there are the usual expectations that parents will help their children keep their academic skills sharp, by helping find the time and space to read, use their math skills, practice writing (as in thank you letters, journals, letters to relatives and friends – I’ll answer!!! ).  But there are also the other areas that we work to instill or develop in our students, such as taking responsibility, showing caring and kindness to others, making good choices.   Each summer I offer the students a challenge – to practice a middah, announced at the Step Up ceremony.   But sometimes, it gets lost in the last minute hectic rush.  And so I present it to you today as this will need parental assistance.  The children will be asked to make good choices, to think for themselves, to use their beautiful brains to choose to do the right things. 

And you?  Please, please, please help them learn this essential skill by providing them the logical consequences when necessary.  If they spend all their allowance, they will not be able to buy ice cream; if they don’t write a thank you to their grandparents (how’s that for a plug!!), they won’t be able to use the gift, leave your ball outside, it might not be there in the morning, forget to put your bike away…… you get the idea.  There actually are many websites that discuss “Letting natural consequences teach your child to make right choices is a powerful learning tool. Experience is the best teacher ….. Children make unwise choices on the way to becoming responsible adults. Children must experience the consequences of their actions in order to learn from them.”  There also is the positive side to making good choices – praise for the action, praise for the right choice, the unexpected treat – “you have been such a big help with extra chores that I have the time to go for a walk, read a book, etc. with you….” We would appreciate your adding derech eretz to this adventure.  Expect to be respected, expect your child to exhibit appropriate demeanor, language, and behavior.  We will all be the beneficiaries – especially your child.  Shabbat Shalom