The Best Way Out is Always Through

I feel like we've won the Olympics, if such a thing was possible!

Yesterday's CAIS accreditation visiting committee read-out in the social hall of Netivot Shalom was a cathartic and gratifying experience for the assembled faculty, staff, Board, and parent leadership. The preceedings began with each member of the committee giving a moving personal ancedote; one team member spoke about how being here at TBS re-connected her to the feeling of joyous possibility that she had experienced 15 years ago when her daughter first went to school, while another team member spoke about how he had carried a student's welcoming note in his pocket through the visit, which carried the values and culture of our community.

The committee then read through the six sections that comprise the main body of the report, identifying strengths, challenges and opportunities, and major and minor recommendations for the school to consider as we build an action plan over the next three-six months that will carry us forward for the next seven years. In the big picture, we were encouraged to establish a new narrative in which change is no longer such a powerful force, even though the school has the orientation towards self-improvement, and to slow down and let our roots grow. Some of the specific recommendations include linking the school's mission and learning outcomes more explicitly in our curriculum, developing a multi-year financial plan, and increasing our emergency response preparedness. As we have throughout this process, we'll make the committee's report available to our community once we've gotten a copy.

After the read-out, the committee immediately departed, and the assembled employees and guests moved to the Depot for a champagne toast and snacks to celebrate three years of hard work to reach this point. I'm so thankful to Sima Misra, Anne Buechner, Ann Baranger, and Natasha Distiller for their work on the Accreditation Leadership Team, and to everyone who worked to help the school move through this powerful process of self-reflection. As Robert Frost wrote, the best way out is always through!