There is a very meaningful leadership model at Bruriah High School in which each student is assigned to a grade advisor with whom she meets with on a regular basis for support in growing academically, spiritually and socially. Junior Leah Hornung shared, “I really like this model because it gives me a chance to connect with my helpful and supportive teachers and talk about how I really feel.” Students are not limited to meetings with their grade advisors, as this program serves as a launchpad for other teacher-student relationships. All students are encouraged to meet with any teacher in Bruriah. Zahava Nash, a senior from Passaic explained, “All of the teachers at Bruriah are approachable and they want to meet with us. They will go to any length to make it happen and will maneuver their entire schedule to arrange a meeting. After meeting with a teacher, I am able to gain additional insight from the life lessons they teach.” Each grade is assigned a grade coordinator who runs programming and is responsible for grade oversight, as a whole. Programming at Bruriah gives students an opportunity to connect with their teachers in a different environment, which leads to stronger relationships. In addition to the teaching staff, we have a guidance department whose staff is available for regularly scheduled meetings and additional supportive programming. Bruriah goes the extra mile to make sure that each student is supported in all aspects of their high school experience and that makes the difference for us, the students.

Shira Pfeiffer is a Bergen County resident and junior at Bruriah High School.