The world has simply stopped. This is a sentiment that we have heard, read, felt and seen in so many facets of our normal lives. What hasn’t stopped is the limud Torah and general studies learning at RYNJ. Well, not at RYNJ but for all RYNJ students! This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week. Now more than ever, the RYNJ PTA felt it was important to recognize and thank our hard-working administrators, teachers, and staff— and wanted students to have the opportunity to personally thank their teachers. The RYNJ PTA provided families with seven different beautiful thank you note templates. Students ‘surprised’ their teachers by holding their thank you note when they joined their first Zoom of the day! Teachers absolutely loved being greeted so enthusiastically and creatively!! Many parents also emailed their child’s thank you notes directly to the teacher. In addition, RYNJ Head of School Rabbi Price, and his team of devoted administrators, prepared a special video where each member of the team read a stanza of an original poem written to our staff. Pieced together it was an incredible ode of gratitude and respect for our faculty.
On Tuesday night, the RYNJ staff was invited to a ‘teachers night out’ featuring the incredible magician, Shlomo Levinger. Levinger wowed the crowd with his amazing tricks but the teachers were most excited about seeing each other on Zoom! The faculty was so grateful for a night where they could be entertained in such a fun way, with the colleagues that they miss so much from the comfort of their own homes. The RYNJ PTA ended the week with a bang! The PTA arranged for all of the administrators to personally drop off gorgeous lawn signs and delicious potato kugels to over 250 staff members! Deliveries were made as far as Jersey City, Rockland County and all over Manhattan. Not only has the PTA received loads of grateful emails but the amazing pictures of smiling teachers with their laws signs are priceless. The teachers (and the children of those that work in the school!) were ecstatic to see their administrators placing the lawn signs and leaving the Shabbos treat by their door. Special thank you to the PTA board which was outstanding in helping to coordinate the week’s activities. RYNJ is always grateful for all of the teacher’s hard work, but this year in particular the school is so proud of its devoted staff! This past week was really special, and while everyone davened wholeheartedly for life to go back to normal, this time will always be remembered for the kindness, patience, support and perseverance being modeled for its students by everyone at RYNJ.
