It’s a new school year at Central! Preparations for opening week began with a new faculty orientation on Tuesday, August 30. New Wildcat faculty members bonded over icebreakers, a tour of the Central facility, and training sessions on technology and school culture. The evening of the 30th brought all faculty members together for a reunion with Central’s first annual Faculty Family Fun night, offering dinner, lawn games, and a popular bouncy castle for our faculty members’ children. The following day, faculty members used morning and afternoon development sessions to reflect on the past year and anticipate the year to come.
The theme for the 2023-24 school year is “The Power of Positivity,” chosen in part to inspire students and faculty to consider positivity as a decision, and is based on the idea in Pirkei Avos of an “ayin tovah” – an optimistic outlook. “The core reason as to why we chose positivity for this year’s theme is because positivity is a mindset – a work always in progress,” Associate Principal Ms. Leah Moskovich shared. The day’s professional development training placed positivity at the center of discussion with a presentation by Dr. Yael Muskat, Dean of Mental Health and Wellness and Director of the Yeshiva University Counseling Center, who discussed how to positively influence students with curriculum and relationship building.
Also presenting was Jewish organizational expert Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy, who explored the increasingly crucial topic of AI as a classroom tool and its impact on education.
On Tuesday, September 5, Central gave the class of 2027 a rousing welcome at Freshman Orientation! These brand-new Central Wildcats spent the day meeting their teachers, collecting their books and supplies, and getting their first taste of high school.
The following day, they were welcomed by returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as the full Central faculty for Opening Day. The introductory mini-day featured meetings with teachers, stopping in at the Central bookstore, and a warm welcome from Central’s Head of School, Ms. Bracha Rutner, who encouraged students to take a positive and proactive approach to the new semester.
“Think about what you want to achieve over the course of the year,” she said. “We’re reaching for the stars in order to grow and to learn.”
Central has a robust September schedule in store, with guest speakers, field trips, Central’s Club Fair, and our annual Community Challah Bake. We are positive this will be the best year yet!
