Renowned American rabbi, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, spoke of the vital role educators play in shaping the lives of young people. He argued that separate to the content of what is being taught, educators are teaching students personal attributes that help them develop. He wrote: “What we need more than anything else is not textbooks, but textpeople. It is the personality of the teacher which is the text that the pupils read: the text that they will never forget.”

I often think of this quote as I witness the interactions between staff and students at our precious school. King David has a remarkable reputation for the level of dedication and care shown by our staff. There is a thoughtfulness and authenticity with which our teachers approach our students. They convey their belief in the capacity of the students to achieve great things and their excitement for their many successes that are demonstrated.

This was on display in the many Student Progress Meetings that occurred across the School as the end of term approaches. It is clear that in a busy term, our teachers have made the effort to ensure that they develop a deep understanding of their individual students and how they learn best. This is so important to ensuring that our students make progress and traverse the stepping stones that guide them to their future more complex stages of learning. 

This is also shown in the areas of experiential learning such as the school camps that have occurred over the past fortnight. The staff that attend these sacrifice family time and come back exhausted. However, they are always enriched by the experience of witnessing our students thrive and transfer their emerging skills to a different context. 

It is also evident in other co-curricular activities such as this weekend’s forthcoming presentation of the Senior School musical, Mamma Mia. It is extraordinary to see the lengths that our staff members have gone to in order to allow our students to shine on stage. The many, many extra hours and juggling of workloads are devoted because they want each student to have the opportunity to grow from their experience, to feed their passions, nurture their talents and to be able to push themselves to overcome their fears.

I could go on with an extensive list of the many ways that King David staff go above and beyond to elevate the experience of our students. While this is something that is core to our culture and to the fabric of our interpersonal relationships, I urge our community members not to take these efforts for granted.

I am so grateful to work alongside the best team of educators and supporting staff that I could imagine and I truly hope that everyone in our community knows how lucky we are. I encourage you to take the moment as the term comes to an end to express this appreciation directly to the staff that are making such a difference for your children. 

And to you, our wonderful King David community – I likewise express my gratitude for your support, encouragement, trust and partnership in our shared goal of supporting our students to engage with their heritage, to foster productive relationships and to thrive in their growth and learning. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Marc Light