"וכל בּניך למודי ה׳, ורב שׁלום בּניך, אל תקרא בניך אלא בוניך"

 

"And all your children will be students of Hashem, and your children will have peace.  Do not read it as ‘your children’ but as ‘your builders.’”

Tehillim 119

 

Ohr Chadash Academy (OCA) students returned to school on Monday, September 3rd and ushered in the start of the school year in true OCA style. Exciting changes are in store for OCA’s 9th year as we welcome our new Interim Head of School, Mrs. Deborah Rapoport, inaugurate our new middle school building, and prepare for a year of growth.  

 

Our 2019-20 theme, “Building and Rebuilding,” speaks to OCA’s commitment to build upon our vision of Community, Individuality, and Excellence in all aspects of our school.  We are proud of OCA’s strong foundation of community warmth and cohesiveness; our progressive, child-centered, and empirically-based instructional methods; and our goal of achieving excellence in everything we do. In designing our theme for this year, we chose to take it a step further by encouraging students to see themselves as an important part of who we are as an institution. 

 

So, to kick off the new school year, our 320 students from 2-year-olds through 8th grade were greeted by construction vehicles, inspirational “construction” signs, staff members wearing smiles and construction gear and, of course, our trademark lively first-day music. Students and parents had the opportunity to don their own construction hat, take pictures together in front of the beautiful “I am an OCA Builder” sign, write their names on a colored block that will be affixed to the sign, and greet their teachers before heading into school to start their day.  

 

OCA looks forward to another wonderful year of learning and we look forward to sharing our successes with the Baltimore community and beyond!