Talmud Torah Alumni

I loved learning about the culture and enjoyed picking up a few Hebrew phrases. The community was welcoming and inquisitive. Honey showed me what it meant to be a teacher; how to bring out the best in each student (build the relationship first, teach them second), and she modeled how to welcome and mentor new teachers into the profession. She said, “We’re a team and I hope we can plan and implement our program together.” And that’s what we did – she shared everything with me, and honoured and used my ideas too. I never forgot that.

The JH program at TT was established in 1997 and the next year, 1998, Lesley Heppleston and I became the JH Core teachers. I learned so much from Lesley, an experienced and highly skilled teacher and we became a dynamic team. That year, September 1998, there were Gr. 7 and Gr. 8 students enrolled, and we built from there- WE being staff, parents, Board Members, the community.

I taught in the JH program for 6 years and it was undoubtedly a highlight of my 30-year career. One of those six years, we maxed out our JH student enrolment with 65+ students representing all 3 grade levels. It was exciting to be a part of building something from the ground up with such dedicated and passionate people. Some of those students I taught for 3 years – grades 7, 8 and 9; I am still connected to many of them online. I learned a lot about the Jewish religion, culture, and community. I participated in school cultural celebrations, attended Bar mitzvahs and Bat mitzvahs, and accompanied two groups of students, along with Hebrew Curriculum Coordinator, Nurit Reshef, to Israel for their Gr. 9 trip.

During my 6 years with the JH, I taught English Language Arts, Social Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Drama. Teaching drama alongside a parent, Michelle Miller, and learning from her was another gift I received at TT. Over the 7 years I taught at TT, I worked with 5 Principals (Phyllis Levine, Honey Weinlos-Issacs, Tom Davey, Scott Miller and Pat March) and many wonderful staff.

I was asked to share favourite memories, some which I have woven in; there are so many wonderful memories that it’s difficult to pick but I’ll highlight a few.

• As a culmination to our poetry unit, Gr. 3 teachers and students hosted a poetry party for parents. Students recited poetry, performed choral poetry arrangements with percussion instruments and we ate foods beginning with the letter P. My love for reading and teaching poetry was ignited at TT by my mentor, Honey.
• One of my favourite times was when JH student assignments were due, especially project work. Even though students worked on assignments in class, and I saw their progress along the way, I was blown away by the creative products and the student pride of a job well done when they presented their work to the class. Some of my favourites, and theirs as well (I think), would have been the following: music appreciation, radio plays, and literature responses that took many forms (written, visual media, oral, etc.).
• My favourite subject to teach was Language Arts. I love language and the power of words. My first-year teaching JH, I became aware of an Edmonton Public School’s writing award; The Margaret Stevenson Talented Young Writer Award “recognizes a Grade 8 student who exhibits a sincere dedication to the literary arts and demonstrates personal growth as a writer”. There were talented writers in my grade 8 class, and I thought, why not bring it to their attention. We were thrilled when the student who entered won the award! From my perspective, this was an accomplishment that not only celebrated the young talented TT writer, but it acknowledged TT JH as an academic school that could compete and win.
• As mentioned previously, travelling to Israel twice and seeing the country and experiencing the culture through the eyes of Gr. 9 nine students who were immersed in the language and the culture that they had been learning about (for many of them ten years), was amazing. It was a wonderful culminating experience on their Jewish Education journey. I was honoured to be included.

I left Talmud Torah with mixed emotions at the end of the 2003 -2004 year. It was hard to leave a place and a community that I loved. A new opportunity presented itself and everything aligned in my favour.

“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.” – Anne Frank

I’m forever grateful that early in my career I chose to teach at Talmud Torah. The school and the community will forever hold a special place in my heart. With fondness, Debbie Jackson