Author: ATT Chicago

Thanks to the generosity of the Chicago Jewish community, supporters of REACH raised an unprecedented amount of money in only 30 hours on a Charidy campaign. During an economic recession and the COVID-19 epidemic, when our communities are unable to gather for the previously scheduled events and celebrations, we at the ATT are humbled and grateful for the generosity of the community that we serve.

REACH is Chicago’s coordinated effort to build Jewish day schools’ capacity to support students with a wide range of needs in an inclusive way. Our vision is to ensure that all Jewish students can attend the Jewish day school of their choice.

Over the past few months of remote learning, REACH has proved even more crucial for students benefiting from REACH support, ensuring these students continue learning during this challenging time.

Thank you to the families who laid the foundation for the REACH program to grow and have such an impact on our day school community: 

• Oscar A. & Bernice Novick
• Crain Maling foundation
• The Walder foundation
• Rabbi Morris and Delicia Esformes
• Mr. Eric and Gayle Rothner
• Robert and Debra Hartman
• Robinson Family Foundation
• Along with the parent body that spearheaded the growth of REACH led by the Broner and Sheinfeld families. 

We are grateful for their belief that we can #REACH4more for all of our day school students. Without their support, we would not have had the confidence to run this first-ever online fundraiser for the ATT in the middle of this challenging fundraising climate.

One of the most exciting parts of running this online campaign was hearing the stories that came in from our teachers, parents and partner schools.

Following are a few of the stories we heard during our fundraiser. These are only some of the stories of how REACH help students succeed in school every single year. 

“REACH performs miracles! Students who would otherwise be totally lost in the classroom and not gain much from regular instruction are given the tools to enable them to achieve. REACH empowers students, building them up and scaffolding them to succeed.” ^JDBY teacher

“The REACH teachers have been wonderful during COVID.” ^ACHDS parent Ilissa Shenker

“Vanessa Cantz [REACH teacher] is incredible. She goes above and beyond. She adapts her lessons to fit each child and have each child thrive in the classroom. She uses different techniques that engage the children and bring out academic success and potential.” ^YTT parent

“They support the teachers and cooperate with everyone to bring out the potential in the child. They invest in the children and partner with parents and act as a liaison as between teachers and parents. This has been a huge ingredient for the success of my child. REACH filled a huge void. The caliber of staff and curriculum keep on improving along with REACH’s relationship with the schools.” ^JDBY parent

“When my daughter started REACH she was barely able to read. Her skills in Judaic and English subjects were very weak. Because of the belief of Shoshana Grossman [REACH teacher] and the REACH staff in JDBY, my child has grown every year. My daughter has been able to spend more time in the classroom while continuing to enjoy her relationship with REACH teachers.” ^JDBY parent of a 4th grader

“Our son attended public school from nursery through 3^rd grade. Before entering 4^th grade we made the decision to enroll him in the REACH program at ACHDS and have been thrilled with the results. With the extra attention and resources devoted to his development, our soon to be 7^th grader (!) has continued to make progress in his general studies classes, has fully caught up in Hebrew kriyah, loves leading davening and learning with his rabbeim. Most importantly, he now fully feels part of the family.” ^ACHDS parents

“As a fourth-grade teacher and working with REACH on a daily basis, I’ve seen the tremendous benefits of their services both with my students receiving REACH support and how they have enriched my classroom. Taking the load off of the teacher, who has a responsibility to ensure each individual student reaches her academic capacity during the year, REACH ensures that their students’ needs are met, all within the framework of the classroom.” ^JDBY teacher Brooke Dordek

“REACH has played an important role in our son’s life since he was in 1st grade. He’s developed relationships with many of his teachers, and they’ve been an important source of support and help for us through the years. They’ve helped him gain many skills and build on his many strengths. We thank reach deeply for the effort, energy, and time they’ve devoted to our son and the many other students that they serve. We’re so very grateful! ^ YTT parents Rabbi Josh and Laura Marder

“Our son has been a part of REACH for several years now. REACH has the most amazing educators. They are attentive and supportive, and it is so crucial to have a liaison at the school when the need arises. They all go above and beyond the call is duty. It is a service that fills an irreplaceable need in the schools.”

YTT parents Micha and Amy Rose

“My daughter is now happy to attend school.” ^ACHDS parent Jodi Miller

“The help of the REACH teachers during COVID- 19 has been fantastic. My daughter made progress even during the crisis. This is what REACH is about, not just doing but going above and beyond the call of duty.” ^ACHDS parent Zehava Allen

“We have been part of REACH from its inception. The REACH teachers don’t only teach classroom skills or academic skills they teach lifelong skills. The teachers are animated, and so open and honest with my son that it creates a better bond. Because of that, he tries harder so that his REACH teachers get nachas from him.” ^Elie and Shifra Schreiber

“It is with tears in my eyes that I look back at my son’s growth at YTT over the past five years. Mrs. Cantz [REACH teacher] and Rabbi Chapman [REACH teacher] have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that he keeps up with his peers, academically and socially, while helping him acquire the skills he needs for reading and writing in both Hebrew and English. 

REACH is fortunate to have such wonderful employees, and we are fortunate to have the REACH team behind our son.” ^YTT parent

“We love REACH. They do so much for my child. During Covid-19 they were fabulous with Zoom. They really love our daughter.” ^ACHDS parent Naomi Lopin

“Without REACH, I would not have been able to do homeschooling. They modified the material to fit my child’s needs. They made special worksheets for her. Shoshana Perlmutter [REACH teacher] calls every day to work with her. This was fantastic. Mrs. Jeramias [REACH teacher] did a reward program and sent out prizes.“ ^JDBY parent, E.K.

There is so much uncertainty in the world right now and in education. But as we enter our tenth year of serving the Chicago Jewish day school community, one thing is clear. REACH has the drive and dedication to continue doing the important work of ensuring that every Jewish child has the opportunity and tools they need to succeed in the day school of their choice. When one child in our community is empowered, our whole community is lifted up.

Learn more about REACH here.

Learning virtually presents new challenges for students at all learning levels, but for students with learning disabilities or other challenges to learning, the struggle is even greater. Virtual school during COVID-19 means that many students are struggling to stay motivated and focused while learning at home, with technology glitches and endless distractions.

REACH (Resources for Educational Achievement Collaboration and Health) educators are working remotely on a regular basis with students with learning challenges. The REACH instructors use a variety of specialized methods to ensure that students of varying ability levels are able to learn the material. They work hand-in-hand with classroom teachers to modify assignments, add a visual component to the learning, break down the content and reinforce skills. Together, these educators work with students on achieving individualized goals and tailor the instruction for them.

REACH teachers are optimizing remote learning for each student they support

1. Modifying assignments from each student’s classroom teachers
2. Adding visual components to the lesson, this is especially helpful in those classes that are taking place exclusively on audio
3. Breaking down the content into smaller sections to allow for mastery
4. Reviewing and reinforcing new skills that are taught in remote lessons
5. Individualizing goals, specifically tailored to each student

REACH teacher Aviva Lopin works with primarily fourth and fifth-grade students at Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi (YTT). Aviva listens to her students’ recorded audio classes, and then she reviews and co-teaches the material to her students in a real-time virtual conversation. 

Parents are key partners in remote learning. “I’m blessed with the best, most supportive parents who help the students stay focused by helping them get prepared for the lesson with any materials they need, and with their flexibility,” said Aviva. 

Estie Siegal is a REACH teacher who supports students in grades K-8 at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School (ACHDS). She has daily Zoom sessions with each of her students. During her experience with remote learning, Estie has noticed that her students are actually benefiting from one-on-one attention without the normal classroom interruptions. She has seen tremendous growth in her students and feels that, despite these unforeseen challenges, they are thriving.

Throughout this time of remote learning, Estie acknowledges her students are working extremely hard. “I focus on their strengths to build them up. They are most receptive when starting with their strong points and individual interests whenever it is possible.”

Shoshana Perlmuter is a REACH teacher who works with students grades 1-8 at both Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov (JDBY) and ACHDS either through Zoom or over the phone. She focuses on maintaining  routines  with the students that she teaches in her  reading groups Shoshana reports that students are sometimes less distracted when learning by phone.  

She has been customizing the packets distributed by JDBY teachers and modifying the material for the students based on their individual needs. Shoshana tries to enhance the lessons to make them interactive and more engaging with computer activities. “Making the lessons more dynamic and interactive on the screen makes it more appealing, and I try to make it as engaging as possible.” 

A parent of one of Shoshana’s students says, “My daughter looks forward to her Zoom with Miss Perlmutter. That means the teacher is doing a good job engaging her and she’s really gaining from it.”

Like students, REACH educators needed to adapt quickly in the methodology they employ to assist students effectively through remote learning. 

Special education is good education. REACH teachers recommend setting all children up for successful remote learning by applying the following principles:

Be understanding. Aviva says the key to successful remote learning starts with being understanding. “The kids are going through this challenge just as much as the adults are. Give a lot of praise for anything positive they are doing.” Estie has found that validating students and empathizing about how hard the situation is has helped students connect to the learning. 

Provide technical support. It’s crucial to support the technology challenges. “When they make a call or Zoom, parents should help them set up the technology so that the students will be less likely to get frustrated and discouraged when it takes extra time,” says Aviva.

Designate a place that is conducive for learning. Try to have a special chair or spot to do work with all their necessary supplies. Some of our parents have even decorated the area to make it extra special. 

Keep lessons short. Shorter lessons, especially for those that are prerecorded, help students stay focused and engaged, especially if some fun is sprinkled into the lessons. Estie uses timers to start and stop a lesson, because when they know an end is coming it’s easier for them to work up to that point.

Make lessons fun. Estie has noticed that challenging students to see if they can do an activity is often more effective than forcing them to do it. She uses Zoom’s whiteboard for teaching and the app Quizlet to reinforce lessons in an interactive way.

Be flexible. Shoshana’s best advice to teachers and parents? “Try your best to be as flexible as possible. Let the students know that even if they don’t understand every little thing, they shouldn’t be so hard on themselves especially during this difficult time.”

Even though they are still socially distanced, these educators are making sure that learning is still within their students’ REACH. 

Mrs. Debbie Cardash, REACH,  Ms. Carly Krawetz, social worker at Hillel Torah, Mr. Phil Zbaraz, counselor at Ida Crown Jewish Academy and  Rabbi Avrohom Shimon Moller, ATT all gathered on Zoom for a community-wide session to support parents navigating homeschool and parenting during Coronavirus.

Previous sessions were forward-looking: What’s it going to look like? Now, we are nine weeks in. We have figured out many things. It is time to move forward and anticipate the issues we will be facing in the coming weeks.

How will we manage the uncertainty in a way that reflects our values? We are looking at a new reality. What should we address heading into the unknown?

Dr. Phil:

Let’s look at where we just came from? We were told all we needed to do was “shelter in place.” People seemed to be able to do that task. Now we seem to be in a transitional phase. It is not so simplistic anymore since there are multiple layers now – financial, religious, relationships. Each new dimension adds more complexity. So, the phase now is more complicated and will require more sensitivity as to who we are and what our values are. People become more reactive during these times and act in a way that is not out of calm. This leads us down different paths when we need to make decisions.

Carly:

We will begin to see in our homes that people want to do different things in our homes. Setting rules and boundaries needs to happen in a supportive and respectful way. This will look different in different families.

Rabbi Moller:

We all respond to an urgent crisis as human beings with adrenalin and strength. Eventually we lose our heroism and our sense of selflessness as the reality continues for a while. Our regular personality comes through. The sprint is over but the marathon is still on.

Debbie:

When we are receiving conflicting information, how can parents navigate this? Children push back and can find opinions that support their viewpoint.

Dr. Phil:

There’s no one size fits all approach. We all approach things differently. When illness strikes, people reevaluate their lives. On a global scale the world has been shaken out of autopilot. We always did things as part of our routine. Now the world has been asked to take off the autopilot setting, and conscious decisions govern everything. The level of change, decision making, and awareness is unprecedented. It has caused people a lot of fatigue – compassion fatigue, quarantine fatigue, zoom fatigue, etc. Cannot gloss over these things.

Carly:

We want to get back to our normal lives. Need to do self-care especially now since every stress becomes a real challenge to maintain control and happiness in our homes.

Debbie:

Our cognitive functions are working way to hard. This contributes to fatigue. We all need to own and honor that it is harder to do things which sets us up for frustration and diminished demeanor. Don’t take on hard conversations if you are not prepared for it.

We all suffer from momentary lapses of judgement. Need to rally the troops and ask shaalos and model this for the children. It is OK for our children to see how parents react to stress in a positive way.

Carly:

If you weren’t feeling frustrations and anxieties, that would be abnormal. We are all at a different place in our feelings.

Dr. Phil:

Our families are experiencing shedding of their routines/rituals/ typical responses and reactions and as much as people are trying to hold on to things, they will find that there are things that need to fall away especially if they affect a person’s ability to adapt. Do not hold onto things that will not help you cope and that will not help at this time.

Carly:

At the beginning we spoke about the importance of structuring the home during this time of e-learning. Now that we are almost through with this portion, you will figure out how to adjust to the changes that will take place over the summer.

Dr. Phil:

There is a sense of loss – Need to talk about the immediate milestones of our students that look different now. We are missing developmental milestones – graduations, class trips, other activities, Israel, etc.

Challenge – can no longer live in the imaginary moment – need to hit the pause button from that and focus on today. This can be a gift to ourselves – the “present moment” – and a greater understanding of who we are as a person. What can we do for our children with their “right now” needs? The slowdown of the world has caused us to pay more attention to the here and now.

Debbie:

It is OK to relish the moment. Playing games, spend time together, as much as there is loss there is tremendous opportunity for growth.

How can we advocate effectively for our children with the school? What are some tips to reach out for your child?

Carly:

Teachers and staff are certainly willing to work with parents at this time to help their children. Any feedback and constructive feedback from parents are welcome. Making individual plans is important. Be honest and reach out to the child’s teacher in a respectful, kind way. Teachers are still able to make accommodations and modifications.

RABBI MOLLER:

Underscore that this has to be done with respect. The teachers are also under a lot of stress and fatigue. They are human beings as well.

Dr Phil:

With teenagers, it is vital for part of their day to have an area carved out for their own individual creativity. Parent could help identify what those areas of creativity are for their children. Many of these opportunities for creativity have been taken away from them. Families should come together and talk about this.

Carly:

This is very important.

Debbie

Harder for adults to carve out their own creativity. Need to take time for this.

Rabbi Moller:

We need to respect the human need for ceremony and symbolism. These life cycle events are extremely important. Need to be able to use our creativity to create something memorable out of the current situation. Seize the moment and incorporate the positive aspects of anything that that we cannot do because of the current crisis. We cannot replace the anticipation and excitement about major events that are cancelled but we need to be creative to make these replacement events memorable. Ironically, because they will be different and novel , they will be much more memorable.

Debbie:

Children are resilient and if we act appropriately to them, it might be enough for them.

How honest should we be with our children about our handling of the uncertainty?

Dr Phil:

Our bodies don’t lie, and our kids have an amazing capacity to read us. So, by trying to hide it away you will cause more disturbance for your children as they see a dissonance  between your words and your body language. Part of the human condition is to feel things. It is a life lesson that you can feel things but it does not mean you will fall apart. You can work through them and transcend them. I am not a believer in putting a mask on and protect child from a natural human response.

Debbie:

It needs to be a balance. Temper your feelings with developmental realities. Perhaps for younger children need to be more protective. Whatever children think of is probably worse than what is actually happening. So, need to share basic truthful statements – these can be a gift to all. Sometimes say, “I don’t have all the answers; when I do, I will share.” Explain your non-answer.

Carly:

Honesty is the best policy. Try to make sure kids see you are in control, keep routines, and keep them loved and share/focus on what is good in the household at this time.

Debbie:

Structure is always important. That helps everyone. If it falters once it a while that is ok, bring it back. This will help with mental health and physical health hygiene.

Carly:

Separate the weeks from the weekends.

Final question:

What are a couple of things that we should think about as we go into the next phase of the unknown?

Dr. Phil:

It is vital to really have a very conscious appreciation of our faith and values – that is from where we draw our faith. The doing part of our day is important but it requires an acknowledgement of the Source from  which we draw our strength. We feel much stronger when we are part of something much greater than ourselves.

Carly:

As we navigate these choppy waters, set rules and boundaries in your house. Don’t forget to enjoy the small stuff. Don’t forget to breathe. Pay attention to where you are now and where you are going.

Rabbi Moller:

When we use the term unprecedented, realize that it’s a matter of perspective. We need our faith. We have had much suffering in our history. It is unprecedented for us, but we can learn from previous historical situations to give us chizuk and  to prevail.