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Dedication
When we celebrate Chanukah, the word "dedication" is never far from our minds and hearts. It is central to the story of the Maccabees' defiance of the tyrant Antiochus and his legions, and to their restoration of the Temple.
But "dedication" is never far from WYHS even when it isn't Chanukah! In fact, I would argue that it provides the underlying foundation of our school in a myriad of ways.
It begins with a dedicated administration and staff- the best colleagues I could ever hope to have! They are always willing to make the extra effort to work together and try get things right, even when the task is daunting and the way is unclear. Trust me when I say that the administration never runs out of challenges to handle, whether they are matters of placement, discipline, guidance, programming, budgeting, curriculum planning, or just trying to make sure that students and teachers have the best possible experience.
Our faculty likewise belies any misconception that educators don't work hard! Every day, period after period, they face a sea of expectant faces, students counting on them to be prepared in every subject and at every level they teach: to know their stuff, to be interesting, to be patient, to be fair, to be role models. Then they go home and plan for the next day's expectant faces, meanwhile preparing and grading exams, essays and projects. It is the dedication of our WYHS teachers (coaches, too!) which enables our students to thrive and grow, religiously and academically.
But our students also show dedication at every turn! I continue to be astonished at how well they handle our demanding dual curriculum, the long Mondays and Wednesdays, and the array of enticing extra-curriculars. I don't know when homework gets done, but I do know that it takes dedication to earn the kind of grades our hard-working students do, to excel in sports the way our team members do, to produce quality publications week in and week out the way our writers, videographers and graphic designers do, to perform well as our band, choir and drama students do.
As Chanukah 5773 becomes a memory, I commend the WYHS staff and students for their own dedication. It is what makes this school such a remarkable place!
Shabbat Shalom, Dr. Laura Becker
Director of College Preparatory Studies
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