To do a job well, one must have the proper tools. A carpenter might need a specific saw for a type of wood to be cut, a photographer might need a special lens to capture a tiny creature, and educators need the most up-to-date information and methods to teach and prepare their students.
The educators at Toras Chaim had a pressing realization that they lacked the proper tools. To improve the curriculum and resources for students and staff, the administrators’ focus quickly centered on the school’s textbooks, which were old and outdated.
“The textbooks that Toras Chaim were using were more than 10 years old,” says Andie Pollock, the school’s assistant principal. “The math books especially did not match the current trends in teaching math. More recently, math has moved away from the skill and drill to have the students truly understand the why and how of math skills.”
The Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Community Impact Grant of $11,500 helped Toras Chaim purchase new textbooks for their curriculum. In addition to new math textbooks, Toras Chaim ordered new literature and life science books for middle school and phonics books for kindergarten, first, and second grade.
“The TJF Community Grant made it possible for us to order across the board in several subjects,” says Pollock. “We were able to fill in the gaps in several areas, rather than have just one grade get started at a time.”
The new textbooks helped Toras Chaim get their curriculum back on track. Students had phonics lessons in their workbooks and science textbooks had a wonderful Jewish twist.
“When learning about the intricacies and amazement of the cell, we are reminded of all the Hashem has created,” says Pollock. “
“Education is one of the cornerstones of the Jewish community in Tidewater,” says Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation. “TJF is honored to help institutions like Toras Chaim improve their curriculum for their students, many of whom will be future leaders in our community and the world.”
-Thomas Mills