Winter Message from the Head of School

December 24, 2022

Dear IDEAL Families:

Thank you for all of the expressions of gratitude you sent to our teachers and staff, which made such a wonderful start to our holiday break. Our first all-school, in-person Peace and Light Ceremony since 2019 was a wonderful event, the return of an IDEAL tradition, and, for many students and families, the first time they have experienced this important community celebration. It is a bittersweet thought that this will be the last time we hold the ceremony in the beautiful B’nai Jeshurun Sanctuary, but I look forward to our very own space where we will come together at 5 Hanover Square starting next year. 

As I watched our students read, pledge, and perform, I felt especially grateful for our exceptional staff and for all the effort they put into making this a Peace a Light Celebration to remember, and also for our students, who gave their all to share their talent and enthusiasm with their families and friends. I was overwhelmingly moved by and appreciative of IDEAL’s mission and the ways in which it celebrates the full identities of all community members. Our students’ Peace Pledges featured their commitment to “respect people, their belongings, their feelings, and their needs” (Grade 4), “listen and be respectful” (Advisory 6B), and “be active members in the community” (Grade 10). These thoughtful promises serve as a powerful reminder of all the ways IDEAL fosters inclusion, creative leadership, and respect, along with a commitment to personal and academic excellence.

Thank you, and I wish you a safe, joyful, and restful Winter Break.

Sincerely,
Janet Wolfe
Head of School
The IDEAL School of Manhattan