Saying Goodbye
MICHAELYN SILVERMAN SPECIAL TO THE APPLETREE
T
he annual "Shalom
Party" is a longstand-
ing tradition at many
Jewish nursery
schools. Temple Emanu-El is no
exception.
The June event, marking the
last day of school, gives parents
a chance to see selected art pro-
jects and pictures of their chil-
dren's participation throughout
the year, and to hear the chil-
dren sing a medley of favorite
Jewish songs.
Special acknowledgement is
given to boys and girls "gradu-
ating" the program and to fami-
lies who have been affiliated, in
excess of five or seven years,
with the school. It is with these
families that the Shalom Party
becomes, for me, especially bit-
.
been shared on an almost daily
basis.
Then there are the children
who first came to the school at
age 2 and have been with us
through kindergarten. How do
you casually say goodbye and
walk away from a bond like
that?
It's not just the staff who feels
the sense of impending loss.
Parents, too, feel it The most
poignant moment for me at last
year's Shalom Party was finding
a nursery mom crying in an
empty classroom. "I have to
meet my husband and son in
the sanctuary, but first I need to
pull myself together. This place
has been our home for years,
and we'll miss you so much."
Many parents promise to
DON'T
LET
YOUR
ADS
FALL
FAR
FROM
r
Ue SKED 6v ENE DE 40 EW SN nEwS
MICHAELYN SILVERMAN is co-director of Temple Emanu-El's nursery school.
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PREENTA
come back and visit But despite
the best intentions, it is hard to
go back. The challenge and ex-
citement of elementary school •
soon becomes irresistible.
Even though it is impossible
to imagine, as you leave the
nursery school Shalom Party,
any parent of gown children _
will tell you that the rush of
years are as a moment So very
soon the strains of "Pomp and
Circumstance" will announce
your child's entrance at his/her,
high-school graduation. Another
special moment, another
Shalom party El
BE
FAM e
ILIES GROW
ACCOUN7
tersweet. Staff, like parents
kvell from their children's
growth and accomplishments.
But, like parents, they hurt in-
side, too, as children grow up
and inevitably grow away from
them. Actually, "heart-wrench-
ing" is the best way to describe
what it's like as we say good-
bye to the youngest of two or
three siblings whose family has
for years been part of the
school.
These are not "teacher-par-
ent" relationships. These are
close friendships, during which
the ups and downs of lives have
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