As we enjoy vacation, there is much to celebrate.
Thank you for a successful Cradles to Crayons donation drive! Torit students, families, and faculty gathered new and gently used clothing and other items, which will be shared with children in need. We are planning a class trip for our elementary students to visit the Cradles to Crayons regional warehouse in January to better understand the work of this community-based charity.
The Torit Foundation, supporting scholarships for Torit students, kicked off a successful Giving Tuesday and hosted a donor reception this week. The Torit Foundation aims to raise $100,000 for scholarships by June 30. Your tax-deductible contribution supports a diverse student body that benefits all students. Topics and dates for Foundation-sponsored parent education Zoom lunches are forthcoming, as is a date for the Foundation’s Spring Fling. Thanks to Board President Alex Senchak, Secretary Shelli Pavone, and Trustees Jem Varghese Andrewes and Mark Dantos for their leadership in these important efforts.
Thanks also to Gretchen and Ben Roin for their leadership of the Teacher Holiday Gift Committee as well as all parents who so generously donated to thank our faculty and staff for their dedication to Torit’s children. Your support of Torit’s professional community is deeply appreciated.
Elementary students made holiday handicrafts and held a festive Craft Fair last week, where they also practiced their marketing and mathematics skills. Thanks to Judy Cavanaugh, Alison Gordon, Dan Scranton, Masiah Leander-Wess, Michael Lembck, and Sherla Collymore-Phillips for their support of this annual event.
Elementary students also performed their holiday play, written and directed by Berklee College of Music professor Cristina Vaira, with support from the same elementary faculty and friends. Thanks to all who helped with this fun production!
Holiday teas gave all students the opportunity to showcase their Montessori Practical Life skills. We hope that you were able to enjoy this annual Torit tradition with your child and see the fruition of their skills as they practiced grace and courtesy.
Finally and with great appreciation, we wish farewell to one faculty member and two Northeastern University co-op students. Fatima Chehboune has chosen to depart Torit as we enter Winter Break to spend more time with her family. Ms. Fatima has served ably on the Torit faculty for more than five years as both a Preprimary Teacher and a teacher of Arabic language and culture. Her dedication to and delight in supporting the growth of children has positively shaped the lives of many students, and we will miss her. The Torit community wishes Ms. Fatima and her family all the best.
Michael Lembck spent the fall initially observing and quickly becoming a trusted colleague in several classrooms. Michael is a senior computer science major, and his tech skills were critical in restructuring our class schedules and performing data analysis for admissions, among other projects. Michael also taught a LEGO robotics activity that our older students enjoyed a great deal. We will miss Michael’s willingness to tackle any task, large or small, and his eagerness and kindness.
Masiah Leander-Wess is also a senior at Northeastern. Masiah quickly made connections with elementary students and easily built positive relationships with staff and students. While we will miss seeing her on a daily basis at Torit, Masiah will continue to work with our elementary students on Monday afternoons as an extended day leader, so it’s less a goodbye and more a “see ya’ soon.”
And speaking of which, Torit’s doors will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. We look forward to seeing you in the new year. In the meantime, from the Torit faculty and staff, we wish you happy holidays and peace in 2024.