Israeli Principals Visit Countryside Elementary

Earlier this month, the students and faculty at Newton's Countryside Elementary School had a chance to expand their international community. 

On October 1, Countryside welcomed a delegation of principals of Haifa, Israel, as part of a program with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, according to a Newton Public Schools press release. 

“The principals were particularly interested in learning how we teach to our diversity, incorporate values and citizenship into our curriculum, and engage the parent community,” Countryside Principal Emily Ostrower said in a press release. “Our diversity – linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and a broad range of learners – defines us as a school.”

Ostrower joined a panel of teachers to discuss teacher collaboration and how staff at Countryside work together to meet the needs of the school's diverse student population. 

After the panel, the Israeli principals had a chance to tour Countryside and, according to the press release, were "impressed with the focused, engaged and cooperative manner in which they saw students learning."

“It’s not often that we stand back to think about our school in this way,” Ostrower said in the statement. “It was a great reminder for us of what we are truly about as a school and a great way to focus us on all the important work ahead.”