Good Citizenship.

One of the things you likely will hear me discussing this year many times is the importance of good citizenship to the success of our school. Good citizenship means bolstering our school--your school really--by supporting the administration and staff, following our rules, and recognizing that you have to commit yourself--beyond the already arduous commitment of paying tuition-- to the institution.

Kadima needs good citizens so it can grow, flourish and succeed. The best schools are those in which parents, students, faculty and staff all believe in the institution, support it, and embrace the school's values and program.

And this is not just me talking. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell discusses, among other things, how certain little steps can create larger social transformations. This certainly can be the case at Kadima. When people see others not caring about the institution--whether this lack of respect manifests itself in violating our parking rules or failing to clean up after themselves during spring fling--the message is stark: people do not care about the institution. And if people don't care about the school, that message will get out, and people will see little reason to keep sending their children to school.

That's why little things matter. It's important to follow Kadima's rules and not seek "special deals." It is important to meet financial deadlines and to follow our rules against double parking. It is important to support our administration and staff and teachers. By embracing the Kadima community instead of focusing our individual ways of avoiding the rules or seeking special deals for ourselves, we foster a commitment and respect to the Kadima community, which in turn creates enthusiasm and joy for our program, and the sense that we are all working together for a greater purpose, which is the creation of an excellent Jewish Day School educational program.

Once we've got a committed, devoted, and enthusiastic community, the word will get out, and and more and more people will come to our school. And that will only lead to greater success for the entire Kadima community.