From the Head of School

Dear Friends:

Welcome to CESJDS! As you explore our School as a current parent, a prospective parent or interested observer, I hope that you will pick up on the passion for excellence, the dedication of staff, students and parents, and the breadth of opportunities available for our diverse community. An education at CESJDS is a powerful experience that is generated by blending the values and traditions of our rich religious and educational heritage with the myriad of new opportunities, methodologies, thought processes, technologies and skills that will define the future for our students and graduates. Whatever their background, their particular learning style, their national origin or unique identity and personality, each and every student and their family will be able to take advantage of our community to connect to success.

At CESJDS, it is our goal to make sure that we know each student as an individual, as a learner and as a person. This ensures that every student and family can excel in our environment while connecting to the community with relationships that will last long beyond the years spent in our classrooms and hallways. Research and our own experience tells us that the bonds students make with faculty/staff and their fellow students during the K through 12 years build the self-confidence needed to achieve lifelong success. Our committed staff and faculty and our intimate and engaging classes validate the truth of that research every day.

I would also like to share with you the emphasis that CESJDS and I place on the importance of building a diverse and inclusive community where all backgrounds are welcome and celebrated. In an era of rapid globalization, we are finding now, more than ever, success is defined by those individuals who can work well with others independent of background, culture and ideology.  I am reminded of the words of Chaim Potok, who said, "Two hundred or more years ago most people on the planet were never aware of any reality other than the one into which they were brought up." As educators we now have the responsibility and the opportunity to recognize this new, connected, reality and do everything in our power to start each of these remarkable young people on the successful journey that will be their adult life.

Thank you for spending the time on our website, and I encourage you to learn more about CESJDS and why it is home to so many families in the Greater Washington community.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cannon
Head of School