The $25,000 Pyramid

Growing up, I enjoyed watching game shows. The ones I liked best involved word association. There was Match Game, and  Super Password, but my absolute favorite was The $25,000 Pyramid; it still airs today, though the prize money is now up to $100,000. I would close my eyes and play along deciphering the clues. There was something fun about trying to understand what the other person was saying without knowing the topic. Winning contestants could think quickly on their feet and understand their partner’s thinking and logic by reading between the lines and make connections. Here’s a taste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9dIIrluHRo

So you must be thinking, why is Amy writing about game shows? Here’s why – during the August professional development week here at school, I asked our faculty and staff to play their own word association game. They had to choose one word which describes and/or defines Epstein Hillel School; next, they had to find someone who also chose the same word. It proved hard to pick just one word, and it was a fascinating exercise. People offered words like warmth, unique, spirited and many others. The most popular word was community, although caring (whose group also included words like compassionate and nurturing) was a close second.  Not surprisingly, the two most often chosen words, community and compassion, are two of the six attributes that define our school. This exercise validated what I know is our faculty/staff’s perspective about Epstein Hillel. Not only is EHS a wonderful place for children to be educated, but it is also a fulfilling and supportive community in which to work. That’s a pretty rare quality for one’s job and it’s one of the ingredients that contributes to the EHS difference. In her own words, a parent new to our school recently commented, “…we are blown away with the support of the EHS community.  It’s like nothing I have seen before. It’s a really special and unique community.” If this were the $25,000 Pyramid, the clue might be a close-knit and nurturing school community that offers an innovative and challenging educational experience grounded in Jewish values. One word – EHS.

Ready to play a round of word association? Are you a current parent, grandparent, alumnus, alum parent, member of our board of directors/trustee or community leader/friend? What do you notice, value, or appreciate about EHS? Email your word to me (agold@epsteinhillel.org) and I’ll create a word cloud so we can see what trends, similarities, and themes emerge as we continue the journey into 5779. I couldn’t be happier to begin this educational journey with you.

P.S. If you like word association games too, I highly recommend Taboo which you can play with your family; it’s one of the Gold household favorites!