School Rushes To Issue 2015 Book List By Mid-Summer 2016

It represents a full eight months earlier than average.

Jerusalem, July 17 – Administrators and educational staff at the Reishit School are scrambling to distribute the list of required books and materials for the 2015 academic year earlier than usual, aiming to finalize and send it out by the end of July 2016.

Principal Tamar Friedman and her faculty have been hurrying to meet their self-imposed deadline after years of cumulative parental requests to issue the lists earlier. Friedman, who has run the school since its founding in 1997, pushed the teachers and her contacts at the Ministry of Education to do a better job this year, and reported this morning that the 2015 lists are ahead of schedule.

“We expect to send out the book lists for 2015 within the next two weeks, possibly sooner, if we can get our computers working properly,” she predicted. “That’s a full eight months earlier than average, despite our longtime secretary departing during the process.” Friedman voiced pride in her teachers and their commitment to working with parents and taking their needs into account.

“Our teachers are known for their warmth and individualized approach to each student,” continued the principal. “Now we can also add their comparative punctuality and preparedness for the school year.” As she spoke, Friedman leafed through the latest addition to her office shelves, the newly-published yearbook of the class of 2014.

Faculty and administrative staff spoke of the hard work that led to this impending achievement. “We had I don’t know how much staff on maternity leave this year,” said third-grade teacher Shlomit Schlesinger. “That made it a serious challenge to continuity, but we managed to pull through. I have to say this is a heady, unfamiliar feeling, this sense of being prepared for something that started only ten months ago.”

Science teacher Alon Orenbuch seconded the sentiment. “I can’t remember ever being this ready this early,” he said. “This time of year I’m usually still grading the projects handed in three semesters ago. It was hard work – I’m pretty sure I can’t handle doing this year after year.”

Ministry of Education personnel cited Reishit for its achievement in this regard, noting that it was one of only a handful of elementary schools in the country to meet the deadline this year. “Ms. Friedman, her faculty, and staff all deserve kudos for going all out,” lauded regional supervisor Tova Me’uhar. “Thanks to their efforts, there are now nearly a dozen schools that have successfully issued book lists less than one year after the onset of the academic term. Next year we hope to triple that number, but I’m going on vacation between September and February, so that might not happen.”