Chesed Clubs

The overarching goal of VTT’s Chesed (performing acts of loving kindness) Club is to create a caring climate and culture that nurtures empathy and morals throughout the school community. The process includes having students engage as active partners finding personal meaning in all agreed upon tasks and building community through action. Our Chesed Club is predicated on Jewish values, most specifically our mandate to repair the world (Tikkun Olam).

Students in our Chesed Club are passionate about giving and are ready to dedicate and commit their free time to work on a variety of initiatives in the school and in the community. With the belief that students learn best by doing and interacting with others, Chesed Club provides hands-on experiences to help others in real world situations.

VTT currently runs a Chesed Club (for Grades 6 & 7 students) and a Green/Shomrei Adamah Club (Grades 4-7).

Chesed Leadership Program מנהיגות בוגרת

Our Chesed Leaders help to build a positive school climate and develop essential leadership skills by:

Exploring and articulating a leadership role that synthesizes their strengths and areas of interest based on their findings of our school’s needs;

Volunteering at least once a week during lunch as monitors in the playground, dining hall, and hallways;

Enhancing school spirit through the support of athletic/intramural programs and the facilitation/creation of activities for younger students throughout the school;

Receiving ongoing leadership training and attending one-on-one check-ins and group reflection sessions;

Assuming leadership roles at school assemblies;

Building, monitoring and maintaining the new House and House Points systems;

Acting as ambassadors for school events and initiatives;

Organizing monthly food or charity drives

Raising awareness about causes that are important to them;

Creating VTT-wide initiatives to enhance school culture, such as the “Hello” campaign.

GREEN CLUB / SHOMREI ADAMAH

שומרי אדמה

Students who join our Green Club are true Keepers of the Earth (Shomrei Adamah). They are passionate climate warriors who are taking action, both at VTT and in our wider community, to activate climate solutions. They work closely with our Chesed Club and other school partners to raise awareness about and take action to address environmental issues.

Our Shomrei Adamah engage in climate action through/by:

Meeting weekly to conduct an audit of the school and develop initiatives to raise the level of environmental awareness;

Attending various youth climate action forums to discuss and build climate action plans and initiatives with community leaders and students from other schools;

Sharing their learning and passion for the environment with the school community at assemblies and other events;

Volunteering to clean up the school playgrounds, rooftop field, and hallways;

Developing and implementing school-wide initiatives, such as litter-less lunches, recycling bins, Return It programs, and the introduction of a new ‘Sustainability Hub;’

Involvement with the new Jewish Community Garden.

2022-23 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Raised money for the JNF's Segev reforestation program in honor of Tu B'Shevat;

Toonie drive for Turkey & Syria earthquake relief raised $1,600;

Cooking oil and Hanukkah candle drive for Jewish Family Services;

Participated in Project Isaiah Food Drive;

Participated in Beth Israel Coat Drive;

Created partnership with Stable Harvest Fam and ADI Israel;

Introduced House Points System.

Developed and introduced the ‘Hello’ Campaign;

Established the Just Dance lunch time club for grades 1-4;

Supported our SK and Primary programs through lunchtime activities and student buddy initiatives;

Shomrei Adamah attended youth climate action summits at Science World and UBC;

Created and supported environmental initiatives, such as Earth Week, “litter-less” lunches, playground and hallway clean ups, and recycling initiatives;

Created the ‘Sustainability Hub.’