Carol Mersky to Retire as Preschool Director of Temple Emanuel Preschool

Community invited to join us to honor Carol's legacy at a special Shabbat and Kiddush on May 21 at Temple Emanuel.

NEWTON, MA May 4, 2016 – After 26 years, we announce the retirement of our beloved preschool director, Carol Mersky, at the end of this school year. Under Carol's leadership, Temple Emanuel Preschool has flourished and has been a tremendous source of pride to all members of our community. Carol has ensured that the preschool provides a nurturing environment that builds social skills and emotional intelligence, encourages learning through exploration and discovery, and prepares children for future academic and social success. She is also very passionate about helping children learn about Jewish traditions and values, and to see Judaism as part of their world and everyday life.

Carol's passion for early childhood education is evident in all aspects of the creative and inspiring curriculum she has developed over the past 26 years. “You can create environments that children can learn from, so that they experience the lesson first hand,” explained Mersky. She has found new and engaging ways to infuse Jewish values into all elements of the children’s preschool experience and to cultivate an atmosphere of belonging to the classroom, to the school and to the greater Temple Emanuel community, enabling families to form friendships that last long after the early childhood experience.

One of the highlights of the Temple Emanuel Preschool is its continued evaluation and implementation of best practices in the field of early childhood education. One recent example is the addition of an “outdoor” classroom which offers children an array of exploratory centers designed to provoke curiosity and investigation in the natural environment. Children can weigh, plant, build, “cook”, create in the sculpture garden, and perform on our outdoor stage!

Carol shares a story of one of her favorite memories through the years: “The holidays were always important to me, but one of my favorite things that we did each year was preparing for Passover. Each child brought a special guest and experienced all kinds of activities in preparation for Passover, culminating in the students acting out the story of the Exodus. Each day, we practiced the story of the Exodus. We would have a volunteer be Pharaoh, another be Moses and then had the rest of the children eagerly volunteering to be the Jewish people. That to me is symbolically what it’s all about. Because in the end, the most important thing was making these kids feel proud to be the Jewish people and I hope for them that this is just the beginning. To instill in them a love of learning, connecting secular concepts with our Jewish values, exploring literacy and small motor skills through stories from the Torah; these are the components I am most proud of.”

Albert Einstein stated, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Rosita Fine, Temple Emanuel member and former preschool parent said, “Carol has “awakened” the spirit of so many children during her tenure at Temple Emanuel Preschool. It never ceased to amaze me how she appreciated the development of each one of her pupils, guiding them gently to find their own voice. Her creative spirit was contagious both in and outside the classroom. She provided our children with a strong foundation and love for Jewish learning, and deeply enriched their lives by doing so. Our family feels privileged to know her and indebted for the unconditional love that she has given our children.”

In addition to Carol's outstanding leadership of Temple Emanuel Preschool, she has been an invaluable member of Temple Emanuel's senior staff, contributing greatly to all aspects of the thriving Conservative synagogue. Words are inadequate to express our gratitude for her dedication and commitment. Carol’s career has been a model to follow; she has made a lasting impression on the world through the lives of the students she taught.

We are delighted to honor Carol's amazing legacy at a special Shabbat and Kiddush on May 21, 2016 at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton, MA. We invite all members of the community to join us in honoring this spectacular woman. We hope to see grown alumni as well! We are collecting memories to make a gift book for Carol. Please share yours by emailing it to celebratecarol2016@gmail.com. Prose and photos welcome.

We congratulate Carol on her well-deserved retirement and wish her the best as she enters this new phase of her life this summer. When asked about plans for retirement, Carol said, “Being a child 's first teacher who leads them into the world of learning is a special thing that I have cherished. Now, I look forward to returning to full-time voluntary endeavors and addressing the issues of disadvantaged children and their families.”