Written by Ryan Gill, Head of High School

As I step into my new role as Head of High School at Moriah College, I am honoured and excited to embark on this journey with our students, staff, and families. Our school has a proud tradition of academic excellence, strong values, and a deep commitment to nurturing young people who will make a positive impact on the world. Yet beyond mastering the curriculum, achieving in exams, and engaging in co-curricular activities, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: What do we want our children to be like when they are adults?

We recently explored this question at the inaugural High School launch event, Illuminate, through an interactive session I led. The result was a powerful word cloud filled with aspirations and values that reflect the essence of our shared vision. Words like kind, independent, happy, resilient, confident, thoughtful, empathetic and responsible emerged as dominant themes. By creating a learning environment that upholds these ideals, we help shape them as enduring dispositions in our future adults. These words are not just aspirations—they are guiding principles that should shape the educational experiences we provide at Moriah.

Our responsibility as educators and parents is to ensure that our children grow into adults who embody these values. This means fostering an environment where character development is as important as academic achievement. It means encouraging perseverance when challenges arise, modelling empathy in our interactions, and instilling a sense of purpose that goes beyond personal success. We must also cultivate an atmosphere where open-mindedness and creativity are celebrated, where students feel empowered to think critically and solve problems with integrity.

The journey from childhood to adulthood is shaped by countless moments—classroom discussions, friendships, community involvement, and the challenges that test their strength. Each of these moments contributes to the kind of people our students will become. At Moriah, we are committed to equipping every student with both knowledge and the moral compass and emotional intelligence needed to navigate life with confidence and integrity. We strive to instil in them a sense of responsibility, ensuring they understand the value of contributing to society and making a difference in the world.

As we embark on this year together, I look forward to working with you, our community, to create an environment where our young people thrive. Let us be intentional in the way we teach, mentor, and guide our students so that they grow into the adults we so proudly envisioned. We will continue to support them not only in their academic journeys but also in their personal growth, helping them discover their passions and strengths so they can flourish in their chosen paths.

Thank you for your warm welcome to the Moriah community. I am excited for the journey ahead and the opportunity to shape the future together. As we move forward, I encourage each of us to reflect on the small yet meaningful ways we can contribute to our students’ development, ensuring they emerge as the compassionate, resilient, and capable Jewish leaders of tomorrow.