The “Chaya Mushka” Girls’ School—Dnipro Jewish community’s leading educational institution for girls—hosted its long-awaited Student-Led Day, during which all positions, from secretary to principal, including teachers and educators, were taken over by the students themselves.
The preparation was taken very seriously. Many students competed for the top administrative roles—principal and two deputies—so it was decided to hold full elections, complete with campaign platforms, promises, promotional materials, and all other hallmarks of a democratic process. The voters were the students themselves, who elected those who impressed the majority—not only with their campaign ideas but also with their leadership qualities—to take on key school positions, even if just for one day.
Ninth-grader Rivka Stambler was elected principal, and eighth-graders Rachel Nachshon and Maryasha Glik served as deputies. The new leadership did a brilliant job: they organized activities, ran quizzes, prepared surprises, and experienced first-hand the weight of administrative responsibility. The candidates who didn’t win the elections still took on essential roles—from secretary to school nurse. Of course, the student leaders had guidance from adults, but interference was minimal and mainly for safety or support.
The focus remained, above all, on the learning process. The school took this part just as seriously. The guiding principle was: each student could choose a subject and teach a lesson in her own class or in a younger one, but not in an older grade. It was also decided that students in grades 4 and below would only teach part of a lesson, while those from grade 5 and up would prepare and deliver a full lesson. The girls received assistance from professional teachers at every stage—from choosing the format and making a lesson plan to being backed up during the lesson if needed. And, by all accounts, the results exceeded expectations.
“The girls—from the youngest to the oldest—approached this challenging task with great responsibility, creativity, and care,” shared Morah Sheina Smiliansky. “All the lessons were of high quality, but most importantly, the girls truly enjoyed the experience—both those teaching and those learning. We, the educators, were no less delighted and proud of our students, who handled everything wonderfully.”
