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'The Emery Difference': Myth or Legend?

By Abby Cohan, The Emery/Weiner School, School Buzz Editor and Hailey Newman, The Emery/Weiner School, School Buzz Reporter | November 17, 2017

School Buzz

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Sofia Heyl, Nicki Miller, Jillian Greenberg, Brynne Jacobs

Seniors (from left) Sofia Heyl, Nicki Miller, Jillian Greenberg and Brynne Jacobs are excited to begin anew next fall for college, but say that Emery will “always hold a place in our hearts.”

If you attend the Emery/Weiner School, have visited the website, read a pamphlet or taken a tour, then you have probably heard the phrase “The Emery Difference.” This year, the Emery/Weiner yearbook staff gathered the Emery community together to find out if this statement is true, or just something that is used to market the school.

The “Emery Difference: Myth or Legend” survey was emailed to faculty, administration, middle school and high school students. With 273 responses (more than half of the community), we gained invaluable insight on whether the Emery Difference is real or not.

If the participant taking the survey thought that “The Emery Difference” exists, they had several options as to why we are different than other schools. These options included student-teacher relationships; unique opportunities offered like school trips, GAG day, clubs, electives and more; college counseling department; being able to be involved in multiple activities at once; athletic and/or theatre department; and inclusive, accepting and diverse community.

We found that 91 percent of those that took the survey felt that “The Emery Difference” is real. The most prominent reason is the student-teacher relationships present in our community.

Here are a few survey responses of students and teachers who have truly appreciated their Emery experiences. Junior Danielle Miller says: “It is super neat to see how students can take initiative and become involved.” She enjoys helping to plan Emery Community Service Day with the Tikkun Olam Club.

Senior Kyle Moses says: “I entered Emery in the ninth grade not knowing anyone, but now I have several friends.” He loves that “everyone knows each other’s names.

An Upper School Spanish teacher, Ms. Tanya Meinecke, says she taught in public school for 15 years. She says, “Emery does not follow the normal academic teaching standards, so teachers can go by personalized academic agendas.”

Overall, the student body feels that student-teacher relationships keep the Emery Difference realist.