Overview of the Academic Program by Grade
The
Ganon Program is a preschool program for 3 year olds and 4 year
olds. The students meet every Shabbat morning from 9:45am–12:00noon.
An age-appropriate Minyan is a regular part of the Ganon Program. Ganon
concentrates on learning about each of the Jewish Holidays and other
Jewish themes through age appropriate activities including arts/crafts,
movement, and music.
Kitot Gan (K), Aleph (1), and Bet
(2), meet every Shabbat from 9:30am–12:15pm. Students will
attend an age-appropriate Shabbat morning service. Music is a
regular part of the Torah School program.
- Gan curriculum concentrates
on an introduction to weekly Torah and an introduction to Genesis and
Exodus stories; and also includes Holidays, Tikkun Olam, Tzedekah, basic
prayer and songs, and Hebrew in song.
- Aleph curriculum concentrates
on an in-depth study of Shabbat, Tikkun Olam, and an introduction to
Hebrew letters. Other topics include Holidays, Tzedekah, an introduction
to mitzvot, basic prayer and songs, introduction to weekly Torah, Hebrew
in song, and beginning vocabulary.
- Bet curriculum’s
focus is “What is Israel?” - a love of Israel, Jewish values as
told in biblical, folk, Hasidic, and rabbinic stories, and an introduction
to vowels and single letter/vowel decoding. Additional studies
include starting to follow prayer Hebrew, discussion of weekly Torah
parsha, HafTorah, and Mitzvot.
Kitot Gimmel (3), Daled (4), Hey (5),
and Vav (6) will focus on Judaics on Shabbat from 9:30am–12:30pm,
and on Hebrew through one of our four Hebrew education options: Adat
Shalom on Wednesday afternoons, Adat East on Tuesday Afternoons, Chaverim
b’Telephone computer-aided at-home learning, or Tutoring. Students
in each of these grades will participate in age-appropriate Minyanim
(services) on Shabbat.
- Gimmel Judaics curriculum
emphasizes Prophets and Writings as well as studying different understandings
of God. The curriculum also includes Holidays, Jewish ethics, Tikkun
Olam, Tzedekah, Shabbat prayers, discussion of weekly Torah parsha/HafTorah,
parts of the Tanakh, vowels, word decoding, introduction to oral Hebrew,
and an introduction to Siddur.
- Daled Judaics curriculum
focuses on an in-depth study of Genesis and Israeli history and geography.
Other facets of the curriculum include Holidays, lifecycle, Tikkun Olam,
Tzedekah, Shabbat Shacharit service, introduction to Torah chanting,
prayer stories, minyan leadership, Midrash, Shabbat morning prayers,
Torah, Torah chanting, and an introduction to Hebrew grammar.
- Hey Judaics curriculum
utilizes the book You Be the Judge to focus on Jewish values
as rooted in Torah and codified in Talmud and to develop an understanding
of multiple Jewish answers to the same ethical dilemma. Jewish History:
Middle Ages to Present - People who have made a difference is another
significant focus of the curriculum. The remainder of the
curriculum encompasses Holidays, Tikkun Olam, Tzedekah, Shabbat Shacharit
service, Torah, Torah chanting, prayer stories, minyan leadership, introduction
to selected midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalat Shabbat prayers.
- Vav Judaics curriculum
emphasizes the theme of “We were strangers”, the American Jewish
History experience, and an in-depth study of Exodus. It also includes
Holidays, the Ten Commandments in-depth, Tikkun Olam, Tzedekah, structure
of Shacharit service, major prayer themes, Torah service prayers, and
modern Hebrew. All students in Kitah Vav are required to attend
at least six Shabbat Services of their choosing during the school year.
Kitah Zayin (7) will focus on
Judaics on Sundays from 5:30pm-7:30pm, and on Hebrew through one of
our four Hebrew education options: Adat Shalom on Wednesday afternoons,
Adat East on Tuesday Afternoons, Chaverim b’Telephone computer-aided
at-home learning, or Tutoring. All students in Kitah Zayin are
required to attend at least six Shabbat Services of their choosing during
the school year. Zayin students will study Jewish history prior
to, during and since the Holocaust.
Atid Shalom (Grades 8–12),
which means “Future of Peace,” is an Upper School program that meets
every Sunday from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Atid Shalom is a credit-based program;
a special Siyyum is held at the end of the school year to honor teens
who have earned the requisite credits. Atid Shalom provides ample social
time, yet is built on a foundation of rigorous critical thinking. Sessions
include text study, arts experiences, environmental activities, social
action projects, and leadership development seminars. Students
spend their first ‘trimester’ in grade-specific core courses including
Comparative Religions and Ethics and Values, Reconstructionist Style.
Samples of Electives are: Jewish History through Jewish Cooking,
Driving like a Mensch, and Jews, Tattoos and other Hot Topics.