Back to school! New and noteworthy in our Jewish day schools, 2012-13

by Cindy Mindell

Connecticut is home to nine Jewish day schools, all working to provide a high level of education in both secular and Judaic studies. As the new school year approaches, the Ledger checked in with the schools to see how they’re gearing up for their students. Six schools responded.

Kindergarteners at Bi-Cultural Day School enjoy the sunshine

Bi-Cultural Day School

2186 High Ridge Rd, Stamford

(203) 329-2186

www.bcds.org

Pre-K through 8

Jacqueline Herman, Principal

The use of technology in learning continues to expand at Bi-Cultural Day School with new initiatives, including the 6th-grade pilot iPad program. In one of the first-ever such programs of its kind, each student will be issued a specially-programmed iPad for use in the school’s wireless environment and at home. The idea is to expand students’ access to information in a way uniquely suited to their generation and the way children learn today. Equally important, teachers will be able to even better differentiate learning to accommodate varied student learning styles, interests, and needs. Teachers in both secular subjects and Jewish studies have received special training to maximize the learning potential the devices offer. Good “cyber-citizenship” is expected. Rules, policies, and consequences have been clearly communicated and agreed to by both parents and students.

Monitoring by school staff will be ongoing and intensive.

A year-long, school-wide program created jointly with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is designed to foster a supportive, caring environment at Bi-Cultural, in keeping with the Jewish values taught at the school every day. With original programming and a new approach to the student-teacher-parent-school partnership, it is hoped that the program will become a national model for enhancing decorum and respect for self, teachers, parents, and peers.

With the success last year of an online math class, an online Hebrew-language course will be offered after school for those interested in increasing their Hebrew-conversation skills. Parents are being surveyed to determine which Jewish-studies courses they might like to take online to further their knowledge or learn alongside their children.

An after-school kindergarten program focused on Hebrew-language learning will be offered three days a week.

After-school language classes include Chinese, first offered last year and available to returning students and newcomers; and new for this year, Yiddish and Spanish.

Carmel Academy students march in New York City’s Celebrate Israel Parade.

Carmel Academy

270 Lake Ave., Greenwich

(203) 863-9663

www.carmelacademy.com

K through 8

Nora Anderson, Head of School

Carmel Academy, a CAIS-accredited (with distinction) K-8 school, serves Jewish students from all over Westchester and Fairfield counties.

Carmel will begin the new academic year welcoming its upper school students into a newly renovated building, which also houses a new multi-media center and art studio. The fall will also see the opening of a new, fully-equipped lower school science laboratory, as part of the school’s continued focus on S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Carmel Academy took great care in keeping the original character of the buildings on its historic Greenwich campus, while equipping them with the infrastructures to make them state-of-the-art facilities.

Page 1 of 4 | Next page