The overall goal of the Judaica program is to give each child a sense of pride in our Jewish heritage.

There is nothing more important to us as parents than for our children to be proud of who they are. In order for a child to be proud of her heritage, she must be able to understand it, love it, and be comfortable with it.

We want a child to learn about Judaism because she loves it, and she genuinely wants to learn about it. So, throughout our Judaica curriculum, we want to give the children the knowledge of Judaism in a way that fosters PRIDE, LOVE, COMFORT, and an UNDERSTANDING of our heritage.

We are enthusiastic about the beautiful lessons Judaism has to offer, and we try to communicate that excitement to the children.

The three components of the Judaica program are:
1. Hebrew (meaning, language skills, prayer, and Torah study)
2. Parsha - which are Torah stories
3. Holidays and their customs

Hebrew

When we speak of “Hebrew,” we are referring to the Hebrew used in the prayerbook, as well as the modern Hebrew that is spoken in Israel today. The basic structures of both prayerbook and modern day Hebrew are very similar; therefore, our studies complement each other.

Our children begin learning Hebrew in kindergarten when they are taught the Hebrew letters and vowel recognition. They progress to reading words and sentences, developing vocabulary and increasing comprehension.

We are very fortunate to have access to a brand new, Hebrew whole language curriculum for our first grade. This excellent program known as Tal Am is a result of fifteen years of extensive research. The four areas this program includes: Ariot – the development of Hebrew reading, writing and language skills; Shalom – incorporating Hebrew into the daily home and school routine; Shabbat Shalom – covering the Torah Portion and Shabbat unit; and Chag Sameach – covering the holidays. Each of these four units is designed to reinforce the vocabulary and content of the other units, and all are totally integrated. The characters, vocabulary, and activities that are introduced in the Ariot segment are reinforced in the other units.

This program is taught in a Hebrew Immersion classroom. Yes, in the beginning the children think they are in a foreign country, but in a few weeks they are enthusiastically responding in the Hebrew language. With continuing instruction, many of the children are able to write stories in Hebrew, converse, and read fluently. Consistent with our goal of making all of our studies real and relevant to the children, we use Hebrew vocabulary in our class. For example, we call a pencil an “iparon,” the chalkboard is a “luach,” etc.

Our reading and comprehension skills are also applied during prayer. The children pray every day. They express their thanks to G-d for all the good they receive daily. The amount of time spent praying depends on the age of the child. The kindergartners have tefillah, or prayer, for a fairly short period of time — about 10 minutes. Some of the prayers are: Modeh Ani (a prayer that is said on awakening in the morning), Adon Olam, Shema, and Ein Kelokeinu.

New prayers are added for the 1st grade, and then again for the 2nd grade, and so on until the 5th grade, when the children have tefillah for no more than 30 minutes.

We also utilize our skills in the study of Torah. Since the Torah is the basic foundation of Judaism, we feel that it is important for the children to be exposed to the original text, which is written in Hebrew. The skills that we teach allow the children to further explore the many treasures contained in the Torah.

We begin teaching the Torah in the second grade, using the actual Hebrew text.

When your children are in preschool, they learn about the story of Noah and the ark. When they have the knowledge to read from the Torah, they are able to learn the details and intricacies of the story, such as the date of the flood, the measurements of the ark, etc.

Parsha

The Torah, which is the five Books of Moses, is divided into 53 portions. Each of these portions is called a “Parsha.”

A large percentage of Parsha is devoted to the lives of our ancestors. We strive to present our ancestors, the patriarchs and matriarchs, as models from whom we can learn. For example, we are all familiar with the story of Moses and the Burning Bush, when G-d commands Moses to lead the Jews out of Egypt. When relating this story, we emphasize that, at this particular time, Moses was working as a shepherd. One day when he was herding sheep, he rescued a single straying sheep — a sheep that would otherwise have been lost from the flock. By rescuing that sheep, Moses showed his concern for each of the creatures in his flock. He knew that each one of G-d’s creatures was important, and it was after demonstrating this quality that he was chosen by G-d to be the shepherd of the Jewish people.

We help the children recognize and understand Moses’ compassion and love and hopefully incorporate that compassion and love in family relationships, friendships, and each aspect of their own lives.

Holidays and their Customs

Because so many families identify with our many beautiful holidays and celebrate them, we spend time learning the story and practices of each holiday. We want the children to understand the reasons behind the holidays and their customs. Let me describe how one aspect of the holiday of Chanukah is presented in our school.

The younger children begin by learning about the origin of the Chanukah menorah. They learn about the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting for eight days. They are then ready to learn how to recite the blessings that precede the lighting of the menorah.

We know that children learn and remember best by hands-on experience, so the children design functional menorahs and actually press olives to produce olive oil for their handcrafted menorahs.

As the children mature, we focus on the message of the lights. Just as we mark each new day of Chanukah by adding another candle, so must we constantly strive to add light and warmth to our surroundings.

We further encourage the children to apply their critical thinking skills by challenging them to understand not only what we do or what happened but also why we celebrate in the manner that we do. For example: Why is Chanukah the only holiday that is not celebrated with a festive meal? And why is the miracle of the great military victory barely mentioned and certainly not included in the practices of the holiday? These thought-provoking questions help the children gain a complete understanding of the holiday, from the when to the what to the why.

We are a coeducational, independent day school enrolling children in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The most important principles guiding the development of our curriculum are those of challenging each student's mind to the fullest and promoting a desire and a love for learning. We are dedicated to providing an excellent school experience that is both enjoyable and challenging, incorporating the critical thinking skills and problem solving that we know are so essential for success. We believe in educating the “total child,” meeting his or her cognitive, social, emotional, creative, and physical needs. Because children learn in many different ways, the teachers employ a variety of approaches and materials.

Language Arts

In language arts, the primary goal is to teach children to use language to communicate effectively and to facilitate their thinking and learning. We accomplish this through a comprehensive literacy program. Based on the joint position statement of the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, we provide our students a balance of instructional methods, including daily opportunities for students to engage in systematic decoding and authentic reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences. Children listen to stories read aloud, share the reading of enlarged text with their teacher and classmates, and independently problem solve on appropriately leveled text. Through explicit and direct instruction, children are taught the skills and strategies for word solving, as well as comprehension.

The Pegasus program used with our older students incorporates instruction on note-taking, reading and writing daily journals, building strong reference skills, exploring literary techniques such as similes and metaphors, and developing an extensive vocabulary. Pegasus incorporates skills that will be used throughout a student's life.

All children from kindergarten through fifth grade participate in writing activities. From their first day in school, children are given an opportunity to live a “writerly life.” In shared and independent writing, students learn to move through the processes of writing in the same way published authors do. Children prewrite, draft, revise, edit, and publish. They are encouraged to use all that they know about writing and spelling to express themselves. We celebrate and share our writing throughout the school.

Math

Our math program, “Everyday Mathematics,” used in kindergarten through fifth grade, supports our philosophy that when teaching math concepts and computation, it is not enough to merely memorize math facts. To be “math literate,” the whole number system has to come together in a way that makes sense to the student.

The program utilizes a problem-solving approach based on everyday situations. For example, in first grade, students practice counting money and making change by playing the role of shopper and storekeeper. There is frequent practice of basic skills in ways that are engaging for the children. The use of a variety of math games allows students to practice skills and concepts including computation, money, place value, number sense, data, and geometry. The games are played with manipulatives in the classroom. Electronic versions are available at school, as well as on-line at home.

Science

Our science program emphasizes the scientific processes taught at an appropriate cognitive level. These processes are observation, classification, experimentation, analysis, and application. When you walk into one of our science classes, you won't see the teacher standing in front of the class doing an experiment while students observe from their desks. Instead, you will see each group of students using their own laboratory materials, enabling them to perform the experiment independently, while the teacher guides and facilitates the activity. There is active participation by all the students, and the buzz of voices is heard as the children turn their classroom into a laboratory. For example, when studying electricity, the children are challenged to light a bulb using only a battery, bulb, and wire, observe how electric current passes through a light bulb, find and create hidden circuits, and assemble parallel circuits.

Social Studies

We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new social studies curriculum. Produced by teachers and based on a variety of educational research, Social Studies Alive! is a series of practices and materials that allow students with diverse learning styles to “experience” social studies. The program incorporates all disciplines of social studies from economics and map skills to sociology, history, and political science. Students are also given strategy instruction to facilitate reading for information within content areas and writing to show understanding.

The following example from the fifth grade curriculum demonstrates the variety of ways children come to understand through this program. The students are introduced to the Revolutionary War by playing tug-of-war with unequal opponents. The teacher changes the rules to favor a seemingly weaker team, much as a number of factors ultimately helped the American colonies win the war. After the tug-of-war, students read a chapter in their textbook and take notes on factors that allowed the colonists to defeat the British. Finally, the students create an historical marker commemorating the conditions that led the colonists to victory.

Information Technology

Computers are an integral part of the curriculum. A wireless computer lab that can accommodate an entire class and three desktop computers in each classroom allow for computer use, instruction, and application throughout the day. Students receive instruction in word processing, keyboarding, database, desktop publishing, and presentation using content areas that are already being taught in the classroom. The students are comfortable working on computers and use them to publish stories, use spread sheets in math, organize information through database, and present their reports through Power Point presentations. In addition, each classroom is equipped with a SMART Board, document camera, projector, and VCR/DVD cable connection to complete the technology opportunities for the students.

Physical Education

During weekly physical education classes, the children receive instruction leading to the continuing development of gross motor skills, body and health awareness, and control of body movements. A regular program of jogging, walking, and stretching is included. Throwing, catching, and various coordination activities are incorporated in both individual and team play. In addition, thirty minutes of outdoor play are scheduled daily.

Music

The goals of the music program are to develop enjoyment of singing and to learn about music through rhythm activities. Emphasis is placed on music appreciation, identifying and counting musical notes, and the actual reading of music.

Art

In addition to having frequent art projects within the classroom, all classes have a scheduled art period every week. Art motivation starts with the creativity of the children themselves as they experience the world around them. During the year, each student has an opportunity to practice printing, painting, sculpture, collage, crafts, and designs. The experiences focus on the elements of color, texture, line, shape, and form.

Assessments

Based upon our clearly established learning benchmarks, we regularly review and evaluate individual student progress. We employ a balanced assessment program that utilizes formal and informal measures. Teacher observations and evaluation of class performance are the primary tools in the assessment program. Three times per year we administer an achievement test that is computer adaptive and tracks student growth throughout the student's time at our school. Teachers communicate with parents and students through report cards, biweekly progress reports, and conferences.

In conclusion, experience, dedication, enthusiasm, and affection for our children are the hallmarks of the faculty at Charlotte Jewish Day School. We work hard to sustain an environment that is cheerful, welcoming, and challenging. Teachers respond to children's interests, support and enhance exploration, and provide opportunities for active participation. The faculty at Charlotte Jewish Day School genuinely cares about each child and wants that child to be successful and to have a positive learning experience.