MISSION STATEMENT

As a Modern Orthodox co-educational yeshiva, JKHA/RKYHS seeks to inspire students to live lives of Torah and mitzvot; to embrace secular knowledge and American democratic values; to love and serve the Jewish people; and to forge a lifelong bond with the Land and State of Israel. We aim to empower students to achieve personal excellence by teaching them how to learn, and by encouraging them to analyze, to create, and to pursue new intellectual challenges. We lead students to recognize that because we were all created in the image of God, we must treat everyone with respect and loving-kindness. We help students form strong, healthy identities, and we prepare them to take responsibility for themselves and their communities.

JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY

JKHA
sports hands-on learning

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extracurriculars warmth American values field trips

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fine and performing arts

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Liv demic t tive ing eam Leg s acy

exp per erien aca spe ce

clubs

excitement
literature

computer class

play

history
Tal Am

inspire friends
create
future music

learn

lead

dream

generosity

secular

model seder

iPad lab

community

4K4Kids

teachers support dedicated Modern Orthodox

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grow focus

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roots

innovative

potential guidance challenge aspire

excellence

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success

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wings

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holidays

self-confidence

respect

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Nothing is more important than the safety of your children. Each day, when you send your child to JKHA, you can be assured knowing that keeping your child safe and secure is our top priority. Whether by bus or carpool, we track each childs arrival and dismissal. When you let us know that your child will be going home by a different method than usual, our proprietary software generates a triplecheck system for your peace of mind. Our security guards are experienced former police officers who have been specially trained in school security. Aiding in their constant vigilance is a closedcircuit television (CCTV) monitoring system with 32 video cameras recording 24/7, thanks to a grant from Homeland Security. We hold monthly fire and lockdown drills so that, God forbid, in case of an actual emergency, all students, faculty and administration will be well-prepared to follow emergency procedures.

Ensuring student health is a priority at JKHA, and involves the active cooperation of our students, teachers, health professionals, and parents. JKHA employs a full-time school nurse; her office is in the Lower School, where she is readily available to children who are not feeling well or who have a minor injury. She can be reached at 862-437-8018 to discuss any health questions or concerns you may have. JKHA has a peanut- and nut-aware policy; we do our utmost to keep the school safe for children with peanut and tree nut allergies, but recognize that we cannot guarantee a completely peanut-free or tree nut-free environment. Lunches and snacks sent with JKHA Lower School students may not contain peanut butter, peanuts, or tree nuts. Students have the option of bringing lunch or purchasing it in our cafeteria. Our school lunches are prepared by J&M Caterers, who specialize in providing well-balanced and nutritious meals. Vegetarian options are always provided on days that meat is served. To ensure the highest standards of kashrut, a mashgiach is always present when meals are being prepared in our school kitchens. All packaged foods should be certified kosher by either the OU, Circle-K, Star-K or Kof-K.

JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY

GENERAL STUDIES
dent reading, read-alouds, writing components, and guided reading groups. As part of this program, we use McGraw-Hills Treasures program, which provides a plethora of resources to enhance the childrens reading experiences. Throughout the year, we focus on nonfiction texts as well as the skills necessary to become successful readers with a high level of comprehension.

Mathematics Science

The Lower School has implemented the Smithsonianbased Science and Technology Concepts Elementary program, which follows the National Education Standards. Through hands-on experiences, the students learn how to carry out experiments, make observations, question the reasons behind what they see, and share their discoveries across a variety of scientific fields. This innovative program guides the natural curiosity of children into age-appropriate scientific discovery, while at the same time developing critical thinking skills applicable to all disciplines.

At JKHA we use the Singapore-based Math in Focus textbook in kindergarten through fourth grade. Students learn basic math concepts through real-world problemsolving, and develop the ability to communicate mathematical ideas and reasoning to others. Each grade builds on the prior one in ten different areas: Numbers, Operations, Algebraic Thinking, Geometry, Measurement, Probability, Problem Solving, Communication, Connections, and Representations. As the concept is revisited each successive year, the complexity of the numbers increases, and the explanations develop from concrete to pictorial to symbolic.

Social Studies

Language Arts

In the Lower School we use a balanced literacy program following the model: I read, We read, You read. I read: The teacher models reading. We read: The students participate in shared reading. You read: The students work on their phonics, word study, and vocabulary. Included in this program are shared reading, indepen-

The Social Studies program at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy is designed to be developmentally appropriate, taking children from an understanding of themselves as individuals to their place in their community, state, nation and world. Students also study significant days of the year, including Election Day, Veterans Day, Presidents Day, Earth Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Formal and informal age-appropriate discussions of current events are also a component of our Social Studies curriculum throughout all grades.

For a detailed description of each class, please reference the enclosed booklet Academics.

JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY

JUDAIC STUDIES & RELIGIOUS LIFE

The JKHA lower school also uses the Tal Am curriculum for teaching chagim (holidays) and dinim (laws). Through Hebrew stories, songs and discussions, students learn about the holidays and create projects that enhance their celebration. Students are also provided with a multitude of experiences that help develop a deeper understanding of the beauty of our religion.

Ivrit Tefillah

The study of Tefillah is an important facet of our Limudei Kodesh program. Our goal is to teach students the meaningful tefillot that will be an integral part of their spiritual lives. Students are taught beurei tefillah (prayer explanations) as part of their tefillah experience. New tefillot are introduced at ageappropriate levels. Students progress from davening in their classrooms to joining the minyan in our beautiful Klatt Beit Midrash.

The goal of our Hebrew Language program is to create a Hebrew-speaking environment that inspires students to read, write, think, and speak Hebrew through a natural development. JKHA uses the Tal Am curriculum, a whole-language Hebrew immersion program which provides many resources, including a student library, posters, flash cards, big books, SMART Board interactive lessons, written practice, and many catchy songs. Through the use of the various modalities, each student can experience the Hebrew language in a meaningful, age-appropriate way. Phonemic awareness and reading skills are closely tied to language development. Enhanced language skills deepen students understanding of tefillot as well as their study of Torah.

Our Limudei Kodesh curriculum is designed to nurture our students spiritual growth as they delve into the study of Torah. In the early years, students are exposed to the Torah stories through their study of parshat hashavua and mitzvot. In second grade the students begin formal textual Torah study. This year we introduced a new Chumash curriculum: Lehavin Ulehaskil, which focuses on the language skills necessary for independent Torah study. This new curriculum lays a strong foundation for future study. Older students use the Tal Am Chumash curriculum, while incorporating skills introduced in the Lehavin Ulehaskil program. Teachers use a variety of modalities to help students form a personal connection with the words of the Torah.

Limudei Kodesh

Israel

JKHA is a Zionistic school that supports the modern State of Israel and strives to instill in students a true connection to and love of Israel. Students learn about Israels past and present. We encourage students to make connections between our past, present, and future ties with Medinat Israel. Exposure to Israeli youth (shlichim) affords students the opportunity to experience Israel today. Students raise tzedakah for Israeli causes and proudly march in the Salute to Israel Parade in New York. By creating a Hebrew-speaking environment and studying our Jewish heritage, we provide students with the background necessary to feel at home in Israel.

For a detailed description of each class, please reference the enclosed booklet Academics.

JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY

A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

The nurturing and child-centered environment at JKHA allows us to focus on the needs of each and every student. Formal and informal assessments allow teachers to tailor their instruction, setting individual goals for each child. Each student is challenged intellectually at a pacing unique to him or her. Our classrooms are designed to create a physical and social environment that is warm, loving, and intellectually stimulating. The younger children love the new furnishings in the Early Childhood classrooms, which are easily reconfigured for large or small group learning. All classrooms use SMART Board technology to

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy prides itself on its comprehensive, creative, inquiry-based curriculum.
Comprehensive: The heart of our program encompasses a dual track of Judaic and traditional academic courses of study. These core curricular areas are enriched and expanded by music, art, physical education, and computer classes. Creative: Our faculty members use their years of classroom experience in combination with the latest pedagogical research to capture students imaginations. Skillfully blending traditional techniques with outside-the-box creativity, our teachers develop innovative activities that engage our students and spark a lifelong love of learning. Inquiry-based: JKHA students build skills across the curricular areas through hands-on learning and experiential education. As they progress through the grades, the skills they develop enable them to exceed beyond state and national standards.

provide dynamic and rewarding immediate feedback, as well as daily access to multimedia resources to augment instruction. At JKHA, our classrooms are communities of learners in which mutual respect, kindness towards others, and cooperation are core values. The social and emotional development of children is an essential component of our program, supported by our trained teachers and the presence of our Lower School Psychologist. Our teachers take advantage of many professional growth opportunities. Under the guidance of Dr. Rosemary Steinbaum, Dean of Instruction, teachers benefit from staff development workshops, study groups, external professional growth programs and our newly expanded Mentoring and Teacher Induction program. The latter, in partnership with Yeshiva University, lets our veteran staff provide support and guidance for new staff members, fostering professional growth for both mentor and mentee as they reflect on their professional practice as a team.

JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY