Jewish Day School: Jewish values in small classes remain an integrated part of core programs

By Dan Aznoff, Jewish Sound Correspondent

The smaller class sizes at private schools do not necessary translate into a superior education or higher test scores, according to the new administrator at the Jewish Day School in Bellevue.

Fewer students often translates into the need for more individualized attention, which can distract from the basic lesson plan a teacher may have prepared for the classroom that day. But that reality is just fine for Hamutal Gavish, who began her duties as head of the school this academic year.

“A teacher with 30 or more children in the classroom is forced to forge ahead with a lesson plan as long as long as the majority of the students are keeping up,” Gavish said. “Fewer students means if even one child does not understand the lesson, that child is given the attention he or she needs to understand and move forward with the rest of the class.”

Gavish emphasized that the curriculum at JDS, which sits on a quiet residential street in north Bellevue, is primarily inquiry-based, giving students the opportunity to work independently (or in small groups) on projects that address the inquisitive minds of young people. Hebrew and religion are part of the lesson plans each day at every grade level.

“Inquiry-based learning is teacher facilitated and learner driven, and emphasizes the process of learning that often requires the need for different assignments based on the interpretation of each child,” Gavish said. “Smaller class sizes that answer individual needs help to provide each student — and parents — the outcome they expect from a Jewish private school education.

“Judaics are integrated into everything that we do, with a stress on community and tikkun olam,” she emphasized. “We teach 21st-century skills with academics at a very high level. There is no separate program at the JDS for gifted students because we allow each to explore subjects at the level he or she deserves.”

Access to the STEM lab for science and math is part of each school day for students in the upper grades. Electives for students in the upper grades includes robotics, astronomy, pottery, computer coding, dance and drama as well as independent electives of their choice.

One group of students this year has dedicated its independent project to explore options to help more Jews emigrate from Russia. Third and fourth graders from JDS have gone out into the community to visit senior centers, while some of the older students have collected toys for families in need.

One of the most popular extra-curricular activities at JDS each year, according to Gavish, is the student production of a play written and produced entirely in Hebrew.

“We try to teach with the use of open-ended questions that promote asking additional questions to promote critical thinking,” she said.

In addition to core academics, students in the lower grade levels are given regular access to the art studio, the music room, and physical education on the seven-acre campus.

Construction of a new gymnasium on campus a few years ago allowed the school to add volleyball to the list of after-school sports options that include cross-country, basketball, golf and tennis. The old gym has been converted into a meeting place for students.

Unlike public schools, Gavish said parents are rarely called upon to volunteer in the classroom. That decision, she said, has given members of the parent association time to volunteer in the library, the art room and help coordinate festival celebrations. Parents have also been recruited to lead the technology committee to serve in an advisory panel to the administration.

“This is a rich curriculum,” said Gavish. “The trip to Israel by students during the summer after they complete the 8th grade is a reward for all their hard work. But it also helps solidify the lessons in life, in community and with our religion.”

The administrator summed up her philosophy in simple terms: “JDS is a community school that does not affiliate with any movement. Our campus community is Jewishly diverse. Our families range in all levels of affiliation within the greater Seattle area.

“At JDS, curiosity leads to discovery.”

 

Learn more at www.jds.org.