Frequently Asked Questions
1) I love (school), but why should I enroll my children in the school when I have so many other fine, public school districts surrounding my community?
A good secular education that prepares young minds for the competition is a necessity in today's world, and we offer that, but we offer something more.
Our academy is imbued by Jewish values. These permeate the entire campus, from its innovative buildings to the staff and to the students themselves. They are taught and exhibit the warm, positive qualities to encourage them to persevere and excel while simultaneously to show respect and kindness for others.
The teachers and administrators - not all of which are of the Jewish faith - understand the importance of values-based education. From preschool through eighth grade, the teachers give warm, individual attention to every student.
We also offer our students a rich understanding of their Jewish heritage by integrating the Judaica program within the secular program. This generates a rich blend of knowledge.
Additionally, we understand the importance of creating a community for our students and their parents.
2) Judaic values are all very nice, but I want my children to excel in the outside world. How do this school prepare them for the competition to get into Ivy League and other high-quality universities?
The school has instituted yearly aptitude tests based on national, academic standards. In addition, the school's academic goal is not based on meeting national standards, but using those standards as a springboard to surpass an exceed.
Many of our students have gone on to compete successfully at schools throughout the nation and at high-level colleges. But all our alumni can tell you that the values they learned at (school) is what helped them succeed.
3) How can I be sure that my children are receiving a high-quality Judaic education that exemplifies all types of Judaism?
Our students and teachers come from all walks of life and all areas of Judaism. We are not a Reform, Conservative, Orthodox or even Chassidic School. We are a community Jewish school that takes pride in passing on the joy of our heritage and tradition, not the injunction that there is only one path to follow.
A large portion of our students have gone on to prestigious schools. Students all matriculate from the Chabad Hebrew Academy with a deep rooted love for Judaism and commitment to future communal involvement in what ever community they may be.
What we do emphasize is "Chai" or "Life" way. It is a series of 12, tradition-based values that provide our students a structure on which to build their moral development. The moral backbone develops psychological and spiritual strength. These values include commitment, integrity, responsibility, kindness, goal-setting, appreciation, respect, discipline, cooperation and initiative.
5) We all know that Hebrew is part of the curriculum of a Jewish day school, but how effective are the classes?
Realistically, students need to be immersed in a language in order to learn it well. Here, at the Cheder students spend a great deal of time conversing, writing and reading modern-day Hebrew as spoken in Israel.
Our teachers are certified in Hebrew school instruction. They understand the importance of teaching language in context. In this way, our children eventually speak only Hebrew in their Judaic classes so that the knowledge of the language's structure and grammar becomes ingrained in their minds.
6) What if my child is coming into the school at a later grade? Will he or she be able to fit in or even understand the Judaic component of your program?
Since we encourage every child at the Academy to feel as if they are a larger part of an extended family, we have special one-on-one tutoring classes to bring children up to speed. Students enjoy these classes so much that everyone wants to be a beginner at Chabad.
