Chumash

At MJDS we recognize that all Jewish learning comes from the Torah, and therefore, solid core knowledge of Chumash, both in content and skills, is emphasized as a central component of our curriculum.  Our teachers empower children by giving them the ability to directly access the text of the Chumash, leading to a full and lifelong pursuit of Torah study coupled with joyful and meaningful practice of its teachings.  Our curriculum is structured to ensure students are equipped with translation and comprehension strategies.  The message of Chumash comes alive daily as students engage in a variety of experiences designed to help them create personal connections to the text.  It is through learning Chumash that we become links in the chain of Jewish study, history, tradition.


Yehadut

The Yehadut program at MJDS is comprised of

• Parsha
• Tefillah
• Chagim
• Mitzvot and Jewish Living

In each of these components, teachers stress three domains of learning:  cognition, skills, and affect. Our Yehadut program teaches children to become literate and functional Jews in modern society.  We equip our students with the skills, knowledge and positive experiences that enable them to make educated Jewish choices in their lives.  We believe that Jewish practice should be a joyful experience.  We provide opportunities that enable students to find meaning in the practice of Judaism whose lessons and deeper significance enhance Jewish observance and shape their personal development.

The Yehadut curriculum is spiraled in order to ensure deeper and more challenging learning each year.  MJDS makes use of developmentally appropriate practices that incorporate a broad variety of learning modalities, including multiple intelligences and Project Approach.  As children grow and their capacity for abstract conceptualization develops, teaching methods that include higher order thinking skills, such as analysis and synthesis, are included.  Our Yehadut program is complemented by our Functional Hebrew language curriculum.

Our goal is for students to “Learn It, Live It, Love It”.


Middot

At Maimonides Jewish Day School, Middot instruction is an integral and comprehensive element of our program. The application of good Middot enables every child to become a mensch.  Each teacher at MJDS is a teacher and model of good Middot. 

Middot education encompasses character education in relation to life skills as well as interpersonal interactions, ben adam l’chavero.  Middot are learned and accomplished at school and at home; the practice of good Middot becomes intrinsic to students in all facets of their lives.


Literacy

Maimonides teachers understand that literacy is more than just the ability to read.  Our literacy curriculum is lively and meaningful, and encompasses multiple aspects of communication including reading, comprehending, retelling, writing, speaking and listening.  At MJDS we provide oportunities for students to engage in a variety of oral and written language activities using whole language as well as skills instruction; provide high quality and appropriate reading materials; a print rich environment; and opportunities to work with others who are reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Literacy involves a continuum of learning and is connected to every aspect of our program. Beginning in preschool, students develop their ability to remember, understand, analyze, evaluate, and apply the strategies and ideas they encounter.  Strategies to obtain useful information from a variety of sources are developed.  Through literacy, students attain independence in learning.  Competence in literacy means the ability to read, write, speak and listen well enough to solve problems, meet one’s needs, learn new information, and find pleasure in the written word.   Competence in literacy enables students to develop their ability to think, to communicate ideas, to connect to their past and to achieve their future.  


Math

The math curriculum at MJDS is research based, developmentally appropriate, and employs current best practices of teaching.  Math instruction is spiraled throughout the grades, ensuring exposure to and mastery of skills and concepts that are increasingly complex.  Teachers value a broad variety of hands on experiences and exposure to real life situations to provide opportunities for students to use math skills and reasoning.  Mathematical ideas are taught in ways that stimulate curiosity, create enjoyment of mathematics, and support depth of understanding. In class, teachers provide instruction and opportunities for students to acquire conceptual understanding.  Homework is designed for independent practice of skills and concepts.  Our math curriculum focuses on Content Standards that include numbers and computation; geometry, algebraic thinking; measurement; statistics and probability, as well as Thinking Math, which consists of  problem solving, communicating, reasoning and proof, and making connections.