At KJDS, we believe that education goes beyond simply teaching subjects. it's about embracing each child as a unique individual with their own dreams and potential. That's why we keep our student/teacher ratio low, ensuring that every student receives the attention and support they need to flourish. In our nurturing environment, students are not only challenged to reach their academic heights but also encouraged to explore their artistic, physical, spiritual, and social dimensions. Learning is not a fixed destination but an ever-evolving journey, cherished and pursued throughout a lifetime.
At KJDS, our learning environment is a vibrant tapestry where integrated learning intertwines with an ethic of excellence. We foster a STEAM mindset, fueling students' curiosity and cultivating their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our multi-age grouping approach creates a collaborative atmosphere where students mentor and inspire one another in a responsive classroom setting that fosters a nurturing and inclusive community. Through project-based learning and guided by Jewish values of compassion, integrity and social responsibility, our students engage in hands-on experiences, applying knowledge to real-world contexts. At KJDS, we ignite a profound love of learning, empowering students to embrace challenges, explore their passions, and become lifelong learners who are impacting the world around them.
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KJDS students love to read and write. Nurturing that love is a cornerstone of our literacy instruction. The students are exposed to a variety of texts across all grade and content areas. Our youngest students begin their literacy program with a combination of Really Great Reading, a phonics-based curriculum, rooted in the Science of Reading, read-alouds and book talks, handwriting, and writer’s workshop. with foundational building blocks Students in the 2/3 classroom continue to grow by acquiring more phonics skills and an increased understanding of letter patterns, they enjoy a large classroom library that allows them to explore and share a variety of texts, and they sample genres from research-driven non-fiction to funny mysteries. In addition, the students learn the basic components of both story-telling and non-fiction writing, through a writer’s workshop model, they craft personal narratives, essays, persuasive letters, folktales and fairy tales, and poetry. As they learn about the craft of writers, students delight in noticing what they are learning in the books they are reading, making them even more eager to better their technique. As students move into the 4/5 classroom, the approach to reading grows into an investigation of the habits for strong comprehension. Students learn about the methods authors use to impart meaning; they read novels together and discuss how the author is communicating to the audience. The books read in 4/5 are well aligned with students’ Social Studies and Science content and support enhanced knowledge and questions about a concept or historical period. During the 4/5 years, students also sharpen their craft as writers, creating longer and more nuanced pieces. They work through multiple revisions, publishing long stories, informational guides to share with peers, explanations of experiments, and arguments about the worthiness of strategy, an invention, or a cause. All students at KJDS enjoy sharing books with and presenting their wiring to their peers. The school’s culture places a deep value on nurturing a loveBy stepping into literacy of literacy in the students, which is apparent in the excitement and sharing that occurs around reading and writing every day.
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Imagine if Math felt like an exploration or a mystery to solve. At KJDS it does! Our Math curriculum, think! Mathematics, helps students eagerly engage in mathematical learning by starting each lesson with an anchor task specifically designed to challenge and open their minds. Students work together in discussion to craft possible solving methods and solutions to the complex and open-ended tasks. This primes their brains for focused lessons to come. In order to add new math skills and concepts to their toolkits, students approach learning first through the tactile use of manipulatives, then through a pictorial look at the new skill or concept, and finally, students see the abstract algorithm to solve the problem numerically. This learning sequence encourages students to visualize the mathematical concept versus just seeing the numbers. A strong foundation in number sense and conceptual visualization allows students to approach novel (never seen before) problems and find solutions, instead of just memorizing an algorithm and repeatedly plugging into identical types of problems. It also encourages students to understand that there are multiple methods for problem-solving, and then select the one that is most efficient or works best for them. The classes are fun for students because they delight in figuring things out, and think! Mathematics ask that of them every day. At KJDS, we are excited to have a Math program that challenges students to think mathematically, and it is rooted in the theory of Singapore Math. Singapore Math is a pedagogical approach to mathematical learning. It was developed in Singapore as a combination of research-based best practices. And, Singapore and other countries using this approach, continue to lead the world in mathematics education.
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A unique aspect of our academic journey at KJDS, is that our students learn Hebrew as a second language. Learning a second language is not only a gateway to cultural understanding but also a remarkable benefit for their developing brains. Following a proficiency oriented approach, the learner is the star of the show. Our goal is to nurture their personal mastery of the Hebrew language, empowering them to communicate fluently and confidently. Through listening, speaking, reading, and writing, our young linguists connect meaningfully with the language, making it come alive.
Through STEAM, we use Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding students' questions, dialogue, and critical thinking.
“These standards give local educators the flexibility to design classroom learning experiences that stimulate students’ interests in science and prepares them for college, careers, and citizenship.”
STEAM into Service is a science project-based learning initiative led by our professional staff. Through its weekly seminars, the class empowers, teaches, and nourishes our elementary-age students through hands-on learning projects. The program is built around semester-long service projects that engage K–5 students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) lessons as they problem-solve for a need in the community. Each project culminates with a contribution to the community.
Students are constantly encouraged to question, inquire, experiment, and discover during our weekly seminars. As they explore and discover different community needs, they are challenged to think creatively about ways to solve and fill some of those needs. Through individual exploration, teamwork, and classroom collaboration, students actively engage to find a solution. Often, we bring in professionals who work in the field to help us get an inside look at the process or the target demographic.
As they tackle community needs, our students use the engineering design process to develop and test their solutions. The engineering component of STEAM education puts the emphasis on the process and design of solutions and challenges students to constantly assess and adjust their design throughout each task.
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The music program at KJDS supports student growth in knowledge and skill. Even the youngest students explore a variety of musical genres, ranging from classical to pop. A favorite activity across all grade levels is using their knowledge to guess the genre when a song is played. And, through classes on music history, students understand how genres build on one another. In addition to learning about music and influential composers and musicians, KJDS students learn to play music and write songs. They begin by understanding rhythm and drumming together in K/1. They then move into reading notes and acquiring basic keyboarding skills. And, by 5th grade students are able to use apps to layer music they play into recorded music, creating their own original compositions. Students are also exposed to the science behind music through STEAM challenges such as exploring sound waves or building their own instruments. The music program at KJDS is diverse in its approach enhancing student understanding of the historical, scientific, technical, emotional, and joyous aspect of music.
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Rich is the best word to describe Social Studies at KJDS. Guided by the Tennessee State Standards for Social Studies, teachers craft unit plans based on big ideas, then weave Social Studies learning into all content areas. When thinking like historians or geographers, students are encouraged to observe, compare, analyze patterns and cause and effect scenarios, make connections, and ask questions. Students are immersed in Social Studies learning through research and projects, allowing them to understand how humans interact with their surroundings and each other and why. Just a sampling of projects that include integration and immersive learning are k/1 students using the engineering/design process to build secure ballot boxes and voting on issues in their class or schoolwide and creating a classroom economy to understand goods and services as well as teamwork and compromise. Students in the 2/3 classroom begin to refine their research skills and are able to understand how industries are often linked to a place’s natural resources. And, they love simulating the US Congress, exploring Europe through the literature of Madeline, writing folktales set in a state they’ve researched, and working together to write a magazine about Asia. The 4/5 students immerse themselves in novels set in the periods of US History they are studying, as well as building models of indigenous dwelling places, debating our nation’s greatest inventions, creating and working on a slime-making assembly line, simulating urban planning, and researching and learning home codes were used throughout history and comparing those codes to the computer codes of today. At KJDS Social Studies comes alive through integrated fiction and writing projects, simulations, and exploration.
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The Science Curriculum at KJDS is driven by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These standards were developed out of a collaboration between the National Academy of Sciences and states working together. The authors are scientists from a variety of fields. According to NGSS, the standards are designed to be “rich in content and practice”. Teachers bring the NGSS standards to life by creating opportunities for observation, exploration, experiment, and critical thinking. They teach students the engineering design process, guiding them through each step, so that students begin to think and act like scientists as they approach content. The students also learn to reflect, assessing their own plans and processes. They build a mindset, thinking of science as challenging adventures. Some highlight activities every year at KJDS include K/1 students building simple machines to move heavy objects, evening lifting their teachers or studying sunlight and shadow, then constructing a shade for an ice cube. Students in 2/3 enjoy building “Hurricane Houses”, structures that withstand simulated strong winds and flooding, and learning about bird beaks, experimenting to figure out why they are diverse, and which beaks are best for finding and eating different foods. And, 4th and 5th graders love building roller coasters to better understand potential and kinetic energy and building circuits to make menorahs light up.
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Art is more than a class at KJDS. It is truly a studio experience. A typical day in Art class includes a centering practice in drawing, a mini lesson on an artist or genre, or the demonstration of a skill, then an open studio for students to explore a variety of mediums and resources. The approach to artistic learning is guided by the research-based philosophy of Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). In a TAB classroom, artists learn that they can make art that has meaning to them, that artists plan, observe, and evaluate to decide next steps. They find inspiration from a variety of sources, they practice skills to apply them to their art, and they work towards producing pieces strong in craftsmanship to share with varied audiences. The elements of choice and variety of materials lead elementary artists to explore, enhance their skills, learn from others, and create work they are passionate about.
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The Physical Education program at KJDS fosters leadership, sportsmanship, teamwork, enjoyment, and skill development through exposure to a variety of sports and games. Students learn through fun cooperative games how to improve teamwork, and they learn from competitive games, the skills and value of sportsmanship. In addition, students learn how to play games that they can take with them to casual play at home or into middle school sports programs. The KJDS approach recognizes the importance of outside play and gross motor movement not only for a sound PE program, but also for its contributions to academic learning. PE is a place where students have a ton of fun while learning how to move, about balance, ball-handling skills, and how to lead and be part of a team.
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The drama program at KJDS brings every student to the stage and nurtures the perseverance, confidence, and teamwork it takes to perform. Every year, KJDS presents a full-school cast in a full-length musical. Working together, students bring the magic of musical theater to life and learn and practice many skills in the process. The drama program intentionally nurtures students’ leadership and collaborative skills as well as enhancing their public speaking skills and adaptability. Students work together to learn the importance of the ensemble. And, over the course of their elementary experience, students reach a level of potential they did not know they could achieve. Not only is the Drama program hard-work and inspiring, putting on all play all together is so much fun.
Visit our campus, walk our hallways and see the smiles of our students and warmth of our teachers. Discover first-hand what makes the KJDS experience exceptional.
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