The first grade curriculum transitions students into a more formal learning environment, encouraging them to internalize what they are taught and to take an active role in their learning. With a focus on developing literacy skills through targeted phonics instruction, students develop into readers who demonstrate their comprehension orally and, over time, in writing. Students work in small, differentiated groups with both fiction and nonfiction texts. There is an emphasis not only on reading fluency, but understanding the meaning of text and reflection. First graders begin to understand how to write clear sentences with the ability to go back and edit their work. First grade Math follows a scope and sequence to ensure students develop appropriate foundational skills focusing on place value to 100, addition and subtraction facts, measurement and geometry. Students move from a concrete understanding of mathematics to a more conceptual one, using new skills to solve real-life word problems. In Social Studies, students explore the concept of family through a multicultural study of families around the world. National holidays are also integrated into the curriculum. The children learn Science through hands-on activities, observations and hypotheses about their physical environment where students are encouraged to learn science through exploration and discovery. Our first graders begin to develop the observation skills that will be the foundation for future scientific studies at JKHA.

As the building block for Tefillah (prayer) and Chumash (Bible) study, Hebrew reading skills are emphasized. Students love learning to read and building their proficiency until they attain basic reading fluency. A key component of  this endeavor is the first grade Siddur (prayer book) presentation celebrating their reading proficiency as well as their readiness to engage in Tefillah as both a textual and religious experience. At the conclusion of the year, students are introduced to writing Hebrew script. Weekly Parsha studies and preparation for the numerous chagim (Jewish holidays) connect students to fundamental Torah ideals, Jewish concepts and practices.

Second graders become increasingly autonomous learners and gain a strong sense of social and academic responsibility in a nurturing, collaborative environment. They transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”. Students continue to strengthen phonics, vocabulary and comprehension skills through individualized readers in small, differentiated reading groups. Students use the writing process to brainstorm, edit and collaborate on more complex writing pieces. In Mathematics, students build understanding of numbers to 1,000 and expand their fluency with addition and subtraction, applying these skills to measurement, time and geometry. The ultimate goal is the ability to use those skills to solve real-life word problems. In Science, students build on the observation skills developed in first grade. Students are provided with hands-on exploration and experimentation in the field of physical science. The Social Studies curriculum introduces researching multiple topics such as geographic location through map study as well as informational texts about Native Americans, Early Colonial life and national holidays.

Second grade students continue to build their Hebrew language and Kriah (reading) skills. The Hebrew program encourages students to explore their world in a Hebrew environment. They also begin a formal introduction to the Chumash with a special presentation to mark the transition. Students learn to navigate the Chumash with a focus on recognizing and identifying the root of a verb and glean meaning of the text and storyline with context clues. The morals and middot of our forefathers and mothers are modeled through Chumash study, while Shabbat serves as a starting point for teaching Jewish practice as it relates to the Jewish calendar.

Third grade at JKHA is a transitional year; students become increasingly more autonomous learners while simultaneously learning to work collaboratively with peers. They continue to benefit from a warm and caring learning environment that fosters individual growth and a desire to learn. Students work in groups and independently with novel studies and leveled readers- both fiction and nonfiction, which enhance comprehension and foster a richer vocabulary for each student. Through daily writing exercises, students expand, elaborate and edit their work while they develop multi-paragraph writing pieces. In Mathematics, students further explore the four operations as well as fraction concepts, statistics, measurement and geometry. They learn to solve realistic word problems using a variety of strategies. In Science, students develop their critical thinking skills and develop scientific knowledge through an inquiry-based program. The focus of the third grade Social Studies curriculum is an in-depth investigation of different types of communities, including the social, economic and geographical features of rural, urban and suburban communities and multiple research opportunities culminating in a research project on the different states of America.

The Hebrew language focus for the year underscores the importance of learning the skills to successfully navigate a Hebrew immersion classroom. An emphasis on sentence and paragraph writing equips students with the intellectual tools to become independent learners. As they progress in Chumash study, students learn to identify the differences between dialogue and narrative passages. They are introduced to Rashi script as well as his commentary. This allows them to begin analyzing the text from various angles and to delve deeper into its multiple layers of meaning. Hebrew grammar is stressed and interwoven into both Chumash and Hebrew units. Study of the weekly Parsha emphasizes real-life applications of our religious ideals, while each Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of the new lunar month) serves as a model for the practical and spiritual events in the Jewish calendar.

By fourth grade, students are increasingly independent and self-directed. They continue to use a balanced literacy approach for building fluency skills and independent reading comprehension skills, accompanied by rich novel studies which enhance vocabulary and develop sophisticated comprehension strategies. As students develop their vocabulary, richer writing becomes a focus.  Students develop their writing voice and point of view while also reflecting on word choice. The Mathematics scope and sequence provides the students with extensive real-world problem solving opportunities using the skills attained in their study of whole numbers, fractions and decimals. They continue to explore geometric concepts and practice analyzing data. In Social Studies, students explore geographic, political, historical and social concepts. Students focus on researching different topics over the course of the year through biographies and a study of Native Americans. The Science curriculum provides the students with a framework for scientific discovery with the opportunity to apply their prior scientific knowledge to new scenarios and enhance their problem-solving abilities.

In Hebrew instruction, students master their reading fluency and develop higher levels of  comprehension.  A major focus of the year is hearing multiple perspectives and working together as a group. Hebrew composition is an important part of the Ivrit curriculum. The Chumash curriculum emphasizes higher-order thinking, asking students to make inferences, predictions and connections between events as they study the text along with the commentary of Rashi. The final year of Chumash study in the Lower School emphasizes a sweeping review of all skills learned since second grade. In addition, fourth graders begin the study of Navi (the books of the prophets), focusing specifically on Sefer Yehoshua (The Book of Joshua) along with an introduction to Nach (the books of the prophets and the books of the writings) as a whole. As part of the study of the weekly Parsha, medieval and modern commentaries are introduced as personalities to expand their Torah knowledge within the context of Jewish history.

ART

The JKHA art education program instills a love for art of all different media. Children develop an appreciation of the style, history and contributions of master artists. Through study of the works of famous artists, past and present, students are exposed to a diversity of artistic styles. They are encouraged to create their own works of art inspired by these artististic styles, working with different media such as pencil, crayon, watercolors, paints and clay. Children are given many opportunities to express themselves creatively and to use their imagination as they produce original works of art.

TECH AND MEDIA 

Students in Gan, first and second grades have access to a personal iPad in class which is used primarily to access apps that  reinforce skills in core subjects, including Hebrew language, Math and reading and provide richer, multi-sensory learning for a varied educational experience.  Faculty in the Early Childhood and Lower School also keep in close contact with parents via a content sharing app for sharing of information, images and student work.

First and second grade students participate in a weekly media class which combines library, media literacy  and tech coding basics.

Students in third and fourth grades are assigned Chromebooks which remain in their care until the end of Middle School.  At this level, students participate in a weekly technology literacy class which combines basic computer skills including keyboarding, content management, word processing,  media-rich content creation and research which are all integrated into the core curriculum. Included in the curriculum is an introduction to computer science and coding, as well as education for appropriate use of technology and online safety.

MUSIC

Our music program introduces students to the art and science of music. Children in the youngest grades are encouraged to explore the different timbres, tones and pitches produced by different instruments. By actively listening to the differences in the sounds they produce, they begin to hear and appreciate music in a more interactive way. As they progress each year, more complex musical concepts such as harmony and orchestration are introduced. With music classes integrated into school productions such as the Siddur Play, Chumash Play, Chanukah Extravaganza and the fourth grade Yosef play, students learn not only the basics of musical theory, but applied music as well. Students at JKHA learn songs related to both Jewish and American holidays and can be counted on to fill the corridors of our school with their melodious voices!

Students in third and fourth grade also have the opportunity to join our Lower School choir.  In this extracurricular cohort, students work closely with the choir director on performing in a group, vocalization and more complex singing. The choir performs multiple times over the course of the school year.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The physical education program is designed to develop each student’s physical fitness level while emphasizing sportsmanship and cooperation. The classes provide a safe environment in which students feel comfortable trying new activities while developing the skills for overall fitness. Instruction is differentiated by age level; our experienced teachers have in-depth knowledge of early childhood physiology, and structure activities appropriate to each stage of gross and fine motor skill development. From the youngest grades, they place great importance on teaching children how to avoid sports injuries by proper warm-ups and gymnasium safety procedures. The overarching goal of the curriculum is to nurture a nefesh bri’ah b’guf bari—a healthy soul in a healthy body. A sampling of units covered includes: 

- Gymnastics

- Track and Field

- Basketball

- Jump Rope

- European Handball

- Volleyball

- Football

- Soccer

- Fitness Testing

- Games

- Team Handball

- Softball

- Ultimate Frisbee

- Lacrosse

- Racquet Sports