FAQ’s
What Will a Schechter School Offer My Child?
The essential goal of a Solomon Schechter day school education is to infuse young people with the joys and responsibilities of being Jewish. Families that want their child to have a foundation and grounding in Jewish tradition as one way to meet the challenges of contemporary life will find a sense of belonging in a Schechter school. Children learn how to learn and also to engage with and respect others The schools strive to work in partnership with parents and the community to prepare spirited leaders of a new generation of knowledgeable, committed Jews and responsible citizens.
What Are the Main Elements of a Schechter Education?
Parents who choose a Schechter school for their children seek a values-based program that teaches an approach to the sanctity of daily living in a nurturing, child-centered environment. They are attracted to an educational philosophy that seeks to integrate Jewish and general studies in ways that enrich one another. The learning environment and educational program aim to enable every student to reach his or her full potential.
A Schechter education strives to achieve standards of excellence across the curriculum and incorporate Jewish knowledge in Torah, Rabbinic texts and Siddur, mitzvot and ethical values. Skills and competencies in math and science, literature and creative expression, social studies and the arts, incorporating respect for other cultures and individuals. Fluency and literacy in Hebrew that gives the students the access skills to study Jewish sacred texts in their language of origin. The principles of Conservative Judaism and a comfort and familiarity with the rituals, customs and practices of Jewish living and observance The values of individual conscience, human rights, active participation as citizens of a democracy, intellectual honesty, and the canons of critical and scientific thought.
How Can I Find Out Whether There Is A Schechter School Near Where I Live?
Click on Directory of Schools. The schools are listed by state and Canadian province and the High Schools follow at the end of the directory. Visit the website of the particular school that is closest to where you live. Find out about transportation services that the school provides or makes available to its students If you live in a state or Canadian province that does not have a Solomon Schechter Day School, we suggest that you consult other resources to find out whether there is another Jewish day school in your community. If you are interested in starting a new Solomon Schechter Day School in the community where you live, please contact our office in New York City.
Do I Have To Belong To A Synagogue In Order To Attend A Schechter School?
While the majority of Schechter families do belong to a synagogue, there are unaffiliated families in every Schechter community. Membership in a synagogue is not a pre-requisite to enrollment in the school. Families are encouraged to consider joining a synagogue of their choice that will further enhance and deepen their Jewish experience and feelings of belonging in the community.
Why Is Tuition So Expensive?
Independent school education is costly. A Jewish day school that offers a dual curriculum program engages teachers in general and Judaic studies and a variety of specialists who ensure the excellence of the educational program. There is a small teacher-student ratio. Nationally, educating a child in most Schechter schools costs at least $14,000 per child per year, and that figure is often more than the annual tuition charged to the family. Teacher compensation accounts for the major component of any school’s operating budget. Schechter parents expect and receive high value for their tuition dollars.
Is Tuition Assistance Available?
Every Solomon Schechter Day School offers some financial aid to families who qualify for it. Socio-economic diversity is seen as a value in the schools, and they allocate annual financial assistance in accordance with a family’s need and the school’s ability to provide tuition relief. Each school establishes its own policy and process for determining the appropriate level of tuition assistance that a family will receive.
What If A Child Has Learning Differences?
Schechter schools endeavor to meet the needs of diverse learners. Some have implemented special programs for children with learning differences. Others have retrained the faculty to implement differentiated instruction. However, the schools vary in their financial and personnel resources and their capacity to provide special and support services. If your child requires individualized instruction or has special needs, it is important to speak with the professional educators in advance of filing an application to the school to find out whether your child’s learning needs can be appropriately met and addressed within the rigorous dual curriculum program that characterizes a Schechter education.
Where Do Graduates of Schechter Schools Go After Graduation?
Most Schechter schools across the country go through 8th grade. Graduates are accepted to a variety of high schools, including local public schools, private and independent schools, and Jewish or yeshiva high schools, if they exist in their communities. Schechter grads have an excellent track record of gaining entrance to the top tier and most highly rated schools, demonstrating a high level of preparedness that makes them very desirable candidates.
Schechter High School graduates have an excellent rate of acceptance to their first choice college or university, including the Ivy League schools and other elite academic programs. The highest rated 50 colleges and universities in the United States admit Schechter graduates to their ranks where they frequently excel. Evidence of the perceived desirability of Schechter graduates is the number of recruiters and representatives of these top tier colleges and universities who participate each year in College Night programs and make annual recruitment visits.
What Does It Mean That The School Affiliates with the Conservative Movement?
Schechter schools expose their students to a variety of customs and ritual practices so that they become knowledgeable about and comfortable with Jewish observance. These practices include kashrut (eating kosher), daily prayer as part of the educational program, and respect for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. School programs do not occur on these days. Each school provides information to its parent body and students about expectations for living within the norms of the community. Schechter schools are egalitarian in terms of equal access, instruction, and opportunity for boys and girls to partake fully in religious life. The curriculum includes the study of Bible, classical texts and rabbinic literature. The approach entails the value of critical thinking skills and making personal meaning of the tradition, its sources and its relevance to today.
Solomon Schechter Day Schools are open to the community and welcome families across a broad spectrum of observance and affiliations, including the unaffiliated. Conservative Judaism upholds certain standards regarding personal Jewish status. Those who are uncertain about what the expectations for them or their child might be in this regard should contact the Head of School with their questions.
How can I know if a Schechter education is right for my child?
The best way to assess whether a Schechter education is right for your child is to visit the school when it is in session. . You will find the school eager to arrange an individual or small group tour, in addition to hosting an Open House program. During your visit you will want to meet with the Admission Director and the school Principal. Your child can spend time with a buddy and sit in on classes.
You can ask to speak with other parents of children in the class that your child will enter, with alumni of the school and alumni parents. If your child is old enough, talking with other students is a great way to find out what they like about their school. In most schools, the Admission Director is the first professional person you will encounter. He or she is very well informed about every aspect of the school experience and will be able to answer your questions or find someone who can. Your relationship with your Schechter school begins at the first contact and will continue to grow as you make your decision to enroll your child.
Some people wonder whether a Solomon Schechter Day School is “too Jewish” or “not Jewish enough” for their child and for the family’s comfort level. Many families embark on a Jewish journey through and alongside their child’s happy day school experience. The approach is not to dictate a level of expected observance. Rather, it is to provide opportunities for Jewish experience and Jewish living that are enriching and meaningful to the students and their families. When parents decide to give Schechter a chance, they almost always feel that they made the right and best choice.
