academic excellence

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum provides students with a framework for defining themselves, and interacting with their world.  Through the study of history, geography, economics, civics, cultures and current events, students develop a sense of identity, interdependence, empathy, heritage and social responsibility.

In alignment with state standards, our curriculum includes a variety of units of study each year. Our students learn how to learn, and our teachers facilitate a natural process of discovery: questioning, researching, challenging assumptions, examining biases, and developing the tools to be active participants in history and not merely passive observers. We nurture an emerging sense of self and community as students make sense of the world they will inherit. The Jewish lens is consistently interwoven, and students learn to interpret historical and current events from a Jewish perspective.

Every year, the entire student body participates in a school-wide historical reenactment (link to historical reenactment page).  In preparation, students create their own costumes, learn relevant music and dances, create scenery and props, and become intimate with the personalities and events of the period. Previous reenactments have included Colonial Days, Westward Expansion, Israeli Independence and Immigration to America 1840-1910.