Stamford’s Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy of Connecticut is a Modern Orthodox day school that offers classes from pre-k through the 12th grade. The lower school Open House is scheduled for Sunday, October 29, at 10 a.m.
BCHA’s lower school includes pre-k through grade four. The curriculum in pre-k and kindergarten emphasizes experiential and hands-on learning. The classes are small enough so that no student is “lost” but large enough to meet their student’s social and emotional needs. For example, pre-k class consists of four sections, each with 12 students, two teachers and one floater teacher who provides specialized services to multiple sections.
The curriculum becomes more rigorous in the first grade. Over the next four years, students learn to write sentences and progress to writing paragraphs and then writing about the material they read and/or see.
In the words of Tricia Hoff, principal of the lower school, “They become academic students. In pre-k and k, they are learning to read. By the end of the fourth grade, they are reading to learn.”
The students also begin their journey through the STEM program. In mathematics, for example, they use manipulatives in pre-k, but by the end of the fourth grade they will have mastered addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
In Judaic Studies, children progress through a program that emphasizes love of Israel, familiarity with religious texts, Jewish values and fluency in Hebrew. In the earliest grades, BCHA emphasizes oral Hebrew immersion. By the end of kindergarten, students know the Hebrew alphabet and all the Jewish holidays. They will be familiar with the concept of mitzvot and the central position of Jewish values in our behavior.
As they reach higher grades, they will get regular classes concerning Torah, Neviim, the weekly parshah, Mishna, Gemara and eventually will become comfortable reading our sacred texts. By the end of the fourth grade, they will be proficient in Rashi and with the concept of commentary. Tefillah is taught with an emphasis on understanding the meaning of the text, not just not recitation.
All of this learning takes place in a warm, nurturing atmosphere. The ruach in BCHA is contagious and creates a place to which children love to come and where it is fun to learn. There are many statistics demonstrating students’ achievements, but the atmosphere in the school must be felt.
Please join the Open House, or call Bonnie Marcus, director of Admissions, at 203-329-2186 to arrange a personal visit to BCHA.
