(Courtesy of Politz Day School) Politz Day School, located in the heart of South Jersey, is the pride and joy of Jewish Cherry Hill. After our humble beginnings as a Jewish preschool in Camden, New Jersey, in 1968, we now have the privilege of educating 200 students (a growth of 27 percent in the last 4 years alone!) from twos preschool through eighth grade. Never one to rest on our laurels, Politz is constantly re-envisioning the way we provide instruction and striving to keep abreast of the latest advances in education so that our students get the competitive edge in their classrooms. Take the manner in which we conduct our Early Childhood Model Seder. Our early childhood program has adopted the Reggio Emilia philosophy, integrating child-inspired learning, introducing various “provocations” to enhance our youngest students’ experiential learning. Rather than a culmination of the students’ unit on Pesach, we use the Model Seder to whet their appetites and get them thinking about the seder and the upcoming Chag. Having the Seder before the children even began learning about Pesach is a true example of inquiry-based learning: It gave the children the opportunity to ask questions and initiate conversations both in school and at home.
The elementary school has successfully incorporated multi-age learning into its curriculum. The understanding that each child learns and develops at his/her own pace was clearly evident as our first and second graders and third and fourth graders participated in a six-week program focusing academically on language arts and science, but more importantly, on learning how to work together with their peers (who may have been in a different grade) individually and in group activities.
Our comprehensive middle school program successfully prepares students academically and emotionally for the rigors of high school. The introduction this year of an online Toshba class through the Lookstein Center in Israel, or a humanities course for sixth and seventh graders that incorporates social studies and language arts, has been met with much enthusiasm by students, teachers and parents alike. We have also secured a Legacy grant for a new STEAM/Maker Space laboratory as part of our facility expansion program. These are examples of our ongoing journey to academic innovation and excellence. Our administration and teachers regularly coordinate with area yeshivas and Jewish high schools to ensure that our students are well prepared for the high school of their choosing.
As we celebrate 50 years of Politz Day School, we take the time to recognize the person who made Torah education in South Jersey a reality: Rabbi Bernard E. Rothman, the founder and dean of Politz, will be honored as Visionary Leader at our 50th Gala Celebration Dinner on May 8. Rabbi Rothman has watched Cherry Hill grow over the last five decades into a thriving Jewish community, with Politz at its heart. For more information about our gala and our other honorees, visit www.politz.org/50years.
The best way to learn more about our school and community is to see us in action. If you would like to schedule a personal tour, please call 856-667-1013 or email [email protected].
