“Through the experienced and caring hands of the administration and teachers, our daughter has grown by leaps and bounds and achieved academic and social milestones beyond our expectations. Most importantly, our daughter has tremendous self-esteem and self-confidence and continues to amaze herself each day with how well she can thrive and excel.”— Parents of a Third Grade Girl in the GY Program

“I really like coming to the Resource Center, and over the past few years the program has been so helpful to me. I have difficulties when it comes to writing and my teachers have taught me ways to organize my writing. My grades have improved and I feel like I have the skills to complete my work. I feel like I am prepared for my classes and my materials are organized so I don’t feel worried. My confidence has grown and I am proud of my abilities as a student.” — 8th Grade Student

At the core of Moriah’s educational philosophy is the Jewish teaching— “Educate the child according to his/her way.” Our mission—to instill a love of Torah, a devotion to Judaism, and to provide the highest caliber General Studies education—is inclusive of every child in our school. With this goal in mind, Moriah applies a team approach to supporting the individual child and providing each student with a program of learning which will maximize his/her strengths and potential while addressing areas in need of further development. Moriah’s Resource Center works with a team of specialists, including special educators, psychologists, speech language therapists, outside learning consultants, and Bergen County Special Services personnel to create an individual plan that targets the needs of each child’s work and uses research-based, cutting edge methods.

The key to our success is the consistent and frequent communication between the school and the home. Together, we carve out an educational process that includes parents in making important decisions and executing a plan, both at school and at home.

Moriah’s Resource Center offers a broad range of support programs: the Gesher Yehuda Program, Resource Programs at the Lower School and Middle School Levels, the Middle School Support Center, and the Lower School and Middle School Homework Clubs.

Gesher Yehuda Program

Unique to Moriah, this intensive inclusion support program is designed for children with a range of learning and emotional issues, but who are capable of effectively functioning in a mainstream classroom for a portion of the day. A dedicated special educator is responsible for a group of six or fewer students to support their educational needs, incorporating personalized modifications and accommodations for individual success. Careful consideration is given to create balanced Gesher Yehuda cohorts that will optimize the ability to meet the needs of each student.

All Gesher Yehuda groups meet with a dedicated psychologist for a weekly social skills class to build self-esteem, foster social communication, and fortify social development in the areas of compromise, negotiation, and mutual respect. In addition, students in the program benefit from twice weekly classroom-based language therapy—delivered by our in-house speech language therapist—to support their needs.

Resource Program

At the Lower School level, this program allows children to be supported through small group instruction, targeting specific academic areas of focus, depending on individual needs. Specialized teachers collaborate closely with classroom teachers to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive educational plan. Resource space is equipped to meet the children’s needs through various learning modalities.

At the Middle School level, eligible students benefit from working with a grade level case manager highly skilled in special education to focus on building students’ organizational and time management skills and coordinate accommodations and modifications across the various subjects and classes. In addition, case managers are responsible for ensuring that student’s Individualized Service Plans (ISPs) or 504 plans are understood and implemented appropriately.

Middle School Support Center

This program provides students with maximum academic support at the Middle School level, bridging Lower School and High School support programs. Case managers are trained to provide support and serve as an inclusion teacher within targeted heterogeneous classrooms to ensure that students are thriving and learning optimally. In addition, students who participate in this program replace their Navi period with a structured support period with their designated case manager to focus on organizational skills, mastery of concepts, as well as meeting educational goals so that students are confident and prepared to succeed.

Lower School and Middle School Homework Club

This after-school academic assistance program is geared towards students struggling with schoolwork as well as those who find it difficult to work independently at home. Each club is staffed by Lower School and Middle School faculty respectively and provides an encouraging atmosphere where students can complete homework and study for tests with guidance. Goals for this program also include teaching students how to organize their materials, plan for long-term projects, learn responsibility, and develop a positive attitude about homework.

Bergen County
Special Services

Special education and related services are provided to students in grades K – 8 who are enrolled in non-public schools through two funding streams, one state and the other federal (IDEA of Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.) Moriah’s support services department meets regularly with state agencies to ensure that our students are receiving optimal services.

The services provided by Bergen County Special Services, who have agreed to assume responsibility for providing these services include:

• Evaluation and determination of eligibility

• Compensatory Education (Math & Communication: Reading, Writing)

• English as a Second Language

• Supplemental Instruction/Special Education Teachers

• Speech Language Therapy

• Occupational Therapy

• Educational materials, supplies, technological equipment, textbooks

• FM system for students with cochlear implants or other assistive technology

• Teacher of the Deaf

For more information, contact Mrs. Alana Green, Director of Student Support Services at

[email protected] or 201-567-0208 ext. 321.