Paramus—Yavneh Academy
was granted accreditation by the prestigious Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools at its recent meeting in Philadelphia. In its summary report, Middle States noted that Yavneh met or exceeded each of Middle States’ 12 standards.

The entire Yavneh community, the faculty, staff and administration as well as the students, parents and Board members, collaborated on the unique protocol, Designing Our Future. The accreditation process resulted in an extensive, introspective self-study, a four day visit by a team of Middle States educators, and the setting of detailed, but by no means exclusive, goals for the future.

Under the guidance of the Head of School, Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, and the Internal Coordinator, retired Associate Principal Elaine Weisfeld, the Yavneh community examined every facet of the school and its many programs. The Middle States report specifically commends the variety of courses, programs and activities designed to meet the varied needs of the students, the newly codified mission and belief statements, the open lines of communication among the stakeholders, and the fact that Yavneh is already addressing the next step of the accreditation process, in achieving the goals set in Designing Our Future.

When the Middle States team questioned Rabbi Knapp about the school’s three-pronged belief statements, he described Yavneh’s commitment “to the academic, spiritual and emotional development of every child.” The Middle States team noted, “We have observed the general and Judaic curricula, and we have also observed the academic and social part of the school, the scholar and the citizen, all directed toward meeting the needs of the whole child.”