Our Curriculum

Our Hebrew language curriculum introduces young learners to Hebrew and its special status as the language of the Jewish people, from the ancient past to the present. Through engaging activities and immersive experiences, we provide a strong foundation in the alphabet and basic vocabulary. Our program instills a deep appreciation for Hebrew as one of the world’s oldest and newest languages simultaneously, with deep connections to Jewish heritage and global community.

Our Jewish Studies curriculum introduces young learners to Jewish traditions and ethics, exploring holidays, life cycle events, Torah characters, and prayers. Through interactive activities, storytelling, and hands-on experiences, we nurture the children’s sense of identity and connection to their Jewish heritage, as well as the values and questioning spirits embedded within it.

Our literacy curriculum provides a strong foundation in reading and language. Using the science of reading and phonics, we teach essential concepts related to letters, syllables, words, and sentences. Enrichment activities involve rhymes, engaging stories, games, and read-aloud sessions, fostering a love for literature. We also emphasize handwriting and proper letter formation, ensuring that our kindergarten students begin their educational journey with essential tools and deep appreciation for words. We integrate Jewish literature into our classroom library and read-aloud sessions as well, highlighting stories that emphasize kindness, empathy, and justice, complementing character development and social skills in our literacy curriculum.

Our comprehensive Eureka Math curriculum fosters deep understanding of mathematics. Our students learn number recognition, counting skills, place value, measurement and data, and geometry. Early lessons build a strong foundation and enhance analytical skills, while ensuring that kindergarten students develop lasting understanding of math concepts for their educational journey.

Our science curriculum nurtures curiosity and environmental appreciation by engaging students with the world around them. In "Earth and Human Activity," students explore natural sites starting with our neighboring Green Lake Park, and they learn about Earth's interconnected ecosystems. "From Molecules to Organisms" teaches survival essentials for plants and animals. We also explore weather to connect science to daily life. In "Motion and Stability," we engage students in exciting push and pull experiments, enhancing questioning, observation, and recording skills. Our kindergarten science program fosters a lifelong love for scientific exploration.

We prioritize social-emotional learning (SEL) that considers the needs of the whole child. Using the Second Step SEL curriculum, we help students develop skills for learning including identifying and expressing emotions, fostering empathy and understanding elements of problem-solving in relationships and across environments. Our SEL curriculum is based on the foundation that learning is enhanced by giving students tools for understanding their emotional world and applying these concepts in relationships within our school and broader communities, aligning with Jewish interpersonal values as well. To ensure a supportive environment, our dedicated behavioral health counselor collaborates with teachers and students to foster emotional well-being and social growth.

Our Social Studies curriculum cultivates informed citizens. Students explore school, community, and decision-making, with encouragement to participate and promote social justice. We delve into local history and tribal traditions, fostering respect for indigenous knowledge. Through problem-based learning, students build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, laying a foundation for responsible citizenship and Jewish commitment to tikkun olam/תיקון עולם (repairing the world).

Our arts curriculum fosters creativity and self-expression. Students develop skills in various media. In music, they explore rhythm, melody, and harmony, enhancing cognitive and emotional development, and they have regular opportunities to sing, including in Hebrew. Physical education builds motor skills and appreciation for physical activity, promoting health and teamwork. These integrated programs nurture well-rounded, confident students, fostering academic, artistic, and physical growth.

We focus on digital literacy and citizenship, teaching tech skills responsibly. Our age-appropriate activities and lessons introduce technology safely. We emphasize values like respect, responsibility, and ethics online. Our curriculum ensures kindergarten students develop as tech-savvy and conscientious digital citizens in our interconnected world.

Our curriculum gives students a strong foundation in Hebrew that prepares them both to appreciate the special qualities of the language—as simultaneously one of the oldest and youngest on the planet—and also to use it in different contexts. Students begin by learning Hebrew letters and familiar lines, including some from classic texts, gradually progressing to reading and writing fluently. Starting in 2023, we adopted the brand new Niflaot/נפלאות (“Wonders”) Hebrew program, newly designed in Israel to take advantage of digital environments. We also provide enrichment for students who regularly encounter native-spoken Hebrew, so that we can meet diverse needs as fully as possible.

Our Jewish Studies curriculum offers a vibrant exploration of Jewish values, practices, and intellectual approaches. Students begin their encounters with ancient texts through the use of Devash/דבש (“Honey”), a magazine focused on the weekly Torah portion published by the Hadar Institute. Our program provides a meaningful foundation for understanding and celebrating Jewish life and also for applying the questioning, interpretive spirit deeply rooted in Jewish tradition both to texts and to contemporary contexts.

Through a “Science of Reading” approach and the engaging Literacy Workshop model, students develop mastery of phonics and engage in reading and retelling familiar stories. Additionally, they learn productive strategies to enhance their comprehension of what they read and their expressiveness in writing on personally meaningful topics.

We build on the foundation established in kindergarten using the Eureka Math curriculum. Our students develop a deep understanding of whole-number relationships and of place value, preparing them to complete double- and triple-digit addition and subtraction problems of increasing complexity. They also engage in hands-on activities to explore linear measurement and to develop their skills in recognizing the attributes of geometric shapes as well as in breaking shapes into smaller pieces and putting them together to make new ones.

We focus on hands-on exploration and discovery in Science. Students learn about physical properties through different experiments, using balls and ramps and taking opportunities to weigh and to balance. The students also take deep dives into different topics through project-based learning units that can vary by year. Through these experiences, our young learners develop their grasp of scientific concepts even as they pique their curiosity about the world around them.

We continue with the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning curriculum in our 1st and 2nd grade cohort, focusing on essential skills for learning and personal development. Our students explore topics such as empathy, self-awareness through emotion identification, emotion management, and problem-solving. To ensure a supportive environment, SJCS’s dedicated behavioral health counselor collaborates with students and teachers to promote emotional well-being and social growth.

We integrate social studies into various units across our curriculum, including at the intersection of general studies and Jewish studies. We guide students to appreciate the customs tied to their own heritage, while also appreciating the diversity of traditions and practices that enrich our world. Consistent with our commitment to being Seattle Jewish Community School and to honoring “place” as one of our core values, we nurture our students’ recognition of their place within their classroom, their school, their vibrant Green Lake community, and their city.

Our arts curriculum fosters creativity and self-expression. Students develop skills in various media. In music, they explore rhythm, melody, and harmony, enhancing cognitive and emotional development, and they have regular opportunities to sing, including in Hebrew. Physical education builds motor skills and appreciation for physical activity, promoting health and teamwork. These integrated programs nurture well-rounded, confident students, fostering academic, artistic, and physical growth.

Our technology program introduces use of age-appropriate apps like Seesaw while also promoting digital citizenship. We provide a balanced approach to technology education that capitalizes on the opportunities modern technologies provide and prepares students for the digital world while also avoiding over-reliance on “screen time” and promoting responsible and safe behavior online.

We structure our Hebrew language curriculum to reinforce and enhance the Hebrew skills acquired in earlier grades, with a particular focus on vocabulary expansion. Students continue to develop their proficiency in Hebrew, moving from foundational skills and progressing towards fluent reading and writing. In addition, we offer enrichment instruction for students with advanced Hebrew skills, ensuring a comprehensive and engaging Hebrew language education that builds on their prior knowledge and abilities.

Our Jewish studies curriculum encourages students to think critically, read carefully, and exchange views respectfully, even as they also explore Jewish texts and traditions deeply. We engage with a variety of sources, drawing from the Torah, different Megilot (the scrolls included in the third section of the TaNaCh), the Talmud, the Midrash (Rabbinic interpretations), and more. By examining the purpose, meaning, and diversity of Jewish practices, students connect deeply with their heritage and values, forming a strong bond with Jewish life while also appreciating its pluralism, including within the State of Israel today. The program provides a rich foundation for understanding and celebrating Jewish holidays, texts, values, and traditions.

We foster a vibrant community of readers and writers by combining the principles of the Science of Reading with the dynamic Literacy Workshop model. This empowers students not only to secure their proficiency in decoding, but also to participate in rich discussions, where they can read and recount cherished stories. Furthermore, we facilitate flexible groupings based on a diverse range of criteria, allowing students to interact with peers of varying skills and interests. This encourages the development of their personal voice and opinions through engaging discussions and expressive writing on topics that hold personal significance to them.

We expand on the previous year's Eureka Math curriculum by incorporating essential concepts involving multiplication and division, using both whole numbers and fractions. Our students delve into these fundamental mathematical operations, honing their problem-solving skills. Through a combination of small group and individual instruction and activities, they gain a solid grasp of concepts. Our curriculum underscores the vital role mathematics plays in everyday lives, emphasizing its real-world applications. Additionally, we place a strong focus on adhering to mathematical standards of practice, promoting a well-rounded understanding of mathematical principles.

We center our curriculum around in-depth units of study, delving into topics such as circuits and pathways, ecosystems, and rocks and minerals . Students actively participate in hands-on lab experiments, guided by the scientific method. Through inquiry-based learning, students drive their own scientific discoveries by posing questions and conducting exploratory investigations.These engaging experiences foster a deep understanding of scientific concepts while nurturing appreciation for the natural world.

Our social-emotional learning curriculum builds on the foundations of the Second Step SEL program, with a strong emphasis on essential skills for learning and personal development. Within this framework, our students delve into important subjects, including empathy and respect, exploring complex feelings, effective emotion management, and problem-solving as it applies to increasingly complex relationships. To cultivate a nurturing environment, SJCS’s dedicated Behavioral Health Counselor collaborates closely with our students and teachers, promoting emotional well-being and nurturing social growth.

Our arts curriculum fosters creativity and self-expression. Students develop skills in various media. In music, they explore rhythm, melody, and harmony, enhancing cognitive and emotional development, and they have regular opportunities to sing, including in Hebrew. Physical education builds motor skills and appreciation for physical activity, promoting health and teamwork. These integrated programs nurture well-rounded, confident students, fostering academic, artistic, and physical growth.

We design our social studies curriculum to encompass multifaceted themes of people, places, and environments, fostering a holistic understanding of our world. With a special emphasis on Washington State, our students embark on a journey that not only explores our home state’s geographical diversity, but also delves into the rich tapestry of local tribal history, connecting students with our region’s historical roots and contemporary contexts. By immersing themselves in these topics, students gain a deeper appreciation of the interconnectedness of people, their surroundings, and the cultural heritages that shape our communities.

We prioritize ongoing technological literacy by integrating individual iPads and Chromebooks seamlessly across subject areas. This approach not only introduces age-appropriate apps like Seesaw but also emphasizes the development of keyboarding skills. Our commitment extends to instilling digital citizenship principles, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the digital world, while guiding responsible and safe online behavior.

5th graders take on leadership opportunities, empowering them to grow. They cap off their journey with a memorable, personalized graduation ceremony, celebrating their accomplishments and the bright futures that await them.

Kehillah M’Shulevet/קהילה משולבת (Integrated Community)

Once a week, SJCS 5th grade students collaborate with their peers from the Jewish Day School (JDS) in Bellevue. Together, they delve into Jewish text study, participate in drama classes, explore robotics, partake in meaningful community service projects, and delve into the rich Sephardic culture and heritage of Seattle. 

Beyond the classroom, our program extends to off-campus adventures, including opening team-building activities on Camp Solomon Schechter's ropes course, monthly interactions with residents at the Kline Galland nursing home, outdoor science exploration at the four-day Osprey Camp, and visits to local sites steeped in Seattle's Sephardic history. The students showcase their creativity by writing and performing a Purim spiel on stage. 

This unique program prepares students for the richer array of classes they will take in the next stages of their education while it also expands their horizons by providing opportunities for social interaction and educational exploration beyond traditional curricula.

Kindergarten Buddy Program

Even as our fifth graders thrive academically, they also embrace SJCS’s unique community-oriented culture. Through our buddy program, they form strong bonds with kindergartners, both giving the older students mentorship opportunities and encouraging the younger students’ sense of belonging in ways that set SJCS apart. Over the years, these connections have encouraged growth, creativity, and lifelong friendships, across ages. 

We provide students with Hebrew language experience using multiple modalities. Through exposure to both written and spoken Hebrew, we aim to instill confidence in each student as a Hebrew speaker, moving forward from the range of starting points we encounter, from native speakers to students just beginning their studies. Our program focuses on enhancing reading fluency and comprehension, ensuring that students develop strong language skills while building a foundation for a lifelong connection with Hebrew and the people who speak it as their native language.

Our Jewish studies curriculum nurtures critical thinking through the careful study of Jewish texts such as Torah, Mishneh Torah, Jewish liturgy, Pirkei Avot and more. Students engage in respectful debates and critical reading to deepen their understanding, with an emphasis on explorations of ‘why?’ rather than simply ‘what?’ They explore the purpose, meaning, and diversity of Jewish traditions and practices, fostering a broad perspective on Jewish heritage and helping them to shape their own Jewish identities. Toward the end of the year, they engage in a forthright, age-appropriate introduction to the Holocaust, in conjunction with their work in social studies as well.

We introduce students to a rich tapestry of literature and diverse authors, broadening their literary horizons. We emphasize making real-world connections to texts, promoting a deeper understanding of the material. Students develop strong writing skills by addressing various audiences and purposes, and they engage in complete writing processes, from brainstorming to final revision. This comprehensive approach ensures that our graduates emerge not only as proficient readers, but also as confident and effective writers able to put their own thoughts on paper.

We foster a positive math outlook and real-world application. We complete the 5th-grade Eureka Math curriculum, covering essential math foundations for middle school success. Students learn about numerical expressions, patterns, place value, operations, fractions, measurement conversions, data interpretation, geometry, and coordinate plane graphing, preparing them for advanced math in middle school.

We actively explore engaging topics like landforms, natural disasters, and environmental science. Students experience hands-on learning through the scientific method and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, ensuring knowledge acquisition and encouraging the motivation and ability to continue exploring for a lifetime.

Our social-emotional learning curriculum extends the foundation of the Second Step SEL program, emphasizing crucial skills for learning and personal growth within the classroom and beyond. Our students explore such topics as managing complex emotions, considering multiple perspectives, accepting differences, disagreeing respectfully, managing anxiety and frustration, understanding peer pressure, and seeking help. All the tools students develop over their careers at SJCS come together as they prepare to enter middle school. To create a supportive atmosphere, our dedicated behavioral health counselor collaborates closely with students and teachers, promoting social growth and nurturing emotional well-being.

Students delve into the workings of the United States government, gaining valuable insights on how to become productive members of society. They embark on a journey through U.S. history, spanning from 1776 to the present, understanding the evolution of our nation. In addition, our curriculum integrates Jewish Studies including through a thoughtful, age-appropriate, and forthright introduction to the Holocaust and its lessons for humanity. Students participate in the Holocaust Center for Humanity’s Writing Contest for 5th and 6th graders. (In 2023, SJCS students swept all three prizes in this contest, open to public and independent school students across four states.)

Our arts curriculum fosters creativity and self-expression. Students develop skills in various media. In music, they explore rhythm, melody, and harmony, enhancing cognitive and emotional development, and they have regular opportunities to sing, including in Hebrew. Physical education builds motor skills and appreciation for physical activity, promoting health and teamwork. These integrated programs nurture well-rounded, confident students, fostering academic, artistic, and physical growth.

We provide one-to-one exposure to iPads and laptops, seamlessly integrating them across subject areas. This hands-on approach includes experiences with various educational and creative applications and digital platforms. Alongside that they are well-prepared to take advantage of digital resources while also maintaining responsible and safe online behavior.