Dear Visitors,
Welcome to the Lower School of the Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School! It is an amazing environment where your child has the opportunity to grow spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually. It is a rich environment in which your child will thrive through an integrated curriculum founded in best practices. We value derekh eretz (respectful behavior) and are committed to ethical and moral education founded in core values which are displayed in our hallways and are built into our curriculum through prayer and Torah study.
We pride ourselves in our commitment to the arts; our children begin performing through the visual arts, music and drama starting in kindergarten. Our students give presentations in front of groups of other students and adults in a variety of settings during the course of our school year. They have a comfort level typical of older children as a result of these opportunities and many outgrow their shyness in these early grades.
We nurture curiosity through inquiry, hands-on investigations, and field trips which supplement our classroom activities. Connecting with our local community is important. We partner with a local nature center, share traditions with a nearby Catholic elementary school, and take advantage of the many rich cultural institutions in the broader Twins Cities community.
Israel is very important in our lives. Some say that our kindergartners speak Hebrew with an Israeli accent because they learn from a native Hebrew speaker; this rich oral program provides strong foundations for future study in learning to read and write in Hebrew. Our students interact with students in the Sovev Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) region of Israel. Through video conferencing, sending and receiving packages, and collaborating on curriculum, our children experience Israeli culture in an active way.
Our curriculum is aligned with national and state standards; through ongoing curriculum development and implementation, we strive to keep our academic program strong and fluid. We encourage all of our constituents to be lifelong learners. Our teachers model this by attending workshops and seminars to strengthen skills and gain new information. Our curriculum evenings provide shared learning opportunities for our families; it’s wonderful to experience our children teaching their parents.
For the past 18 years I have watched our school grow into a new building, our student body increase from 80 to nearly 400, and our students continue to skip down the hall with smiles on their faces. It has been a joyful journey, one that I hope to continue and for you have the opportunity to experience.
B’shalom,
Helen Siegel
Lower School Director
