(Part II of a multi-part series on Jewish day schools)
“Krieger Schechter Day School [KSDS] is amazing, fun and interactive,” said Alex Rabin, a seventh grader, who has attended the school since kindergarten. His good friend, Emma Silverman, seconded his words of praise. Why?
“Anyone can do well at Krieger Schechter,” said Emma. “You can always find a place for you.”
As plans for the 2011-2012 school year are underway, there are many parents wavering between this school and that. Do we choose day school, they ponder? Do we opt for a public school or secular private institution? According to Emma, at Krieger Schechter you get the best of everything.
“They put you in classes that are at your level, so you are challenged and you learn,” she said. “The middle school has lots of sports and clubs. Plus, in school, you have electives like cooking, sewing, drama, choir, band and woodshop. In the elementary, there are after-school activities like yoga and karate.”
Emma herself plays three sports, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. In seventh grade, she knows her time at Krieger Schechter, a K-8 school, is coming to an end. She has not decided next steps – day school versus public school – but she said she knows she will continue her Jewish education.
“This has really been worth my while,” she said with a smile. “I think it makes sense for me to continue.”
Krieger Schechter is all that Alex and Emma have ever known. Their parents, and those of the other students and alumni, have seen the other options. In interviews with several parents, they all said that if they had to do it over, they would choose Krieger Schechter again.
“The school was a perfect fit for all five of my children,” said Erika Pardes Schon, whose boys are now between the ages of 17 and 22. “The school gave each of them all they needed to go off to high school – different high schools, in fact. … They have even taken those skills to college.”
Schon called KSDS a “remarkably healthy environment,” and said that among the main pieces her children got from the school was a strong appreciation of their Jewish identity.
“There is no substitute an early age for a day school education. You can give them Judaism at home, but when they develop friendship circles, it can become hard to enforce. When they are friends with Jewish children, it is automatically enforced,” Schon said.
Sharri Rochlin whose daughter, Samantha, is now in first grade at KSDS said the friends aspect has been a real blessing for her daughter.
“I find it easier for Samantha to make friends here, because most people come from similar backgrounds and the kids are accepted for who they are,” she said.
KSDS is known for something – even nationally – and that is its ability to teach the Hebrew language … successfully. How did this impact parents’ decisions to choose Krieger Schechter?
“There have been so many studies about bi-lingual education and how much of a boon it is to a growing child’s brain,” said Jenny Gamliel, who is mother to two KSDS students, Natan in fourth grade and Aviad in second grade. “I always wanted the kids to learn Hebrew and it was so exciting to find out what a great program they have here. Learning Hebrew makes the kids better learners in general.”
The tapestry that leads to success for KSDS graduates is colorful and robust. However, each parent and student who was interviewed for this article used one similar word to encapsulate the value of Krieger Schechter. That word was “warmth.”
Adina Amith, whose daughter Rachel Sarenka Smith, graduated from KSDS, attended Baltimore City College High School and is now a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University, tells the following story:
“When Rachel was in high school, I went to back to school night. She was enrolled in this writing class and I walked into the class late – the other parents were already there. When I walked in, the teacher looked up and he said, ‘You must be Rachel Smith’s mom.’ I guess he could tell because we look a lot like each other. So he said, ‘Your daughter wrote the most outstanding essay. It is so strong I would submit it for publication.’”
The teacher said no more and went on with his presentation. When Amith returned home that evening, she asked Rachel about the work. Her daughter explained that the topic for the essay was, “where do you feel most comfortable?” Most students wrote about their beds, their homes, and the like. Rachel wrote about Krieger Schechter Day School.
“I don’t understand why any Jewish parent would not send his or her kids to a Jewish day school. Having a foundation of knowing who you are is incredibly important,” said Amith. “Some people talk about day school being isolating. I totally disagree. I believe day school prepares you to go out into the world confident in whom you are.”
Comments