Rabbi Elie Tuchman, head of school at the Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore in Deal, leads students in classroom activities.
Photo courtesy Jill Garbi
June 10, 2008
The Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore in Deal will add two new grade levels when classes resume in the fall.
The Modern Orthodox day school’s 18-member board of directors unanimously voted to create a combined third- and fourth-grade class after reviewing a feasibility study prepared by head of school Rabbi Elie Tuchman and members of the yeshiva’s education committee.
The school, founded in September 2006, currently has 12 students in the first and second grades. It conducts classes at the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth County.
The feasibility study, which was prepared during a two-month period that concluded at the beginning of May, indicated that students in the combined grades will benefit from a shared environment, Tuchman told NJ Jewish News.
The study included an examination of the different levels of skills development, subject areas, and the emotional and social content of class subjects. It also examined creating an environment in which both grade levels will have a strong class identity and sense of unity, he said.
“As the review process evolved,” said education committee chair Judie Boim of Elberon, “and literally every possible factor was investigated, the committee members and the board members realized that a combined class was not only possible, but was beneficial to the entire school. This is one of the ways the yeshiva demonstrates its commitments to the needs of the children and families in the community.”
The new third grade will include current second-grade yeshiva students who will advance to the next grade level as well as new transfer students, Tuchman said.
The new fourth grade will consist of transfer students, he said. The yeshiva, which has maintained a 100 percent student retention rate since it opened, will encompass an overall student body of between 20 and 30 students by September, Tuchman said.
In 2007, several families expressed interest in enrolling their children in third and fourth grade at the yeshiva.
“The question we put on the table was, ‘Can we do this and still maintain a top-notch academic level for the existing classes, while also offering a superior education to third- and fourth-graders without a negative impact on our existing programs?’” Tuchman said. “The answer to this question is a resounding yes.”
In some instances, subjects in the combined class will be taught simultaneously, but at different grade levels. This category includes language arts and literature, Tuchman said, adding that the students’ writing assignments and processing of literary character studies will be tailored to appropriate age levels.
Some class activities will include joint participation by both grades, while other projects will take place within the separate grade levels, he said.
“We are extremely excited about the combined third and fourth grade, since it dovetails beautifully into our philosophy of giving every child precisely what they need to maximize their potential,” said Tuchman. “What allows us to do this is our individualized, hand-tailored approach. We are tailoring our curriculum to the needs of the students.”
Since its founding, the yeshiva has designed a curriculum that is individualized, but grounded in grade-level standards, said Tuchman.
“Our mission is already committed to individualizing the curriculum to meet the different needs and levels within each class level,” he said. “This is essentially an expansion of the approach that’s already in place.”
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