Agnon’s integrated curriculum weaves Judaic and general studies together for a deeper, fuller educational experience, as students learn about concepts or times in history through a variety of academic disciplines. A unit in which 5th grade students learn about Chanukkah also teaches about the Greek city-state and the rise of democracy; about Jewish history in the second century Before the Common Era (BCE); about the science and architecture of the period, and the role of mythology in Greek culture. At the end of the unit, students haven’t merely amassed a collection of names and dates and facts and figures; they’ve developed a multi-layered appreciation of a time and a place.
Many of these units culminate in an evening in which students present, through classic non-formal educational methodologies, what they’ve learned to their parents and other guests (grandparents are always welcome). As every teacher can attest, learning a subject in anticipation of presenting it to others is one of the best ways of developing a higher level of understanding about that particular subject.
Agnon also supports its students by teaching differently to those who learn differently. For those requiring additional specialized assistance, there are reading specialists trained in the Wilson method and in Reading Recovery; there are LD-certified general learning specialists and small group tutors who can modify curricula and accommodate learning needs. Enrichment and advanced supplemental services are provided to those students whose abilities demand more complex instruction. Classroom teachers appreciate the value of diversification, and attention is paid to each student’s needs and abilities.
More about:
