San Diego Jewish Academy

AT SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY WE: CHALLENGE MINDS, INSPIRE PURPOSE AND EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES.

SDJA IS SHAPING THE FOUNDATION OF FUTURE THINKERS, CREATORS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS BY BLENDING MODERN EDUCATION WITH DEEPER MEANING AND PURPOSE. FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY (SDJA) HAS BEEN A PREMIER INDEPENDENT JEWISH DAY SCHOOL EDUCATING STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL. THROUGH CLOSE ATTENTION TO EACH STUDENT'S LEARNING PROFILE, CHILDREN DEVELOP AND GROW IN A RIGOROUS ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT THAT FOCUSES ON THE WHOLE CHILD. STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM EXPERIENCING JOY IN THEIR LEARNING AND IN BEING PART OF A SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT PREPARES THEM WELL FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND.SDJA HAS A DEEPLY ENGAGING CURRICULUM, GIVING STUDENTS A STRONG FOUNDATION IN BOTH CORE ACADEMICS AND JEWISH LITERACY. SDJAS PRESCHOOL THROUGH 12TH GRADE EXPERIENCE BEGINS WITH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, OFFERING CHILDREN FROM NINE MONTHS TO FIVE YEARS AN ACTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT HELPS THEM DEVELOP COGNITIVELY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY.AS CHILDREN TRANSITION INTO KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND IN THE GOLDA MEIR LOWER SCHOOL, STUDENTS ARE IMMERSED IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING AND EXPLORATION, PLACING THE CHILD ON A PATH OF GROWTH AND LIFELONG LEARNING. WITH A PLURALISTIC APPROACH TO JUDAISM, AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LOWER SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INCLUDES BOTH HEBREW LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE RICHNESS OF JEWISH CULTURE.A STRONG FOUNDATION IN BOTH ACADEMICS AND JEWISH STUDIES ENABLES STUDENTS TO EASILY INTEGRATE INTO THE MAIMONIDES UPPER SCHOOL. STARTING WITH THE SIXTH GRADE, UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS ENCOUNTER MORE THAN JUST AN ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS-ENVIRONMENT, BUT A TRANSFORMATIONAL ONE. IN THE UPPER SCHOOL, STUDENTS ENJOY A ROBUST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT INTERTWINES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND CHARACTER TRAIT DEVELOPMENT WITH JEWISH TEACHINGS AND PRACTICE. IT IS THROUGH THIS INTEGRATED EXPERIENCE SDJA GRADUATES ARE WELL PREPARED TO FLOURISH IN LIFE. SDJA UNDERSTANDS THAT IN ORDER TO TRULY ENGAGE AND EDUCATE A CHILD, YOU FIRST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEM. BY OFFERING STUDENTS PERSONALIZED ATTENTION, THEY DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TEACHERS. THIS FOSTERS AN INNATE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AT THE SCHOOL, WHICH TRULY ENHANCES THE CHILDS EDUCATION. SDJAS APPROACH RESULTS IN GRADUATES THAT ARE WELL PREPARED FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THEIR LIFE JOURNEY. THIS INCLUDES A MULTITUDE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND MEANINGFUL GAP YEAR PROGRAMS, PREDOMINANTLY IN ISRAEL. GRADUATES FULFILL THE SCHOOLS MISSION OF FURTHERING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND ACTIVE JEWISH LIVING. THE VISION OF SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY IS TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERS IN ACADEMIC, JEWISH, AND COMMUNITY ENDEAVORS, IN TECHNOLOGY, ATHLETICS, AND THE ARTS. THE SCHOOL PROGRAM ENCOURAGES EACH STUDENT TO FIND JOY AND MEANING THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFELONG PURSUIT OF LEARNING AND GROWTH. SDJAS GRADUATES WILL BE BUILDERS OF VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES BASED ON JEWISH TEXTS AND TEACHINGS.WITH A CURRICULA THAT INSPIRES PURPOSE, THE FIFTH GRADERS ENGAGE IN AN ANNUAL PROJECT, WHICH ASKS THEM TO LOOK WITHIN AND TO THEIR ROOTS. THE SHORASHIM PROJECT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE "MY FAMILY STORY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION." MY FAMILY STORY IS A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM THAT PROVIDES JEWISH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WITH THE TOOLS TO JOIN JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD IN TELLING THEIR STORIES AND CREATING FAMILY HISTORY PROJECTS. IN SHORT, THE CURRICULUM OFFERS A CREATIVE AND HANDS-ON METHODOLOGY FOR TEACHING JEWISH HERITAGE, PROMOTING THE HISTORICAL MEMORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AND CREATING A SENSE OF JEWISH PEOPLEHOOD.CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE JOY OF JEWISH TRADITIONS, TEACHINGS, AND VALUES, AND THE LOVE OF ISRAEL WILL FOSTER A STRONG SENSE OF JEWISH COMMITMENT, LITERACY, AND ETHICAL PRACTICE ISN'T LIMITED TO JUST THE LWOER SCHOOL. IT INSPIRES PURPOSE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CAMPUS.FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STAFF MEET REGULARLY TO DISCUSS IDEAS, CONCEPTS, THOUGHTS, AND DIRECTION; TO DETERMINE BEST PRACTICES AND TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR SDJA. PARENTS WERE INVITED TO JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE VITAL INPUT. THE IDEA IS THAT THE VISION IS TO BE A SHARED VISION. SDJA IS TRANSLATING THAT VISION INTO THE SCHOOL'S CURRICULUM, CLASSROOMS, SCHOOLWIDE CULTURE AND A NUMBER OF NEW INITIATIVES, INCLUDING SEVERAL INSTITUTES SUCH AS THE ADVANCED INSTITUTE FOR JUDAIC STUDIES (AIJS). IN ADDITION TO A GROWTH IN PROGRAMS, SDJA IS GROWING OUR CAMPUS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR 800KW SOLAR PROJECT. SDJA'S VISION OF AN AMBITIOUS, FORWARD-LOOKING SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (SI) IS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC EFFORTS TO BECOME BOTH ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE, AND TO BECOME EVEN STRONGER FINANCIALLY. OUR SI VISION ENCOMPASSES MANY AREAS AND PROGRAMS - FROM LEVANA'S GARDEN, TO TIKKUM OLAM, STUDENT WELLNESS AND NUTRITIONS, SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURIALISM, AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS. THERE WILL BE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT, STAFF AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT ON OUR JOURNEY AS PART OF OUR LARGER MISSION.