Lower School

Each day our lower school students enter school with big smiles and an abundance of energy and enthusiasm as they prepare to take on exciting new challenges. Their highly experienced teachers create an environment that inspires excellence through a balance of hands-on experiential learning and more traditional approaches using textbooks and supplementary materials. Students are encouraged to ask questions, think creatively, and become aware of the world around them as they gain mastery of essential skills and develop a depth of understanding.
 
With low student to teacher ratios, children form strong bonds with their teachers and classmates. A camaraderie and "hamisha" environment exists in each classroom and can be felt throughout the school community.
 
Support is given to meet the individual needs of each child on their educational journey.

• To master essential skills in the core academic subjects of language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science.
• To develop literacy in language arts emphasizing listening, speaking, reading and writing. Writing, in particular, is a skill that is cultivated from kindergarten on through the various grade levels.
• To establish the foundation for mathematics through the study of numeric and mathematical concepts, problem solving techniques, and critical thinking.
• To learn about the world around us in social studies. The curriculum begins in kindergarten with the focus on the school community and expands to the study of neighborhoods, larger communities, the state of Arizona, and cultures in the past and present as students progress to 4th grade.
• To participate in hands-on exploration in science, focusing on scientific inquiry. Students will predict, observe, record, and explore as they learn the scientific method.

Jewish Studies: At the primary level (grades K, 1, and 2), our Jewish Studies program includes units based on Jewish holidays, traditions, the synagogue, the Torah, Israel, Shabbat, and Bible stories. This year, since Pardes is a pilot school in the Jewish Theological Seminary Standards and Benchmarks Program, many units will be based on the JTS' newly set standards and benchmarks. It is the goal of our Jewish Studies program to develop a positive Jewish identity in our students and to instill a love for Jewish traditions and holidays, the Torah, and Israel.
 
At the 3rd and 4th grade level, Judaic Studies focuses on "parshat hashavua" (the weekly Torah portion). The portion is read each week and the text is analyzed through asking clarifying questions, just as the ancient rabbis did. Lessons found in the Torah stories are discussed. In 4th grade, the analysis is taken a step further as "midrashim" about the each Torah portion are read. The students create their own interpretations of the text through writing, drawing, and performing their own personal midrashim.
 
Additionally, at all levels, we embrace our school's Core Values: Kavod (Respect), Tikkun Olam (Responsibility for Repairing the World), L'dor V'dor (Responsibility for Passing Traditions and Values from Generation to Generation), Avodat Halev (Service of the Heart) and Ivrit (Responsibility for Maintaining Hebrew as a Living Language).
 
Hebrew: At the Lower School level, students learn how to read, write, and converse in Hebrew in a non-threatening, nurturing environment. Listening and oral skills begin at the kindergarten level. In First Grade, these skills continue to be reinforced and students begin to learn the names and sounds of the Hebrew letters and vowels. Initially, students learn to write Hebrew letters in print form and then move on to cursive at the end of First Grade. After students learn to write Hebrew words, they begin to put together simple sentences. As these skills are mastered and vocabulary grows, oral and written sentences begin to get more complex. Conversational Hebrew is used at appropriate levels in every classroom.

Students learn about Art History as they are introduced to both Jewish and non-Jewish artists form a variety of eras. Through the inspiration of these artists, students learn about the elements of art, the principles of design, and different painting and sketching techniques. They experiment with a variety of materials, including pencils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, clay, mosaics, and recycled materials.
 
Student Goals:
 

• To learn to appreciate art in its many forms
• To learn about artists and their styles
• To learn about techniques and medium and being able to look at a painting and understand the composition, material, and techniques that the artist used
• To be able to take the things they have learned and use them to create their own individual work using different mediums and techniques

Third Grade students (beginning in January) and Fourth Grade students take recorder lessons each week. The curriculum is designed to teach the mechanics of basic music reading and theory. Through dedicated individual practice enhanced by ensemble playing, students are inspired to develop their individual skills.
 
Goals for 3rd and 4th Grade Recorder Students:
 

• To learn and utilize note reading skills
• To develop self esteem through performance
• To be inspired to pursue an enhanced music education
• To acquire an appreciation for music

Physical Education plays an important role in a child's growth and development. The Pardes School strives to foster a positive attitude towards athletics and physical fitness. To this end, students are exposed to many different sports, including volleyball, soccer, flag football, basketball, softball, baseball, and field hockey.
 
Student Goals:
 

• To develop and maintain a personalized level of physical fitness
• To develop and enhance kinesthetic competency
• To develop an understanding of and passion for sports, sportsmanship, competition, and teamwork
• To develop an effective attitude
• To develop a positive self-concept through athletics and exercise
• To have fun!

Pardes is proud to announce that we have received 28 new computers through a grant from The Gruss Life Monument Fund in Manhattan. In addition to allowing high-speed Internet access, the computers run Waterford and SuccessMaker programs for our Lower School. These programs evaluate and place students at appropriate levels and move them to higher levels once mastery is achieved in math, language arts, and science. Students participate in these special programs twice a week. In addition to these lab computers, each classroom is equipped with computers with high-speed Internet connections.