As a parent, you know that where and how children spend their formative years matter.
That’s why choosing the right private elementary school is so important — you want your child to love coming to school and learning! You also want them to build a strong academic foundation in an environment that will simultaneously nurture their development socially and emotionally.
Wondering what your child’s day will look like at Pardes?
Here’s a snapshot of our Lower School curriculum:
Students set the tone for the day and connect with peers, sharing important events in their lives, doing a collaborative activity, and focusing their intentions. It’s a powerful time of connection that fosters social and emotional growth.
We utilize the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Teachers College at Columbia University, which helps young learners become avid and skilled readers and writers through state-of-the-art tools and methods.
Students love our interactive science program that asks them to solve a mystery with each lesson. Mystery Science is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Lessons include exciting hands-on experiences, interactive videos, and discussion questions requiring students to make connections and inferences.
Project Based Learning is woven throughout the curriculum and allows students to work on hands-on projects daily. Some even span throughout an entire semester! At Pardes, projects exist to drive learning, not merely to prove learning. We value process as much as product.
We use Reveal Math, a curriculum that is grounded in contemporary research and teaches foundational skills while fostering a mathematical mindset in our students.
Students explore the benefits of learning a second language, connect to Judaism by analyzing stories of the Torah, discuss Jewish values, and explore the meaning of prayers, holidays, and traditions.
Whether in Makerspace, musical theater, PE, or art, students explore their natural talents through specials and build connections with peers over shared experiences.
Our Lower School day runs from 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., but we offer morning and afternoon care so your child can be in a safe and consistent environment each day. Morning care begins on campus at 7:30 a.m. Afternoon activities are offered through Club J at the Jewish Community Center until 5:30 p.m.
Looking for a place where your child will thrive?
Download this Parent Guide for help in your search for the right elementary school.
Meet Our Exceptional Teachers
Our dedicated Lower School faculty leads students in Project Based Learning, integrating technology in age-appropriate ways. They regularly attend top-level education workshops around the country; this professional development allows them to bring research-based best practices to the classroom each day.
By modeling kindness and emphasizing character development, Lower School teachers make a lasting impression on their students, showing them how to care for one another and be good citizens. You won’t have to wonder how your child is doing at Pardes — we believe open communication is key for a strong home-school partnership.
Visit our Faculty & Staff Directory to read more about our amazing educators.
“The small class sizes, hands-on learning opportunities, and focus on social-emotional learning have allowed our daughter, Emma, to thrive academically and socially at Pardes. Pardes has a welcoming and warm community that makes all its students and their families feel at home. Our daughter loves being at Pardes, and we couldn’t be happier with how she has grown as a student and person during the last two years.”
-Maya and Brian Axt, Pardes Lower School Parents
Why Do Families Choose Pardes?
Building Transferable Skills
Students at Pardes build an academic foundation that emphasizes the four Cs of 21st century learning: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. This is accomplished through Project Based Learning, which encourages students to be actively engaged, asking questions, seeking answers, and solving problems.
With a focus on STEAM and a dedicated Makerspace, students become innovators, exploring how what they’ve learned can be applied to make a difference in the world.
Every child’s learning environment has an impact on who they will become. During the Lower School years, students grow in awareness of their Jewish heritage as they learn about traditions and culture. We partner with parents to reinforce the values taught at home, helping each student understand their personal connection to their Judaism, and respecting each family’s level of observance.
At Pardes, your child will have opportunities to participate in Mitzvah Days as well as school-wide Tikkun Olam projects. They will learn the importance of chesed (kindness) in everyday life, and develop the skills to become a changemaker. Like you, we want their voices to be heard and their skills to be utilized in a meaningful way as they grow.
Learning & Growing in a Safe Place
We value your child’s safety, which is why we’ve invested in a gated campus, surveillance cameras, locking doors, and protection officers. All faculty and staff have thorough background checks, and a full-time school nurse and school counselor are on staff to assist students when needed.
But there is more to safety than a secure, well-staffed campus. Social-emotional safety is also a high priority at Pardes. Through our Responsive Classroom model, Pardes teachers model how to resolve conflict and develop healthy relationships with peers, creating a positive learning culture.
Visit Pardes
Schedule a campus tour and see first-hand why families choose Pardes Jewish Day School for their kids. Our admissions team looks forward to showing you around and answering your questions. We can’t wait to meet you! We