Academics

Lower School

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Lower School

At Pardes Jewish Day School, Lower School is all about exploration, relationship and discovery. We help students build an early excitement about learning that will carry them through middle school, high school, and beyond. In our classrooms, we make space for children to explore and reflect on what they’ve learned. As active participants in their own education, they become motivated to use their skills to change the world. Our program is grounded in Jewish values, which provides students with a deep connection to their heritage and a strong sense of belonging.

Our program offers an environment where innovative learning and Jewish values meet. Below, you’ll find a brief overview of what we offer.  As you read more about our approach to learning, contact our admissions team if you have any questions.

Our Approach

A Student-Centered Learning Experience

At Pardes, we recognize students as individuals with their own learning styles, interests, and strengths. Your child will be known well by their teachers and schoolmates, which creates a sense of security where young learners feel safe to ask questions, take risks, and fail forward. When they don’t succeed on the first try, we provide the encouragement and skills to help them feel comfortable and confident enough to try again. This cultivates a growth mindset, which enhances learning and achievement.

Engaging Academics

Morning Meeting: Responsive Classroom at Pardes
At Pardes, we are deeply committed to nurturing the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. All Pardes teachers are trained in the Responsive Classroom approach, a research-based teaching framework that fosters safe, inclusive, and joyful learning environments.

Key components of Responsive Classroom include:

List of 4 items.

  • Morning Meetings and Daily Greetings

  • Respectful Language and Shared Norms

  • Logical Consequences and Proactive Discipline

  • Strong Student-Teacher Relationships

This consistent, schoolwide approach cultivates social responsibility, self-management, and a strong sense of belonging. At its core, Responsive Classroom reflects our belief that every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and valued. Our layered, intentional approach to social-emotional learning mirrors our commitment to building character, community, and a deep sense of connection. Our families, teachers, counselor, and administration are deeply committed to these key components. 

List of 2 items.

  • English Language Arts: Amplify CKLA

    Our ELA curriculum, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), equips students with the skills, strategies, and content knowledge to become confident, thoughtful readers and communicators. The program fosters academic growth while aligning with our values of intellectual curiosity and character development.

    Key highlights include:
    • Strong Foundations (Grades K–2):
       Early instruction emphasizes phonological and phonemic awareness, helping students master the 44 sounds of English and 150+ spellings to build fluency and decoding skills.
    • Intentional Progression:
       Skills are introduced through a thoughtfully sequenced progression—from basic phonics to advanced language arts—ensuring mastery at each stage.
    • Knowledge-Driven Comprehension:
      By integrating cross-disciplinary content, students strengthen their reading comprehension and expand their understanding of the world, cultivating curiosity, critical thinking, and empathy.

  • Math: Beast Academy

    For mathematics, Pardes uses Beast Academy Classroom, a rigorous and creative problem-solving program. Beast Academy is a cutting-edge math curriculum designed by the global leader in advanced math education, the Art of Problem Solving. This program is tailored to challenge and inspire elementary students, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts while keeping learning fun and engaging. 

    Program strengths include:
    • Interactive & Engaging:
       Beast Academy Classroom includes manipulatives, paper-pencil and a  dynamic online learning platform with comic-style stories that captivate students while reinforcing math concepts.
    • Challenging and Thought-Provoking:
       The curriculum emphasizes problem-solving and perseverance, encouraging students to ask “why” and to think flexibly and analytically.
    • Creative and Rigorous:
       Focused on logic, reasoning, and independent thinking, the program challenges students while supporting joy in learning.

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. Using the design thinking process, students think outside the box and develop innovative solutions. 

Embracing Shared Values

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 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 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.

Contact

Fax: 480-991-9405

About

Pardes Jewish Day School is a welcoming community Jewish day school committed to exceptional secular and Jewish education with a focus on academics and character development.
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