Why Choose Schechter

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Schechter

If you’re considering Schechter, but want to know how the education will shape your child, read on! Here’s the hallmark of a Schechter education:

1. Character Influenced by Wisdom, Community and Good Heart
   Every decision made at Schechter is guided by three core values: Wisdom (Chochma), Community (Klal Yisrael), and Good Heart (Lev Tov). As a community, we live and model these ideals, thereby inspiring and guiding the developing character in each of our students.
2. Engaged Learning through Personalized Instruction
   Our personalized instruction instills a lifelong love of learning. In Language Arts, for example, students develop their skills and passion for literature through a Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. They engage in critical analysis through guided conversations with teachers and peers, sharing their insights and expanding their vision through a literary lens.
3. Nourished Minds and Hearts
   Every Friday, we open our doors to the greater Jewish community and come together for RELISH (Ruach L’chvod Shabbat) to lift the spirit in preparation for the sabbath. This weekly gathering nourishes our minds and hearts as we come together in our shared faith.
4. An International Advantage
   Recognizing that ours is a globally connected world, we prepare students with early language acquisition. Four-year olds in the Early Childhood Program start with Hebrew by focusing on speaking and listening. Students continue with Hebrew through 8th grade and also start Spanish in 6th grade — their third language! We are proud that members of the Schechter community come from all over the world. Our students and families represent several nationalities and speak various languages spoken at home.
5. Eco-consciousness in Action
   We teach our students to love, value and appreciate nature. One example: The Schechter cafeteria composts waste, using it to nourish garden soil and grow potatoes. We harvest the crop for Hanukkah, and use the potatoes to make homemade latkes.
6. Know, Love and Experience Israel
   Schechter students personally come to know and value Israel — through their hearts, minds and bodies. All our Hebrew faculty members are native Israelis who bring the country and culture into the classroom through language, music, dance, literature and food. As a capstone experience, the 8th grade class visits Israel for 2-week. Schechter also partners with the Jewish Federation Young Emissaries’ Program, welcoming a young Israeli adult into the school each week to foster further engagement with Israel and its people.
7. Active Participants from Early Childhood On
   With a Reggio Emilia inspired approach to learning, young children in our Early Childhood Program develop a sense of empowered communication that they carry with them. They are an active part of the curriculum — their interests, observations, and curiosity is factored into the classroom learning. The curriculum is also rooted in Jewish tradition and guided by the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards.
8. Applied Knowledge through Critical Analysis
   Schechter’s rigorous Judaics studies classes provide students the opportunity to engage in critical analysis from a young age. These skills transfer across all subjects, raising the bar on the students’ intellectual engagement and problem-solving abilities. Through various curricular and extracurricular opportunities, they are encouraged to ask critical questions and seek innovative solutions.
9. Strong Sense of Community
   Community lives at the heart of all we do at Schechter. Our Shabbat Share is one example of how we bring the school and home communities together: Parent volunteers from the Parent Association organize and arrange the event; families connect to make arrangements; and the students relish the chance to celebrate their faith with their family members and school friends.
10. Facing History and Ourselves
    Schechter partners with Facing History and Ourselves, a renowned international organization committed to Holocaust education. The group trains teachers in how to present controversial issues to students in a way that promotes exploration, engagement & respectful dialogue.