Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan

Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan

Established	1995
School type	Private, Day
Religious affiliation	Jewish, Conservative
Headmaster	Dr. Steven C. Lorch
Location	New York City
Enrollment	152 (K-8)
Campus	Urban
Colors	Blue and White
Homepage	[http://www.sssm.org sssm.org]

The Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan is a K-8 Jewish day school located in Manhattan, New York City. It is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association.It is one of the very few non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in New York City.

History

1994 - Organization of the school begins.

1995 - Dr. Steven C. Lorch is named Head of School.

1996 - Schechter Manhattan's doors open to its first kindergarten class.

1998 - Schechter Manhattan is accepted into the New York State Association of Independent Schools.

1999 - Schechter Manhattan receives the national Solomon Schechter Award for their education system in t'filah (prayer).

2001 - The school's older grades (initially 3rd through 5th) relocate to their present-day location at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism.

2002 - Schechter Manhattan opens its Middle School.

2006 - Schechter Manhattan graduates its first class.

2006 - Schechter Manhattan is awarded the Blackboard Award for its elementary school.

Location

Schechter Manhattan's youngest grades have since its founding been housed at the Park Avenue Synagogue. Today, the two kindergarten and two first grade classes meet at PAS; the rest of the school, including the second grade, the Upper Elementary Division comprising grades 3-5, and the Middle School, grades 6-8, are located on the Upper West Side at 15 West 86th Street, in the building of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism.

Leadership

Dr. Steven C. Lorch has been Schechter Manhattan's Head of School since its founding in 1994. Each division, of between three and six classes, is led by its own Division Head.

As an independent school and member of both the Schechter Day School Association and the Independent Schools Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), Schechter Manhattan is governed by a Board of Trustees and advised by both an Education Committee and a Rabbinic Advisory Committee.

Educational philosophy

Schechter Manhattan focuses on six key educational ideas and practices:-Thinking deeply about ideas-Reading texts closely-Connecting learning and experience-Working collaboratively with peers-Studying and practicing Jewish tradition-Reflecting on past learning to promote future growth.

Cultivating learners through these approaches means addressing the child's mind and hands, soul and heart. Just as these are integrated in every person, the school integrates them in the child's experience of learning in an atmosphere of warmth and mutual respect. As a result, children at Schechter Manhattan become powerful and resourceful learners, knowledgeable and committed Jews, and kind and caring members of their communities.

Mission statement

Our mission is to cultivate textpeople.

A textperson is someone who finds meaning in the world through confident, active and skilled learning. We value understanding — scientific discovery, Torah, the arts, worldly experience and knowledge of every kind — both for its own sake, lishmah, and because it grounds our search for significance in the rigorous pursuit of truth. At the same time, the textperson is a mensch, a full person, whose learning and knowledge are grounded in moral sensitivity.

We believe as Jews that the act of study is itself of moral significance. To cultivate textpeople, we educate in this spirit, promoting intimate, child-centered learning that is also profoundly respectful of the subject matter. As individuals and as a community, we strive to model this link between learning and menschlichkeit in our classrooms, in our financial aid policy and in all interactions among our students, teachers, parents, and friends.

[http://sssm.org/who_we_are/index.php?page=184 Schechter Manhattan Mission Statement]

Graduates

Students graduating from Schechter Manhattan after 8th grade have been accepted at a range of Jewish and secular private and public schools, including Calhoun School, Elizabeth Irwin HS, Heschel HS, Horace Mann School, LaGuardia HS of the Arts, Ramaz School, Riverdale Country School, SAR, Stuyvesant HS, The Ethical Culture Fieldston School and Trinity School.

See also:
Jewish education

External links

* [http://www.sssm.org Schechter Manhattan Official Website]

References