Private School in New London, CT

Solomon Schechter Academy:
The Solomon Schechter Academy of New London, CT, is a coeducational pre-kindergarten through to grade 6 day school, offering a program of outstanding secular and Judaic studies to students in eastern CT and western Rhode Island.

Academic Programs / Curriculum & Jewish Cultural Studies:
Our comprehensive secular curriculum includes language arts, math, science, social studies, music, art, and physical education. It is supplemented by a co-curricular program which includes clubs and co-ed athletics. Students work in single-age and multi-age groups to experience the strength and enjoyment of collaborative learning. Parents are actively involved in the school, working in partnership with teachers and serving on various committees and on the board of directors. Several times a year the entire SSA community –- parents, siblings, grandparents, staff, and friends -- come together to celebrate, to play, to worship, and to learn.

We welcome children from all religions and backgrounds. Jewish cultural studies include Hebrew as a foreign language, history, texts, and religious practices. They come alive through age-appropriate study, prayer, creative arts, and community service. Students experience the richness of Jewish tradition by participating in the yearly holiday cycle and in special events, such as receiving their first siddur and chanting from the Torah.

Solomon Schechter Academy teaches students to value a diversity of beliefs, backgrounds, abilities, and talents. Our students learn that they can make a difference when they feed the hungry, sing for the elderly, and raise money for a variety of charities. We help them build a sense of compassion and to develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the world beyond their immediate communities. Our children graduate with a well-rounded, multicultural education, having experienced both the power of knowledge and the joys of community.

- Pre-Kindergarten:  We offer an extraordinary pre-kindergarten experience for four year-olds. In conjunction with the Beth El Nursery School, which is housed nearby in the same building, SSA offers all-day pre-kindergarten program with an after-school option. Our youngest students begin their day at the Beth El Nursery School, participating in that program until after lunchtime, then are walked to their classroom at SSA where they experience an afternoon of additional learning and enrichment.

- Kindegarten & Grade 1:  One hardly thinks of Gan (kindergarten) children as citizens of the world, however at SSA, woven into the tapestry of skills such as reading, writing, math, art, music, movement and playacting, there is an awareness of others. Letters of the alphabet soon transform into letters to people – friends and family.

The Kindergarten classroom is an exciting, happy place to visit. The students are busy with their work: reading, writing, role playing and problem solving. With the children’s ever-increasing sight vocabulary, sentences they write continue to develop from simple subjects and verbs to colorful ones that include prepositions and modifiers. Smiles of pride beam from their faces as they read their writings to visitors or send letters off in the mail to family members and friends. A truly happy time in the classroom is when a letter is received in return.

Language acquisition does not stop at a child's "mother tongue." Hebrew is integrated throughout the curriculum, and comprehensible input is key to its success. There is plenty of reinforcement in the creative projects and activities of the Judaic staff. For example, the word in Hebrew is parpar; in Spanish, mariposa; in English, butterfly, but at SSA that translates to "Monarch Madness," as Grade 1 students' imaginations take flight with the release of their newly emerged Monarch butterflies.

- Grade 2 & Grade 3:  At SSA, study is based on a thematic approach. A specific theme or topic is explored across all areas of curriculum: math, language arts, social studies, science, art, music, and computer. These thematic units are planned to ensure comprehensive coverage of the academic program. Some units are developed with student inspiration; sometimes it is the teacher's suggestion that spurs an integrated study.

In Grades 2 and 3, for example, the fact that Mrs. Zimmer is from South Africa, promoted intense interest in geography and weather in the region, the culture and society, the monetary system, and what daily life was like for children. Exchanged letters, reports, bulletin boards, artwork, gift boxes, and current event updates reflect our core commitment to relate learning to the real world.

- Grade 4 & Grade 5:  The fourth and fifth grade years are a time of fostered independence. The core subjects of reading and math are taught by ability-grouping while the classes are combined for writing, social studies, science, and specials. Integration of all subject matters is crucial in a combined curriculum. Research skills are honed as the students write articles for The Lion's Roar news magazine. Computer skills are further developed in social studies, math, and science. The work completed by the fourth and fifth grade students well prepares them to enter into their final year at SSA and the experience of middle school.

We study a wide variety of science topics, including life, earth, physical, and technological sciences. We develop skills, collect data, and demonstrate an understanding of the sciences and their importance to our community. We do many lab experiments such as, making fresh water from salt water, checking our rainwater for acid, and making sound with homemade musical pipes.

- Grade 6:  The final year at SSA is structured on a middle school model with a coordinator who oversees the team of teachers who instruct math, science, history, language arts, Hebrew, Judaics, health, and study skills. Having juggled a varied course load, along with the demands of numerous teachers, graduates leave SSA able to transition smoothly to any middle school environment.

As leaders in the school, sixth graders are paired with first graders as book buddies, become environmental ambassadors by attending a four-day retreat at TEVA (nature’s classroom for day schools), and model tzedakah in action by organizing the annual fall walk-a-thon. Sixth grade is a time of growth and increased responsibility, a culmination that prepares for a new beginning beyond the confines of SSA’s nurturing.

- Additional Programs:  Complementing academic classes are those we call Specials - classes like art, music, and physical education. These, along with sports and clubs, provide a staging area for the multiple intelligences at work in each child. Supporting and enriching learning, they stretch and challenge as well.