When the first school leaders expressed to me what they wanted for the General Studies program, they said they wanted a school that reached all learners. They wanted all children to be challenged and allowed to work with teachers who encouraged their growth. They wanted a school in which each child is treated like an individual.

This remains our goal at Yeshiva Elementary School. With small class sizes and highly qualified teachers, YES is able to design programs that benefit all of the children. We are blessed at YES to have a group of talented, experienced teachers who work very hard each day to meet the needs of the children. Our General Studies program is accredited by the North Central Association on Accreditation.

At YES we have a Kadima program, which enhances the regular classrooms in grades four through eight. Simulations, hands-on creations and an emphasis on problem-solving strategies are examples of the kinds of lessons used in this program. For example, gifted children make Mobius strips, show the phases of the moon in cookies or participate in the Math Olympiad.

Catapult, is the name of the Title 1 special services provider that YES uses. Our reading and math specialist meets the needs of those individuals that may be challenged in these areas. With Accelerated Math programs, laptops and a Smartboard, our Catapult teacher is able to diagnose and encourage students in a myriad of exciting ways.

Our Keshet - special education - program teachers work with children using innovative methods and techniques. These students need more intervention and these teachers are experts. Special education professionals design specific programs that target learning for individuals. They work with parents to set goals for children and break down the goals into manageable steps.

Thanks to private donors, YES is fortunate to have a speech-language pathologist who is available to help those children who need services. Our speech teacher has years of experience working with our school. Working with children individually, each child works on their specific needs.

Our regular classroom teachers are currently working in teams, creating standardized, trimester tests to develop data-driven instruction in our school. These tests will be used to see how well our curriculum is keeping pace with the State and National Common Core Standards. After each trimester, the teacher will analyze the data and adjust his/her program to meet or exceed these rigorous standards.

The best part of all of these programs is how all of these parts work together. Yeshiva Elementary School is a community of learners from the Principals to the Kindergartners. Each and every day teachers and Principals collaborate to reach all learners.