Soille Hebrew Day receives CIJE grant

Rabbi Simcha Weiser
Rabbi Simcha Weiser

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Soille Hebrew Day School already boasts an award winning science program, with its students winning more awards at the County-wide Fair each year than any other K-8 private school. New for this school year is an engineering and design program which has been created by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). Soille is one of 35 Jewish Middle Schools across the country to pilot the program.

In preparation for adopting the program, Soille sent a teacher to New York City, where CIJE is based for extensive training. “We focus our teacher training on designing self-directed classrooms, to let student teams grapple with real world design problems and determine for themselves the best solutions,” noted Judy Lebovits, CIJE vice president and director. “This new curriculum will encourage innovation, creativity, and problem solving, involves small group collaborative work and experimentation. The emphasis is on the application of STEM subject content to everyday life and our surrounding environment.”|

Supporting the work of California member schools will be Dr. Adrian Krag, West Coast CIJE STEM Program Supervisor. “Bringing a sophisticated engineering program to Middle School students will deepen the students content knowledge, expand their ability to apply abstract concepts, and enhance leadership and teamwork skills as well.” Dr. Krag works closely with science coordinator Matt Bessler and with math teacher Rachel Hudlow, to support these enhanced student outcomes.

“Soille Hebrew Day prepares its students for every aspect of successful 21st Century living,” notes Headmaster Rabbi Simcha Weiser. “America needs scientists and engineers, just as it needs young men and women inspired by Jewish values and ideals. This expanded STEM programs enables us to be even better on both fronts.”

Each class receives equipment and materials from CIJE and the teachers undergo specialized training to enhance their approaches to the class material. Special training in how to encourage creativity and ‘out of the box’ thinking was included in the CIJE faculty training.

“We’re excited that Soille Hebrew Day, along with so many Jewish Day schools are incorporating this new program and establishing a consistent STEM program for middle school grades,” says CIJE president, Jason Cury. “We believe that our programs greatly exceed what students are getting in typical middle schools and it shows in the caliber of high school course work and in the choice of universities that our graduates are attending.”

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Preceding submitted by Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School.  More information is available from blicha@hebrewday.org.

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