About Our School

Our Mission

Ilan Ramon Day School prepares our children to embrace the diverse challenges of the 21st century. We are a community Jewish day school with an integrated curriculum focused on critical thinking, community involvement, the values of Judaism, and a personal connection to Israel. Our innovative program develops lifelong learners and leaders by emphasizing intellectual, spiritual and creative development with a focus on the social-emotional growth of each student.

Our Core Values

Community

We believe:
When we enroll a child at Ilan Ramon Day School, we invite an entire family to become active members in a multi-generational community.

Deep interpersonal connections emerge between parents, teachers, family, and students in a climate that fosters communication, openness, and acceptance.

Through learning, growing, and celebrating together, students emerge with a solid sense of self and Jewish identity.

Non-judgmental, pluralistic practice and learning communities can build bridges between different sects of Judaism.

Character

We believe:
Parents and teachers can guide students to act with integrity, honesty, humility, and compassion.

Accountability to high standards fosters independence, resilience, and determination.

Children thrive in an environment of respect.

Children can take an active part in repairing the world (tikkun olam).

Developing character is a social process built on home and classroom environments, which foster open communication and honest exchange of ideas.

Curriculum

We believe:
Diverse learning styles and interests require teachers to employ personalized strategies to challenge and engage each student.

A passion for learning is instilled through formal and informal activities that capture the student’s imagination.

Opportunities to integrate varied content areas motivate students to connect classroom learning to the real world.

The study of Hebrew and Torah are vital to our culture, heritage, and history and are interwoven into students’ personal lives.

Critical Thinking

We believe:
Critical thinking is achieved when knowledge is combined with divergent thinking, and actions are aligned with ethical values.

Fair judgment, solid values, determination, and self-confidence are key elements of problem solving.

To realize the benefits of technology and innovation, students must be informed decision-makers who analyze data scientifically, discriminate between fact and opinion, and assume a global perspective.

Creativity

We believe:
Children possess an innate sense of wonder about the world and the teacher gently guides its unfolding.

Creative expression in academics and the arts ignites the curiosity and potential of each child.

Students flourish in an environment where each child can find his/her own voice and manner of self-expression.

Continuity

We believe:
The seeds of a strong Jewish identity are planted by honoring all those who came before us.

Each child’s innate spirituality is nurtured in an environment of Jewish traditions modeled through diverse expressions of Judaism.

Family participation in intergenerational school events and activities cements our families, grounds us as Jews, and ensures the future of the Jewish people.

As Jewish Americans, we are leaders in the broader community and the community of Israel.

Our Logo

The logo of Ilan Ramon Day School helps to illustrate our mission. The shape of a circle or sphere is designed to look playful or contemplative, as well as share a vision of endless possibilities. A circle with no beginning or end appears limitless, just as our world is also limitless and filled with undiscovered potential. The goal of Ilan Ramon Day School is to help every student seek that undiscovered potential in themself and strive for greatness.

You will also notice that amongst all of the stars there is one Star of David. When Ilan Ramon became the first Israeli astronaut, this received special recognition from NASA. For each crew aboard the shuttle, NASA creates a special patch to adorn the uniform. On the NASA patch is a small cluster of stars, each star representing one of the astronauts on board. In honor of Ilan Ramon they changed one of these five-point stars to a Star of David. We want our logo at Ilan Ramon Day School to commemorate that gesture by NASA and the memory of Ilan Ramon. Below is a copy of the NASA patch worn by Ilan Ramon and the entire STS-107 shuttle crew.