What do academics look like at IRDS?

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The definition of the word ‘Foundation’ in the dictionary says: A structure that supports something from underneath. IRDS takes pride in the strong and very rich academic program and the community feel. IRDS stands out in its bond with nature, and is known for special events and holiday celebrations. The educational goal and philosophy of IRDS is to prepare students for the rapidly changing world around them; making sure to equip them with the right tools, the grit, the resiliency, and the critical thinking skills to become successful in any path they should choose. We view the early childhood and elementary school years as the ‘Foundation’ which will need to support any future milestone in our students’ lives. This foundation touches upon a vital triangle of skills: Social, emotional and academic. At the beginning of the year during Back to School Night, the administration introduction explained the school’s approach toward social and emotional learning, and now it is time to further highlight academics.

Acquiring work habits is the foundation for any type of learning in the future, and since we at IRDS view our students as lifelong learners, our professional staff takes this task extremely seriously. Designing lessons,

choosing textbooks and reading books, preparing materials, and attending staff development sessions on a regular basis are all done purposefully and aligned with the latest trends and methods in the field of education. Experiential Learning, Executive Functioning, Play Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Project Based Learning, Design Thinking and 21st Century Skills are only a few examples of the educational best practices that are being fully integrated into every classroom at Ilan Ramon Day School.

Since the sacred task of education can only be done in full partnership between teachers and parents, we would like to share with you not only WHAT we do at IRDS through the Shalom Bayit and weekly class updates, but also the WHY and HOW we teach your children. In the coming weeks, we will present “Buzz Words” from the field of education, and let you know how you can see them being used at our school. We would also like to invite you to join us for an important evening of learning all about the “Behind the scenes “of the academic foundation at IRDS. This program will include learning from teachers and administration, as well as hearing from IRDS alumni sharing how the foundation they were given here prepared them for middle school, high school, and beyond.