PJA addresses the needs of the whole child. Our teachers take the children's developmental
levels and spiritual needs into account in planning instruction and choosing curriculum. PJA's
curriculum supports students' growing abilities to think critically, to communicate both in
writing and orally and to use mathematical and scientific thinking to solve problems.
Art
PJA approaches art as a course of study revolving around four major components: aesthetics,
criticism, history and production. Students are introduced to a variety of materials and techniques,
exploring drawing, painting and sculpture. Their projects are exhibited in art shows and spaces
throughout the school. In addition, PJA participates in the Artists-in-Residence Program, which brings
local and regional artists to the school to work with students in a variety of media.
Community Service
Our students are encouraged to practice social action and Tikkun Olam (repair of the world) within
their school and the larger community. Such activities include distributing food to the homeless,
visiting sick children in hospitals, developing relationships with elders at the Robison Jewish
Home for the Aged and raising money for community foundations.
English as a Second Language
Individual and small group instruction is provided for children learning English as a second language.
Children receive help in conversational skills, reading, writing, and school assignments. Each program
is individualized, based on the child's current English skills.
Hebrew
Our students learn to love Hebrew as a living language that unites Jewish experience everywhere and serves as
a bridge to the authentic learning of Jewish sources including Torah, Torah Sheh b'al peh (oral law),
Tefillah (liturgy) and literature.
PJA uses the innovative Tal Sela/Tal Am curriculum to teach Hebrew. The Tal Sela/Tal Am program are geared
specifically to North American Jewish day schools. The units are realistic and challenging, integrating the
instruction of Jewish concepts, Hebrew literature, vocabulary, grammar, language patterns and syntax.
Jewish Studies
At PJA, Judaism is viewed as a way of life. Students are encouraged to express their Jewish identity joyously
and to create an awareness of "Klal Yisra'el" or a sense of Jewish "community." Students understand their
connection to past, present, and future generations of Jews. This awareness promotes a sense of responsibility
within the home, the school population, the Jewish community, Israel and the world.
We celebrate Jewish holidays and traditions to connect Jewish history and the cycle of nature, and to nurture
spiritual life. Our Judaic curriculum includes age-appropriate units incorporating various Jewish traditions,
prayer, home, and communal ceremonies.
Language Arts
In language arts, PJA's goal is to foster a life-long love of literature and writing. PJA teaches language arts
by integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing through the use of age-appropriate literature and basic
skills instruction.
Reading skills are taught through a literature-based program. Other vital elements in the language arts
curriculum include vocabulary enrichment and proper language mechanics and usage.
From the earliest grades, our students learn to become writers. In kindergarten, students are encouraged not
only to dictate stories but to experiment with writing, gradually developing more advanced writing skills as
they progress through the grades. In all grades, significant emphasis is placed on the revision/editing process
and preparing writing for publication. Samples of students' work are published throughout the year with writing
workshops offered regularly.
Music
Our music program teaches students basic music skills and an appreciation of Jewish music as a connection
experience for Jews worldwide. In the lower grades, musical skills are developed through listening and singing
experiences. As students progress through the grades, their repertoire and understanding of traditional Jewish
musical liturgy grows, including a focus on Nigun (traditional melodies without words). They learn the principles
of rhythm, melody, sight-reading and musical notation. In the upper grades, students learn to play recorders
and may join the PJA choir. Band is offered for students in fourth through eighth grades.
Mathematics
PJA's math program is based on a hands-on approach, which relies on manipulatives, mental math skills,
problem-solving and active investigation to arrive at conclusions. Children are encouraged to ask "why?"
and formulate strategies for reaching their answers. A major goal of PJA's mathematics curriculum is to
instill a confidence and competence in math. Each student's progress is monitored throughout the year to
guide him or her at an appropriate pace.
Physical Education
The goals of PJA's physical education program are to promote physical fitness, increase fitness levels,
instill body confidence, and nurture a sense of sportsmanship. Students use the professional sports facility
of the Mittleman Jewish Community Center including its regulation gymnasium, Sportsplex, and
sports courts.
Many students take advantage of Afterschool sports programs at the MJCC including swimming, basketball,
gymnastics, soccer and other programs.
Resource Services
Children with strong academic skills receive enrichment either in their classrooms individually or in groups.
Remediation and classroom support are provided for students with special needs.
Children entering PJA in second through eighth grades may need to receive tutoring prior to September to learn the Hebrew alphabet
and simple Hebrew vocabulary. Students coming to PJA with a limited background in Hebrew are tutored at school.
Science
A fundamental goal of PJA's science program is to enhance children's understanding of basic scientific knowledge,
concepts, and process skills (observation, classification, measurement, experimentation, interpretation, and
prediction).
Our science curriculum brings together a physical/earth science sequence and life/earth science sequence.
Children develop scientific literacy by acquiring basic knowledge, developing scientific skills and learning
to appreciate science and the natural world.
In the lower grades, science activities are based in the classroom; in the upper grades, students perform more
complex studies in the science lab. Field trips supplement school instruction at all grade levels. Students
attend extracurricular science camps and outdoor schools.
Social Studies
In the primary grades, students study self, family and community, incorporating Jewish cultural traditions.
Children progress to the study of the larger communities, in which they live, including local, American and world
cultures. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking skills and current events. The integration of reading,
writing and oral communication skills is used to develop an understanding of the diversity of the world.
Spanish
Seventh and eighth grade students have the opportunity to study basic Spanish (listening, speaking, reading and writing skills) in a course of study approximately equivalent to first year high school. Students participate in a community service project, allowing them practical experience in communicating with native speakers. Art, music, geography and cultural components round out the curriculum.
Technology
Technology studies are part of the daily experience at PJA. Children learn research, word processing and electronic
communication skills, as well as specific applications. In the intermediate grades, students use the computer to
reinforce basic skills, learn word processing and attain a basic comfort level with the computer. In the
upper grades, students have the option to expand their knowledge of computer theory by learning programming; they
continue to add to their ability to use the computer, as a tool, by learning multimedia applications.
