Welcome to Torah Academy!

Torah Academy (TA) has been the linchpin of Torah Education in Greater Philadelphia for over 50 years. TA has a long tradition of preparing students for both yeshiva and college and for full participation in the Torah and secular world. Our students have gone on to become committed activists in the Jewish Community.

Our school believes deeply in each student’s development as an individual. Committed to becoming the best school possible, we are driven by the question: What will best promote student growth and learning? Student growth and learning is a concept that encapsulates the commitment to ensuring that each student achieves their potential as a person, including becoming a well-rounded mentsch and developing a foundation of learning

that will foster the greatest academic and professional success possible.

Derech Eretz, building fine character, is not just a component of our curriculum — it is our curriculum. Every lesson is infused with the message that success is not just defined by academic grades, but by how we score as respectful and compassionate citizens.

I encourage you to look at our entire school to learn about the Torah Academy community. In it, you will see the depth of our curriculum, the scope of our art, music, physical education and extracurricular programming as well as the broad reach of our academic services that support all learners. Above all, you will see the deep love for Torah permeates everything we do.

I am certain that by browsing over the next few pages, you will get a flavor of the excitement inherent in our school. However, I will caution you — you can’t get the full dose of Torah Academy warmth and enthusiasm unless you schedule a visit, so I encourage you to give us a call so that we can welcome you and give you a live tour!

Sincerely,

Rabbi Isaac Entin

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The Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia educates boys and girls from nursery through grade eight.

Rooted in Torah and general studies characterized by academic excellence and providing skill proficiency in all areas, TA provides a dynamic Jewish education that fosters intellectual as well as spiritual understanding and love of Torah through a commitment to its mitzvot and values. An emphasis on middot tovot infuses all aspects of school life.

Torah Academy will make every reasonable effort to provide tuition assistance to those families who demonstrate financial hardship.

By creating a climate of active intellectual inquiry in both Judaic and general studies, Torah Academy:

• Encourages exploration and understanding of the world.

• Emphasizes the responsibility of each Jew toward G-d and all people.

• Instills in its students Ahavat Yisrael — love of Israel and the Jewish people — as embracing the Land and State of Israel, and fellow Jews.

• Inculcates in its students the ideals of the American democratic heritage of freedom, justice and human dignity.

• Views each child as an individual and provides a stimulating education for students with different levels of academic ability and learning styles.

• Partners with parents to nurture each student to develop as an entire person.

• Enables and encourages students, through critical thinking, skill proficiency and substantive knowledge, to discover and excel in fields in which they can lead meaningful lives.

• Prepares its students with the skills to pursue their Judaic and general studies at the next level of learning and throughout life.

In sum, Torah Academy provides the foundation for its students to mature as Torah-observant Jews and role models who are contributing members in Jewish and general society.

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Torah Academy partners and is affiliated with the following organizations:

Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Timeline

1964 Jewish parents in Western Philadelphia establish the Wynnefield Hebrew Day School with a kindergarten class of nine students.

1970 The school is renamed Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia to more adequately reflect its position in the Philadelphia Jewish community.

1979 Torah Academy moves into its present facility, a 50,000 square foot school building in Wynnewood.

1986 In response to the sudden closing of Beth Jacob, Torah Academy establishes a girls’ high school (TAGHS) for the Greater Philadelphia Community. After over 25 years as a division of TA, in 2012 TAGHS transitioned into the independent Kosloff Torah Academy in Bala Cynwyd.

2000 Torah Academy becomes one of the host schools for the OROT program which enables children with special needs to attend a Jewish Day School.

2010 Kohelet Foundation provides significant funding to improve facilities and add enrichment programming.

Today Torah Academy includes almost 300 students from Lower Merion, Elkins Park, Center City, Northeast Philadelphia, Delaware and Cherry Hill.

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Torah Academy’s Early Childhood Program is a unique, innovative and creative program. The seeds of curiosity are planted and nurtured by our highly qualified, loving, dedicated and experienced staff. Through their individual teaching styles, our educators provide a child-centered, hands-on learning program that focuses on developing each child in a stimulating, warm Jewish environment. Our program encourages:• Independence• Cooperation• Positive self-esteem• Middot Tovot – Good Character• A curiosity for the world around them• A sense of belonging to the communities in which we live• A sense of caring for our friends and neighbors

The Torah Academy ECP program achieves these goals in a developmentally appropriate setting. Our environment exposes our youngest learners to a variety of experiences that foster spiritual, emotional, social and academic growth.

Literacy is the centerpiece of our learning, in which we aim to instill a love for reading through our Reading Readiness Program. We expose children to early literacy concepts, phonetic awareness, letter knowledge, and high-frequency words.

Mathematics is a hands-on experience and includes number sense, counting, identifying shapes and sorting. By exploring, reflecting, reasoning, discussing and observing, our children learn a great deal about the world around them and are poised to become life-long learners.

Our ECP program aims to instill a love of Torah and the seeds that will blossom into our Jewish values. We emphasize Shabbat, Chagim, Parshat HaShavua, T’ffilah and Ivrit alongside Middot Tovot, Chessed and Ahavat Yisrael.

Finally, our innovative Chalav U’Dvash program is a cutting edge language experience that encourages children to use Ivrit to express thoughts and identify objects in the world around them.

Aside from the engaging classrooms, Torah Academy’s ECP provides many enrichment opportunities for each and every child, including:• Music and the Brain• Art• Physical education• Special events and visitors

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General Studies

Grades 1-3The centerpiece of our first through third grades is the process of becoming fluent and thoughtful readers. Children develop a strong foundation in phonics and phonemic awareness while simultaneously developing a love and respect for the written word. Children also begin to see themselves as writers as they learn to express their ideas through writing on a daily basis. In math, students learn how math is a part of the world around them. In addition to learning basic math facts, students learn how to solve mathematical problems using strategic and creative thinking. Social studies and science are also taught in these early grades. Students learn about their city, state and country while also discovering the new frontiers of the ocean, rainforests, volcanoes and geology. By third grade, students know how to find answers to their questions through research and know how to present their newfound knowledge to an audience. Our teachers use cutting-edge strategies and experiential learning to engage and excite all of their students through hands-on activities, project-based learning, learning centers, and learning through the five senses.

Grades 4-5With a strong foundation in reading and writing, students are ready to tackle more complex texts, both fiction and non-fiction. Students learn how to convey their ideas through more structured formats of paragraphs and essays. In addition, they develop their unique voices through creative writing, personal narratives, memoirs and oral presentations. In math, students learn more complex concepts and processes and how to apply mathematics to solve real-life problems. In Social Studies and Science, students engage in subject-specific learning strategies, including online research, the scientific method, group presentations and debates. Grades 4-5 build critical executive functioning skills that enable students to become independent learners who take responsibility for their learning and growth.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)Middle school is a three-year transformative journey.

Students delve deeper into all four of the major subject areas - Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. In Language Arts, students learn how to become critical and analytic readers and persuasive writers. Students further their writing skills by learning how to develop thesis statements

and how to support their assertions with convincing evidence from the text. At the same time, students exercise their creativity by writing short stories, poems, and plays. In Social Studies, students learn about every region in the world, their

cultures and histories. In 7th and 8th grade, students take a 2-year course in American History. In addition to learning the

historical trajectory, students understand how to place facts into a context that furthers their own sense of patriotism and global citizenship. Students become historians themselves as they learn how to write a history research paper. In Science, students rotate through modules including physical science, chemistry, biology, earth science, genetics and physics. Each year, students engage in a self-directed science experiment and present their project at a school-wide science fair. In math, students progress through Pre-algebra, Geometry, and Algebra, developing the mathematical skills critical to succeeding and excelling in high school math and science.

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Judaic Studies

Grades 1-3In first through third grades, our goals are to help students develop the skills necessary to be fluent Hebrew readers and skilled Chumash learners, an understanding and ability to apply and live by “Derech Eretz Kadma L’Torah” and a great thirst for Torah and Simchat HaTorah that is present throughout their studies. We believe in a skill-based approach which encourages hard work, creativity, and a clear understanding of the relevance and application of the Torah being studied. Middot Tovot are integrated within classroom routines and expectations and are seamlessly taught through applying the lessons of Torah to the students’ everyday lives. In first grade, students’ focus heavily on Kriah fluency. Our approach develops a student’s accuracy and speed systematically, while also focusing on T’ffilah, the siddur, and our connection to Hashem, as the students prepare for the milestone of receiving their first siddur. The focus shifts towards Chumash readiness at the end of the year when our students begin learning the first Perek of Bereishit. In second and third grade there is greater focus on Chumash study. The students work with a skill-based curriculum,

Lehavin Ulehaskil, which imbues students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become lifelong Chumash learners. The program builds skills in such a way that students become independent learners of Chumash. Our Kriah specialist works with students through third grade on furthering Kriah skills to make certain that our students leave third grade as fully fluent readers. In these formative years we are careful to focus on and celebrate key milestones and accomplishments in the students’ Torah study. It is not unusual to see a class singing and dancing through our hallways as they celebrate the completion of a unit or Parsha. These experiences truly instill in our students the necessary inspiration and motivation to become accomplished and invested learners!

Grades 4-5In grades four and five our students continue to build upon their foundation of Chumash skills while expanding their thirst for Torah. The culmination of our Lehavin Ulehaskil Chumash curriculum occurs in 4th grade with the completion of Sefer Bereishit. The students master the Chumash skills necessary to move on to more complex study of the parshiot in Shemot. They acquire great knowledge of our Avot and Imahot, their character traits and the life lessons we can learn from the birth of our people. The study of Navi provides our students with the exposure to the great lessons and history of the settlement of the land of Israel and the history and personalities of our Shoftim and develops the ability to analyze and apply the lessons embedded in the Navi. In 4th grade, the girls study Pirkei Avot in depth and explore how the lessons of the Mishna can be applied to their everyday lives and social interactions. In 5th grade, the girls hone their Chumash skills and expand their analytic abilities by studying the commentaries. This learning prepares the girls for the rigorous Middle School Halacha program.In 4th grade, the boys begin studying Mishna, in addition to Chumash. In 5th grade, the boys receive their first Gemara and begin to develop the foundational skills necessary to delve deeper into their study of Gemara in Middle School.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)The Middle School learning experience is the capstone of our skill-based approach to Torah study and builds a love of Torah for the lifetime learner.Our 6th-8th grade girls engage in a three-year Halacha program which culminates in an advanced Halacha curriculum that uses an inquiry-based model of study. Our students are given a foundation in halachic vocabulary, learn how to approach Torah Shebaal Peh analysis, and are exposed to a rich variety of texts. Students learn how to examine original sources from the Chumash, as well as relevant Gemarot, Rishonim and Acharonim who analyze contemporary halachic issues. Our students present their own research and analysis to their teachers and peers, which provides them with authentic learning experiences and opportunities to demonstrate their accomplishments and mastery. The girls continue their study of Chumash and Navi as well, with a greater emphasis on developing skills necessary for unpacking the Mefarshim on Tanach. Our 6th-8th grade boys go through a three-year program of Gemara study. They begin with vocabulary development, concept building around the structure of Gemara, and exposure to a significant amount of Perek Eilu Mitziut. In 7th and 8th grade students study a variety of mesechtot and begin to develop the skills necessary to read, explain, and analyze the text and sugya. Students see the relevance of the text as it applies to Halacha and feel accomplished as they master the skills and text being studied. Our students continue to learn Sefer Bamidbar and Devarim in Chumash, paralled with a vigorous Shir Halacha.

The Spirit of IsraelEretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael are an integral part of our school’s identity. Our curriculum reflects the centrality of Israel in our daily lives and we seek to imbue our students with a love for the land and a deep connection with its people.

• Torah Academy hosts two Bnot Sheirut, emissaries from Israel, who coordinate Israel-themed programming and develop deep and lasting ties with our children.

• Torah Academy students adopt units of Chayalim, learn and daven on their behalf and send them care packages and Mishloach Manot.

• Our Ivrit program exposes our students to modern Israeli literature and authors.

• Yom Haatzmaut, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Yerushalayim are programming highlights and allow students to express gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and learn more about Eretz Yisrael.

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As a supplement to our rigorous and balanced curriculum, all students have the opportunity to participate in enrichment programs through a variety of clubs and programs.

Some school activities include: Music Club, Math Club, Reading Olympics, Torah Fair, Student Council, Stock Market Club, Model Airplane Club, Dr. Raphael Rubin (z”l) Science Fair.

Drama and ArtsWe provide artistic opportunities for our students, enabling them to learn through different modalities in order to discover their unique talents and strengths. Some of our ongoing programs include the Middle School Girls’ play, where the students not only act in the production, but design their own costumes and create scenery. Our Middle School Boys’ band plays at several school-wide assemblies and the students write their own lyrics and music. The boys’ choir performs at several community events including our Annual Scholarship Dinner. The 8th graders write and produce their own Purim Shpiel and perform it in front of the entire school.

Our art program encourages students to explore their creativity in a relaxed environment through a variety of media. Students showcase their work in an end-of-year exhibition. In addition, many students attend art club during lunch or after school, so that they can further develop their artistic strengths.

Music and the BrainTorah Academy participates in the Music and the Brain Program, offering music instruction to all of our students from Pre-K to 3rd grade. The students learn to both read and play music. The school has been outfitted with state-of-the-art music equipment, thanks to generous grants from the Music and the Brain Program and the 42nd Street Fund. Research has shown that music instruction has a positive impact on students’ performances in reading and mathematics and we capitalized on that benefit at TA.

AthleticsIn addition to our physical education program, elementary students have optional intramural sports clubs and middle school students can join interscholastic teams in basketball and soccer. We offer a variety of after-school clubs for all students, including Martial Arts and Zumba.

Special ProgrammingThroughout the year, special programming enhances the ruach and the social environment of the school. Whether it is through school-wide assemblies, Sunday School, guest speakers, Chanukah plays, color wars, Rosh Chodesh activities, or shabbatonim, students graduate from Torah Academy with memories and experiences they will never forget.

Additional special programming in honor of Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Yom Hashoah, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag B’omer, and Yom Yerushalayim enhance each student’s appreciation and understanding of these special days in the Jewish calendar.

In addition to education within our four walls, Torah Academy offers enriching trips for our students to apply their knowledge outside the classroom. Trips in the past have included the Philadelphia Wood Works, the Arden Theater, the Constitution Center, Valley Forge, the Japanese House in Fairmount Park, the Philadelphia Zoo and the Adventure Aquarium.

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One of Torah Academy’s primary goals is to meet the diverse needs of our learners. We have designed enrichment and support programs to meet the needs of our students.

We have one of the most rigorous Gemara and Halacha programs in the area. We offer Honors Halacha classes for 7th and 8th grade girls and Honors Gemara classes for 7th and 8th grade boys. Our girls also have unique exposure to our extremely popular and

intense text-based Halacha class. Every girl will produce a text-based project where they trace the development of a particular halacha or halachic topic from Torah Sheb’ktav to modern halachic responsa. Our students routinely place into the highest levels in the high schools they attend.

In math, we ensure that each student can be taught at their appropriate level. Multiple math sections are offered in both the lower and middle schools. For our high-achieving students, focus has been placed on accelerating their curriculum to allow them to enter high school having completed Algebra I. This accelerated program allows the students to complete the three middle school math courses in two years. Our 8th grade accelerated math students also work on SAT math and participate in a variety of mathematics contests such as the Pennsylvania Math League Challenge and Math Olympiad.

Additionally, Torah Academy invests in a number of support personnel to allow each child to reach their fullest potential:

• Our Director of Student Needs works with the faculty to identify children with learning needs and develop individualized learning plans.

• Our School Counselor works with individual students as well as small groups to promote positive social interactions, develop stronger friendships, and encourage a warm atmosphere.

• Our Reading and Math Specialists, along with our Judaic Studies Support Teacher, assist students who need smaller group work and targeted instruction.

• Our Behavioral Therapists assist students and teachers in a variety of areas. They facilitate social skills and focus on executive functioning with students who need extra support in multiple-step assignments and other complex tasks.

• OROT is the special needs initiative in Philadelphia’s Jewish day schools. Working closely with our administration and faculty, the OROT program at Torah Academy is able to provide academic and behavioral support for numerous children with diverse learning needs. Each OROT teacher forms close relationships with mainstream counterparts to help students in Language Arts, Math, Chumash, and study skills.

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At Torah Academy, we believe that a critical part of being a successful teacher is ongoing reflection, learning, and growth. Therefore, we invest heavily in furthering the development of our teachers and have increased our annual professional development budget from $500 to approximately $20,000 in the past five years. Throughout the year, our teachers participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) in which they examine and advance their practice. New teachers are supported by our rich mentoring program, providing support and guidance for new teachers as they enter the field of education.

Support from the Kohelet Foundation’s CEI initiatives and SmartSchool program and the Yeshiva University Institute for University-School Partnership have been critical in allowing teachers to broaden and deepen their expertise and keep them abreast of new research and teaching strategies such as training in technology (iPads), reading (Wilson/FunDations Reading and Writing Project), math (NCTM), science enrichment (Science by Mail), Chumash (Lehavin U’lehaskil), Gemara (Gemara Berurah), prosocial behavior and anti-bullying (BRAVE), and classroom management (Responsive Classroom). This investment in our faculty allows our students to benefit from highly-trained teachers while attracting motivated faculty who recognize the value and importance of continuing their professional development.

Torah Umesorah & Consortium of Jewish Day SchoolsTorah Academy is also associated with Torah Umesorah and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. Several faculty members attend their annual conventions, and they continue to provide our school with consulting services. Our participation in the Philadelphia Area Jewish Day School Collaborative financial benchmarking program strengthens our ongoing financial stability.

The Yeshiva University Institute for University-School PartnershipTorah Academy is fortunate to receive significant assistance from Yeshiva University’s Institute for University-School Partnership for a number of initiatives, including:

• BRAVE social skill leadership and anti-bullying Program

• New-teacher mentoring program

• Hebrew early-literacy screenings

• On-line teacher training programs in differentiated education and educational technology

• Teacher recruitment

• Informal consulting and mentoring

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We invite you to schedule a private tour with our Director of Admissions

610-642-7870

742 Argyle Road Wynnewood, PA 19096

www.taphila.org