LOWER SCHOOL
Welcome to the Heschel Lower School. The Henry Lindenbaum Lower School comprises Grades 1-5 and offers a rich and rigorous curriculum in both General and Judaic Studies.
Lower School students are happily engaged in exploration and problem solving. Alternating between General and Judaic studies throughout the day, and often finding points of integration, our students delve into their learning, collaborating, studying, singing, praying, and playing with joy. In Lower School children continue to refine their sense of identity as they gain confidence and become increasingly competent learners and social beings. Acts of kindness and outreach are woven into daily life in our classrooms, hallways and in the larger community.
With a passionate commitment to children’s learning and growth, our teachers work closely with our students to find, support, and nurture their most natural access points for learning and to help them realize their full potential. Through close observation our teachers help children to notice their own skills and utilize their abilities to address more challenging areas of growth. Bringing children into the learning process and helping them take ownership over their own learning enables them to find a greater sense of purpose, a critical factor in internal motivation.
Our curriculum fosters a love of learning through engaging content and empowers students through an inquiry-based approach to skill acquisition. Students work individually, in small groups, and as a classroom community asking questions, testing hypotheses, and solving problems. Engaging with text in all areas of their learning from Torah to poetry, Lower School students acquire analytical skills that continue to develop through their years at Heschel and serve them well as they grow and mature.
The resources at Heschel are vast with teachers, learning specialists, content area specialists, administrators, and an education leadership team all working closely together to support each individual child while also fostering appreciation for the community of learners. School-wide partnerships also enhance opportunities for our students.
The home-school connection continues to be relevant in the lower school years. Parent communication and observations are important factors as we work to develop partnerships in support of our children’s learning, growth, and development.
The Heschel Lower School incorporates Responsive Classroom methodology as an approach for structuring interactions and expectations. Our five core values of safety, respect, responsibility, community, and perseverance, frame our expectations.
Ceremonies and assemblies are an integral part of our program providing joyful, thoughtful, and poignant opportunities for the Lower School to experience milestones and holidays as a larger community. Field trips also enhance our curriculum making use of New York City as an extension of classroom learning.
We hope you will schedule a visit to experience the spirit of our students and faculty.
Sharon Shorofsky Mack
Lower School Head
