The Shefa School

Upcoming event: PAF Reading Program Workshop Do you know any schools or educators who could benefit from hands-on PAF training? The Shefa Center is hosting its annual PAF Reading workshop this November! For the first time in years, the workshop will be in-person, allowing teachers to see PAF in-action at The Shefa School. The PAF workshop provides hands-on training for teachers, giving them practical tools to bring back to their classrooms. Topics include: ✍️Research-based, multisensory techniques for teaching reading, spelling, and handwriting 📚Developing reading accuracy and fluency 🙋Comprehension strategies 🧑💻Lesson planning 💯Assessments Workshop details: ⏰When: (3 days) November 7, 14, and 21, 8:30am-12:30pm; breakfast will be served 📍Where: The Shefa Center, 17 West 60th Street, Floor 2, New York, NY 10023 💳Cost: $595, $170 worth of materials included. Opportunity for group discounts. 🪪Certification: All participants receive a Completion of Approved Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Certificate Register at https://lnkd.in/eUSA7vUr If you have any questions (e.g., group discounts), please email info@shefacenter.org

Check out this Jewish News Syndicate article about Shefa's new building! The article highlights how The Shefa School is a community resource. Ilana Ruskay-Kidd, Shefa's Founder and Head of School, said, "Most of our donors have been people and foundations that care about Jewish life and are committed to the notion that we want to have this, whether you need this or not. Because your nephew might need it or your cousin might need it.” The Shefa Center, Shefa's professional development and outreach hub, also serves the community. Shefa staff members work with schools across the country to impart their own teaching methods through workshops and consultations. “We see ourselves as a hub and not here to help our school only,” said Ruskay-Kidd.

Yoni Schwab, Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Head of School at The Shefa School, was recently featured on the Curious Incident: For Special Needs Families podcast to discuss the impact of smartphones and social media on today's youth. 📱 In the episode entitled “Smartphones and Social Media: The Emotional Crisis Affecting Young People Today,” Yoni shares how excessive screen time is displacing crucial activities for healthy development and impacting attention spans, self-esteem, social skills, and even sleep patterns. Yoni also highlights insights from Jonathan Haidt ‘s recent book, “The Anxious Generation”, which examines how “The Great Rewiring of Childhood” is contributing to a surge in mental health issues beginning in early childhood into adulthood. As a recognized thought leader on this topic, Yoni speaks to parents at schools across the country about the harmful effects of tech on kids, including Yavneh Academy, North Shore Hebrew Academy, Ben Porat Yosef School, The Moriah School, Westchester Day School. Listen to the podcast to learn more! #JewishDaySchool #TechAndChildren #ChildDevelopment #Education #MentalHealth

Shefa has limited spots available for the 2024-2025 school year! To learn more about the admissions process, please visit shefaschool.org and click “inquire now” on the Admissions tab. #Jewish #jewishdayschool #admissions

JTA's NY Jewish Week wrote an article about our new building on the Upper West Side! Read about how this space was specifically designed to meet the needs of our students and the broader Jewish community. #JewishDaySchool #Dyslexia

One of our Lower School Reading Coordinators, Brittany Zucker, just wrote an article on the importance of background knowledge in reading comprehension. We are continually inspired by our faculty, leveraging the latest research to improve their teaching! #Education #Research #TheScienceofReading

It's so much fun when alumni come back to visit! Today, Adam, a proud member of Shefa's inaugural class, toured the new building with Yoni, our Assistant Head of School. Adam shared how much Shefa helped him, and how he's building a startup to bring "Shefa-style" instruction to the masses! Thanks for stopping by Adam 😀 . . . #Jewish #JewishDaySchool #Education

Last week, The Shefa Center hosted two, multi-day virtual workshops: PAF Reading and Multisensory Math. During these workshops, The Shefa School's faculty shared research-informed, evidence based teaching methods, including how to use a multisensory approach and explicit instructional language. The participants gained concrete skills and frameworks they can implement in their classrooms immediately! They said… 📚“The PAF workshop is amazing. It’s comprehensive, integrative, and flexible depending on the reading levels you teach. It was well-organized and the teachers are energetic and fun…you can feel how much they love teaching.” 🔢 “I think this Multisensory Math workshop should be mandatory for all teachers…the practical examples on (1) how to make math a visual, tactile experience and (2) how to use appropriate math language were so useful.” Check out some great video clips from the workshops on instagram https://lnkd.in/e-E5Pa3A

Mazel Tov Marc Goldsmith for being selected as one of 25 middle and high school history teachers nationwide to participate in the prestigious "Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad" Institute sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities! This summer, Marc will attend a 3-week program at Colgate University, engaging in academic sessions led by distinguished scholars, exploring historic sites, and participating in pedagogy sessions with Teachers College faculty. We are so excited for Marc to deepen his knowledge of this critical period in American history and bring back learnings and resources to Shefa! 🎉 https://lnkd.in/gYBkq_ZV #Education #NEHInstitute #ColgateUniversity