Shefa School

The Shefa School
Hebrew: בית ספר שֶׁפַע
Address
40 East 29th St

New York City
10016

United States
Coordinates40°44′39″N 73°59′04″W / 40.7441°N 73.9844°W / 40.7441; -73.9844
Information
TypePrivate day school
Religious affiliation(s)Jewish
DenominationPluralistic Judaism
Established2014 (10 years ago) (2014)
NCES School IDA1502585
Head of schoolIlana Ruskay-Kidd
Grades1–8
Enrollment200
Student to teacher ratio3:1
Campus typeUrban
Websitewww.shefaschool.org

The Shefa School is a pluralistic Jewish day school for children with language-based learning disabilities in NoMad, Manhattan. The school's name Shefa (Hebrew: שֶׁפַע / שֶׁפַע‎) means "abundance".[1]

History

The Shefa School was founded by Ilana Ruskay-Kidd, and opened in 2014. It was founded to educate Jewish children between grades 1 and 8 with language-based learning disabilities, with the goal of preparing them to enrol in mainstream schools when they are ready. The school is pluralistic, and enrols students from a variety of Jewish backgrounds and observances.[2][3]

The school had an inaugural class of 24 students with 12 faculty and staff in 2014, and grew to 80 students and 42 faculty and staff by 2016. It moved from a five-classroom space at Lincoln Square Synagogue to a dedicated campus at 40 East 29th Street in September 2016.[2] In 2016, Ruskay-Kidd received a Covenant Award for her work as head of the Shefa School.[4]

In 2018, Shefa honored its first 8th grade class at its inaugural Benefit. The 11 students in that class graduated later that spring in Shefa's first graduation ceremony, held at the school.[5]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school retooled its teaching approach, and moved to even smaller class sizes to follow social distancing requirements.[6]

By February 2022, the school had 200 students and was constructing a new campus to accommodate 350 students, slated for completion in February 2024.[7] Students from the Shefa School recited the Seder Order song (Kadesh Urchatz) and the Four Questions during the 2022 virtual White House Passover Seder held by President Joe Biden.[8]

Academics

The Shefa School has a low student–teacher ratio of 3:1[9] and provides individualized teaching to students who have difficulty in traditional classroom settings. The school offers a comprehensive academic program. Students are taught grade-level content for the critical analysis required in mainstream middle and high schools.[10][11] The curriculum incorporates the PAF Reading Program, which uses an Orton-Gillingham and multisensory approach to learning.[12] The writing program uses strategies from the Hochman Method, also known as Teaching Basic Writing Skills.[11] Math is taught using the Multisensory Math approach, developed by Marilyn Zecher.[13]

Jewish learning is part of Shefa's daily program in all grades. Judaic Studies is conducted primarily in English. The school does not treat dual-language Hebrew proficiency as a necessity, since language is an area of difficulty for many students and learning two languages simultaneously can interfere with the acquisition of either one.[3] Because of this, the school typically begins teaching Hebrew language at 4th or 5th grade, though Hebrew words and songs are integrated into prayer and Judaic Studies from the beginning.[12]

The school includes an arts course as part of its core curriculum in addition to electives and arts integrated into academic subjects to enrich the teaching of history, Judaic Studies, and the culture of Israel and the Jewish people. Working artists, such as Israeli artist Hanoch Piven, have collaborated with the school by visiting to work with students.[14]

In addition to physical education, visual and performance arts, the school also focuses on social–emotional learning and community service projects. Field trips and visits are made to local New York City sites, such as galleries and museums.[14]

Some students meet with therapists during elective periods. The school's faculty includes speech-language pathologists, an occupational therapist and psychologist and social workers. These professionals consult and collaborate with teachers, and also meet with small groups of students during elective periods.[15]

As they approach graduation, 8th grade students are coached and guided as they apply for mainstream Jewish and secular high schools, including how to write personal essays, and succeed in interviews and placement tests.[1]

The Shefa Center

The Shefa Center hosts trainings and meetings for educators from other day schools to learn best practices for educating children with learning challenges.[16] The center also provides a consultation, coaching, teacher residency to Jewish educators learning how to teach students in a specialized educational setting.[17]

Campus

The Shefa School is currently located at 40 East 29th Street in Manhattan. In addition to classrooms and break-out spaces for small group learning, the campus also includes facilities for STEM programs. It was designed by HLW International. In order to support the build-out of the new space and the school's expansion in 2016, the Board of Trustees raised $6 million in a capital campaign.[2]

New campus

In August 2021, the school announced that it was moving to a larger campus, which would expand the school's size to 75,000 sq. ft.[18] The Shefa School purchased a 99-year ground lease for a 12-story building at 17 West 60th Street for $49.5 million.[19][20] To help fund the lease and renovation of the new campus, the school launched the Sowing the Seeds of Abundance fundraising campaign, with the initial goal of raising $20 million.[21]

Planned renovations for the new building include construction of new classrooms, facilities such as a gym and cafeteria, gathering spaces for programming and celebrations, and an outdoor playspace on the roof. The move and renovations are set to be completed in the spring of 2024.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b Sales, Ben. "Academy preps kids with learning disabilities for mainstream Jewish high school". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  2. ^ a b c Gutbezahl, David (2016-10-14). "The Shefa School announces expansion and brand new home". Jeducation World. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  3. ^ a b "Meeting a Need by Addressing Special Needs". Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  4. ^ "U.S. Jewish Educators Recognized With Covenant Awards". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  5. ^ "Graduation At The Shefa School: Marking Firsts". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  6. ^ "Retooled approach for special-ed students brings surprising results during distancing era". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  7. ^ "A Jewish school for kids with learning disabilities is building big in Manhattan". The Forward. 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  8. ^ Shapiro, Dmitriy. "White House focuses on Ukraine war, antisemitism in virtual Seder". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  9. ^ "Shefa School".
  10. ^ Gutbezahl, David (2018-06-13). "Shefa School's Pioneers Head into High School". Jeducation World. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  11. ^ a b "The Shefa Revolution: Strategizing Judaic Studies". Kohelet Prize. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  12. ^ a b "How a school for kids with learning disabilities prepared its students for mainstream Jewish high school". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  13. ^ "Shefa Presents: Tools for Success, Meeting the Needs of All Learners | The Jewish Education Project". www.jewishedproject.org. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  14. ^ a b "An Abundance of Art and Learning: The Shefa School Welcomes First Students this Fall". Covenant Foundation. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  15. ^ Wiener, Julie. "NY school sharpens debate between mainstream or special ed". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  16. ^ Wiener, Julie (2015-02-04). "New York's Shefa School seeks to be catalyst for day schools serving kids with disabilities". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  17. ^ "The Shefa Teacher Residency Program Breaks New Ground". Naomi Foundation. 2020-04-02. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  18. ^ "Extell Inks $50M Ground Lease at Columbus Circle Assemblage". The Real Deal New York. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  19. ^ "StackPath". www.asumag.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  20. ^ Cuozzo, Steve (2021-08-15). "Law firm expanding into 919 Third Ave. in ginormous deal". New York Post. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  21. ^ "A Jewish school for disabled kids is building big on the Upper West Side". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  22. ^ "Jewish school for kids with learning disabilities expanding". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2022-05-25.

External links

  • Official website
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