Pardes Jewish Day School

We changed to Pardes from a public elementary school about 3 years ago. The school was large and we didn't feel the students were receiving enough personalized attention. Our children are in middle school at Pardes. The administration and teachers are awesome. There is an open door policy. They treat our children as individuals and help inspire them to do their personal best. The student/teacher ratio and positive environment are what attracted us to the school too. We are happy to be apart of this thriving school.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have thrived at Pardes for the past 5 years. They have received an outstanding education. In the middle school, they are learning concepts at the high school level and above. My middle school age children have tested at post high school level on the SAT-10 standardized tests for the past few years. The teachers are caring as well as knowledgeable and truly care about each individual child, often tailoring the curriculum to meet each child's needs instead of teaching to the middle as most teachers in other schools do. They are also learning the core values of Judaism and Hebrew. I would highly recommend Pardes to any parent who wants their child to receive an outstanding Jewish and secular education.
--Submitted by a parent

We feel very sorry for any parent who actually believes that their children are being adequetely educated at Pardes. Not only are they being swindled by the Administration, they are "drinking the Pardes kool-aid" given to them by parents who are stuck at Pardes because it is too late for their children to switch to high-quality schools. It is a real shame that no one in the Jewish Community is standing up for the children of Pardes and insisting that something be done about the sub-par education that their children are receiving. The children come out of Pardes completely unprepared for High School and forget about a decent college. Ask any Teacher who had met a former Pardes student and the first question they ask is "why don't you know how to write a proper sentance" and the second question they ask is "why can't you add, subtract or divide?". Parents at Pardes will defend it, however it is only because they don't know what a challenging education is and they are too far in to move their children. Pardes needs a complete overhaul which will take being honest with themselves about how unprofessional, unorganized, inefficient and non-financially sound they truly are.
--Submitted by a parent

Pardes is the place to be! I am a graduate of Pardes and I couldn't be more proud. I had such an incredible experience at Pardes. All of the teachers were superb, the administration was incredible and the kids are wonderful. I can't speak highly enough of this school. It has done so much in terms of preparing me for life. I loved every minute at this school. There is a truly warm feeling and I feel that Pardes exemplifies the Jewish values portrayed in its mission statement. I felt that the quality of learning was at a level far beyond that of schools similar to Pardes, The skills that I learned will benefit me for the rest of my life, both Judaically and secularly. The principal and leadership is amazing and does such an incredible job of leading the school and making the decisions that are best not for themselves but for their students. I truly, truly would recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a high level of Judaic, Hebrew and secular learning, an incredibly warm, caring, nurturing environment and an all around incredible school.

Our daughter is having a great experience at Pardes Jewish Day School. She is thriving in her secular subjects, and her knowledge of Hebrew language and Jewish culture is really gratifying. As important, in both her opinion and ours, Pardes gives her the space to express her creativity and the confidence to try new things without worrying about failure. Some other schools might send more homework, and that's probably fine for some children. But I cannot imagine another school nurturing my daughter's intellect, her spirit, and her sense of identity like Pardes.
--Submitted by a parent

Buyer beware! Pardes is barely a school - more like a day care. It can take bright and talented children and turn their brains and spirit into mush. For all of the talk of "Heneini", we have never experienced group sanctioned bullying more. Not even in inner-city schools. It is a terrible shame that Pardes lures well-meaning parents into their grips with beautiful words and smoke and mirrors and then disappoints in a deep and hurtful manner. Jewish parents - Run, don't walk away from Pardes!
--Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent at Pardes for 5 years. I have seen tremendous growth and superior education taught to my children. The staff is always open to listening to concerns and constructive way of improving the level of communication. The teachers have an excellent rapport with each student. Class sizes are small, which enable each student to get individualized attention. At a time when schools are cutting back-Pardes continues to improve
--Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's first year at Pardes and we are thrilled with the education she is receiving. The teachers are fantastic and the administration is always available. The technology is first rate. What my kindergartner has already learned on the Smart Board is truly impressive. Thanks Pardes for making this a great experience for my entire family.
--Submitted by a parent

We are distraught at the lack of computers in our children s classrooms. I want to first commend the technology teacher Mr. Zaks. My kids come home and argue who gets to use the computer first to practice keyboarding and make podcasts. They teach us the new skills Mr. Zaks has taught them and he always makes time to listen and show us the technology curriculum. Despite this however I find the lack of technology in the classrooms appalling. It has been five weeks since school started and my children still don t have computers in their rooms. What kind of IT department does Pardes have? Parents working in IT themselves are furious at the apparent incompetence of the school IT personnel. The bottom line is: We expect tuition to provide equipment needed for teachers to educate our children. We love the Jewish education and teachers! Get a new IT department to match.
--Submitted by a parent

I am not sure what the deal was with the parent that posted on april 2nd. PARDES works very hard to see that grades track from grade to grade. Curriculum is very tight, with 8th graders more then ready to matriculate in any school in the area successfully. The school works hard to grow and excel with each passing year. PARDES was number 5 out of the top ten schools in Arizona participating in this years John Hopkins Talent search. The school continues to win grants and praise from across the country.
--Submitted by a parent