Jewish Community School of the Desert

My son has been attending JCSD since Kindergarten and we have had the privledge of knowing and being educated by Mrs. Gould who is the most nurturing teacher any kindergartner and parent of want. She makes the transition from preschool to grade level so easy. She takes the time to get to know the child, understand their learing ability and personality and provides top notch teaching! My son loves the Jewish education he gets including Hebrew. I never would have known this was such a strong interest for him, had I not enrolled him in a school with Jewish teachings and values. To have a "value" each month that the kids learn and stive for is such a nice foundation for familiy discussions at home. We felt so welcomed when we joined the school, the families and other faculty/staff at the school couldn't be more helpful, and friendly. We truly enjoy being a part of this amazing school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending JCSD for the last five years ( since Kindergarten) and what an amazing experience he has had. JCSD is the best kept secret in this valley. The school was just awarded a 6 year WASC accreditation to go along to it's amazing academic program. Every teacher at this school truly cares for the children, and because it's smaller in size then most public schools, the kids get personalized teaching that really makes a difference in how they learn. The school teaches strong ethics and values as well as Jewish traditions. My son has excelled in his learning and loves going to school. He was sitting with a students from a top public school in the valley who was in 5th grade ( my son is in 4th) and they were reviewing homework and my son said to his friend " You're just starting that?? We've already learned that." The school prepares our children for middle school and beyond. The community that has been created with the parents and teachers is rare in this day and age. If you are looking for a chool with amazing teacher, great values, programs like music, science and dance, and a safe place where your child can excel, then JCSD is the school for you
—Submitted by a parent

We have our kindergarten son and third grade daughter enrolled at JCSD and none of us could be happier. The school has a 6-year WASC accreditation and very rigorous academics couched in a wonderfully personalized, family-oriented learning environment where all students are made to feel a special part of the community. Ethics and values including a very strong anti-bullying message along with the idea of healing the world, being "green" and helping one's fellow man are integrated into the teaching. On top of this, the school offers a wide array of ancillary classes including daily music, studio art and language instruction (Hebrew and Spanish) in addition to theatre arts, Odyssey of the Mind and sports teams offered after-school. 5 plus stars from this satisfied family.
—Submitted by a parent

JCSD is a rare gem. The school promotes and fosters a love of learning and a lifetime pursuit of knowledge. Perhaps this is why so many of the JCSD alums graduate high school at the top of their class and are accepted by the country's finest colleges/universities. At JCSD, students aren't simply studying to memorize or regurgitate facts. Students are challenged to see the logic behind the solution and ask the questions that haven't yet been asked. The school takes a multi-disciplinary approach to curriculum. They integrate concepts into non-standard forms which gives students a real foundation for future studies. It also, as my sons tell me, "makes school cool!" How does the school succeed so thoroughly with our children? They focus on the fundamentals of character development and make every student (not just outliers) the priority. With small class sizes, comes a huge difference. In our experience, our children are given an individualized curriculum as well as one-on-one attention. They are taught to strive to be better students and to be better period. Lastly, I suspect there are very few schools that have such an impressive roster of families. The community is priceless.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has an all day kindergarten class with A+++ teachers. It has only been 2 months since school started and my 5 year old is reading, writing stories, and doing addition and subtraction, as well as problem solving. He is also learning Spanish, Hebrew, Arts, and Music. JCSD definitely has a challenging academic program that teaches your child critical thinking skills as well as placing emphasis on your child's individual academic and social needs. The teachers truly love what they do and they make learning fun. My shy son looks forward to going to school and he tells me "school is so much fun". At JCSD I know that my son not only will come out advanced academically but he will also have a strong foundation in knowing how to systematically assess, analyze, and solve problems he'll encounter throughout life.
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school! Our eldest child just graduated and two more attending (3rd and K) in the fall. The staff is terrific, academics are competitive with other top rated private schools (and more advanced than public) and extracurricular activities are diverse (tap dance, news paper, music enrichment, art, chess, to name a few). Our kids have thrived in this nurturing and challenging environment. As parents, we've also benefitted from the school by forming lasting friendships with other JCSD families. You will not be disappointed!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is proactive. They will keep you posted on issues that come up. The teachers will individualise instruction. Small classes help. They offer music, art, and launguage.
—Submitted by a parent

JCSD is such a blessing for our children. It's great teachers are a big part of the school. Some of the great field trips were, 4th Grade: Sleep at the San Diego wildlife zoo, Astrocamp in Iddlewild, Albertson's Treasure Hunt in Spanish, and coming soon go to Sacramento in a plane! 1st grade: attended multiple shows at the mcallum, went to the living desert. JCSD has also put on 2 major productions, 2007-2008: Mix of Musicals 2008-2009: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Anyways, I highly, highly, highly recommend this school. (Take my advice, take your child to this school!)
—Submitted by a parent

It is the best school on planet earth!!! although small, we feel like a big family!
—Submitted by a student

what a great school this is....we love feeling welcomed and part of a family....it is a growing school and most parents work really hard getting involved and participating into making this goal happen ... we have 2 children and a third going in a couple of years...we highly recommend this school...we love the choice we made...!! :)
—Submitted by a parent

The staff truly cares about providing a quailty education to each and every student. The class sizes are very small allowing for individual attention for each student. Truly a caring and nuturing enviroment. I would recommend this school to students of grades K-8 who want to excell in life. This school is a Jewish day school so there is some hebrew and Judaic history but there is no pressure to conform to any strict or radical views. The staff members are understanding and nurturing as they teach students of all levels of belief.
—Submitted by Shirley, a parent