Syracuse Hebrew Day School

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As a parent of a child who benefits greatly from a smaller class size, I have been thrilled with the way my son has blossomed at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School. The environment is warm and nurturing, and the teachers know how to encourage my child to meet his potential -- and stretch himself a little. The school has been very responsive in providing extra support to allow him to succeed. There is no other school in town I believe could do more for my child.
—Submitted by a parent

Hi Everyone, As you make your decisions about where to send your child for kindergarten, I want to put in a plug in for the Syracuse Hebrew Day School. I will be sending my third child there in the fall, and I want to tell you how happy we have been with the program. The students get a wonderful education with lots of personalized attention, and are generally above grade level when they get to the public schools (my oldest graduated last year and is now at JD middle school). There are lots of extra-curricular activities as well -- a school play, student council, chess club, chorus, art club, etc. Although it is a Jewish school, there is a wide spectrum of families -- some non-Jewish, some inter-faith, some non-practicing Jews, and some from all streams of Judaism. It truly is a community school. There is a warm, nurturing environment at SHDS, and you really feel like the teachers care. There are also lots of opportunities for parents to get involved if they want. One other nice feature is that there is a full-day kindergarten (the day runs until 3, but for kindergarten, you can start at 8, 9, or 10).
—Submitted by a parent

There is no place I would rather send my children than the Syracuse Hebrew Day School. They receive a top-notch dual-language education, highly individualized attention, and a concrete sense of their own Jewish identity. The Day School community has become a sort of extended family for us, and I treasure the years we get to be a part of it.
—Submitted by a parent

Every school should be as good as this one! The teachers are excellent and very caring -- they take a lot of time with each child and work to bring out the best in all kids. Their standardized test scores are very high, and the graduates go on to do extremely well in public (and private) schools, and get into good colleges. In addition to taking a second language, and getting high school credit for work done in elementary school, they offer lots of co and extracurricular programs in the arts, chess, IT, etc. They have outdoor recess every day and weekly assemblies -- every child gets a chance to shine and to develop leadership skills.
—Submitted by a parent

They claim to individualize, but for 1000$ a month your child does the NYS curriculum, cookie cutter style and takes Hebrew. B Its Jewish community is great, but its teaching of general studies is out of date with poorly trained teachers. It is one size fits all with a very high number of children with needs in the classroom and teachers who are not trained in special needs. We felt there were more rules than necessary at the expense of child development or learning, especially for kids without special needs. For a school claiming individualized attention, they can't and won't deliver. This is not a school for kids who need normal socialization or are on the brighter end of the spectrum. Its a great school for shy or quiet kids who need lots of structure or coddling and a small environment of very well sheltered kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school! My children went on to great success in public school and college. SHDS gave them confidence and a tremendous foundation.
—Submitted by a parent