NYC Private Schools has written about The Abraham Joshua Heschel School before. Today we’re focusing on this Manhattan middle school and it’s unique position in the lives of students.
Middle school is a transitional time between pre-adolescence and adolescence. The Abraham Joshua Heschel School works on instilling a balance between self-awareness and concern for others, teaching students how to achieve this balance and to prepare them for further academic success.
The Middle School curriculum at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School is heavily focused on interdisciplinary work. Within each subject the school links its importance to not only the other subjects but also to everyday life. There is also an emphasis on Jewish studies and there are links whenever possible to Jewish historical and cultural roots. Within the subject area of the Humanities, critical thinking is taught along with in-depth coverage of subjects such as the Russian Revolution and the State of Israel. There is also coverage of other aspects of US and world history.
The Abraham Joshua Heschel Middle School science curriculum is based on laboratory and experimental learning. This approach gives hands-on experience at the middle school level that is often not found until the high school level in other schools. The practical experiments reinforce the lectures and book work associated with science classes. Science classes include biology, math, physics and technology.
Other courses within the curriculum include Judaic studies where students learn more about their Jewish history as well as prepare for their bar/bat mitzvah. Art is important at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School and there are art and music classes as well as drama and extracurricular activities.
For more information, see The Abraham Joshua Heschel Middle School’s website.
