Gifted and Talented Program

JKHA is proud to be recognized as a Yeshiva that meets the needs of all its students. As such, our customized Gifted and Talented Program (GATE) was created in 1990 and has been the recipient of awards from The Caldwell Chamber of Commerce (1992 and 1994), John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (2000), The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation (2000) and The New Jersey State Department of Education (2004).

The focus of GATE is to foster independent thinking, decision making, creativity and problem solving in all subject areas. These qualities are essential for progress in the world and gifted students are our resource for the 21st century. We believe they have individualized needs reflected in high intelectual abilities, unique talents as well as differences in learning styles, emotional and social development.

In our efforts to discover the gifts and talents of all students, there is "whole class" enrichment, small group pull-out and individual projects. Students are also identified by achievement test scores that meet national standards for "Gifted", IQ tests, and teacher recommendation.

Emphasis in grades 1 and 2 centers around Piaget's stages of development. The power of words, symbolic thoughts and whole language skills are mastered through divergent curriculum. Youngsters are inspired to collect words, trace their origin, read Aesop's Fables, complete a Language Arts Grammar Challenge and create original stories that teach a moral lesson. The use of animals in fables is a perfect integration with the second grade science class, whose course of study is the aminal kingdom.

Grade 3 students are prepared for formal critical thinking in literature based on Bloom's Taxonomy. The Junior Great Books Series 3 and 4 promote shared inquiry, synthesis and evaluation. The Great Books Foundation encourages high level questioning to open the minds of its readers, inspire new ideas and encourage multiple ways to look at and solve dilemmas. Research and mastering a challenging vocabulary are also course requirements.

Grade 4 has an integrated curriculum of Language Arts and Social Studies. Students study the stories of Greece and Rome. They are assigned to do a comparative study of these countries, as well as read their stories. Our Writer's Workshop, which accompanies each reading segment, requires students to create modern day myths or poems about a favorite hero or heroine. The culminating accelerated reading course is an introduction to Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. Students study the cause and effects of the Trojan War as well as the arduous voyage and trials of Odysseus when he attempts to return home from Troy to his wife and son.

Grade 5 students concentrate on the classics and writers such as Oscar Wilde, Langston Hughes and Edgar Allen Poe, as well as science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. The stories deal with monarchy rule, social issues, poverty, prejudice, crime and a future society. After reading, sharing ideas, answering questions and having discussion groups, the problems in these stories lend themselves to a debate. A course in the formal rules of debating are introduced as well as an opportunity for public speaking.

GATE's math enrichment incorporates lessons in logic as a basis for challenging students to process complex problems. Math Mysteries, Math Problem Solving and Math Olympiad are just a few of the exciting courses presented for our "masterminds" to solve. Whenever possible, math is integrated with science. Life skills with math are addressed in our fourth grade course, Banking and Finance and in the fifth grade course, The Stock Market.

JKHA recognizes the special qualities of all students and provides a platform for them to shine. Through the years we have discovered talented artists, musicians, computer whizzes, athletes, actors and media technicians in addition to our academically gifted. The list is endless and the search goes on.