Our Curriculum

List of 10 items.

• English/Language Arts

  Scheck Hillel’s English/Language Arts program teaches knowledge of language, the development of its use as a basic means of communication and an appreciation of its artistry as expressed in literature. Scheck Hillel strives to provide rich environments in which students become effective users of language, information, and ideas. Course offerings include World Literature, American Literature, British Literature, and electives. All students, at all levels, are provided experiences with good literature, including multicultural selections of traditional classic and modern works in a variety of genres. Reading and writing are linked to one another, as well as to other elements of the English/Language Arts program: thinking, listening, speaking, and viewing. Faculty prepare students to achieve success in a rigorous curriculum and on standardized tests. Students read and analyze a wide variety of texts and write essays of varying lengths that incorporate all facets of the writing process. Group work, oral presentations, research papers, and thinking activities are common elements of the program.

• Mathematics

  The Scheck Hillel Mathematics Department offers a wide variety of courses. The core comprises Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Electives at the college level include Calculus and Statistics. In every course, the curriculum is aligned with Sunshine State and National Council of Teachers Mathematics standards. Application and integration of knowledge is stressed on all levels. In math classes, teachers encourage students to solve problems using analysis, prior knowledge, and synthesis. Students learn that there are often many solutions to a problem and how to pursue their personal solution of the problem rather than learn set algorithms. The curriculum stresses the process for laying out a solution in a clear, logical way, which explains the need for the language of mathematics and why students are required to learn relevant words, symbols, and formulas. While all class levels cover the same topics, they differ in depth of coverage and difficulty of problems. A math learning lab is available for all students on a drop-in basis throughout the school day to support classroom learning.

• Social Studies

  Scheck Hillel’s Social Studies Department offers a wide range of courses to challenge and prepare Upper School students for the future. In Grade 9, students are required to take Eastern and Western Heritage. The course covers 5,000 years of history from early man to the Post-World War II Cold War era. They also are offered the opportunity to enroll in AP World History. In Grade 10, students are offered a choice of World History College Prep or Honors, AP European History, or AP Human Geography. In Grade 11, students enroll in a full year of American History that may include AP United States History, and can also take an elective course, AP Psychology. The final year of the humanities curriculum includes a semester of American Government and a semester of economics. An AP course in American Government is also offered in Grade 12, as well as AP Comparative Government. The department delivers several popular extracurricular programs such as Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN), Panim el Panim, HIPAC (Hillel Israel Public Affairs Committee), and the Geography Team.

• Science

  Successful graduates of Scheck Hillel’s science program gain the science literacy necessary to make crucial decisions as individuals, as future voters, and as members of a society that is increasingly dependent on scientific advances and information. Design/STEM classes combine Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in project-based learning scenarios. Students engage in design thinking when approaching problems and learn programming, engineering and problem-solving in real-world scenarios. Every student in Grades 6-10 is required to take design each year.

• Hebrew Language

  Hebrew Language plays a vital role in the Scheck Hillel experience. Hebrew is taught for the purpose of studying the written and oral Torah, as well as for modern communication with Jews in Israel and those who come from diverse communities around the world. Hebrew serves as a window that exposes students to contemporary Israeli culture and society. As links in the chain, Hillel students are taught to value their heritage and history with the realization that it is now their turn to write the next chapter of Jewish history. The State of Israel is that tangible connection between memories of the past and modern lives today. Thus, Hillel demonstrates a love for Israel and passionate Zionism as integral parts of Judaism.

• Design/STEM

  Design courses give students a thorough understanding of the iterative creative process, through the production of innovative solutions to design challenges. Design thinking is a fundamental skill for the 21st century learner, and these courses are designed to explore and develop these competencies.

   

  All classes within the design program are hands-on, laboratory-type courses designed to mimic work environments in the real world. Design challenges take students through the four stages of the design cycle: research and discovery, idea development, solution development, and evaluation. Students can expect to work both individually and in teams on projects ranging from one class period to a few weeks in length. As students progress through this program, the design challenges grow in complexity and depth.

   

  The Design program strives to create inquisitive learners who are tenacious creative problem solvers. Students completing this program are autonomous and collaborative “tinkerers” who are open minded and reflective. The design curriculum is closely aligned with a STEM mindset where students engage with concepts of science, technology, engineering, and math. Students in Grades 6-10 are required to take a Design/STEM class every year.

• Judaic Studies Grades 6-8

  The Grade 6-8 Judaic Studies Department offers a choice of two options for rigorous study: the Yahadut and Beit Midrash Programs, which differ in the methods of study and the texts used.

   

  Yahadut emphasizes themes and concepts as well as content and core topics in Biblical and Rabbinic texts; however, these are studied with English translation. Using a broad range of primary and secondary sources, the Tanach course covers various themes throughout the Bible, Prophets, and Writings. The Rabbinic Literature courses survey topics including Thinking and Living Jewish, Global Jewish Impact, How do Jewish Values Define Us, Pursuing Peace, and How to Pray.

   

  The Beit Midrash Program focuses on the development of textual skills in the study of Tanach, Mishnah, and Talmud. Instruction focuses on how to read, translate and analyze the primary texts and their traditional commentaries in the original Hebrew or Aramaic. As students gain facility with the texts, they will actively engage in in-depth analyses of the texts. In Mishnah/Talmud classes, in order to familiarize the students with a range of topics and texts, portions of several tractates of Mishnah/Talmud are studied each year through the Gemara Berura Mishnah/Talmud curriculum and methodology. In Tanach classes, each year a different book or selection of books is studied in depth with selected commentaries. Students will study books from all three divisions of Tanach (Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim).

• Judaic Studies Grades 9-12

  The Grade 9-12 Judaic Studies Department offers a choice of three different options for rigorous study of Judaics; the Mechina/ New Stream Program for students entering our Upper School with little to no Judaic background, the Yahadut Program and the Beit Midrash Program, differ in the methods of study and the texts used.

   

• Fine and Performing Arts

  Scheck Hillel’s Jordan Alexander Ressler Arts Program gives students from Early Childhood through Grade 12 the chance to discover and develop their artistic passions. Scheck Hillel’s wide-ranging offerings in visual arts, music, and theater cultivate personal expression and connect our students to history, culture, and their own imaginations. Our faculty’s approach to arts education is rich with humor, empathy, and an awareness of the interconnectedness of the arts with the world at large. As a department, we are dedicated to building the young artist’s practical skills while celebrating the joy of the artistic process.

• Additional Required Courses

   PSAT/PACT and SAT/ACT Preparation College Prep:

  The SAT/ACT/PSAT Prep courses are designed to help students prepare for the rigors of taking the SAT/ACT/PSAT exams. The primary goal is to identify and implement test taking strategies using prerequisite knowledge to increase student performance. 

   

  PSAT Course for Grade 10 Students: 

  In partnership with Revolution Prep, Scheck Hillel Community School is offering a PSAT/NMSQT course for sophomores. This course is best for students who are already scoring above the 80th percentile on the PSAT and have potential for achieving National Merit distinction. Each course includes 30 hours of live, online instruction with an expert test prep tutor; full-length official, proctored practice tests; mobile app access for easy, instant exam scoring and 8-page score reports for every scored exam.