Academics

Technology at TDS is not taught as a subject. Rather, TDS is at the cutting edge of educational technology with one to one laptop education in which technology enhances continuous classroom learning by enhancing project-based learning. Technology is taught seamlessly as students work on varied projects using laptops, video, digital photography and editing, as well as basic computer software.

Middle school students each have access to their own laptops as do all teachers.
Teachers also have their own digital camera and projector, projection screens, scanners and email accounts to implement their vision and help students realize their own ideas no matter the subject.

The academy is equipped with a campus wide wireless network allowing students and teachers the freedom to roam and take their studies wherever their imagination may lead them throughout the campus.

We believe that technology is only a tool to foster learning, not an end in itself.

Engaging students completely in science by using a combination of wonder and critical thinking is at the heart of the Science Department.

Students at all levels engage in weekly, hands-on science laboratories where they learn about the natural world.

Preschool to elementary-school students learn subjects as diverse as acid titration to the observations of honeybees. This engages the younger students' sense of wonder.
Building on that sense of inquiry - on which most learning is based - middle school students' curriculum is a much more rigorous program. Lab sessions emphasize geology, biology and physics.

Middle school projects require rigorous use of scientific methodology. Students write detailed observations, which are then analyzed and put into computer-generated graphs. This raw material is then transformed to professional-quality presentations.

The arts program at TDS is an amazing blend of the visual arts, art history, technology and construction. Each class is challenged with a design problem and must creatively brainstorm to solve the puzzle.

Art classes have been designed to reflect the teaching in the Language Arts, History and Science classes. Mosaics (ancient civilization) to mobiles (contemporary), sculptural friezes (Greece), to Pop Art, (1960s), the middle school experiences a vast and diversified arts program incorporating 2 and 3 dimensional art forms. They could be soldering, designing and constructing large mobiles as did Alexander Calder, or studying photography and creating art through digital display and distortion. Papier Mache sculptures can reflect studies in science along with constructed sundials that examine the relationship between Earth and the sun. Art history is also discussed and students learn of the relationship of color and line as was done by the masters. They select a painting then re-create it only using the primary colors. This allows students to visually break down color composition and become expert in color blending.

Elementary school students’ study batiking, jewelry design, weaving, coiled pottery, wire sculpture, and papier Mache as a support in understanding color theory, perspective, texture and line studies. Life forms, gesture drawing, soapstone carving, linoleum cuts, scrimshaw, and oil painting lessons are planned to round out an exciting, cutting edge program.

Middle-school children learn how to do ancient and modern art while also learning the history of those eras. They design sculptural friezes in the style of ancient Greece then recreate the balance and beauty of 20th-century kinetic artist, Alexander Calder.
They also study photography and how to enhance or distort the images using the latest in digital editing.
Fundamentals are also stressed. Students choose a painting from several Modernist artists, such as Amedeo Modigliani, Joan Miro or Andrew Breton. They then recreate that picture, using only primary colors. In this way, they learn a fundamental tool, the basics of color blending.

The support of diverse academic needs and learning styles is a critical part of our educational program. Support staff identify and work with children who are in need of additional support or in need of enrichment.

TDS’s Administrators and Faculty form relationships with students beginning with a student’s initial interview and continuing through graduation. This relationship is fostered during the years of a student’s education at (school).
We accommodate children with different academic abilities through both modifications in the classroom and also through “pull-out” support. Children may receive support in the classroom from an assistant teacher or support teacher. Children may also receive support outside the classroom in both General and Judaic Studies.

Support staff work collaboratively with classroom teachers to design, implement, and evaluate modifications in instruction and assessment. Staff members are also available to assist parents and families. Our aim is to help each student work independently in the classroom and to enhance self-esteem by providing varied opportunities for success.
Support in the form of accommodations is quite common. Many children require accommodations to succeed in the classroom. For a child with attention difficulties, for example, these might include: frequent breaks, a behavior modification checklist, or permission to use a “fidget.” For a child with Asperger’s Syndrome or a nonverbal learning disability, these might include: breaking down a task into its component steps, alerting a child to transitions in the day’s schedule, and/or modifying demands for copying from the board.

The school also provides limited English language tutoring for students knowing little English (most often these are students from Israel or Russia) and we modify assignments as needed.