Academics

Our Kindergarten language and literacy curriculum emphasizes individual support for each student at his or her reading level. In our small reading groups, children will read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

In Kindergarten, students will have an understanding of basic math concepts. Students practice counting with one-to-one correspondence, sorting by attributes, patterning, number recognition to 10 and beyond, and use numbers to represent quantities and solve problems.

In Kindergarten, students at Denver Jewish Day School use the Bona curriculum to learn Hebrew letters and vowels. Throughout this curriculum, they develop essential Hebrew literacy skills encompassing reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The Kindergarten Judaic Studies program focuses on Shabbat, the Jewish holidays, and Jewish values. 

The Lower Division science program begins in kindergarten with a focus on the weather and how it affects humans and animals in their habitats. Throughout the year the students will explore the seasons, plants, animals, and participate in a Project Based Learning unit on trees.

The Kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on community. Each student will learn to be a respectful, secure, and responsible community member. Through field trips, interactive lessons, performances, and projects, Kindergarten students study and create lasting connections to the world.

First grade students continue to develop their skills through structured literacy, using print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

In first grade, students develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers based on their prior work with small numbers. First graders can also describe and analyze data and solve simple problems.

The first grade social studies curriculum focuses on patterns and chronological order of events of the recent past in addition to family and cultural traditions of the United States, integrated with our Judaic Studies program emphasizing Jewish Values/Divrei Chaim and traditions.

Through the lower division science program, Full Option Science System (Foss) First graders will dive into science in our hands-on and engaging science units. Our three main units of study will be Sound, The Moon and Sky, and The Life Cycle of a Butterfly. 

Throughout this curriculum, the students develop essential Hebrew literacy skills encompassing reading, writing, speaking, and listening. DJDS heavily emphasizes oral language and fostering speaking skills from an early age and throughout students' Hebrew education.

First graders revisit Jewish holidays they learned in kindergarten and learn about the associated blessings, history and customs of each. Students also learn about the Jewish calendar and gematria, continuing with study of the weekly Torah portion with a focus on exploring the connection between different sections of the text and integrating Hebrew vocabulary into the study.

Second grade students continue to fine tune their reading skills in the areas of print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Teachers provide instruction to students in whole group, small groups and one on one, in order to facilitate continued growth.

In second grade, students understand place value to the 1000s and number relationships in addition and subtraction as well as basic multiplication and division strategies.

Second grade students build upon their prior experiences by asking questions, defining problems, thinking through hypotheses using diagrams, and designing solutions based upon observations within physical, life, and Earth sciences.

The second grade social studies curriculum emphasizes four main areas of study: geography, history, civics, and economics. Students develop spatial understanding, perspectives, and personal connections to the world by learning geographic terms and tools.

While learning about the holidays, students also explore the Jewish calendar, recognizing the role of each holiday in that calendar and the associated customs. In Tefilah (prayer), students focus on reading the text of the prayers and understanding the meaning of the words as well as the structure of the prayer service.

In second grade, students are immersed in a thoughtfully curated Hebrew curriculum, collaboratively developed by Hebrew at the Center and Denver Jewish Day School. A primary focus is placed on nurturing the four essential literacy skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. 

One of our primary goals for our students is to foster a love for reading. Students learn about different genres of books, engage in literacy “book club” groups, and investigate reading comprehension strategies including questioning and inferencing.

Third grade writers work on increasing their stamina with focused writing. Students strengthen their skills in the six traits of good writing which include ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

Using the Math in Focus curriculum, our mathematicians work their way through various concepts that strengthen their number sense, computational skills, and depth of mathematical understanding.

The Hebrew curriculum follows a proficiency-based approach, focusing on developing students' reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension skills. The ultimate goal is to achieve fluency, enabling students to effectively communicate in the language.

The third grade Judaic Studies program focuses on character development through an emphasis on middot (Jewish values) with both learning and hands-on activities. Torah study continues focusing on developing and improving reading and translating skills, how to navigate a chumash, and holding weekly discussions.

Students are introduced to Earth and Space science in combination with our explorations in social studies to learn about and analyze different weather patterns in various regions and how weather hazards can impact communities and humankind.

Social Studies in third grade focuses on the following areas of study: Geography, History, Civics, and Economics.  Throughout the year, students will develop spatial understandings, perspectives, and personal connections by using various types of geographic tools such as maps.

Reading in fourth grade is to develop lifelong reading comprehension habits that will carry students through the rest of their academic career. Note-taking strategies including annotating in a book, creating graphic organizers, and using symbols to highlight important information are all explored.

Fourth grade writers explore and improve their writing practice both through reading and creating their own examples of poetry, narratives, non-fiction, persuasive opinions, research, and essays. Throughout their work, they’ll review writing conventions, focusing on spelling and grammar.

Fourth graders read, write, compare, add, subtract, multiply, and divide with multi-digit whole numbers. They learn about prime numbers and work with factors and multiples. Students explore geometry formulas for determining perimeter and area and use protractors for measuring angles. 

The fourth grade curriculum prioritizes oral language, promoting early and continuous development of speaking abilities throughout the student's Hebrew learning journey. Fourth grade Hebrew lessons are primarily conducted in Hebrew, Ivrit B’Ivrit.

Throughout the year, we'll delve into Chagim (Jewish holidays) customs, traditions, themes, lessons, and unique tefilot (prayers), along with related source texts. Our collective spiritual growth will focus on prayer's structure, routine, inspiration, fostering personal connections, and uncovering significance.

In fourth grade, we emphasize project based learning which challenges students to answer driving questions through exploration and hands-on learning. The four units of study are exploration of the Human Body, Energy and Wave Patterns, Planets, and Energy Resources.

Fourth grade Social Studies covers the geography, history, economics, and government of Colorado and its inhabitants. Students will explore specific physical features of Colorado’s geography and how it affects human activity. 

Fifth grade students read a rich selection of novels, articles, and other literature in order to develop general and personal understanding and connections between and with texts. Fifth grade writers investigate the structure of a variety of fiction and non-fiction works and compose narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive texts.

Fifth grade writers investigate the structure of a variety of fiction and non-fiction works and compose narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive texts. Students increase their facility with the four basic arithmetical operations and apply their understanding to fractions, decimals,  percent, and ratios.

Throughout our units, the main goal for fifth grade is introducing and practicing past tense and expanding verbal and writing skills. Fifth grade Hebrew lessons are primarily conducted in Hebrew, Ivrit B’Ivrit.

The fifth grade Judaic Studies program builds upon previous years, continuing an emphasis on character development through middot (Jewish values) and skill building, while creating lasting, relevant connections. Exploration of Parshat hashvuah (weekly Torah portion traditionally read each week) is ongoing throughout the year, and focuses on student-driven discussion as students engage with rabbinic texts and havruta to create their own​ commentaries.

Fifth grade scientists exhibit greater independence through in-depth explorations of physical, earth, and life sciences. Each unit incorporates hands-on field work and visits with relevant experts. Students explore living systems through the lens of the ecology and adaptations of Colorado shortgrass prairie species. 

As fifth grade students prepare for middle school, the social studies curriculum challenges them to ask and answer significant questions and to dig deeper into history. Students study historical context and examine significant historical documents such as the Stamp Act, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.