SCIENCE

Our science courses focus on learning through experimentation and discovery. Integrating apps such as “Nuclear” and “The Elements,” enables students to visualize the subatomic world, the elements, and the human body in ways that would otherwise be impossible. This hands-on technology-based approach sparks curiosity and critical thinking, ultimately leading to a stronger connection with science and the world around us.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

Our STEAM curriculum doesn’t end with Engineering, Science, and Math.

• Our students communicate and collaborate with their teachers and peers through Google Drive and Classroom.
• Websites and apps such as Nearpod, Peardeck, Mentimeter, Everpoll, and Parent Locker allow teachers to assess understanding, share materials, and provide personalized feedback more efficiently.

ENGINEERING

Our ninth-grade Engineering course demystifies this area of knowledge that has become increasingly important in today’s society. In the class, students explore, discover, and analyze topics such as electricity, sensors, and programming all through hands-on activities and experiments.

CODING

• STEAM gives the students a taste of computer science, providing them with early exposure that can enhance their experience with code in the future. Through building problem-solving skills and creativity, STEAM allows students who are creative, but not necessarily artistic, to thrive.
• With their exposure to the tech industry, students meet relatable role models who make real the possibility of a career in the field.

THE ARTS

We integrate the Arts into all that we do at YSZ HS through direct instruction and student programs. We use every opportunity to encourage creative expression and thought and offer a wide range of classes and electives in this field.

MATH

Our math courses involve students in every step of the learning process. In the flipped classroom model, students are encouraged to take ownership of the course material. Student involvement in the course fosters student proprietorship of the content and builds a community of teachers and learners. Our teachers offer Math Lab over Zoom to support after-hours help with homework.

MAKERSPACE and ROBOTICS LAB

We have designed a Makerspace for our students to further their 21st-century learning. Here, students can think, invent,m ideate, iterate, and innovate. The Makerspace will complement our student-centered learning environment, enhance our existing STEAM program and enrich our Arts curriculum. Discovering STEAM through a Makerspace is the ideal environment to foster creativity and problem solving in a truly handson experiential setting.

ROBOTICS COMPETITION

The YSZ Robotics Club is part of the Centers for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) High School Robotics League. The CIJE Robotics League challenges middle and high school students to work together to build a robot that will compete in a challenge. The annual theme and challenge are based on the official Vex Robotics Challenge. In order to create a robotics league that catered to the unique demands of Jewish day schools, the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) decided to network their participating schools and created a new Vex Robotics League.

Students begin building their robotic frames by following instructions, but ultimately reengineer their design to optimize their robot for the challenge. The challenge paved the way for creative approaches to problem solving, as well as the opportunity to hone essential soft skills: collaboration, strategic thinking, troubleshooting, agility, and the ability to pivot seamlessly. Through this initiative, students gain first-hand exposure to robotics, which is a conglomerate of three separate disciplines: electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science.

3D PRINTING

Students are tasked with designing a functional, everyday item that would make their lives just a little bit simpler. Students brainstorm and imagine what they could create, learn to use the website Tinkercad to design their ideas, and print their first prototypes. They then assess how their first drafts could be improved, make their changes, and print their final versions for a 3D printing competition.