Shared across the grades.
Part of every day.

At our school, kindergarten through eighth grade Hebrew studies are taught at a high academic level, using an engaging and thorough approach to provide students with complete proficiency in the language. We offer instruction through two tracks: one for native Hebrew speakers and another for English-speaking students who are learning Hebrew as an additional language. Students with no prior knowledge of Hebrew receive additional support to ensure successful integration and steady progress.

Hebrew classes utilize the “Hebrew through Hebrew” method, which encourages natural language exposure and the development of communication skills from the earliest stages. Graduates of our program can speak, write, and communicate confidently in Hebrew. They also possess the skills to read, comprehend, and analyze original texts at various levels.

Our instructional materials are carefully selected and sourced from Israel, integrating language, culture, and values. This approach fosters a meaningful connection to both contemporary and classical Hebrew culture.

Middle school students actively participate in writing and leading ceremonies held at our school and in the broader community. These ceremonies include Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron), and Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut). The students also assist in organizing Independence Day activities. As part of their involvement, they conduct research on the themes of these ceremonies and present their findings to students and parents in Hebrew.

Students engage in deep analysis of the Halachot and liturgy for each holiday, and explore the historical and philosophical underpinnings of each Yom Tov. Students examine classical sources to contemplate how our ancient traditions remain relevant in the modern world.

As students become more sophisticated thinkers, Parashat HaShavua serves as a useful platform for critical thinking and respectful discourse. Students are encouraged to research and write Divrei Torah (Torah thoughts) to share with their families, and bring their learning home to the Shabbat table.

For native Hebrew-speaking students who wish to strengthen their connection to Jewish identity, we offer an alternative placement that utilizes the “Ivrit b’Ivrit” (Hebrew in Hebrew) immersion model. This track is designed to bridge the gap between classical text and modern identity, using Hebrew as the primary vehicle for discovering the “why” behind Jewish life.

Music instruction uses drumming as a powerful entry point into musical understanding. Students develop a strong sense of rhythm and timing while exploring patterns, coordination, and musical structure. Through hands-on drumming experiences, students also learn how percussion is used across cultures and traditions, deepening their appreciation for music as both a universal language and a form of cultural expression.

Art instruction focuses on developing true artistic skills and creative habits over time. Students learn foundational techniques such as drawing, composition, color theory, and visual storytelling, while working across a wide range of media including pencil, paint, collage, and mixed materials. As students progress through the grades, they build confidence and proficiency, using art as a means of observation, expression, and creative problem-solving.

STEAM integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and math through hands-on, project-based learning that encourages curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. Students learn to use real tools and materials as they design, build, test, and refine their ideas while developing practical skills and engineering habits of mind. Our STEAM projects are connected to real-world uses and often to Jewish learning, including designing and constructing a life-sized sukkah, creating shofars while exploring the physics of sound, and representing Hebrew letters through binary code.

PE focuses on building strong movement skills, physical fitness, and a lifelong appreciation for healthy activity. Students develop coordination, strength, and endurance while learning and practicing a wide range of sports and games, including pickleball, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, and more. Throughout the program, students emphasize sportsmanship and teamwork, learning how to be supportive teammates, responsible competitors, and confident participants both on and off the field.

A highlight of our PE program is “Lunch Leagues,” optional lunchtime tournaments where students build athletic skills while also building sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and confidence. Through activities such as dodgeball, hockey, and other rotating sports, students learn how to compete with integrity and support one another in a fun, positive, team-oriented environment.

Garden time is a guided class lesson where students plant, weed, and observe new growth.

During lunch recesses, students may choose to tend to the garden with supervision.

South Peninsula Hebrew Day School provides learning support services to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our learning support team collaborates closely with all of your child’s teachers to help your child thrive in every academic area.

We follow the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to ensure all students have the framework they need to succeed in our rigorous academic environment. Our curriculum and small class size are designed to support most students in their classrooms (Tier I). We provide:

Small-Group Instruction: Students requiring additional support are placed in small groups (Tier II) to target foundational skills development in reading and writing in English or Hebrew, and math. We use evidence-based remediation methods such as Orton-Gillingham, print-to-speech, and speech-to-print strategies.

Collaboration and Partnership: The school values a strong home-school partnership. Some of our students require additional, outside one-on-one support (Tier III). Our team maintains open communication with parents and external therapists to coordinate support and share progress updates.

Assessment and Advocacy: The learning support team assists families with the referral process for external educational evaluations if needed.

English Language Learning (ELL) and Hebrew Language Learning: Our team is committed to ensuring that students new to the English or Hebrew language have the resources to participate in our standard curriculum.

At SPHDS, enrichment is an integral part of our academic program. All classrooms provide differentiated instruction that challenges students at their individual levels.

For students ready for additional depth, we offer targeted enrichment in math and language arts. In Elementary School, math enrichment develops advanced problem-solving, critical thinking, and exploration beyond the core curriculum, drawing on the Beast Academy program. Students have the opportunity to further deepen conceptual understanding and creative mathematical thinking through investigating geometry constructions. This paves the way for an advanced grasp of Euclidean geometry and proofs in later grades. In Middle School, students are enriched by taking the math course that best fits their level (Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2), with instruction designed to challenge, support, and empower all students to reach their full potential.

In Elementary School, language arts enrichment deepens reading and thinking skills. Drawing on the Jacob’s Ladder program, students work with complex texts, make abstract connections, and express their ideas through thoughtful discussion and writing. Instruction guides students from literal comprehension to deeper analytical and abstract thinking through close reading, discussion, and writing.

Our enrichment programs spark curiosity, encourage higher-level thinking, and ensure all students are appropriately challenged and supported as they grow.

Toolbox Project: Toolbox Project is the foundation of our social emotional learning approach. The twelve tools become a menu of options for how students can pause and move through a difficult situation. Using an inquiry approach, adults guide students to choose a tool that will work well for that student at that moment.

Assemblies: Twice a month, our K–8 Assemblies are a blend of meaningful social emotional learning and good old fashioned fun. Using the Toolbox Project as our foundation, we integrate our core values (Community, Respect, Kindness, Responsibility) and Jewish middot to create a year-long progression of lessons. Values and character concepts often feature student-led skits and performances that model how to B.A.M. (Be A Mensch) and/or Catch Kavod. We also have spirited games led by our Bnot Sherut. Assemblies are a beloved and regular event where students are both participators and community leaders who help co-create the upcoming Assembly topics.

Middle School Advisory: Middle School students have Advisory each Wednesday afternoon. This is a time when teachers facilitate discussions and activities that are pertinent to middle school-specific topics. Age-appropriate and culturally-sensitive materials are carefully selected for our student community, such as the Darcheinu program, which emphasizes positive social interactions, how to manage stress with healthy coping mechanisms, and building self-esteem.

Clubs: After-school club offerings vary from year to year. Two of our most popular clubs are Sports Club and Cooking Club.

Sports Club takes place two afternoons a week (each day is designated for certain age groups). Teams and games are both flexible and competitive, while reinforcing good sportsmanship. Sports rotate on a regular basis and range from conventional to creative and take place outdoors and indoors.

The Bnot Sherut host a cooking club for middle school students about twice a month. Students attend on either Wednesday or Thursday afternoon and delight in getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Sports: Each year, middle school students are invited to form basketball teams (a boys team and a girls team) to play in the Golden Tallis Basketball Tournament for Bay Area Jewish Day Schools. The tournament is in February.