Middle School

Nurturing the mind.  Cultivating the spirit.

Meet the Director
Helen Molitz, middle school director, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University. Ms. Molitz taught middle school students for more than twenty-five years, and was a recipient of the Johns Hopkins Outstanding Teacher Award. Prior to joining Sinai Akiba Academy in 2003, Mrs. Molitz served as dean of curriculum, academic dean, and head of middle school at Turningpoint School.

A Supportive Environment for Learning and Growing
Students show independence of thought and increasing self-reliance in these grades, yet they still need the comfort and guidance provided by loving parents and dedicated teachers. And, while these years are often marked by academic, social and peer pressures, we work together at Sinai Akiba Academy to provide an encouraging atmosphere for learning and growing.

To provide for the varied needs of pre-adolescents, we offer a departmentalized program that gives students an enhanced sense of independence as they move from class to class. Each student is assigned a teacher/advisor who meets regularly with their students to monitor and assist with academic and social growth, empowering while assisting students to resolve their own peer and personal issues.

Academic Achievement and Social Growth
In these grades, students continue to engage in hands-on projects that encourage group involvement, kindle creativity and continue to inspire joy in learning. At the same time, teachers maintain high standards for academic achievement in order to prepare students for high school and college. Students read challenging literature, regularly write research reports, and become adept at linking creative reading with creative thinking. Our math programs consist of pre-algebra, algebra and geometry. Through a combination of experimentation, demonstration and text study, students acquire a firm foundation of scientific knowledge and methodology in a three-year sequence of science courses.

Judaic Studies and LIterature
Growing social maturity and insight are accompanied by the study of Judaic literature through direct reading of Mishnah and Gemarah. By studying samples of Hebrew prose and poetry, students expand their ability to express themselves in Hebrew, both orally and in writing. This exposure to centuries of profound Jewish thought contributes to the development of the whole person in a values-oriented context. At the same time, students are encouraged to look for the application of traditional text to current life, as they begin to study and think about Judaism in an increasingly mature manner.