The study programs
In the field
Sacred Studies
The school emphasizes high-level religious studies in all grades. After prayer, daily halacha or weekly parashat is studied, guided by students and a dedicated team of instructors. Starting in the seventh grade, students study Talmud, and towards matriculation, they choose whether to expand their Talmud studies at the 5-unit level or Bible studies. We encourage outstanding students to expand their two religious subjects, Bible and Talmud. In addition, students study Jewish thought at an in-depth level, while studying primary texts and analyses.
In addition to the classes in the system, there are two frameworks in which students study according to their choice, before the start of the school day: the Beit Midrash, led by the school's rabbi, Michal White, and the Beit Midrash "Metchadash", towards the beginning of the new month. Participation in these groups is not mandatory, and is chosen by students who wish to further deepen their Torah world.
In preparation for each holiday, there is a study of the laws related to the holiday: the laws of Chanukah, Purim, and Passover, as well as daily study of counting the Omer and special study days in preparation for holidays and festivals.
Research
During middle school, the school runs a unique program that deals with research skills, with the understanding that the skills of collecting information, assessing its quality, analyzing it, and presenting it are the essential basic tools for all learning. In seventh grade, students practice basic skills of oral and written expression. The following year, they refine their research skills into a biographical work on the subject of cultural heroes. As part of the work, the students research the life story of the cultural hero, his path, his work, and his contribution to society. In ninth grade, while learning about Israeli society in its various forms, the students learn additional skills such as reading a graph, using an academic source, merging narratives, and more. They write a research paper that deals with one of the sectors of Israeli society and a dilemma related to it. The teaching materials are constantly updated in accordance with the age of artificial intelligence.
Conferences
Once a week, a gathering is held for high school and junior high school students. The educational concept behind the gathering seeks to form a living, discussing, and learning school community. The gathering operates throughout the year and is a central pillar in building a school language, a place for expressing a position and for spiritual, religious, and faith-based discourse in the moments of crisis and trouble that have befallen us in recent years. The gathering is a kind of joint "Shabbat reception," which allows the students to be involved in the content and to invite different people they wish to meet.
Meeting
The Mafagash program - Talking in the Body and Soul Region, is a growing six-year program that opened in 2015. In 2017, the program will be taught in grades 7-10. The program deals with healthy sexuality, forming a social group, and providing tools for dealing with the complex lives of young girls in the twenty-first century. As part of the assimilation of the group language, the school's educators underwent professional development with the "Ta'tzumot" organization, which gave them tools to identify social processes in the classroom, provide a response to various social situations, and create an optimal social climate among classmates. Each year, the counseling and educational team adds a level to the program, until it is completed as a six-year program.
Moach
Developing thinking skills - Starting in 2015, every middle school student receives three courses to develop thinking skills in the following areas of knowledge: developing mathematical and logical thinking, developing artistic thinking, developing creative thinking, and developing writing skills for thinking. In ninth grade, developing thinking in Arabic and Model UN in English. The goal of the courses is to enable natural curiosity and develop higher-order thinking skills in the core subjects. In each such course, students develop a product that will be presented at the end of the year.
Trends
As part of the school's pedagogical approach, we encourage each student to choose two majors: one in the humanities and the other in the exact sciences. The school offers majors: literature, art, and Arabic in the humanities; computers and biology in the exact sciences. Many students study physics and chemistry as part of the Municipal Center for Scientific Education (HMA). In addition, many students choose to participate in excellent programs outside of school, such as Alpha, Idea, and Young Spirit. Other students choose to add writing a thesis in a subject that is close to their hearts.
First Semester
First Semester in High School - The First Semester in High School program is designed to expose students to studying a course at an academic institution during their high school years. As part of the program, they are able to study at a high academic level and gain exposure to the academic world. Participation in an academic course grants exemption from taking one of the matriculation exams, depending on the course subject. In 10th grade, students take an online course in the Book of Kings from Herzog Academic College. In 12th grade, biology majors take an online course from Tel Aviv University.
Social engagement and mentoring
Each person is a whole world. In addition to the learning processes and academic progress, it is important for us to see and accompany the personal, emotional and social processes that each student goes through at this significant age. To this end, the program assigns a mentor from the school staff and high school students, according to the student's choice, with whom she meets regularly for personal conversations throughout the year. The conversations provide an opportunity to share, to deliberate, to raise difficulties and questions, and open a channel for honest and meaningful dialogue between teachers and students. The mentoring program is part of a broader system of social engagement: starting in the seventh grade, the school's students go out to volunteer and contribute to society within the school and in the wider community around the school district: the elementary schools, special education schools adjacent to the school district, and other community initiatives.
Current Affairs Corner
What is a current issue? What are the sources for its investigation? How do you analyze it? How do you learn to identify conflicting values? Once we understand all of this, how do you present it to an audience? And how do you design a poster that will allow us to think about it during the week?
Nevertheless, the high school students of Pelech are experimenting within the framework of citizenship studies, to develop personal and civic responsibility.
Shelah and Yedi Haaretz
As part of the SHLAH classes - National Society Field, students undergo workshops on a variety of topics related to the environment, Israeli society, Zionist and Israeli history, along with learning about the country and nature. The SHLAH study program combines a tour of heritage sites, a hike along the country's trails, an experience in cooking in nature, and an outing on a desert journey.
During our annual trips, we aim to deepen our familiarity with the various regions of the country, with the students' involvement in leading the trip itineraries, programs, and the social activities that accompany it.
