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Rigorous Curriculum, Enrichment Programs at WFHA Yield Great Results

More than half, or 60 percent, of Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy's 3rd through 8th graders qualified for the esteemed Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth National Talent Search this academic year.

Students must score in the top 5 percent nationally on standardized achievement tests to qualify for the Hopkins program. This year, 38 of the 63 students in grades 3 through 8 tested at or above the 95th percentile, said Head of School Nora Anderson.

Through its talent search, the Johns Hopkins program recognizes students with advanced mathematical and/or verbal reasoning abilities. Students who qualify can take advanced online and summer courses in mathematics, writing, science, computers and foreign language.

"Each year, our students do exceptionally well qualifying for the Johns Hopkins search," Anderson said. "What is so rewarding about these results is that they are another indication that our children are thinking critically and are excited about learning."

"We do not teach for standardized tests, so student achievement is truly a natural outgrowth of WFHA's rigorous curriculum, which is taught so creatively by our teachers," she said.

Anderson points out that in addition to the Hopkins Talent Search students are thriving in other academic pursuits. "We give our students numerous outlets and opportunities to advance their studies, challenge themselves academically, and enrich their learning."

Earlier this year, several WFHA middle school students received a prestigious award from the Gruss Foundation, recognizing their second place win in an international math competition.

The students took part in the challenging contest last year as part of Excellence 2000, or E2K, an innovative program developed in Israel as a method to teach math and science to gifted students.

E2K is administered through the Gruss Foundation in the United States, and three times a year the foundation runs contests for participating schools. Last year, WFHA's 5th and 6th grade team took second place in its very first international competition.

The team answered all but the last question correctly in the exciting three-hour math contest, said Science Teacher Rhonda Ginsberg, who heads E2K at WFHA and guides the students to use logic, analysis, creativity and team work to approach science and math problems.

"I was so proud of my students' enthusiasm as they solved interesting, but difficult math problems.  They worked as a team to solve very challenging problems and defended their answers when there were disagreements.  These contests prove that math can be entertaining as well as educational," Ginsberg said.  

At the Gruss Foundation Annual Dinner on November 9, Ginsberg and Anderson accepted the trophy in front of more than 900 Jewish educators from the metropolitan area.