Wornick Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Why should I consider a Jewish Day School?

Wornick Jewish Day School provides children with the educational and social tools they need to grow into curious lifelong learners, committed members of the community and ethically responsible human beings. Our school offers an integrated and challenging program that includes a strong foundation in our basic academic disciplines: English, Hebrew, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Judaic Studies. Our students also benefit from an enrichment program including art, athletics, music, technology, outdoor education and service learning.

Throughout the year, students participate in activities, which help to strengthen personal, family and community relationships as well as build character, decision-making skills and integrity.


What if my child didn’t start learning Hebrew in Kindergarten?

Each child learns at his/her own pace, and will be taught Hebrew at an appropriate and enjoyable level. At the middle school level, students are placed in beginning, intermediate or advanced Hebrew. For new non-Kindergarten students, we work with them one on one or in small groups to accelerate their Hebrew learning so that they can integrate quickly with their class. On average, these students are able to join their class within the first semester.

 

What is the admission policy?

Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, creed or national origin.


The Jewish and Hebrew part sounds a bit intimidating. What will Wornick be like for us?

We have a dual curriculum. We teach Hebrew and Judaic Studies daily from kindergarten onwards. We also celebrate Jewish holidays. We do not espouse any particular form of practice, but we require our students to be respectful of each other and sensitive to the diversity of our school. Our students come from many backgrounds: interfaith, international, and from widely varying economic backgrounds. Every student is cherished, nurtured, and welcomed.

 

We are not particularly observant at home. Will our child’s attendance at Wornick create a clash of values?

As a community school, Judaic concepts and traditions at Wornick are taught in a manner which acknowledges, respects and celebrates the diversity of the Jewish people. Our religious practices encompass all major movements in Judaism. 

 

We are concerned about the lack of diversity at Jewish day schools. How do you address that?

Jewish day schools are often more diverse than is readily apparent. Families at our school come from differing Judaic backgrounds in terms of religious practice (Reform / Reconstructionist / Conservative / Orthodox / non-observant) as well as ethnic background (Ashkenazi / Sephardic). We have families from England, Australia, Japan, Russia, Israel, and Mexico, among others. We also have families from varying economic backgrounds. We welcome interfaith families to our school. Our Middle School addresses diversity implicitly and explicitly through our curriculum and our advocacy program. Students build small communities, gain awareness of differences in their groups and our society, as well as learning how to resolve issues of diversity using problem solving techniques.

 

Will my child’s learning suffer because of the time spent on both secular and Judaic studies? How can you teach a dual curriculum without sacrificing something in the process?

Many parents who are new to day schools have this same question. Our response is to look at our “product.” In fact, day school students consistently score well on standardized tests and do quite well in post-elementary education, including admission to the highest quality high schools. In fact, studies are showing that the dual curriculum is more beneficial than the conventional curriculum because the children are learning a second language from kindergarten, exposed to different cultures and learning advanced text analysis.

Educational success is determined by the way time is used and not by the time available, though our school days are a bit longer than most other schools, running from 8:30am to 3:30pm Monday - Thursday and 8:30-3:00 on Fridays. We only have one minimum day per month as opposed to one per week.

Teaching and learning take place throughout our school day, across all curricular areas. Our Judaic studies and Hebrew programs teach and reinforce many of the academic skills taught in our secular programs. When looking at both dimensions of the curriculum as supplementing one another, our academic achievements are not surprising.