Choosing who educates your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. With so many options available, today’s parents need to navigate the scholastic landscape carefully to select the right environment for their child. And Perelman Jewish Day School is a dynamic educational community that offers unparalleled advantages.

From economics and engineering to philosophy and music theory, Perelman students grow to view things from a very distinctive point of view. They’re challenged to understand the world in ways that enhance successful learning across every subject. Here’s how.

Dual-language difference

Can your child’s brain actually change by thinking in two languages? Researchers resoundingly say yes. A recent Georgetown University study confirms that bilingual people have more grey matter in the areas of the brain that control executive functioning, like memory, task flexibility and problem solving.

At Perelman, students learn in a true language immersion environment, which goes far deeper than learning another language once or twice a week. From the first day of school, dual-language skills such as pattern recognition and reasoning broaden their ability to grasp higher-level subjects like algebra, coding and poetry. As bilingual kids go on to middle school, high school and college, they are able to learn additional world languages more easily than single-language speakers. And they are often confident, perceptive communicators, too.

Emotional intelligence

EIQ is a big buzzword in the modern workplace. More than IQ, employers seek out candidates with a high emotional intelligence quotient, or EIQ, which is the capacity to understand others’ intentions while appreciating our own feelings, fears and motivations. Kids with strong EIQs also tend to have sharper academic, communication, negotiation and conflict management abilities.

Belonging to an inclusive educational community — like Perelman — helps develop your child’s EIQ while also improving adaptability, empathy, social acumen and leadership. In his research, author and psychologist Jeffrey Kress, PhD, notes that the inherent EIQ development approaches found in Jewish day schools are key to forming relationships, solving everyday problems, responding to change and forging identity.

“A wealth of psychological and educational research suggests that social and emotional skills can be learned by students in classroom settings and put to use in real-life situations,” says Kress. “These skills underlie not only successful inter- and intra-personal functioning, but also sound academic skills.”

Powered by Perelman

At Perelman, educators weave the wonders of history and ethics into everything your child experiences — with modern advantages. Students obtain a unique view on sought-after career skills, such as collaboration, environmental consciousness, time management, social responsibility and global citizenry.

Kids who consistently analyze Jewish text in exciting, meaningful ways develop higher critical thinking skills that they apply in other areas, too.

“Just like playing a sport or an instrument, we get better with regularly scheduled practice,” explains Perelman’s Head of School Mitchell Daar. “Because our students interpret Jewish texts and reason in two languages every day, thinking critically becomes second nature. That routine of challenging academics positively affects every aspect of their lives.”

Cost-benefit analysis

Even knowing Perelman’s value, some parents assume they can’t afford it. Fortunately, the school offers several scholarship programs for families, along with generous need-based financial aid, special payment plans and other helpful incentives and grants. Every year, the school awards over $1.8 million to families earning up to $400,000.

Perelman’s tuition is favorably aligned with that of other independent schools — and the investment yields unmatched rewards. By fusing Jewish and general studies, Perelman students go on to higher learning uniquely prepared to take on the future and leave their mark on the world.

If you’re considering Perelman and want to learn more, please contact Mindy Andelman, Director of Enrollment, at 267-571-9319 or mandelman@pjds.org.