Yuvalim integrated elementary school
At Yuvalim School, we create a flexible and diverse structure, which affords children space necessary for development, curiosity, and natural learning, as well as builds structured and thorough thought and learning methods and work habits.
There are roughly 100 students enrolled in Yuvalim, thirty of whom including those with behavioral problems and various disabilities (autism, MASHA) are integrated into the school’s unique inclusive special education program.
The students study in multi-age clusters, each with its own purpose:
• Forest cluster– discovering the world around us and learning to conduct ourselves in a natural environment.
• Work cluster– coping with physical exertion, building work habits and perseverance skills, and experimenting with different crafts. This cluster integrates the students from the Sadna’s employment network and in particular those in the agriculture track.
• Junior high school/ middle school – specialization in arts and crafts and preparation for high school.
At Yuvalim School, we create a flexible and diverse structure, which affords children space necessary for development, curiosity, and natural learning, as well as builds structured and thorough thought and learning methods and work habits.
There are roughly 100 students enrolled in Yuvalim, thirty of whom including those with behavioral problems and various disabilities (autism, MASHA) are integrated into the school’s unique inclusive special education program.
The students study in multi-age clusters, each with its own purpose:
• Forest cluster– discovering the world around us and learning to conduct ourselves in a natural environment.
• Work cluster– coping with physical exertion, building work habits and perseverance skills, and experimenting with different crafts. This cluster integrates the students from the Sadna’s employment network and in particular those in the agriculture track.
• Junior high school/ middle school – specialization in arts and crafts and preparation for high school.
In general, the educational program at Yuvalim is based on three core pillars:
The Personal Development Pillar
In order for children to develop optimally, they need a variety of activities that stimulate different and varied abilities. The school’s agenda includes various activities – forest times, physical work, play and movement, work with animals, creative classes and more. The enrichment is combined in a form and quantity adapted to the age of the student.
The Social Pillar (Integration)
The social development of the children and the classroom is especially important to us; therefore, we make sure that the staff supervises and accompanies the children both during breaks and during enrichment and educational sessions. In these venues, connections are being created , so we are there to make sure that they are built in a positive manner that does not exclude anyone. We are also there to demand from the children a pleasant and respectful attitude towards everyone in any situation. We have noticed that it is much easier to be nice towards a child with Down syndrome, who is not sensitive to social situations, than towards a normal child.
In addition, we take advantage of these times to encourage various social opportunities, which allow children to make diverse connections. The structure of the multi-age classrooms contributes greatly to this, making it easier for students to find diverse friendships.
The Educational Pillar
Our main educational focus is to develop good work habits and high-quality and thorough learning ability.
We therefore place great emphasis on reading, writing, in-depth comprehension and independent work. Since the classes are multi-age, the range of students' abilities is very broad – from learning challenges to gifted students. To this end, we have built a database of learning materials that enables each child to work independently. The materials process each subject thoroughly and at different levels of understanding and language. The result is that the whole class learns and experiences the same subject together, but each child works in a booklet that is adapted to his abilities – from children who are able to read a single sentence in each lesson to children who read complex texts and are required to express an opinion and compare different texts.
The learning materials are structured in a way that allows the student to get to know the world around us – the animal and plant kingdom, the solar system, the history of the Jewish people, holidays, and the calendar. All subjects are taught through worksheets and are accompanied by work on models that present the subject being studied and enrich the learning.
The learning materials demand from the children and challenge them to work very hard and we are very proud of their progress and successes.
This past year, we started running identical learning programs in other schools, and we are seeing great success.
The structure of the Yuvalim School, which is based on these three pillars allows us to integrate special education children in the classrooms in the best possible way.
Academic personal diversity allows them to integrate into most classes, social diversity gives them an opportunity for good friendships,
and diversity in doing creates avenues in which they can lead the class.
To contact us:
029938423 ext. 3
[email protected]
