Contact our Admission Director
(267) 571-9319 or mandelman@pjds.org

FORMAN CENTER

Our Forman Center is located on the Mandell Education Campus in Melrose Park, home to many other Jewish educational and cultural institutions and easily accessible for families living in Eastern and Northern Montgomery and Bucks Counties. The beloved facility is filled with vibrant classrooms, a regulation-sized gymnasium and spacious outdoor sports fields. Walk down our hallways and hear students ask questions, present research, debate in Hebrew and celebrate our traditions and culture.

SCIENCE

At Perelman, we encourage children to develop a love of science and use that passion to help the world. We do it through hands-on, experiential learning – enhanced by higher-level thinking that comes from Jewish studies and Hebrew immersion.

What makes us so different? We integrate language arts into every grade’s science curriculum, giving students an opportunity to practice non-fiction reading and research then apply those skills to other subjects as well. They gather facts and constantly ask complex questions – of themselves and one another – in every class, from robotics to math.

Our kids work like real scientists, hypothesizing and interpreting data. They’re inquisitive and proactive, whether they’re dissecting a frog or successfully advocating to replace our school’s drinking fountains with earth-friendly, refillable water bottle stations. And they do more than just study astronomy, climate change, food chains, biology and animal behavior. They learn to care about and for other lives.

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Quilling, or paper filigree, involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped and glued together into intricate decorative designs. Our fifth graders learn about quilling as a popular artform in Renaissance France and Italy and create their own magnificent quilling pieces.

MATH

When our youngest students organize and count pumpkin seeds, they’re actually beginning to learn conceptual strategies needed for algebra. Our older kids master abstract thinking and real-world skills about running a business or budgeting for a new home.

We consider math to be its own language here at Perelman. And because our kids speak, reason and think in Hebrew, they see the language of math differently. They recognize patterns and roots. They can take apart word problems to find out what’s being asked. And they conquer the unknown without fear of failure.

Our kids raise their hands high and use their voices loudly to ask questions, find new ways to solve an equation or explain a strategic business plan for a new invention. It’s no wonder our students win high honors, including impressive recognition at the International Math Olympiad competition and Pennsylvania Stock Market Challenge.

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Students connect to Hebrew, Israel and their Jewish heritage through our engaging, interactive iTalAM program, introducing them to the language with digital and offline materials, including books, songs, games and creative tools. Kids are inspired to develop their Jewish identity and develop an indelible love for Israel, while expressing their own unique voices.

language arts

One of the hallmarks of a Perelman education is our students’ uncanny ability to express themselves so thoughtfully and persuasively – to communicate an idea, to speak up, to have a voice. That stellar skill is rooted in our outstanding language arts curriculum, in which kids develop a lifelong passion for reading and writing.

Our wonderful faculty – both General Studies and Learning/Reading Specialists – is trained at Columbia University to teach writing. Together, teachers analyze students’ work, collaborating on ways to enhance each child’s experience. Our highly acclaimed Writing Workshop program encourages students to embrace the joy, creativity and purpose of storytelling.

Our kids are also voracious readers, devouring folktales, poetry and non-fiction. Leveraging their rich knowledge of stories developed from studying Torah, they gain a broader comprehension of literature. They make astounding connections between Abraham and Agamemnon, Jefferson and Angelou.

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Math students learn through “classroom economy,” receiving income for things like completing homework and paying for rent, tuition and taxes. They participate in incentives and student-run sales – managing merchandise and providing services, from making personalized bracelets to designing glitter decals.

jewish studies/Hebrew

jewish studies/Hebrew

A Perelman education is powered by in-depth knowledge of ancient texts and Hebrew and a lifelong love for Israel. Because they study centuries-old wisdom, law, philosophy, commentary and history – and because they question, analyze and think in Hebrew – our kids better synthesize complex information in other subjects, too.

Exploring Torah and Talmud yields unmatched insight about secular subjects, from chemistry to music theory. Children learn to identify algorithms and recognize metaphors…follow logical arguments…look at a painting from the perspective of the artist. They soak up the speeches and writings of historical figures, stepping into others’ shoes with empathy and appreciation.

Hebrew provides a different way for kids to express themselves. From the first day of pre K and beyond, students are immersed in our dual-language curriculum which blends digital tools with conversation, storytelling, writing and games. Speaking two languages offers remarkable cognitive advantages – strengthening the part of the brain that controls executive functioning, like memory, task flexibility and problem solving. At the same time, they are passionately connected to Israel through hands-on, meaningful, immersive experiences and celebrations. The result? Our kids are confident, perceptive communicators – fearless, bold and ethical.

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Our fearless students present a fabulous musical each year. Everyone participates either as an actor, singer, stage crew, costume maker or set designer. Past performances include Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, The Jungle Book, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and The Lion King.

social sciences

Our social sciences curriculum focuses on teaching kids how to live in a larger world – through an extraordinary awareness of what came before and what follows. They take on the roles of researcher, investigator, economist, businessperson and historian through collaboration and creativity.

For our youngest students, it starts with baking. They learn about similarities and differences by making bread from other cultures, then reading about customs and celebrations. First and second graders are introduced to the theaters, markets, postal services and housing that enrich other communities. Older students experience the American Revolution, slavery, immigration, constitutional law and today’s electoral college through hands-on exploration and discovery.

Studying Talmud facilitates our kids’ abilities to question sophisticated concepts and construct their own ideas about modern-day issues. With unmatched intellect, they see diverse viewpoints and gain invaluable understanding of themselves and others.

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Entertaining icon Rak-Dan visits our campuses each week to teach our students all about Israeli dance, intertwined with Hebrew instruction. Through a wide variety of dance styles, kids connect to our heritage and traditions, heightening their love of Israel.

engineering/
robotics

Question. Find a viable solution. Design. Test. Revise. Test again. Repeat. Inside our Landau Family Makerspace, this higher-level, iterative way of thinking grounds all of our students’ work, even in kindergarten. This is our idea lab, in which kids are inspired to solve complex challenges using math, science, art, engineering and technology – turning knowledge into action.

We spark imaginations with the most advanced tools, including Bee-Bots®, cute but clever robots that younger students can make move according to their directions; Scratch, an MIT-designed programming language that creates interactive games, stories and animation; and Osmo, algorithmic coding technology that facilitates computational, sequential thinking. But there’s also marbles, duct tape, yarn and cardboard, giving kids countless ways to engage.

Because design engineering begins with asking questions, Perelman students are uniquely prepared – bolstered by their ability to analyze and synthesize Torah and Talmud. Their acute sense of exploration and observation results in greater aptitude.

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During their study of the Great Compromise, our kids become 18th-century journalists and social media influencers, podcasting and blogging “onsite” from the floor of the Philadelphia Convention as the U.S. Constitution is shaped and defined. Our intrepid scribes share memorable news and details about everything from controversial debates to the remarkable heat (and smell) inside the State House.

art/music/gym

art/music/gym

One of our mandates is to help kids discover who they are – to be accepting and appreciative and to share these attributes with others. And our art studios, music rooms and gymnasiums make this mission come to life. Children express their joy for creativity and collaboration as they try new things, push boundaries and develop self-confidence.

Our artists think conceptually, using a wide assortment of materials and tools and integrating elements of our core curriculum. They learn that it’s okay to make a mistake, that there is beauty in imperfection. Projects include kiln-fired ceramics, textiles, sculpting, portraiture, quilling and kinetic art.

Our musicians also uncover richer layers of meaning, both during and after school, through their study of composers, instruments, music theory and solfège. Our program includes weekly classes, special performances, Israeli dance and choir. And our spectacular musical theater performances are not to be missed.


Meanwhile, on our playing fields and in our state-of-the-art gyms, our young athletes learn valuable life lessons about determination, cooperation, communication and negotiation. So a Perelman kid comes to understand, “I may never beat LeBron James, but I can become my best version of me.” We offer PE twice a week – and over 100 students participate in afterschool intramural sports and track and field.

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Our students are ardent researchers. For example, each grade studies a topic in science which is integrated with reading and writing. Students present their learning in interesting ways – designing a mural, making a book or using QR codes, posters and multimedia presentations.

 

enrichment

Extracurricular activities round out our students’ intellectual experience, as they become aware and make their own decisions in their journey to become leaders. Held during lunch and after school, our diverse, fascinating clubs help kids continue to problem solve, develop abstract thinking skills, communicate and connect.

The roster of activities changes by the year – with students often taking charge of suggesting, organizing and managing new clubs. There is something for everyone, whether a child loves to cook, play chess, explore opera, participate in student government, sew, report the news or read.

Social responsibility underscores our enrichment program – and every facet of our community. Our kids are driven to help others – understanding that it’s about doing and not just giving money toward a cause. And that’s why they become better people…opening doors for others, picking up trash, making sandwiches for the homeless and protecting endangered species. Perelman kids learn that no matter how small they are, they can make a huge impact on the world.

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Darchei Noam is Perelman’s unique program geared toward students’ social and emotional development. Themes are based on values that create and nurture the individual, the group and the community. Kids learn to discuss their feelings, interact with kindness and respectfully resolve conflicts.

POWERED BY PERELMAN

Learn more today
Contact admissions@pjds.org
610-658-2518, ext 209

Learn more today • Contact admissions@pjds.org610-658-2518, ext 209

We instill in our children an indelible bond with Israel, as we prepare them to take their place among the next generation of proud, passionate, responsible Jewish leaders.

We’re stronger. Together.
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