NACHAS PROGRAM @ SIHA

Strive to Create a Supportive Educational Climate

K-8 Nachas Registration Packet

Nachas@SIHA

is revolutionizing the education of special needs children from Jewish families. Our mission is to offer a well-defined, differentiated and interdisciplinary teaching model that recognizes the importance of each individual child.

We strive to create a supportive educational climate with diversified instruction. Each child’s student-centered curriculum consists of a combined self-contained and inclusion-based instruction. We aim to promote an atmosphere of belonging, success, meaning, and fun. Our certified special education teachers and caring professionals are devoted to the academic, social, and emotional development of each student.

The Nachas Program offers programs and services for students from Kindergarten through the 8th Grade with language based learning disabilities and perform optimally in a combined self-contained and inclusion based classroom. Only students whose behaviors are managed and appropriate for a classroom setting are accepted into the Nachas Program.

We employ a variety of methodologies and strategies for students who may experience challenges in the following areas:

  • Auditory Processing
  • Expressive Language
  • Receptive Language
  • Reading
  • Executive Functioning

Educational Model
Our class size consists of a maximum of 8 students within the self-contained program and no more than 4 students within the inclusion program inside a general education setting of 15 students. We aim to achieve a low student to teacher ratio of 8:1:1 in a self-contained setting and 4:1:1 within an inclusion setting. There is a special education certified teacher within both classroom settings. This affords our students the attention necessary to remediate their specific challenges.

Our skill based instruction uses a multi-sensory approach, where students are taught compensatory strategies. Through use of technology, as well as visual, auditory, and tactile strategies, our students benefit from the modality that fits their unique learning style. Differentiated instruction allows us to meet the needs of every child through individualized, student-centered education. Students are placed into fluid learning groups based on their needs.

Our highly trained staff includes:

  • Instructors with Master’s Degrees in Special Education
  • Associates or Assistants working towards a BA or an MA in Special Education
  • Speech/Language Pathologist
  • Learning Specialist/Consultant with a Doctorate in Exceptional Childhood Education
  • Reading Specialist/Orton Gillingham Trained and Experienced
  • Trained and Experienced Singapore Math Instructor
  • Literacy Specialist/Consultant
  • Occupational Therapist
  • School Social Worker

Social Integration with Inclusion

Our inclusion program allows for fluid movement of students between small self-contained classes and larger mainstream opportunities. Our students are partnered with a corresponding mainstream class for all non-academic and specialty subjects or activities. These include, but are not limited to, morning prayer, recess, lunch, art, music, drama, gym, assemblies, and field trips.

Academic Mainstream Process

Academic mainstream opportunities are available based on standardized criteria in subject areas. Students are monitored on an ongoing basis to assess progress via diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. Based upon these assessments, some students can enter mainstream classes via inclusion. Once appropriate progress is made within the inclusion setting, both academically and socially, students can proceed within that given subject area to a regular education classroom in its entirety.

Curriculum Development

To meet the specific needs of our students, an individual curriculum is created. Secular and Judaic staff collaborate with our curriculum directors, consultants and specialists to create a curriculum unique for each child’s learning style and ability. Curriculum personnel are charged with the responsibility of developing specific curricula to meet the ever-changing needs of their students in all areas; including language development, social skills training, and life skills training.

Students with disabilities must have opportunities to benefit from high quality instruction and to reach the same learning standards as all students. Under federal and State law, it is a fundamental right of students with disabilities to not only be taught the same content (the general education curriculum) as other students, but also to be provided appropriate supports (including accommodations and scaffolding) and services based on their individual needs so that they can gain knowledge and skills and demonstrate what they have learned.

Each student’s individualized education program (IEP) must be developed in consideration of the State learning standards and should provide information for teachers to effectively provide supports and services to address the individual learning needs of the student as they impact the student’s ability to participate and progress in the general education curriculum.

In addition to supports and services, special education must include specially designed instruction, which means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of a student with a disability, the content, methodology or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs that result from the student’s disability. By so doing, the teacher enables each student’s access to the general education curriculum so that he or she can meet the learning standards that apply to all students.

Nachas students follow the SIHA general education curriculum.