Contra Costa Jewish Day School (Lafayette, CA)
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Contra Costa Jewish Day School (Lafayette, CA)
Jan 2011
Re: Private schools in Contra Costa County
I can highly recommend Contra Costa Jewish Day School! I am a parent
of K and 3rd grade boys at the school, and couldn't be happier. CCJDS
offers a warm, supportive community, and a challenging academic
environment. Class size is small, and the teachers are superb. The
students learn a second language (modern Hebrew) and meaningful
science concepts beginning in K, and have music and art as well. Very
important to me, and completely integrated into the general and
Jewish studies curriculum, is a fabulous service-learning program
where each year each class learns about an important value and puts
together a class project where they demonstrate having really grasped
that value. In K, they're learning about treating animals well, while
in 3rd grade they're discussing issues regarding people with special
needs. Even the staff and administration take on a service-learning
project each year. I have lots more I could share, but I'll let you
contact me directly if you're interested. Oh, and we live in
Lafayette.
Tosha
As both a teacher and a mom of a kindergartener, I would like to
highly recommend our school, Contra Costa Jewish Day School for its
academics and community. Even though I am a teacher at the school,
my husband and I debated what type of school would be best for our
bright, extremely verbal, out-going son as he was entering
kindergarten. We seriously considered other choices. Since we are a
very secular family, we were not really interested in a religious
school. We were looking for a school that would first and foremost
encourage the love of learning. Being a squirmy boy with poorly
developed small-motor skills, we worried that his first school
experience would be frustrating for him. I wanted a school with a
lot of play opportunities and a teacher who knew had enough
experience with teaching boys to know that they arenC-t all always
able to sit quietly and do seat work. I also wanted a school with
small class sizes so he could get the individual attention that he,
and all young learners need. The more I thought about the more it
seemed obvious to bring him CCJDS. I knew from teaching at the
school what a warm, welcoming community the school offered. I was
also very aware of how amazingly dedicated the staff is to the school
and to the success of every child there. I loved the idea of sending
my child to a school where he will know everyone and everyone will
know him. My husband and I were worried about the social aspect of
school life for our only child. Since we live in Oakland and the
school is in Lafayette, we worried that all of his playmates would be
too far away to arrange playdates with. We were very happy to learn
that over half his class lives on the Oakland side of the tunnel.
Playdates have been easy to arrange and he has made many very good
friends. He is thriving a CCJDS. He is happy to go to school
everyday and loves learning. I am impressed with how much he has
learned in such a short period of time. He tells us often how much
he loves his school and that he wants the principal to open a high
school and college so he never has to leave. Please feel free to
contact me if you would like more information at
marybeth
We send both our kids (K and 3rd grade) to Contra Costa Jewish Day
School which is located in Lafayette and runs through the 8th grade.
We have been extremely pleased with the quality of academics, smaller
class sizes, and nice community. There is also a strong emphasis on
community service and humanitarian values. Even though we live in a
very good public school district, we are planning to keep our kids in
CCJDS based on our very positive experience thus far. Good luck.
Micah
Dec 2010
Re: Private schools in Contra Costa County
I can highly recommend Contra Costa Jewish Day School! I am a parent
of K and 3rd grade boys at the school, and couldn't be happier. CCJDS
offers a warm, supportive community, and a challenging academic
environment. Class size is small, and the teachers are superb. The
students learn a second language (modern Hebrew) and meaningful
science concepts beginning in K, and have music and art as well. Very
important to me, and completely integrated into the general and
Jewish studies curriculum, is a fabulous service-learning program
where each year each class learns about an important value and puts
together a class project where they demonstrate having really grasped
that value. In K, they're learning about treating animals well, while
in 3rd grade they're discussing issues regarding people with special
needs. Even the staff and administration take on a service-learning
project each year. I have lots more I could share, but I'll let you
contact me directly if you're interested. Oh, and we live in
Lafayette.
Tosha
As both a teacher and a mom of a kindergartener, I would like to
highly recommend our school, Contra Costa Jewish Day School for its
academics and community. Even though I am a teacher at the school,
my husband and I debated what type of school would be best for our
bright, extremely verbal, out-going son as he was entering
kindergarten. We seriously considered other choices. Since we are a
very secular family, we were not really interested in a religious
school. We were looking for a school that would first and foremost
encourage the love of learning. Being a squirmy boy with poorly
developed small-motor skills, we worried that his first school
experience would be frustrating for him. I wanted a school with a
lot of play opportunities and a teacher who knew had enough
experience with teaching boys to know that they aren't all always
able to sit quietly and do seat work. I also wanted a school with
small class sizes so he could get the individual attention that he,
and all young learners need. The more I thought about the more it
seemed obvious to bring him CCJDS. I knew from teaching at the
school what a warm, welcoming community the school offered. I was
also very aware of how amazingly dedicated the staff is to the school
and to the success of every child there. I loved the idea of sending
my child to a school where he will know everyone and everyone will
know him. My husband and I were worried about the social aspect of
school life for our only child. Since we live in Oakland and the
school is in Lafayette, we worried that all of his playmates would be
too far away to arrange playdates with. We were very happy to learn
that over half his class lives on the Oakland side of the tunnel.
Playdates have been easy to arrange and he has made many very good
friends. He is thriving a CCJDS. He is happy to go to school
everyday and loves learning. I am impressed with how much he has
learned in such a short period of time. He tells us often how much
he loves his school and that he wants the principal to open a high
school and college so he never has to leave. Please feel free to
contact me if you would like more information at
marybeth
We send both our kids (K and 3rd grade) to Contra Costa Jewish Day
School which is located in Lafayette and runs through the 8th grade.
We have been extremely pleased with the quality of academics, smaller
class sizes, and nice community. There is also a strong emphasis on
community service and humanitarian values. Even though we live in a
very good public school district, we are planning to keep our kids in
CCJDS based on our very positive experience thus far. Good luck.
Micah
Dec 2010
4 years ago we started my daughter in a Walnut Creek public school.
She did not receive the attention she needed and was not doing well.
We switched to Contra Costa Jewish Day School part way through the
year. Everyone welcomed us. From the first day my daughter got the
attention she needed to thrive. She has done extremely well
academically and emotionally. She is now in 4th grade and my twin
boys are in first grade there. The small class size allows for
childrens' individual needs to be met. The community is very
supportive and welcoming. Aside from my kids getting great academics,
they are learning to care for the environment and people less
fortunate than they are.
CCJDS Parent
Jan 2007
I found only one fairly old review of this school in the
archives, and was wondering if anyone has more recent
impressions to share. Thanks
anon
I currently have 2 kids who attend The Contra Costa Jewish Day
School and I couldn't be happier. We have been a part of the
school since the very beginning and it's growing at an amazing
rate. The academics are excellent and the environment is
nurturing and embracing.
The best thing to do it to come see it for yourself to see if
it would be the right fit for you and your child
Happy CCJDS parent
I'd love to share my impressions of the Contra Costa Jewish Day
School. My twin girls are in 3rd grade at CCJDS, having been
there since Kindergarten, and we really love it.
The school has grown substantially since Jenny wrote in 2003;
we run from K to 8th now and our first graduating class will
head off to high school next year. The older grades are
currently in combined two grade classes – the 3rd/4th graders
are in one room, the 5th/6th class in one and 7th/8th class in
another – but enrollment has grown so much over the years that
all the new incoming classes for the last 3 years have had a
single grade in each room.
Even with this growth, the instruction has remained very
individualized. Children who are more advanced are able to
progress at their pace. The same is true for students who need
more work on material; they are also given the help they need
and the opportunity to excel. The academic program compares
favorably with the excellent local public schools in the area;
my kids are often working on material that is advanced compared
with their peers.
The Judaic/Hebrew program is very good. My kids in 3rd grade
have a strong knowledge of Judaism and what it means to be
Jewish. They are involved in Tikun Olam (healing the world)
through school-wide and classroom Mitzvah projects. CCJDS is
also very inclusive; we have families who are secular, Reform,
Conservative, Orthodox, interfaith and some non-Jewish
families. In the last several years, CCJDS added music, art
and drama programs. We’re putting on our second all-school
musical this year.
I could go on and on. We’ve reevaluated every year if our
girls should continue at CCJDS, and every year the answer has
been yes and based on our experience I expect that to
continue. If anyone has any questions, I am more than happy to
respond to any email questions.
Mike B
We are a new family at CCJDS, and we can't say enough good
things about the school! The head of school is absolutely
amazing and extremely dedicated, and has been with the school
since the very start when they were in the planning stages. The
teachers are so engaging, and do a fabulous job of bringing the
curriculum to life. Even in kindergarten, the kids get
individualized work, which we really like. The academics are
superb, and that is the main reason we are at the school. We
also like how they approach the Judaics and Hebrew in such a
way that everyone feels comfortable, whether you are a very
observant Jew or part of an interfaith marriage. My child comes
home telling me about her day, and wakes up on the weekend
wanting to go to school-- I can't ask for more than that!
We live in Oakland and were very worried about the commute
time, but there are a number of famlies we can carpool with,
and we do. It only takes 15 minutes from Montclair village.
There is a very strong aftercare program, which my child asks
to attend all the time, and you can do it on a drop-in basis. I
often use it when I need to work in the afternoon. It's like a
built-in playdate at a very reasonable price, and my house
doesn't get any wear and tear :)
Good luck with your school selection!
happy CCJDS parent
Our 2 kids are currently in K and 1st grade at Contra Costa
Jewish Day School (CCJDS). As we went through the process of
selecting a school for our kids, we looked at quite a few, and
were so impressed with CCJDS. What drew us to the school was the
knowledgeable, creative and enthusiastic faculty; this energy
starts with the Head of School and is apparent in each teacher.
We also liked the schools mission to develop the whole child -
intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Since
CCJDS is in a location where there are excellent public schools,
they need to offer something unique. We feel that the small
class sizes and an individuated curriculum that focuses on each
student’s learning style is something we could not find anywhere
else. Also, as a committed, but not very religious, Jewish
family it was important to us that our children would feel
comfortable and accepted with our own family practices. We are
excited that our children are learning Modern Hebrew and about
Jewish values, ethics and their cultural and religious heritage.
With small class sizes, and a teachers assistant in the
classroom most of the day, my kids get lots of individual
attention. I also must add that we love the strong sense of
community we feel with the families at the school. There are
many opportunities to be involved in the school if you wish.
When we chose CCJDS the only hesitation we had was the commute
from Oakland to Lafayette, this has proved to be very easy and
our daily carpools really help too! We are delighted to be a
CCJDS family!
CCJDS parent, gemma
I live in Oakland near Montclair and my 5 year old daughter began
at Contra Costa Jewish Day School this year. We chose Contra Costa
Jewish Day School becuase it was clearly academically
superior to our public schools and to the two other East Bay
Jewish Day Schools. My wife and I did this despite the fact that
Oakland Hebrew Day School is around the corner from us and I have
3 half siblings who attend Tehiyah.
In the year that my daughter has been at CCJDS, I have thought
that everything in the school has been tremendous. My daughter
comes home begging to do more math problems, reading simple
books(when she entered she did not recognize all her letters),
talking to me in Hebrew(which she did not know one word of
prior), asking constantly to go visit her friends from school,
and begging to stay longer in after care.
Finally, I would just add that for the parents CCJDS is a
wonderful school as well. I personally feel part of a community
that supports learning, Judaism, friendship, and obviously my
child. There is even adult education at the school after drop off
on fridays. My wife and I both love the school and think it is an
amazing place for both our children and ourselves.
Ilan
Dec 2006
Re: Private schools in Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek
Contra Costa Jewish Day School in Lafayette is right off of Mount
Diablo Blvd. If you are interested in a safe and nurturing school
for your middle school child, you should consider our school.
CCJDS is an independent K-8th grade school, with 82 students.
What we love about CCJDS is that the school works with each
student to reach their full academic and personal potential. My
kids benefit from the small class sizes and the individual
attention they recieve from their teachers. The teachers are
terrific all have Masters degrees and/or teaching credentials.
Their love for teaching at this school is apparent, they are
dedicated to individuate curriculum to meet diverse learning
styles. We appreciate that the school not only focuses on strong
academics but works towards creating caring and responsible
students. They learn social responsiblity by participating in a
variety of mitzvah community service projects throughout the
year. Our family also enjoys the caring and supportive school
community.
Jonathan, happy CCJDS parent of 2
Jan 2003
I wanted to add another possibility for families. I live
in Montclair and my son goes to Contra Costa Jewish Day
School(CCJDS) in Lafayette. This new school has exceeded
all my expectations of what a good school can do for my
child. Because it is only in it's second year, the grades
offered are kindergarten through fourth. Each year it
will add a grade until it reaches eigth grade. The
academics and teachers are outstanding. But the most
important benefit in my mind has been the sense of every
teacher and staff person caring deeply for each student.
Their is a very strong sense of family within the school.
The instruction is very individualized and project based.
It has been an excellent investment in my son's future.
Call 925-284-8288 for more information.
Jenny
this page was last updated: Jan 7, 2011
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