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General Information

The Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford offers an excellent dual-curriculum education for children in nursery school, elementary school, and middle school. Our students receive outstanding, integrated instruction in both Judaic studies and general studies.

We strive to be a model egalitarian community of Jewish religious expression, ethical thought and action.

We welcome Jewish students of diverse backgrounds. Everyone can feel comfortable in the accepting environment of our school, regardless of their past experience. We are guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism in matters of religious observance, in the interpretive approach to classic Jewish texts, and in the embrace of both tradition and modernity.

We devote individual attention to every student to educate the whole child intellectually, spiritually and physically. The faculty works in close partnership with parents by promoting regular communication, classroom involvement and family learning experiences. SSDS parents are involved in every aspect of school life, creating a strong sense of community.

The overall goal of a Schechter education is to develop skilled and discerning individuals actively committed to the Jewish community and to the society in which they live.

Solomon Schechter guarantees an education to all students, regardless of family financial circumstances. Financial aid is available as well as other tuition programs.

Founded: 1970
Student body: 240 students from Nursery-2 through Grade 8
Average grade size: 20 students. Each grade is divided into two classes
Average student teacher ratio: 10:1

SSDS owns its building and completed renovations and a new addition in 2000. The facilities are air conditioned and include classrooms with networked computers; science, art and music rooms; small group learning spaces; a beautiful library, a computer lab and teacher resource center; gymnasium, multipurpose room and outdoor playgrounds and athletic fields.

School Day:

Preschool hours are 8:45-12:45

Kindergarten through 8th grade hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:45-3:30. Wednesday dismissal time is 2:30. During Day-light-savings time, Friday dismissal is at 2:30.

Snacks/Lunch Program:

Our cafeteria serves two lunch sessions each day (K-5 and Middle School).

Students from grades K-8 eat lunch in our cafeteria. They have the option of bringing a dairy lunch or purchasing lunch each day. Students also bring a dairy morning snack.
Preschool students eat in their classrooms and must bring a dairy lunch each day. Morning snack is provided by the school. If your child has specific food allergies, we will only give him or her snacks which you have purchased or approved.

Kashrut Policy:

All food brought into the school that will be shared must have a hechtshur (certified kosher mark). No home baked goods can be brought in for birthday parties or other class events. The bakeries at Crown Supermarket, Waldbaums, Stop and Shop and Big Y are all kosher.

Dress Code for Grades 3-8:

Consistent with the values of modesty and respect in the Jewish tradition, and recognizing the importance of a safe and distraction-free learning environment, we have a dress code for students in grades 3-8. The dress code is in effect at all school functions, including class trips, family education programs and social events. Girls and boys are allowed to wear shorts that are mid-thigh or longer. No tank tops or narrow strap shirts are allowed, no ripped or torn blue jeans are allowed, no suggestive language is allowed on clothing and clothes should not be too revealing.

We encourage students to wear blue and white on Friday.

Students’ home communities:

Students come from the entire Greater Hartford area, including West Hartford, Bloomfield, Avon, Simsbury, Farmington, Newington, Middletown, Glastonbury, South Windsor and Colchester.

Transportation:

Students in K-8th grade who live in West Hartford are provided with free school bus transportation. In addition, we have a bus route set up for students “East of the River”. Families who use the bus pay part of the cost per child.

Affiliations:

Member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Although affiliated with the Conservative movement, SSDS welcomes families from across the entire spectrum of Jewish observance and practice.

Accreditation:

Accredited by and member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
SSDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford.