Highlights
Online Documents		History	Highlights	Mission Statement
The Double Curriculum It is fair to say that no amount of enrichment of the core curriculum in a public school setting can compete with a complete double curriculum provided by Jewish day schools in general and Akiva Academy in particular. It would be rare, for example, for the extension of a public school social studies curriculum to be as extensive as the study of historical events from ancient times to the present, which is part of most Jewish day school curricula. Standardized achievements are designed to test a very limited body of knowledge. They do not test the breadth of knowledge of any student, let alone the knowledge and intellectual development of students who complete a double course of studies in Jewish schools. The Study of a Second Language to Full Literacy Research into the teaching and learning of second languages is conclusive that the cognitive benefits and the benefit of learning how to learn languages occur only when students develop full literacy in a second language. These benefits do not accrue merely with the learning of functional oral language. At Akiva, in addition to modern Hebrew. We promote early full literacy in Hebrew by introducing, in the earliest of grades, the reading and writing of complex and often literary biblical, liturgical and post-biblical text P.E.P. Enhancement Program: Year Two Akiva Academy has teamed up with the University of Calgary to run a pilot project, which allows our students to work at their own ability level in all areas of the curriculum. The Akiva staff and Administration work together with Dr. Michael Pyryt, Director of the Centre for Gifted Learning, Dr. Marilyn Samuels of the University Learning Disabilities Resource Centre and a team of graduate students to design Personal Education Plans for each student in the school. This project will initially run for three years. This program will allow teachers to provide stronger individualized instruction to meet the needs of all the students. The P.E.P's will be based on on-going assessments of each student's knowledge and learning style. The team will look not only at the best way for each student to intake knowledge, but the best way for each student to "output" or demonstrate their knowledge. This creative, innovative approach will provide a richer learning environment for our students. Our goal is to achieve high levels of learning for all students and for all students to achieve to their full potential. The Remedial Program and Assistance for Special Needs Students Our Resource teacher and Early Literacy Coordinator works with students identified by the classroom teacher as experiencing difficulty with particular skills or concepts. In most cases, she provides individualized instruction to these students to assist them in overcoming the identified difficulty. There is also a focus on assisting our ESL students. In some cases, instruction will take place in the classroom in both small and large groups. Akiva Academy, consistent with its belief and philosophy, undertakes as a matter of policy, to accept all Jewish students who wish an Orthodox Jewish day school education. Akiva undertakes to identify and assess special needs students and to develop and evaluate, in consultation with parents, Individual Program Plans. Some or all of the cost for meeting the needs of special students may be borne by the parents. Funding assistance may also be available from Alberta Learning to assist in providing one-on-one educational assistance. Fine Arts Program Visual Arts In the art program, students are expected to learn visual arts skills and concepts to interpret and communicate with visual symbols, to appreciate the cultural aspects of art, and to relate art to everyday life. The art curriculum has four major components. The four components are: reflection - responding to visual forms in nature and designed objects depiction - developing imagery based on observations of the visual world composition - organizing images and their qualities in the creation of works of art expression - using art materials to make a meaningful statement. Drama The overall goal of the drama program is to foster a positive self-concept in students by encouraging them to explore life by role-playing and acquiring dramatic skills. The imaginative exploration involves setting up a dramatic situation and then acting out, communicating within, and reflecting on the specific situation. It is the reflection that provides the knowledge for self-development. The program will choose from a variety of ten dramatic forms of expression – movement, mime, choral speech, storytelling, dramatization, puppetry, reader’s theatre, story theatre, playmaking and group drama. Students will develop enhanced skills in public speaking, presentation and all strands of the Alberta Language Learning Curriculum. Partnership 2000: Israel Enhancement Partnership 2000 or P2K began six years ago as an education based program to form a stronger connection and understanding between the Jews of the Diaspora and the Jews of Israel. With the vision of UIA and UJA the "Living Bridge Program", or "Gesher Chai" was born. Akiva Academy has been involved right from the beginning with the pilot year in 1997. Our school is twinned with the Uziel School in Kiryat Shemona, located in the Galilee Panhandle. Our students are given the opportunity to exchange projects and programs with our Israeli classes at Uziel. This program allows Israeli students an in-depth education about Jewish life in the Diaspora, while our Akiva students learn more about life in modern day Israel. The students in both countries quickly discover they are learning about real people and not simple fictional characters in a schoolbook. The P2K program serves specific needs in a practical and ingenious way. At the Uziel School, for example, students newly-arrived from Ethiopia must learn Hebrew in order to integrate well. Akiva Academy provided a solution to this dilemma by providing an H.S.L. (Hebrew as a Second Language) program for Uziel to use. A highlight of the program for our students and teachers is the teacher exchange program. Uziel teachers visit our school and Akiva teachers visit the Uziel School for 1 week every couple of years. This exchange makes the distance between our students much smaller and offers us the special opportunity to host each other in our home communities. Computer Technology Akiva Academy is proud of its state of the art Imac computer lab, which is fully equipped with an LCD projector, smart board and high speed internet. All classes, both Secular and Judaic, participate in a variety of integrated projects in our computer lab. We have recently added a Hebrew Language P.C. Lab which further enhances the stimulating learning environment of our Judaic and Hebrew classes. A highlight of the Grade 5 and 6 program is the Akiva Broadcast Network, better known as ABN. This enhancement project delves into all aspects of creating a live television broadcast. Under the creative leadership and direction of Dr. Larry Katz* our students learn all aspects of the video and audio components, story writing, researching, interviewing and presenting a television broadcast. Once they have mastered these skills our students have the unique opportunity of running a weekly news broadcast which is viewed by all our classes on their classroom televisions. Akiva students have teamed up with other schools to mentor and peer train their students in the creative artistry of television broadcasting. * Dr. Katz is a professor of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Special Events and Programs at Akiva Academy Akiva teachers and students look forward to the many special day programs planned throughout the year. The students participate in an annual Read-a-thon and Celebration of Reading event, Earth Day clean-ups and Sports Day to name just a few. A highlight is our annual mid-year science fair, when all students from ECS through Grade Six participate in creative science project presentations. Our science fair serves as a preparation for the annual Calgary Youth Science Fair where grades 5 and 6 are judged by local professionals and are chosen to represent our school. We have had many successful students participate in this citywide competition and receive overwhelming recognition. All Jewish holidays are marked by special celebrations at Akiva. The students enjoy the multi-aged school-wide programs prepared for the High Holy Days, Tu B'shvat, Yom Ha'atzmaut, Yom Yerushalayim and Shavuot. Chanukah finds our entire Akiva family involved in preparing a special Chanukah celebration. Purim day is celebrated with Megillah reading, costumes and a fun-filled carnival. Pesach provides each class with an opportunity to participate in an educational and meaningful model Seder. Appropriate assemblies and class ceremonies mark Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah, and Yom Hazikaron. Rosh Chodesh is honoured with assemblies, a special hot lunch and monthly Midot awards. Akiva Academy believes in connecting the theoretical teachings with the practical. One such example is our Mitzvah/Tzedakah task force. Every month our students and their families collect items required by needy organizations in Calgary such as the Children's Cottage, Women in Need, Domestic Violence Shelters, Kupat Tzedakah, Jewish Family Services and others. These endeavours find Akiva students actively involved in monthly Mitzvah Projects. Student Council is another area where our students actively participate in planning and organizing community service projects, special fundraising projects and school wide programs and celebrations. Community Outreach Many programs are underway at Akiva this year that help us reach out to the Calgary Jewish community and the Calgary community at large. Our Preschoolers and Kindergarten children join with Jewish Family services, throughout the year, to share in celebrations with the seniors at the Beverley Nursing Home. Our older elementary students prepare a variety of holiday programs, which they share with the Babe Care children at the Calgary Jewish Centre.
Nurturing Young Jewish Minds Since 1980
Akiva Academy is an accredited Alberta School, affiliated with House of Jacob Mikveh Israel and The National Society of Hebrew Day Schools