B'nai Shalom Philosophy and Beliefs B’nai Shalom is a co-educational Jewish day school affiliated with the national Jewish Community Day School Network and the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools.  B’nai Shalom serves students from a variety of Jewish backgrounds from infancy through eighth grade.  In an atmosphere imbued with the rich values of both Jewish pluralism and multinational cultures, we provide a challenging academic setting where intellectual curiosity, inquiry and creativity are encouraged through a dual curriculum.  Pride, strong Jewish identity and commitment to the Jewish community are fostered within a framework of diverse Jewish experiences.  Instructional practices are guided by current research in the fields of education and child development blended with pluralistic practices of Judaism. B’nai Shalom’s challenging academic environment is individualized to accommodate student interests and learning styles.  We emphasize critical thinking skills and encourage their application to hypothetical and actual situations through collaboration among students and faculty members.  Innovative use of laptops and personal computers stimulates integration of themes through cross-disciplinary synthesis and problem solving. A wide range of assessment tools provide students with a variety of opportunities to demonstrate achievement and knowledge. Creating a rigorous academic environment in our school community is at the foundation of our school’s mission.  We believe that teachers and students feel secure setting and meeting challenging goals within a compassionate environment.  We encourage each student to be reflective and to aspire for maximum levels of success in academic and non-academic areas.  We believe strong school/parent collaboration is essential for a student’s success.  Shared values, goals and support for the school’s mission define this partnership.  We encourage open and ongoing communication with parents, understanding that by working together with parents, school professionals can best meet the academic, social and emotional needs of the child.  Our faculty’s sound academic qualifications are enhanced by their personal integrity, warm loving kindness and passionate commitment to B’nai Shalom’s mission.  We use Jewish tradition to guide our curriculum, our calendar and our celebrations.  Through the study of the Hebrew language and Jewish heritage, our students strengthen their identities as Jews, their connection to the Jewish people worldwide and to the State of Israel.  Our ongoing commitment to tzedakah (acts of righteousness) and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) challenges students to debate the moral dilemmas of our time and study the Jewish tools for developing a personal ethic of compassion and social responsibility.  The study of Torah, mitzvot (commandments), rabbinic sources and liturgy teaches the Jewish prescription for living a life of goodness.  Through daily tefilah (prayer), we also nurture a spiritual dimension, a quest for God and an appreciation of the beauty and sanctity in students’ everyday lives. “V’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha” (“love your neighbor as yourself”) is a guiding principle of our school community.  Assuming leadership roles from the earliest years, students develop the personal attributes of confidence, integrity and responsibility as they learn to care for themselves and each other.  Modeling, discussions and clear behavioral expectations promote cooperative work and play. Multi-age groupings enable students to practice and apply these principles in a variety of situations. B’nai Shalom offers a creative, integrated approach to learning which incorporates secular and Judaic studies.  Our mission is to provide a caring, supportive school community in which students achieve academic excellence in a dual curriculum that inspires each student to develop his/her fullest potential as an inquisitive learner, critical thinker and future Jewish leader.