Frequent Asked Questions
We are located at 804-A Winview Drive, easily accessible from Friendly Avenue.
B'nai Shalom's infant room accepts babies as young as 8 weeks old.
B’nai Shalom provides early drop off for all families beginning at 7:30am at no extra charge. We highly encourage all kindergarten through eighth grade families to take advantage of our car-pool lane that is open from 7:30am until 7:50am.
Preschool Half day – 8:30 am until 1:00 pm
Preschool Full day - 8:30 am until 3:30 pm
Kindergarten through 8th-grade – 8:00 am until 3:30 pm
B'nai Shalom's tuition is based off of a 10-month school year in both the preschool and K-8. Tuition ranges depending on the division. See all tuition prices listed at the bottom of the Admissions page.
At B’nai Shalom, we keep our ratios lower than the state requirements.
- Infant Room - 3:1
- Toddler Room – 4:1
- PS 2/3 – 6:1
- PS 3/4 – 6:1
- Pre-K – 8:1
- Lower and Upper School Average - 8:1
With experiential learning at its core, B’nai Shalom not only provides students with an academically challenging and rich curriculum, but also facilitates the building character, values, and kindness. BSDS helps students grow through experiences and through learning that failure is okay and by building leadership skills and applying those skills to a child’s day-to-day activities. Students are taught advocacy skills and how to advocate for what’s right and also learn about being active community members. All of these philosophies build character, values, and kindness. The very definition of a mensch.
Each student in grades K-8 will create a cap stone project based on a central theme. Students will also be given more opportunities for learning beyond the classroom which will include field trips and service learning projects.
B’nai Shalom provides care for all students until 6:00pm. Please visit the Kids' Care page for more information.
Our school days are very full. In addition to a challenging general studies schedule, students experience Hebrew and Judaic studies daily. Additionally, whenever appropriate, themes and concepts are taught utilizing an integrated approach.
For example, when studying an upcoming holiday, discussion takes place in Hebrew and English. Students may produce a related art project utilizing math, science, music, literature and the visual arts in their planning and execution.
Judaic studies are viewed as yet another opportunity to foster independent and critical thinking, and promote meaningful community service.
Our graduates successfully move onto the finest schools. They excel academically and have a clear understanding of the importance of making a positive difference in the world.
At B’nai Shalom, we take our cue from our students – and are particularly attentive to student individuality. The question, “What is best for the student?” is at the core of all decisions. Each student is unique.
Therefore, policies as well as learning and behavioral expectations are established in a broad manner that allows for individualized decision-making that reflects our respect for the individual students and their needs, both those needing extra support and those requiring enrichment.
Differentiation is embedded in our curricular choices and teaching methodology across the subject areas. We celebrate the developmental stages of learning and provide for each student’s unique timetable for unfolding their abilities.
It is not necessary for parents to either read or speak Hebrew in order for their child(ren) to be successful B’nai Shalom students.
We welcome Jewish children and families for all affiliations; in fact, we have families that are Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, and all rabbis are welcome at B’nai Shalom.
The goal of B’nai Shalom’s religious policies is to ensure that all children, regardless of their individual home observance, can feel at home at B’nai Shalom, and can participate comfortably in school activities.
We do ask all families to respect classmates’ levels of observance when planning smachot (celebrations) such as birthdays and B’nai Mitzvah parties.
B’nai Shalom Day School prides itself on its affiliation as a community day school. This means that we are not aligned with any particular synagogue or religious movement; rather, we seek to embrace students and their families from across the Jewish spectrum.
We work to build understanding and collaboration among Jews with different beliefs and practices: to establish a true community.
Our goal is to develop respect for and comfort with all levels of practice.
Synagogue/Temple affiliation is not required for admission to our school. Our student body represents the full spectrum of Judaism and includes children and families who are both affiliated and non-affiliated.
Our preschool is open to the entire community, meaning all families are welcome to take advantage of our extraordinary preschool regardless of faith.
If your child is not Jewish, and has been in enrolled in the preschool, we do not require one parent be Jewish for the K-8 school.
What is great about B’nai Shalom is that our population – students, parents, and staff – represents the entire spectrum of the Jewish community. Our students come from different backgrounds, different levels of Jewish knowledge and different levels of home observance.
We foster an environment of mutual respect in which we appreciate differences and learn from each other.
No, it’s not too late! We welcome new students to the school who may not have a strong Hebrew and/or Jewish Studies background. During the school year students are provided Hebrew and Jewish Studies assistance during the school day.
Recent studies suggest that people who master more than one language build a more resilient brain. They are more proficient at multi-tasking, and are better able to set priorities. B’nai Shalom students begin learning Hebrew from day one, and these young minds quickly gain proficiency in a second language.
This not only provides them with a sound cultural foundation, but also wires their brains to accelerate learning in all academic subjects.
B’nai Shalom values and respects the varied approaches to the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher) that exist within our community.
Our observance of kashrut is guided by the concern that all members of our community feel comfortable eating at school functions.
Therefore, we ask parents to send in a dairy/parve (prepared without meat, milk or their derivatives) snack and lunch for their child every day that they are in school. For snack and lunch ideas, download are Ideas for Kosher Lunch chart.
Not available in 2020 - 2021: The 8th grade class also sells bagel and pizza lunches, as well as ice cream snacks, to support their end of year trip to Israel. Ordering can be done online at www.boonli.com.
We believe in the importance of integrating all these disciplines throughout our day. In addition, B’nai Shalom has specialists in music, art, and P.E. who work with each grade every week.
In grades kindergarten through eighth grade, students will attend P.E. at least 4 days each week (in addition to their daily recess).
All students are required to be appropriately dressed according to the established dress code. B’nai Shalom requires each student to dress in a way that reflects respect for the learning environment and which meets appropriate standards of good taste, cleanliness, and neatness.
B’nai Shalom believes that students should come to school ready to focus on educational pursuits in this Jewish learning environment.
Our students, kindergarten through eighth grade, take the M.A.P. Test (Measures of Academic Progress). It is a research-based, computerized assessment that helps our teachers answer a crucial question: Are my students learning? The M.A.P. test provides precise, real-time information about every student’s learning triumphs and challenges, it sets educators—and students—up for success.
Each student takes the M.A.P. test at the beginning and end of each school year. Teachers receive instant feedback as soon as each student finishes his or her test. Students take the test on their iPad in their classroom.
We are accredited by SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools). This prestigious and highly sought after accreditation puts us in a community of excellence with other top independent schools in the Triad area.
Our 21st-century students use laptops, iPads, smart boards, Osmos, and a wide variety of apps to explore, connect and create. The set of technology benchmarks for each grade builds on the skills learned the previous year.
Kindergarten through 4th graders have a class set of iPads in their classrooms. Students in grades 5th through 8th grade have individually assigned iPads with keyboards attached.
We do have a laptop cart with 30 laptops that are available for the teachers to check out as needed.
B’nai Shalom recognizes that the cost of a private school education may create a significant financial challenge for some families. We are committed to making a B’nai Shalom education accessible to as many families as possible. We now offer a program, Indexed Tuition, that helps more families attain an excellent Jewish day school education.
Indexed Tuition is similar to programs used by other private schools. It matches each family’s tuition level to their unique financial situation, thus making a B’nai Shalom education affordable to many qualified students who could not otherwise join our school community.