The After School Academy at Solomon Schechter Open to All Bergen County Students

Daniel Jaye, Chief Academic Officer and Director of Academic Affairs for Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, believes that not all after-school activities have to be sports activities. 

"Brains need to be exercised just as much as our bodies," he said. 

Which is why he developed The After School Academy at Solomon Schechter. He wanted to offer boutique programs for students with unique talents. 

By designing the courses to be inquiry based, project based, and hands-on, Jaye is seeking to support the various strengths of children and tap into their diverse learning styles.

Unlike other after-school enrichment programs where school districts have a menu of programs that they fill with instructors, Jaye says that he finds a teacher or professional who is passionate about what they do and then creates a program around them.  

"I want an instructor to be excited about the program they're teaching. If they're excited about teaching, the students will be excited about learning."

Jaye has a strong commitment to provide students with unique opportunities to learn in unique ways. The Academy is just one example of this. Jaye developed the After School Academy last year when he first came to Solomon Schechter. Prior to arriving here, Jaye was the former Principal of the Bergen County Academies and the Mathematics Department Chairman at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. 

The courses being offered at The After School Academy are:

• Introduction to Chinese Culture & Mandarin Language
• Advanced Video-Game Design & Programming
• Journalism Workshop
• Bits & Bytes: Computer Architecture
• Unlocking the Mysteries of Stem Cells & Genomes (taught by a noted scientist and medical school professor)
• Introduction to Video-Game Design
• Mock Trial
• Improvisational Acting
• Crime Scene Investigation
• Non-Routine Problem Solving--Math Counts & Continental Math League
• Bergen Academy Math Prep & COOP Math Prep

The After School Academy is open to all students in the community who are currently in grades 5 through 8. Classes are held once a week on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

Monday classes begin on October 17th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday classes begin on October 18th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Pizza snack is included in all sessions.

Tuition is $250 per class.

To see The After School Academy brochure, and to register for classes, click here.

The Solomon Schechter School is located at 275 McKinley Ave., New Milford, 201-262-9898.