Health and Wellness

CESJDS’s curriculum is child-centered, and we are committed to the academic, social-emotional, spiritual, and physical growth of each student. We promote a healthy lifestyle and dedication to wellness through the development of each student’s individual health, talents, interests, self-confidence, and relationships with others.

Our Executive Functioning Curriculum begins in Grade 1 at the Lower School. The goal of this curriculum is to develop independent, resilient, and self-aware students who can successfully use concrete strategies to organize, solve problems, and prepare themselves for optimal learning. The major areas of focus include: 

  • Metacognition (thinking about our thinking)/Thinking critically
  • Organization
  • Goal Setting
  • Cognitive Flexibility
  • Time Management/Planning
  • Working Memory
  • Self-Regulation

At the Middle School level, great care is provided to students who are in the challenging period of adolescence. We are fortunate to have a staff of three licensed social workers, who are dedicated to working with our students, their families and teachers. Our counseling team provides direct service, group work, grade-wide programming, and crisis management. Students feel safe in expressing their feelings, are able to make connections with peers and adults, and build self-awareness and resilience, which leads to an optimal learning experience for each child.

High School is a stressful time for students as they prepare for college. Intellectual health and success looks very different for every student. We have students who load up on science classes, those that want to pursues Jewish studies and are immersing themselves in text, those that aspire to be writers and soak in the School's acclaimed writing program. The High School guidance and administration teams arm students with executive functioning, study strategies, self-advocacy and time management skills. A holistic approach is taken to academic counseling and course selection, keeping overall health and balance as top priorities. Students are encouraged to pursue internships, and teachers are the ready and willing to help students secure these career-fostering opportunities.

Center for Health and Wellness

In 2022, CESJDS created a new Upper School Center for Health and Wellness to promote social-emotional growth and wellbeing by implementing a holistic wellness curriculum to serve all students. In partnership with administration, faculty, students, and families, the Center fosters a proactive culture of wellness in which we all can thrive.  

The five dimensions of health and wellness include:

  • Academic Well-being
  • Physical Well-being
  • Mental, Emotional, and Social Well-being
  • Ethics, Service, and Leadership
  • Digital Well-being

Led by our Co-Directors of the Center, Rachel Soifer and Melissa Gartner, the Center provides students, staff, and families with activities, discussions, workshops, and resources. Recent programs included writing notes of gratitude to Veterans, painting kindness rocks, grade-wide wellness retreats, Faculty vs. Students kickball game, well-being discussions in advisory, yoga, and much more. Learn more about the Center and future events on the School portal.