In middle school we use the Hebrew curriculum NETA, a dynamic language curriculum for students in middle and high school. This multidimensional program integrates the four major language acquisition skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing—by immersing students in everything from classical Hebrew texts to Israeli music, and from historical documents to poetry and drama.
Lessons are centered on themes of interest to teenagers and include computers, friendship and freedom. Each theme is presented from three perspectives: Jewish tradition, modern Israeli culture and general world knowledge. Art, science, mathematics, literature and philosophy are included in the themes.
Each unit of study incorporates art, music, prose, poetry, news articles, and Jewish texts in layers of language ranging from biblical Hebrew to current scientific Hebrew terminology and common colloquialisms. Hebrew is learned in its linguistic, cultural and spiritual context, using Hebrew of all historical periods. Comprised of original texts in all genres, the curriculum is intellectually challenging, engaging the students' thought processes.
In middle school students are grouped by ability, enabling new students to fit comfortably into our school community.