Baltimore, MD – Oct. 24, 2018 - JEWELS School, Jewish Education Where Every Level Succeeds, is a creative and innovative school enabling Jewish children with developmental disabilities to be educated alongside typically developing peers in their community. Until six years ago, local children with special needs had no choice but to attend public schools or costly non-Jewish private placements in order to receive appropriate education and therapy services.
JEWELS opened its doors in September 2012 with two classes and 13 students. In just six years, the school has grown to six classes servicing 40 children, which includes an MSDE Accredited Preschool. Additionally, JEWELS Pediatric Therapy Clinic provides therapeutic support for JEWELS students as well as outpatient community needs. JEWELS recently expanded their clinic services to provide therapy in community day schools as well.
JEWELS’ mission is to provide a Jewish education for children of all abilities with an emphasis on integration and custom-tailored learning experiences. Children receive the most beneficial academic, social, and life skills necessary for future success in a loving and supportive Jewish setting.
JEWELS provides a strong school program as well as a therapy center, enabling children with developmental disabilities and/or developmental delays to have all their educational and therapy needs met in one location. This is achieved through small class sizes, custom-tailored curricula, typically developing peer models, and all with lots of love.
Until the creation of JEWELS, many Baltimore parents felt that there were no viable school choices for their children with disabilities. Often, families were forced to move to other cities with more appropriate school options. The fact that JEWELS exists gives Baltimore parents hope for their children with special needs. Parents of children with special needs now have options within our community.
A primary goal of the JEWELS program is to prepare as many of its students with special needs as possible to be mainstreamed into regular-education community schools with ongoing support systems. Every time a JEWELS preschool graduate gains acceptance to a local day school, JEWELS has succeeded in building the critical skills necessary for that child to function in a regular education setting.
JEWELS is passionate about inclusion. This year JEWELS, together with their day school partners, Bais Yaakov and TA/Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, created the JEWELS satellite program. JEWELS students attend local community schools, while having their educational and therapeutic needs met by JEWELS’s professionals.
The JEWELS students are mainstreamed according to their abilities and are able to benefit both academically and socially. This is a dream come true for parents of children with special needs. The inclusive environment also benefits the students in the host school. The interaction is a win win for everyone.
JEWELS understands well the high cost of education, particularly for children with special needs. JEWELS has subsidized the cost with over $1,000,000 dollars in scholarships for our parents. It is for this reason that we have our annual scholarship raffle. The funds generated from this raffle greatly help our parents have the opportunity to send their child to JEWELS.
Thank you to all of you who purchased tickets.
The deadline to purchase tickets is tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 11:59!
