This article was provided by Krieger Schechter Day School.
By Jodi Wahlberg
Joining a new school can feel overwhelming, especially in middle school. At Krieger Schechter Day School (KSDS), students who enter through our Bridges Lateral Entry Program quickly discover something powerful: they love school. The Bridges program exists to ensure that students can join KSDS in any grade and that every new student feels confident, capable, and connected from the very start.
At KSDS, students experience excellent academics. With small class sizes, enrichment opportunities, and comprehensive academic support options, each child is known well by their teachers. Instruction is personalized. Strengths are cultivated intentionally. Students are challenged to think critically, write thoughtfully, and speak confidently.
In addition to rigorous classes in Science, Math, Social Studies, and English, our students learn conversational Hebrew, analyze ancient Jewish texts, and engage deeply with timeless values and leadership lessons, asking not only what these texts meant thousands of years ago, but how they apply to their own lives today. This kind of intellectual rigor, combined with personal meaning, fuels engagement. It is one reason our students genuinely enjoy coming to school.
We recognize that transitioning to into an immersive Hebrew language program can feel daunting for lateral entry students. Rather than expecting them to “catch up” to peers who began in kindergarten, we have dedicated Hebrew classes at each grade level specifically for lateral entry students. In these classrooms, students learn to read, write, and speak Hebrew in an environment that is supportive, comfortable, and confidence-building. When our eighth-grade students perform a musical conducted entirely in Hebrew, students who join KSDS through our Bridges Lateral Entry Program stand proudly on the stage alongside their classmates as knowledgeable and fully integrated members of the community.
For student-athletes, KSDS extends its commitment to meeting students where they are through an athletics program grounded in growth, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Offering multiple levels of competition, the program enables students to develop skills, build confidence, and prepare for high school athletics under the guidance of faculty and alumni coaches who model the school’s core values of cooperation, loyalty, and responsibility. Across fall, winter, and spring seasons, including cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, cheer, baseball, softball, track and field, and lacrosse, students engage in a wide range of opportunities that foster both athletic and personal development. For many lateral entry students, joining a KSDS team becomes a meaningful part of their transition, cultivating perseverance, connection, and a strong sense of pride in representing their community.
Middle schoolers at KSDS benefit uniquely from being the oldest students in a K-8 environment. As our Director of Admissions, Nissa Weinberg, often shares, our middle school students are the leaders of the school. They mentor younger students, lead assemblies, practice using increased responsibilities, and model our values daily. With such a wealth of academic and leadership experiences, our students are set up for success in high school. Each eighth grader is supported in navigating the high school search and application process with clarity and confidence, as we offer individualized support in identifying best-fit high schools and presenting students’ strengths effectively. As a result, our students are highly sought after, earning acceptance to a wide range of competitive programs that recognize both their academic preparation and character.
At KSDS, joining in the later elementary or middle school isn’t a setback – it’s a launch pad. Students gain confidence, belonging, leadership skills, and a deep love of learning. For the right child, KSDS isn’t simply a new school. It’s the place where they discover who they are becoming.
Jodi Wahlberg is a Middle School English, Social Studies and Torah Reading Teacher at KSDS. She is also the Director of Bridges Lateral Entry Program and Community Partnerships. All five of her children attended KSDS.
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