Mission Statement

Hillel Academy, in partnership with students, staff and parents, strives to achieve the fullest development of each student’s potential and talents.

It seeks to create a disciplined community of lifelong learners with sound moral values through the provision of a well-rounded curriculum delivered by a dynamic, highly-trained staff.

Motto: “LEARNING FOR LIVING”

Vision

We Will Have:

• An advanced educational system
• A creative, comprehensive, well-rounded curriculum
• A wide variety of facilities and programmes
• An improved sports programme

With:

• Caring, dynamic, happy staff
• Committed, involved and satisfied parents

We will Be:

• Unified stakeholders committed to the Vision
• A caring community, accepting of differences

And we will produce:

• Well-educated, happy and self-disciplined students
• Confident life-long learners
• Globally conscious and responsible citizens

Core Values

Respect	Tolerance	Excellence
Integrity	Care	Friendliness
Loyalty	Accountability	Self-discipline

Hillel Academy is a private, co-educational, international school that provides a continuous educational programme from Pre-Kindergarten through High School and the Pre-University Sixth Form. The Academy, founded in 1969 by the United Congregation of Israelites in Jamaica, is a non-profit making, non-denominational institution controlled through four Trustees appointed by the Congregation’s Directors. The Trustees are responsible for the appointment of a Board of Governors whose responsibility it is to manage the overall policy of the School within the bounds of the Trust Deed. The School has to meet the requirements governing private institutions under the terms of the Education Act and is subject to periodic inspections by the Ministry of Education. Hillel Academy was initially granted accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in October 1998. Re-accreditation visits are scheduled to occur every 5 years.

Philosophy

Hillel Academy’s motto is “Learning for Living”. We endeavour to fulfil our mission by providing an education that will equip each student for lifelong learning. The central task of the School is to develop each student’s academic, creative and physical skills to their full potential; to encourage them to strive continuously for excellence; to pass on enduring values; to develop integrity and self-discipline; and to help all students become globally responsible, caring citizens.

This requires a broad and balanced curriculum that challenges intellectual capacity, promotes high moral values and develops social skills. It should enable students to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership. The curriculum must inculcate an understanding of, and respect for, the views, values and traditions of others as well as a commitment to uphold one’s own beliefs and traditions. It should promote students’ self-esteem and help them to form and maintain worthwhile relationships, based on respect for themselves and for others, at home, school and in the community.

Goals

To fulfil our mission and philosophy, our programmes are designed to:

1. Achieve the fullest development of each student’s potential & talents.
   • Create a positive ethos and caring atmosphere.
   • Empower students by celebrating their successes and achievements in order to promote positive self-esteem.
   • Encourage high expectations, attitudes of inquiry and an active enjoyment of the learning process.
   • Cultivate the skills and attitudes of reflective learning and effective, self-disciplined study.
   • Foster a climate of investigation and problem solving, developing individual and co-operative learning strategies.
   • Recognize academic diversity through the provision of appropriately differentiated learning objectives.
   • Achieve and maintain high academic standards in all subject areas.
2. Provide first-class, internationally accredited education.
   • Offer a well-rounded curriculum that will prepare our students to achieve high standards  in both international and local external examinations.
   • Equip students with wide-ranging skills of literacy, numeracy and scientific inquiry.
   • Promote the acquisition of fluency in at least one foreign language.
   • Integrate Information  Communication Technology and Library-based research into all aspects of the curriculum.
   • Engender an appreciation of the visual and performing arts.
   • Support the development of skills in physical activities and instil a lifelong appreciation of healthy forms of recreation and physical fitness.
   • Promote the Hillel Academy Values Programme.
   • Provide an adequate system of learning support for those students with recognised needs.
   • Encourage students to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
3. Employ sufficient dynamic, highly qualified staff.
   • Provide on-going professional development both locally and internationally to build the capacity for whole school improvement.
   • Require full participation in the school improvement process.
   • Recognize & reward outstanding performance.
   • Utilize an effective range of instructional methods.
   • Maintain a comprehensive assessment programme and collect data indicating individual strengths and weaknesses and the overall achievements of the school.
4. Engender a partnership in the school community based on mutual confidence and respect.
   • Provide opportunities for students to learn to respect others who have different backgrounds and customs and to appreciate cultural diversity.
   • Develop a responsible, caring and contributing community, committed to the service of the wider community in which we live.
   • Foster a climate of pride in Hillel Academy as one school and a develop commitment to the Mission and Motto.
   • Encourage teamwork and collaboration within the whole school family.
   • Maintain an informative and supportive system of home-school liaison and communication.
5. Produce confident, life-long learners.
   • Encourage the development of the emotional, moral, and social skills and attitudes necessary for our students to be productive and successful human beings.
   • Foster the ability of students to think, respond and act considerately.
   • Encourage students to demonstrate tolerance of differing beliefs and values.
   • Promote internationalism through a curriculum which addresses both local and global issues.
   • Create a climate which abhors violence, demonstrates respect for others and upholds equal rights.
   • Provide opportunities for each student to understand and practice proper stewardship of the earth.