Here are some of our Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

If you don’t see the answer to your question in our FAQ, please get in touch with us directly.

What does TIDE stand for?

Torah Im Derech Eretz – Teaching Torah integrated with Mentchlachkeit and showing children the world through the eyes of Torah.

How does TIDE Academy ensure a high-quality learning?

At the core of TIDE Academy is our commitment to serving customers and receiving transparent feedback. Because of this, we ask families to participate in a weekly anonymous Customer Satisfaction Survey, where we ask both the students and their parents to rate us 1-5 on how well we accomplished our promises. We then share the results of the surveys with the community. These surveys are our most important metric to measure the success of the learning community.

How many students will you have?

The first year, we will be limited to 8 students. The 2nd year could be expanded to 16 with a maximum of 24 students in the 3rd year. We are not looking to compete with any institutions and would like to keep the school small and family-like.

What is Acton Academy?

Acton Academy is a schooling movement started by Jeff and Laura Sandefer 12 years ago for their own children. It has since blossomed into over 100 schools and is through a lightweight franchising approach where “owners” pay a fee to join the network and use the Acton curricula and follow a common set of practices.

What ages will you serve?

To begin with, ages 6 to 9. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis. We plan to increase the maximum age with the growth of our initial students.

How much will tuition cost?

Monthly tuition will be on par with other Jewish day schools in the area.We are still finalizing financial aid packages.

What hours will school run?

We will begin class at 8:30 and end for the day at 3:40.The school will open at 8:00am and close at 4:00.

What are your vacation days?

In many homes, both parents work. We understand that and are building the schedule so that there are no gaps in childcare for 11 months of the year. We will take off 1 day on Thanksgiving, New Year, and on the 4th of July. We will also take off Jewish holidays and will have a Friday schedule on the day before each holiday. (If you would like your children home to help, we will be happy to accommodate)

Trimester? Semester? Siesta?

We are following the Shabbas/Shemitah principle and breaking the school year up into 7 week sessions. For 6 weeks we will work, and the 7th week will be for rest. Each 6 week block will focus on a single quest or overarching theme. For the 7th week, we will ban all formalized education. Field trips, stories, plays, anything fun and extracurricular is allowed, but formal learning is forbidden. (Yes, we are banning it, just so they will want to do it.)

Is TIDE Academy a Montessori School?

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy and we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands-on projects, and the Socratic Method for discussions.

How will you have time for extracurriculars with a dual curriculum?

When children are engaged, they learn at a rate that far exceeds the standard. We plan to have a high level of engagement so we can get more done in less time and have ample time for extracurricular activities. As a general statistic, Acton students progress an average of 3 grade levels per year based on the IOWA exams, while spending majority of the day on “extracurricular activities.”

Are you a CO-ED or separate school?

Ideally, we would like to have a completely separate group for each gender. As soon as we have the ability financially, we will be splitting into completely separate groups. We are looking to start with older girls and younger boys to gives us more time before dealing with this issue.

Who needs to be on-board for enrollment in TIDE?

3 parties need to be committed: The child and both parents need to be 100% committed.

Do you have any requirements for the children outside of school?

NO! We respect you as the ultimate authority for your children. The Higher Power you answer to for your decisions will not be us. Accordingly, we will not interfere in how your family wishes to operate in any way.

Will you accept children with learning disabilities?

Currently our guides are equipped to work with ADHD, ODD, and some cases of Dyslexia. For any other disabilities, we will meet with the parents and child to evaluate if we are equipped to provide the child with their unique needs.

What do you mean by “Growth Journey” or “Hero’s Journey”?

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

Is TIDE accredited?

Yes, the school will be accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools.

How long is TIDE Academy in session each year?

We operate on an eleven-month calendar, but our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning.

Will children be grouped into grades?

Because the education is truly individualized, we are not handicapped by grades. We believe that children learn best when working with older children as mentors, and younger children as students. This gives the students a chance to learn from someone just a little bit wiser, and also to demonstrate mastery by teaching those less developed.

What is an Independent Learner?

Someone who can ask questions, follow instructions, solve problems, admit when they don’t know something, work to figure out a solutions, participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

What do you mean by “Every child can change the world”?

We believe each of our students will find a passion: something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people’s day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives. One of our goals at TIDE Academy is to encourage each child to explore multitudes of interests, define a path for themselves, and prepare with the hard work necessary to develop any “talent.”

Will TIDE Prepare my child for college?

Our promise at TIDE Academy is to have students well prepared for any selective university where they can score high enough on a standardized test to gain admittance. Universities are changing so rapidly that it’s difficult to imagine what a college education will look like in ten years. In addition to subject preparation, each child will be able to apply with an impressive portfolio and well honed critical thinking skills that will stand out during the application and interviewing process. Most importantly, students are well prepared to shine in the real world.

How will TIDE prepare my child for social situations?

In addition to ‘classic’ school social interactions, each child at TIDE will be actively engaged with their peers in collaborative work, team building, studio maintenance, supporting each other, and holding each other accountable. We will be actively coaching students on a group and on an individual basis to develop and practice the social graces required to create a thriving community. The Middos focus of the school will polish these precious gems until they shine.

How do we know they are learning?

Each parent will be given access to the Journey Tracker App that will detail all of their child’s daily computer activities, so they can see exactly what was studied each day. Every 6 weeks, the children will create an interdisciplinary exhibit of their work so they can demonstrate what they have been learning. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend. 

Is there a school lunch program?

YES! We believe that children learn best when they eat a healthy and nutritious lunch. We are also going to provide breakfast so that our students can live in accordance with Jewish law that mandates Prayer before eating a meal.

Do you have any recommendations for practices that will be conducive to success?

These recommendations have been curated from the Acton networks research and our own experiences. 

Sleep Hygiene – Consistent Bedtimes and Wakeup times. 

Age appropriate amounts of sleep. – Cranky children are no fun, and don’t like learning. 

Limited Screen Use. – We will be working with computers for approximately 1-2 hours a day and training our students to use their time productively. It is significantly more difficult to install productive technology habits if children associate screens with movies and games. Overuse of any screens including for educational purposes alters brain development in young minds. Additional screen-time after school may have detrimental effects. 

ADHD + Sugar = Tornado. – We will do our part to feed them a nutritious breakfast and lunch. Your child’s concentration, ability for deep thought, and attention span has a high likelihood of being negatively impacted if sent to school with sugary snacks.

HELP YOUR CHILD REDISCOVER A LOVE OF LEARNING

TIDE Academy will give your child hands-on experience to enrich their connection with God and give them the tools they need to achieve their dreams.