Academics
לימודים אקדמיים
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”
– Golda Meir
Academics at a Glance
Students are enrolled in eight periods daily Monday through Thursday, including Judaic Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science. They are also required to take a language course in Hebrew and a Judaic Studies elective two days a week.
Additional requirements include a daily workout (physical conditioning), Art, STEM, and the option to enroll in a ninth period class for enrichment and exploration.
The Friday schedule is unique and includes an advisory period, Soul Center, community service, leadership seminars and an independent study project.
By The Numbers
- Faculty with advanced degrees77%
- Student to teacher ratio6:1
- Average class size15
- Campus Size5.5 Acres
- Students in grades six through twelve236
- Feeder schools63
- Languages spoken at home7
- Countries represented by our families9
- Athletic teams14
- Students who participate in our indexed tuition program75%
- Service hours performed by JLA students every year10,000
- STEM Course Offerings63
- Humanities & The Arts Course Offerings52
- Judaic and Hebrew Course Offerings62
Curriculum
Curriculum
Math
JLA’s math program features honors, accelerated, and competition tracks, all rooted in project-based learning to build critical thinking skills.
The Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) courses provide in-class time to prepare for the American Mathematics Competitions.
JLA's median MAP test score in math for Fall 2025 was 93%.
Middle School students compete in math competitions sponsored by the Israel Center for Excellence through Education.
33% of our Upper School students have been inducted into Mu Alpha Theta, the National Mathematics Honor Society. Inductees must demonstrate excellence in math, leadership, and scholarship.
More than 40% of our students are taking math classes that are one year above grade level, 30% of students are taking classes two years above grade level, 5% three years ahead and 3% four years ahead.
Science
JLA’s science program offers honors, accelerated, and college-level tracks with real-world problem-solving.
Certified biotechnologists Gustavo R. ’26 and Talia W. ’26 recently earned the BACE industry credential, qualifying them for entry-level technician positions in the bioscience industry.
26% of our upper school students are members of the Science National Honor Society.
JLA’s Garden and Habi Center features raised garden beds, a beehive producing JLA honey, and a digital bird camera.
Students have access to university-level labs in biology, chemistry, and physics, providing hands-on experience that brings science learning to life.
Orchid Conservation Research Center: Students become real scientists as they grow, study, and protect rare orchids.
Computer Science
JLA’s computer science program includes honors and college-level courses, with hands-on coding, hackathons, and real-world projects.
Our computer science scope and sequence can take a student from the basics of Scratch to the complexities of Machine Learning and beyond.
We hosted Dade Country's second ever K-12 Hackathon, which brought together private and public schools from across South Florida. Students competed to solve real-world challenges with their coding skills.
Every year, students dedicate time to building their own Capstone Projects, developing all sorts of useful programs.
Engineering
Through an SEP curriculum focused on Design Thinking, 8th grade students integrate engineering with community service to develop products that solve a real world need
JLA placed fourth at the VEX East Coast CIJE Middle School Robotics Competition.
Explore our engineering program
JLA's Fabrication Lab is a cutting edge multi-disciplinary design studio, maker space, and engineering lab, where anything a student imagines can be brought to life.
Social Studies
Meet our Humanities Chair
Explore our history program
As part of our Star Summit America program 8th graders take a trip to Washington D.C., Capital Camps, and Pennsylvania.
JLA’s Spanish program blends language learning with cultural exploration for a dynamic, immersive experience.
12th grade philosophy elective explores foundational philosophical concepts such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics.
Explore Morning Joe
English
Open Mic Night turns the library into a lively café-style stage, where students share poetry, music, improv, and more.
Heroes and Heroines provides the foundation for students to become strong English students for the rest of their seven years at JLA.
The Literary Journal offers students the opportunity to express themselves through the creation of original articles, short stories, and poetry.
Newspaper is a middle school course that introduces students to the fundamentals of journalism, including news writing, interviewing, fact-checking, and layout design.
Our English program utilizes student-led Harkness discussions to cultivate independence of thought, textual analysis, and respect for diverse perspectives.
As part of their English curriculum, 9th grade students participated in a powerful interdisciplinary program called Poetry and Remembrance that blended history, art, and creative writing with Jewish history and identity.
We use theme-based learning to develop critical thinking, strong writing skills, and a deeper appreciation of both classical and contemporary literature.
The Arts
JLA’s Viva Arts Festival is a dynamic celebration of student creativity in music, film, dance, and visual arts.
JLA’s film program immerses students in digital filmmaking, from scriptwriting to cinematography and editing.
Our Night of the Arts is a dynamic celebration of student creativity in music, film, dance, and visual arts.
JLA’s high-tech music studio offers performance, recording, and digital music production for aspiring musicians.
With professional recording equipment and digital production tools, JLA’s state-of-the-art music studio brings student music to life.
JLA is proud to offer dance to students through several different channels. Students may opt to take dance, fitness, and yoga in lieu of their PC course.
Judaics
An Immersive Holocaust Education Experience for 12th Grade
Students study and experience the weekly rhythm of Torah knowledge and Jewish Life.
Students become versed in and connected to current events, the weekly Torah portion, and holidays by being immersed in a wide range of learning styles and experiences.
JLA’s upper school students kick off each school year with a transformative month-long experience in Israel.
JLA supports families in creating meaningful and inclusive Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations rooted in tradition and community.
JLA’s immersive Hebrew program builds confidence in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Hebrew through daily exposure and experiential learning.
Physical Conditioning
Mandatory Monday–Thursday fitness for grades 6–12 helps students build lifelong habits, grounded in our belief that a strong mind requires a strong body.
JLA students can take dance, fitness, or yoga in lieu of physical conditioning, or explore dance technique as an arts elective.
Students gain confidence in our fully equipped weight room, learning how to train safely and in ways that support their growth.
JLA’s physical conditioning program builds strength, coordination, and lifelong wellness through sports, training, and movement.
JLA fields Middle School and Upper School competitive boys' and girls' teams in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, flag football, and volleyball.
JLA intramural sports are being offered during Option 9 and provide students with opportunities to engage in physical activity, foster teamwork, and develop lifelong skills in a fun and supportive setting.
Spanish
JLA’s Spanish program blends language learning with cultural exploration for a dynamic, immersive experience.
