Frequently Asked Questions

A: Shalhevet High School, located in Los Angeles California, has partnered with the

Scottsdale Jewish community to provide a Jewish High School experience for students

in Scottsdale. Nishmat Adin Shalhevet Scottsdale is now accepting applications for

incoming 9th, 10th and 11th graders to come together in Scottsdale and benefit from the

product Shalhevet High School has to offer. With the guidance of on-site teachers, who will also function as academic and student support coordinators, and the investment in top-of-the-line education technology, Shalhevet Scottsdale students will join the rigorous courses Shalhevet has to offer. The partnership will also stress the importance of integrating the two campuses socially with trips to the LA campus throughout the school year.

A: Shalhevet has invested heavily in making the remote learning experience as

interactive as possible. With a strong focus on the social experience, Shalhevet

Scottsdale students will come together in classrooms on a campus (with the guidance

from on-site teachers, serving as both teachers and academic facilitators). While most courses will include remote learning, the in-person facilitators and OWL technology will create a more engaging environment than remote school alone.  Local teachers will also serve as primary teachers on occasion, and over time, as more local faculty are added, this proportion will increase.  They will also be focusing on experiential learning, to provide a balance of learning formats.  The students will be able to participate in extra- curricular activities remotely with their LA counterparts when feasible and will also have the option to develop additional clubs locally if of interest. Finally, regular roughly monthly trips to LA will further foster social connections with their peers and enhance the overall academic experience.

A: Nishmat Adin has chosen not to utilize labels in its description of its Halachic standards, and instead focuses on concepts.  The idea behind this decision is to create an environment in which people of many backgrounds can feel welcome and at home.  At the same time, Halachic standards are maintained and adhered to in the everyday religious decision making for the school.  This includes kosher food at all school events, calendars and programming that do not conflict with or violate Sabbath and Jewish holidays, among many other decisions. School religious decision making is under the authority of Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, who is a member of AIPAC's National Council and a member of the Vaad Harabanim, the Orthodox Rabbinic Council of Arizona.  

A: We imagine the Scottsdale students to travel approximately once a month, 3-5 days

at a time. The trips will involve academic and social experiences, and lodging and

accommodations may depend on enrollment.  Students who can't participate in the trips

will need to have specific approval.

A:  Nishmat Adin Shalhevet Scottsdale is currently located at the Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale.

A: Please see our home page with instructions on how to apply.  Also note that our $100 application fee is being waived through December 21st.

A: Our tuition schedule includes the cost of tuition and travel costs.  Thank you to our amazing, visionary supporters, who have helped make student scholarships possible.

We are also working with student tuition organizations to help create long-term financial relationships that will make a Nishmat Adin education accessible to all.  To help support Jewish education in Arizona by taking a tax credit through Valley Tuition Organization, please visit: https://valleytuitionorganization.org/donate/ and recommend Nishmat Adin - Shalhevet Scottsdale.

A:  At this time, a full partnership makes the most sense for our students and

community.  As we assess the arrangement, our school continues to grow, and our community continues to develop, we will consider how to transition more and more programming/classes on site in Scottsdale.  Even as we expect to build more and more within Scottsdale, we plan to

maintain a relationship, for the academic and social benefit of both Scottsdale and Shalhevet students.

A:  Like many other independent schools across the country, Shalhevet's

independently-designed, advanced courses focus on critical thinking, conceptual

understanding, and student engagement with the material. These innovative courses

(aptly named "Shalhevet Advanced Studies" - or SAS) allow Shalhevet to offer a more

diverse and interdisciplinary portfolio of rigorous courses, while allowing students and

teachers to explore subject matter in great depth. We do not offer AP courses in the

traditional sense (other than calculus), as we find it limits the teacher’s ability to design the curriculum in the manner they deem most beneficial to learning. Our students still have the option to sit for the Advanced Placement exams in a variety of subjects. The awarding of college

credit varies on a college-by-college basis no matter the high school the student attends

or the advanced curriculum the school offers.

A: We have students at all different academic levels. Whether you come from a more

"yeshivish" background or a more "traditional" background, students are respected and

celebrated fully.  For those interested, Shalhevet offers an Advanced Gemara Tract.

A:  Shalhevet accepts a variety of students in Los Angeles and has developed different

programs to meet their needs, including for students with minimal or no Hebrew/Judaic

background.  Our students in Scottsdale will benefit from these programs and

resources.

A:  Academic coordinators ensure that each student is benefiting the most from the educational experience and advancing in her/his learning.  Our teachers have served in prior teaching roles and are skilled at classroom management and able to teach independently as well. They have extensive knowledge of the Shalhevet curriculum and atmosphere.  They work closely with student support services and are advocates for the student experience.