Welcome from Michael Kay, Head of School
Welcome to Solomon Schechter School of Westchester! We are an independent, coeducational, K-12 Jewish day school, serving the full breadth of the Jewish community in Westchester County and throughout the Tri-State area.
Set on two expansive, beautifully landscaped campuses, Schechter Westchester provides students with a rigorous academic program and a broad array of extracurricular opportunities, situated within a dynamic, nurturing community. The members of our faculty represent a wide range of backgrounds and approaches but share the common goal of cultivating an inspirational learning environment that meets the needs of each student. Our curriculum is both modern and timeless, emphasizing such crucial twenty-first-century skills as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and engagement with diversity while resting on a foundation of classical Jewish values.
Schechter Westchester offers the best in independent-school education, encouraging students to discover and pursue their passions. We take pride in not asking families to compromise on their educational priorities: academic excellence is supplemented with robust opportunities in competitive athletics and the arts, and the vibrant Jewish life program ensures that learning is constantly infused with joy and celebration. Our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) program has been enhanced in all three divisions, and it now includes computer-science enrichment programs, a robotics team, and the “Idea Incubator” engineering/fabrication lab in the Upper School. Students receive individual attention both inside and outside the classroom, beginning in kindergarten and extending through our personalized college counseling process. The twelth-grade year is highlighted by our extraordinary capstone program, the Lev v’Nefesh trip to Poland and Israel.
Schechter Westchester graduates represent the next generation of leadership for the Jewish community, the United States, and the world; they leave our school exceptionally well prepared to succeed in these roles and meet these challenges.
I invite you to explore our website and learn more about our Lower School, Middle School, and High School divisions. In particular, I draw your attention to our recently-enhanced AKIVA program, which provides a tailored learning experience for students who enter Schechter Westchester without having previously attended a Jewish day school.
Whether you are new to the Schechter Westchester community; a longtime friend, supporter, or student; or a proud alumnus, I look forward to welcoming you.
Musings by Dr. Kay:
Articles and Presentations
We invite you to read and watch Schechter Westchester's Head of School Dr. Michael Kay on a range of topics.
Reflections from the Schoolhouse: How Can Schools Most Effectively Use Reverse Role Modeling?, Jewish Link, May 10, 2018
2017-2018 State of the School Address, delivered December 18, 2017
Beyond Academic Excellence: Establishing Competitive Advantage in a Challenging Market, Gleanings, November 2017
TOM Makeathon Reflects Commitment to Innovation and Excellence, Jewish Link, September 14, 2017
The Importance of Individualized Identities, eJewishPhilanthropy.org, July 27, 2016
The Paradox of Pluralism: Diversity as the Foundation of Community, JDOV talk with UJA-Federation of NY, September 2014
Threefold Pluralism: A Strategy for Building “Hybrid” School Community, HaYidion, Winter 2009
Michael A. Kay holds an undergraduate degree in Religion and History from Harvard University (2001) and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Jewish Studies from New York University (2009), where he wrote his dissertation on leadership and community building in pluralistic Jewish high schools.
He completed a seven-year tenure at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS) in Rockville, MD, where he served as Upper School Principal, Upper School Director of Judaic Studies, and a teacher of Bible and Jewish History. Prior to joining CESJDS, Michael taught at the New Atlanta Jewish Community High School (now the Weber School) and served as Director of Camp Givah, a Jewish summer camp in upstate New York. In addition, he has extensive experience in adult Jewish education in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Michael is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Day School Leadership Training Institute, and he is a recipient of the Young Scholar Award from the Network for Research in Jewish Education. He and his wife Rachel have two children.
AboutWe are a school with passionate educators dedicated to bringing academic excellence and a love of Jewish knowledge and life to students from grades K to 12. |
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AdmissionsWe invite you to discover the rich array of our academic program and learn about our warm, nurturing community. |
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AcademicsWith our rigorous integrated curriculum, we offer a K-12 educational experience that rivals the top public and independent schools in the region. |
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Athletics
Regarded as one of the top athletic programs in the state, our high school and middle school teams participate in the New York State Public High School Athletics Association League. |
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On Campus
SW provides our faculty, students and their families with the joy of shared experiences and a multitude of events and programming throughout the calendar year. |
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GivingSupport our school that serves as the preserve of academic excellence and established home to Jewish traditions and ideals, and guarantees the values that shape the lives of our students and their families for generations to come. |
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