The BYDS Life

School Community

Our students, faculty, and families learn together, pray together, and play together. We celebrate with each other and support each other in times of need. We love our children; we care about our children – because they are ours.

Rich History

Celebrating 70 years of Jewish Education in Houston, BYDS has been educating young children with the highest academic standards along with an inspiring Judaic program that has had a lasting impact on over a thousand graduates who now assume prominent roles of leadership and accomplishment.

Sense of Identity

Although the school is aligned with Conservative Judaism, we respect and welcome families of all levels of observance. Religious observance is egalitarian. This allows our students to develop a strong, positive, and individual Jewish identity, and it prepares them to live as committed, knowledgeable Jews and as full citizens of the world.

Integrated Jewish Values

Your child will be surrounded by a caring community that demonstrates concern for its members and as people throughout the world. From the “Mensch of the Month” awards for exemplary individual citizenship to school-wide tzedakah projects, to community service projects, your child and your family will have many opportunities to model strong values.

Rigorous Dual Curriculum

Here, what’s best for children drives the curriculum—not tests. The beauty of, in addition to small class sizes and a passionate collection of teachers who care about teaching (and teaching Jewishly), is that we are raising students who are not afraid to question. It’s where bright students learn to tap into their curiosity and search for answers, rather than memorize them.

6. Our Teachers

Our skilled educators are passionate about what they do and committed to the success of each child. They are empowered to teach, and intimate classrooms are places of joy, exploration, and respect for one another. They work thoughtfully and collaboratively to address the varied needs of their students and become fluent in differentiated instruction, appreciating the multiple intelligences and learning styles of their students.

7. Our Graduates

Our alumni leave BYDS as proud, confident adolescents that are comfortable in diverse middle schools, successful in and out of the classroom, and prepared to meet the challenges of college and adulthood.

8. After Graduation

Our alumni’s track record for getting into top middle schools, high schools, and colleges speaks for itself. 95% of our graduates are accepted into one of their top-choice middle schools. And they welcome our graduates, not just for their academic strength but also for their sense of purpose, community, and activism.

9. Class Sizes

This is one of many factors to consider when choosing or evaluating a school. Our classes typically have 12-14 students. Class sizes with less than 17 children can greatly benefit development, especially in reading and mathematics. The lower student to teacher ratio also helps draw young children out of their shell and grow in confidence.

10. Music Program

BYDS instills an appreciation and understanding of different styles of music. Each grade level leads a beautiful Shabbat service. The children also perform in our annual Thanksgiving and Elementary Spring Showcase programs and other special events throughout the year. Musical theory and basic note reading are introduced in the 3s. 2nd-5th grade students may join the BYDS choir.

11. BYDS Life Skills

While at the very core of our lessons are academic standards, we are a school community – a small, but mighty village of children interacting on a daily basis. This calls for an entirely different set of lessons – the lessons of life. Within the curriculum, we have built in the BYDS Life Skills that focus on Respect, Cooperation, Gratitude, Integrity, and Responsibility.

12. Accreditation

BYDS is a member of and accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). ISAS promotes the highest professional and ethical standards of educational excellence for Southwest independent schools.

13. Educational Orgranizations

BYDS holds memberships with: National Association of Independent Schools, Houston Area Independent Schools, Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, No Place for Hate, and Texas Private Schools.

14. Student Services

The Student Services Team is one of the important ways Beth Yeshurun ensures that all our students receive accurate and successful educational support. We review student progress, study student reports presented by educational diagnosticians, and determine the appropriate actions that will be put into place for each student. We don’t teach to the test: we use the data from the test to help guide students to be better prepared readers and writers.

15. BYDS is a Place

where curiosity rules. Where children learn to honor timeless traditions and think for themselves. Where they are encouraged to ask bold questions, confront paradox and discover new connections. Welcome to a place that links heritage and history and students yearn to engage the world.

16. Affording BYDS

For most families, investing in their child’s education requires careful financial planning. We recognize the financial investment in a BYDS education may be a significant expense for many families. Qualified students should not be deterred from applying to BYDS for financial reasons.

17. After School Activities (ASA)

Our After School Activities program is geared for students and parents who desire more activity outside school hours. From athletic endeavors to academic achievements, ASAs provides your child with numerous outlets to express their energy, creativity, and natural gifts to become innovators and creative thinkers.

18. Specialty Programming

At BYDS, students experience a minimum of six hours weekly exploring music, art, Spanish, library and physical growth and development. These programs provide students with additional opportunities to lead, imagine, create, and shine during the school day. All specialist courses support and enhance the core curricular lessons taught at each grade level, and in each grade, they integrate with core instruction for certain major projects.