Upper School

Welcome to Upper School (grades 7-12)
To prepare students for lives of meaning and success, Upper School administrators and teachers strive to get students off of auto-pilot.

The Big Ideas

Upper School includes students in grades 7-12. Our policies and practices are guided by our commitment to help students make conscious decisions. We encourage our students to consider ideas, values and consequences as they make decisions. We set up guard rails so that they don’t get too far, but we believe that adolescents should have room to make mistakes and then reflect on lessons learned.

Also directed toward lives of meaning and success, all teachers are thoughtful about the skills of speaking and listening. No matter their future paths, effectively communicating with others is critical. Whether delivering a sound presentation or learning how to respectfully listen and disagree, Upper School students get meaningful practice in these skills.

CTA is a college prep high school, and all students are encouraged and prepared to further their education. Students in grades 10-12 have the opportunity to take AP Courses and exams for college credit, as well as College Credit Plus courses through local colleges and universities. 

High school students are encouraged to consider a gap year in Israel after high school to deepen their Jewish literacy.  A gap year in Israel is a unique opportunity to delve into the theology and philosophy that has guided the Jewish people for over 5,000 years.

Upper School faculty are content experts. We aim to hire teachers with deep knowledge in their subject areas. No matter the curriculum, when it comes to inspiring students, we believe there is no replacement for a passionate, knowledgeable and understanding teacher.

Specifics and Logistics: The School Day

Junior High (Grades 7 & 8)

  • School begins at 8:20am with the morning prayer service (Shacharit)
  • Students have 8 periods/day (4 General Studies, 3 Judaic Studies, and 1 Hebrew Language)
    • General Studies – English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Hebrew Language, Art (1x/week), Physical Education (2x/week), Computer Science (1x/week) (all co-ed except for Phys Ed)
    • Judaic Studies – Chumash (Bible), Gemara (Talmud) or Dinim (Jewish Laws), Jewish History and Nevi’im (Prophets) (single gender).
  • Judaic Studies and Hebrew language classes are 7th/8th grade classes. The change in class composition throughout the day provides some healthy and needed shift in class dynamics.

High School (Grades 9-12)

  • School begins at 8:20 am with the morning prayer service (Shacharit)
  • Students have 9 periods/day (5 General Studies, 3 Judaic Studies and 1 Hebrew Language)
    • General Studies – English, Math, Science, History, Hebrew Language, Computer Science, Art, Gym, Film, Health and other electives (all co-ed except for Phys Ed and Health)
    • Judaic Studies – Chumash (Bible), Gemara (Talmud), Jewish History, Tefilla, Nevi’im (Prophets), Ketuvim, Israel Advocacy, and Jewish Philosophy
  • Judaic studies courses that are text/skills based are single gender (Chumash, Gemara, Nach)

Specifics and Logistics: Co-Curricular Activities

  • Athletics – Dependent upon enrollment, CTA strives to have 4 teams/season.
    • Fall
      • Middle School Boys Soccer
      • Middle School Girls Volleyball
      • High School (Varsity) Boys Soccer
      • High School (Varsity) Girls Volleyball
    • Winter
      • Middle School Boys Basketball
      • Middle School Girls Basketball
      • High School (Varsity) Boys Basketball
      • High School (Varsity) Girls Basketball
    • Spring
      • Middle School Boys Baseball
      • Middle School Girls Softball
      • High School (Varsity) Boys Baseball
      • High School (Varsity) Girls Softball
  • Drama – Dependent upon student interest, the Upper School produces a play.
  • Model United Nations – CTA trains and sends a delegation to Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN)
  • Yearbook – students design and produce a high school yearbook
  • Additional clubs based on student interest

Resources

Recent Posts

Photos 2023-2024

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CTA Facilities Calendar

The Facilities Calendar shows internal use of public spaces and any daily activities that are outside of the normal daily class schedule. To schedule an event or reserve a room, click here or send an email of the event with date(s), time(s) and location to...

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