Gottesman Rtw Academy

Coming from the public school for Kindergarten and First grade, we decided that our daughter needed a better school. She began at GRTWA in September and we couldn't be happier. The small classroom size allows her to get the attention she needs, and she is thriving socially as well as academically. Dr. Bahar, Moshe Vaknin, the administration team and all the teachers have been so warm, receptive and incredibly helpful in understanding our daughter's needs and have such an enriched curriculm that she wouldn't have received at her old school. They truly care about her success and it shows. Our daughter comes home happy and loves to go to school. Even through these trying times with COVID, the families have welcomed us into their community and we feel as if we have been part of the school for years. We highly recommend GRTWA!

As a public school teacher, I can't imagine choosing a better place for my child. Watching my kindergartener grow has been unbelievable. He is the youngest in his class and has developed an amazing number sense during math. The math program used is wonderful. It teaches students how to think about numbers, at a very young age. My son recognizes his sight words through the most thoughtful and child-centered instruction. He is so excited about learning! As a parent, I am thrilled with the communication and support. Each week, we receive detailed and informative emails. If I have a question, they answer it with a thoughtful response. At this school, you feel the sense of community! My son loves all the positive interactions with older students. The attention to each student, the community and academic progress is incomparable!

It has been such a joy to watch my twins grow and develop in the Early Childhood Center. They get individualized attention from all the wonderful staff and have great programs and activities to excite and challenge them. They have really come out of their shells ever since they started at Gottesman and seems like they are reaching new milestones with every week they spend at school.

Both of my children attend ECC (Preschool). We are so happy with our experience this year. The structure of academics is truly impressive. They have total integration of general studies with Judaic ones. There are several programs for art, science, and sports. As a parent, I am part of a community of people who share the same beliefs and interests, and it makes the experience of my children's education a dynamic one. You can be as involved as you want to be with your child's progress at the school. GRTWA has welcomed my family with open arms since the first day we started.

Gottesman is an incredible place - it is the best of everything. It has provided my children with an excellent education and has taught them how to be good people. The atmosphere is warm & welcoming, the teachers, staff and faculty are hands-on and nurturing. They really know your child.

We have had our two children (ages 9 and 13) at GRTWA since they were two years old. It is a warm and welcoming environment with a top-notch and highly responsive staff. Our children have positively bloomed there under their guidance. Teacher excellence is a top priority and it shows. Highly recommended.

Academically, our kids (6 & 7 grades) are ahead of their public school friends (specifically in maths) as part of a challenging curriculum including second language (Hebrew). They are infused with the values of Judaism - debate, question, listen, research, explore and respect your fellow man. They are comfortable presenting ideas in public. The school is warm, it is a community and it is infusing the children with love for their country and for Israel.

This school is a gem. Academically, my kids are challenged, engaged and learning at a level that is a great foundation for their future. The school is very much like a family, and I am not the type of person who says that without an excellent basis. In each of my 3 kids' classes, each child and parent that I have seen are great role models and quality people. Even if you are on the fence about this school or about affordability or really anything at all, I would encourage you to visit the school and see what it's like and you will no doubt leaving the building being impressed with the staff, children and your overall experience. And you should know, the experience you had is just the tip of the iceberg...

My wife and I are products of NJ public schools. When we decided to enroll our oldest child at GOTTESMAN for kindergarten we never anticipated that he`d stay more than a year. He stayed, two kids followed and all 3 graduated and are now at Northeastern U, Elon U and Morristown H.S, respectively. You might be thinking that with great (and free) public schools available why would it make sense to pay private school tuition? If I told you the answer was clear, I`d be lying. Concerned about saving for college, we once seriously considered taking our kids out of GOTTESMAN and putting them into public school. We chose to keep them at GOTTESMAN. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I want readers to also understand the value proposition of a Jewish day school education but not just any ordinary Jewish day school. While the orthodox and conservative movements define Jewish status through matrilineal descent, GOTTESMAN`s admissions policy accepts students who are considered Jewish according to the standards of any of the four major denominations. The children of families, where only the father is Jewish, are welcomed. The secular non-Judaic learning is outstanding. The school won the national Blue Ribbon Award for Academic Excellence from the U.S. Dept. of Ed. The school is also accredited by the NJAIS from which the most elite private schools in the state also seek accredidation. The general studies curriculum comprises about 60% of the school day and the balance of forty percent is dedicated to Jewish studies and Hebrew language. Numerous studies have shown that intensive second language instruction in the early childhood and primary grades leads to the development of enhanced analytical skills used in other areas of study, in high school, college and beyond. The curriculum at GOTTESMAN is also integrated so secular topics are animated through Jewish themes. Once, a 6th-grade solar system project coincided with the occasion when the sun completes a 28 year cycle returning, according to Jewish tradition, to the place it appeared when the world was created. What might have been a fairly mundane science lesson became a richly memorable experience when the students gathered beneath the sun light to recite a special Jewish blessing. The tie-in to Jewish teachings for other secular subjects (e.g., the civil rights movement) both frames and elevates them in a way that is impossible in a public school context. GREAT SCHOOL AND COMMUNAL GEM!

GRTWA is warm, nurturing, and inclusive. I am incredibly happy that my child is receiving a stellar education in an environment that feels like family.

As a public school teacher, choosing to send my daughter to a private school was a difficult one, but I have no regrets. There is so much to love about GRTW: the beautiful new "green" building which is so bright and airy, the strong sense of school community, the incredible child-centered (not standardized test-centered) education of general and Judaic studies, and of course, the amazing staff. One visit to this school and you will be amazed. GRTW is a special place and I'm so glad my family is a part of it.

This school is a wonderful combination of strong academics, Jewish culture, and a nurturing environment. Since the school is 50 years old, you see generations of families attending and then returning with their children and grandchildren. There is a lot of love that goes into teaching and helping to develop the children into fine young Jewish citizen.

Gottesman RTW Academy has an environment of caring, learning and good deeds. The staff became my children's family away from home and trusted role models in their lives. Just set into the new state of the art building and you will feel welcomed and comfortable!