Admissions Brochure 2022

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Since the beginning, Rochelle Zell has earned a national reputation for its commitment to academic excellence. Every year, more Chicago-area families are discovering how Rochelle Zell’s outstanding faculty, integrated general and Judaic studies curriculum, vibrant community and rich student life provide Jewish high school students with a unique opportunity to achieve their full potential.

We pride ourselves on the warmth of our community, the close relationships between teachers and students, and our commitment to the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical growth of each student. The individual journeys of our students are personal ones, to be sure, yet they are framed by the cumulative wisdom and experience of our Jewish traditions and values. Students at Rochelle Zell do not merely absorb the wisdom of others; they acquire their own wisdom. As our students work to define their faith, their identities, their connection to communities of purpose and their place in the world, they construct personal blueprints for living Judaism as responsible and involved citizens in the modern world.

I look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Sincerely, Tony Frank

Head of School

Our Mission

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Our mission is to create a culture of academic excellence that inspires and prepares our students to think critically, achieve their full potential, and live Judaism as responsible and involved citizens in the modern world.

Thank you for your interest in Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. We know that choosing a high school can be one of the most exciting and challenging decisions you make and we are committed to guiding and supporting you throughout the process.

We encourage you to experience Rochelle Zell by taking a tour, having your student shadow for a day, attending our admissions events, and attending athletic games and performing arts productions.

Welcome to RZJHS! Please reach out with any questions!

Sincerely, Riv Lynch

Director

of Admissions

Academic Excellence

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is a college preparatory program that combines a rigorous general studies education with a comprehensive Jewish studies education. Subject areas are integrated to enable students to develop their critical thinking skills and experience the secular world from the perspective of Jewish values and practices.

Rochelle Zell integrates the Jewish Studies curriculum with the sciences, humanities, and the arts. The learning environment emphasizes creativity and critical thinking and the ability to question is encouraged. We focus on developing the critical thinking skills that are necessary to excel in all areas of study – from the arts and humanities to the analysis of Talmud. Classes provide the tools to access the best of secular and Jewish knowledge and culture and integrate them into productive and meaningful lifestyles.

Students take General Studies classes with their grade-level peers. Rochelle Zell Jewish High School makes Talmud and Torah studies accessible to all students, whether students have previous experience at a Jewish day school or come to us from public school. Jewish Studies classes are tracked by Hebrew language level and ability to interpret texts.

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School prides itself on its distinguished faculty and selects educators who are among the finest in their respective fields. As full partners in the learning process, teachers and students communicate regularly inside and outside the classroom.

Teachers at Rochelle Zell come to know their students as multi-dimensional human beings. The close relationships that form between them contribute to students’ confidence in their abilities to advocate for themselves and for others, in college and beyond.

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Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

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Creative Thinkers

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is committed to providing students with a comprehensive and well-rounded high school experience, and our Arts & Electives program is an integral part of the school’s philosophy and curriculum. Our faculty members are trained professionals who strive to further students’ passion for the arts, help them realize their full potential and cultivate an appreciation for the talents of their peers.

Highlights

• Rochelle Zell Model UN has received the National High School Model UN Conference’s Top Team Award for eight consecutive years at the conference, attended by over 5000 high school students.

• Rochelle Zell musicians and vocalists are members of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, an international music honor society for high school students.

• Rochelle Zell’s yearbook has been named a Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence.

• We offer eight Arts & Electives courses, ranging from AP Computer Science to Debate to Studio Art.

Jewish in the Modern World

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School students become confident navigating the complexity of what it means to be Jewish in the modern world. We provide students with the knowledge, skills, and leadership opportunities they need to participate fully in Jewish life as passionate and committed Jews. Students develop love for Jewish study and Jewish life.

Students and their families represent a wide spectrum of Jewish observance. While religious practices vary among the student body, Rochelle Zell works hard to ensure that students welcome and respect each other’s levels of observance.

Rochelle Zell inspires a reverence for and critical understanding of Torah. The rich Jewish studies curriculum includes classes in Talmud, Tanach, Jewish thought and Jewish history. Daily tefillah provides students with an opportunity to serve as shelichei tzibur (prayer leaders), to offer divrei Torah (brief discourses on the Torah), and to develop a personal relationship with prayer.

Our calendar is built around the rhythm of Jewish life and the school year revolves around the Jewish calendar. Throughout the course of the year, students and faculty observe religious celebrations as a community so that students learn to approach life with a love and reverence for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. Kashrut is observed throughout the school and at all school events so that students may observe Jewish law and life fully. Athletic programs and extra-curricular activities never conflict with Shabbat or Jewish holidays.

Rochelle Zell is committed to preserving God’s world and making it a more just and peaceful place through individual and collective commitment to programs of justice and service. The school and its students strive to be a positive force in the Chicagoland area and beyond. Students initiate and participate in numerous tzedekah programs and chesed activities throughout the school year.

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RabbiZacharySilver, RavBeit Sefer& DirectorofJewishStudies

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Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Trips & Shabbatonim

Building community around Jewish education serves as a cornerstone of our school. We offer Shabbatonim (retreats over Shabbat) and overnight trips, giving our students an opportunity to come together in community.

The Freshmen Shabbaton provides an opportunity for connection and bonding as a class. Seniors serve as mentors, fostering community and bringing our newest students into the fullness of our school.

Our Juniors travel to New York for a three-day trip where they explore core institutions to learn about American Jewish immigration, Jewish life in New York, and the events of 9/11 and its continued legacy in America.

A favorite for students is ourAll-School Shabbaton where we gather as a school community and celebrate the school, Jewish life, and the ability to have fun and be teenagers.

Senior Israel Experience

The Rochelle Zell Senior Israel Experience is the capstone of a student’s Jewish education. Rochelle Zell empowers our students to understand their unique place in the world. Developing a strong and sophisticated love and commitment to Israel is central to our school’s mission. Each year, students return from our Senior Israel Experience and report that the trip was different than any other experience in Israel that they previously had, one that both complements their experiences and education at RZJHS and bonds the class.

In the fall, students study History of Israel. Additionally, there is a seminar following the trip to bridge the experiences in Israel with those that students will experience on American campuses. The Senior Israel Experience is designed in conjunction with our educational partner in Israel, Ramah Israel, to meet the unique educational needs of our students. They provide young Israeli counselors who forge a special bond with our students and experienced tour guides who understand our students’ unique background. This educational partnership bridges the strengths and vision of the Israeli and American Jewish communities.

Student Life

Student life at Rochelle Zell is full of spirit and a tremendous sense of community. There are numerous opportunities for students to get involved socially through extracurricular activities, clubs, athletics, and leadership programs both in school and in the Jewish community. Students also have the opportunity to have fun at Homecoming, Prom, and other social events throughout the year.

A Student Activities Fair takes place every fall, where students are introduced to all of the opportunities they have to engage with the community. RZJHS offers over 30 student clubs in many areas including academic, community service, leadership, physical and artistic interests, and social justice. Students are also encouraged to engage in the club creation process when they discover new ways to enhance student life.

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is committed to ensuring human dignity and crafting a just society and our students work toward tikkun olam (repairing the world) in a variety of ways. Student led clubs including Ark&Co, Chesed, DEAP (direct service, education, advocacy and philanthropy in domestic issues), Keshet, Mental Wellness, and STAND (global human rights) increase awareness, raise funds, and serve our greater community.

A central question of high school is “Who am I?” Both inside and outside of the classroom, Rochelle Zell helps students engage with this question as a Jew, an American, and as a global citizen. Students do so in a learning community, where every student voice matters and is valued.

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Student Services

Our Student Services Team provides support for students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being so that they may thrive in high school and beyond. Members of the Student Services Team meet weekly to discuss students’ successes and areas of growth and strategize around supports and interventions.

Our Learning Specialists are a vital resource for students with identified learning, emotional, and medical disabilities or challenges. Their primary role is to support students with their specific learning needs in addition to their accommodations and service plans. The Learning Specialists create all formal learning plans based on documentation from medical doctors, neuropsychological evaluations, and previous service plans (IEPs, Section 504s, etc.). Our Learning Specialists are also responsible for ensuring that student service plans are provided to faculty and implemented appropriately in the classroom. They also meet with all students who have service plans to ensure that they are aware of their service plans, the learning differences identified in the plans, and the accommodations to which they are entitled. By establishing relationships with students, the Learning Specialists ensure that students on service plans are using their accommodations. This also provides the Learning Specialists with an opportunity to assist students with executive functioning and study skills.

The School Counselor and Social Worker collaborate closely in providing social and emotional support to students. The School Counselor is a daily resource for students’ needs related to their social and emotional well-being. Students visit with the School Counselor to receive advice and counsel on any social, emotional, or personal matters with which they are struggling. When students need more targeted interventions and intensive support, they are referred to the Social Worker. In this capacity, both the School Counselor and Social Worker serve as advocates for the students and liaisons between the school, home, and any outside therapeutic support.

Finally, RZJHS offers an Advisory Program whose goal is to provide a safe space for students to engage with programming that fosters students’ social and emotional growth and prepares them for living healthy, balanced, and responsible lives. We partner with outside organizations to arrange speakers, workshops, and other events to educate about a wide variety of topics, including: drug and alcohol awareness, vaping, social aggression (bullying/ cyberbullying), managing stress and anxiety, forming consensual and safe friendships/relationships, LGBTQ education, and more. Programming is tailored to and modified for each grade level.

Athletics

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School’s athletics program emphasizes the importance of good character, citizenship, sportsmanship, life skills and a healthy lifestyle. Our program teaches the values of integrity, respect, a strong work ethic and teamwork while giving students of all ability levels an opportunity to participate in high school athletics.

Participation in athletics is an integral aspect of the overall Rochelle Zell Jewish High School experience. Studentathletes are challenged to strive for excellence, learn self-discipline and attain a strong work ethic that help them succeed in athletics, in the classroom and in the community.

Rochelle Zell is a member school of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and a member of the Chicago Prep Conference (CPC).

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Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Interscholastic

Fall Boys Cross Country Girls Cross Country Golf Boys Soccer Girls Tennis Girls Volleyball

Winter Boys Basketball Girls Basketball

Spring Baseball Girls Soccer Boys Tennis Boys Track & Field Girls Track & Field Boys Volleyball

College and Beyond

A primary goal at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is to enable students to develop the attitudes, skills and work habits necessary to excel in college and beyond. The college counseling program has evolved to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population while continuing to adhere to the mission of the school. The overriding goal is for each student to graduate with a satisfying post-high school plan; the college counseling department believes that post-high school counseling is a developmental process that must allow for individual differences and expectations.

We offer a comprehensive and systematic approach to post-secondary planning, beginning early in the high school years, and culminating with a thoughtful, well-chosen plan for college, military service and/or career.

The college-counseling program is staffed by three counselors with broad-based knowledge, considerable experience in the field, and strong connections to colleges and universities. While their primary focus is the individual student, the counselors participate in all aspects of the program at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. They are actively engaged with other college-counseling professionals in the area, as well as with college admission personnel across the United States.

The College Counseling Department is a source of information and personal guidance geared toward ensuring that each graduate has an appropriate, meaningful plan for after graduation. Such guidance is not limited to college planning, as many of our students wish to pursue “gap years” in Israel, the U.S., or other international locations. Each year, approximately 75 college representatives visit the Rochelle Zell Jewish High School campus.

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Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Grandparents & Special Friends

Grandparents and Special Friends are an integral part of your student’s development. By joining the Grandparent and Special Friends Association, they can help Rochelle Zell Jewish High School fund special programs and activities throughout the year. They will also be invited to our wonderful special events including Grandparents Meet and Greet in the fall and Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring.

Alumni

From college, graduate schools, the business world, non-profit organizations and the IDF to our very own RZJHS board members and faculty, our alumni continue to tackle the new challenges they face as independent young adults. We are proud of our 600+ alumni and keep in frequent contact with them. They visit the school often to see former teachers, speak to current classes, and to give their younger siblings rides home.

Even after a student graduates, their families are still a part of our community! We invite our Alumni Parents to keep in touch and join us at the many opportunities we offer each year, such as Adult Education.

Parent Organization

Our Parent Organization is active throughout the year, planning social events and adult education. We are always looking for parent volunteers to help us celebrate student birthdays, serve lunch at our festive Chanukah meal, show our staff appreciation, and more!

Transportation

Metra

RZJHS students who live in Chicago and other North Shore towns to our south take the Union Pacific North line to the Braeside station in Highland Park, where they are met by a shuttle that takes them to RZJHS. Note that full time students can purchase a reduced One-Way, 10-Ride or Monthly Pass. RZJHS provides ID cards for students. More information on times and fares can be found at www.metrarail.com

The CJE Shalom Bus

We partner with our neighbors at CJE SeniorLife to provide the CJE Shalom Bus which provides service daily between Braeside in Highland Park and RZJHS for our students who use the Metra Union Pacific North train. We offer both a bus after school as well as a late bus for students who participate in sports.

PACE Bus

PACE bus #626 travels from the Skokie Swift to RZJHS and back, with two quick stops on the way.

Carpool

Many of the RZJHS Students drive or carpool. Parking passes are issued to students to park in our lot.

Ed Tech

RZJHS offers students, staff, and faculty a range of technologies designed to support excellence in teaching and learning. Classroom technology includes interactive SMART Boards and document cameras. In 2020 we opened the Schechter/Bernat Family Innovation Lab which supports our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) elective by providing flexible space for students to work and specialized equipment, such as 3D printers and cutting machines.

To offer more personalized student-centered learning, RZJHS students are encouraged to bring their own device for educational use under the direction of a teacher or administrator. Laptops are preferred as they support software that may be required at all levels. Chromebooks, Android Tablets and Apple iPads are light and portable and may work in certain situations but are limited in functionality.

Students and families have access to numerous resources to continue and support learning off campus:

Office 365: Students receive school email accounts in addition to multiple downloads of the full Microsoft Office Suite for use on personal devices.

Google Apps for Education: Google education accounts provide additional resources to students beyond Drive, Docs, and Sheets.

Canvas: Course sites are accessible to students on Canvas. Parents may also create an account to view course and activity sites.

PowerSchool: Our school database allows for attendance and grade tracking 24/7. Parents may also sign-up to have weekly or monthly grade reports sent via email.

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

Dedicated to Affordability

We are proud to offer personalized approaches to help families manage tuition. Our goal is to ensure that every qualified student has the opportunity to attend Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.

Currently, we provide tuition assistance to over 50% of our student body. Need-based scholarships can range from $1,000 to full tuition. Tuition assistance awarded in the first year of attendance will be consistent throughout the student’s tenure at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School unless there is a notable change in the family’s financial circumstances.

Tuition Assistance is primarily determined based on family income and assets. Other factors that are considered are family size, certain expenses, allowable debts, number of children attending tuition-charging schools and colleges, and costs associated with synagogue membership and Jewish summer camp. Applying for tuition assistance does not influence admission decisions. Individual tuition assistance awards are held in the strictest confidence.

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School admits students of any race, color, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ethnic origin and grants them the rights, and offers them privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to all students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, sexual identity, gender identity, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletics or other school administered programs. Guidelines of the Conservative Movement are observed.

How

to

Apply for Tuition Assistance

Tuition Assistance Applications will be available online at the beginning of October and are due January 17, 2023.

Completing this easily accessible application allows each family to request assistance based on individual needs. Go to www.rzjhs.org and click on the Admissions tab.

Other Ways of Reducing Your Tuition

• Applications submitted prior to December 15th will automatically receive a first year tuition credit of $250 plus an additional first year tuition credit of $250 if the student enrolls prior to the March 31 deadline.

• Submit your b’nai mitzvah $250 certificate. We offer these certificates to synagogues. If your synagogue did not give you a certificate, speak with them about participating in our program.

• Reach out to your rabbi or synagogue for information on additional scholarships.

Join the Rochelle Zell Family Today!

We are accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year! To access applications, forms, and more, visit our website or email Riv Lynch, Director of Admissions. To subscribe to our Admissions newsletter to make sure you receive the most up-to-date information about Admissions events and details, please email Riv Lynch, Director of Admissions, at admissions@rzjhs.org.

A partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community. Affiliated with Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools and LMAIS: Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools. Rochelle Zell is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).