Addlestone Hebrew Academy

As the 2025–2026 school year comes to a close, we are proud to share A Year of Learning, Growth, & Connection at Addlestone Hebrew Academy.

From Early Childhood through Middle School, this year-in-review reflects the learning, traditions, milestones, friendships, and Jewish life that filled our campus throughout the year.

Thank you to our students, families, faculty, alumni, and community for being part of another meaningful year at AHA. 💙

View the full Year in Review here: https://simplebooklet.com/25_26_ayearinreview

Paper airplanes flying through the hallways might look like pure fun at first glance, but 4th grade students were actually putting aerodynamics into action. ✈️

As the school year winds down, learning at Addlestone Hebrew Academy is still hands-on, active, and full of energy. Students tested how design changes affected distance, speed, and flight patterns, turning a simple paper airplane into a real science experiment.

These are the kinds of lessons students remember because they can see concepts move right in front of them. STEAM learning at AHA is not confined to a textbook or a worksheet. It shows up in hallways, classrooms, experiments, and moments that make students want to keep testing, adjusting, and trying again.

EC4 students spent weeks watching 12 monarch butterflies grow inside their classroom, studying each stage of the life cycle as the caterpillars slowly transformed. 🦋

Recently, they invited their 2nd grade reading buddies outside to help release the butterflies together. Students carefully held them in their hands, watched them stretch their wings before taking flight, and connected the experience back to everything they had been learning throughout the unit.

What made the experience so meaningful was that the butterfly unit stretched far beyond science. Students observed and documented changes over time, connected their learning through literacy and read-alouds, created butterfly-inspired artwork, and spent weeks building familiarity with the process before the final release day arrived.

The best part was how unhurried the moment felt. Students were given the space to stop, observe, compare what they noticed, and fully take in an experience they had spent weeks learning about together across grade levels.

One of the best parts of middle school at Addlestone is watching students grow comfortable using their voices.

During our recent Middle School Science Fair, students didn’t just display projects. They stood beside their work with confidence, explained their thinking, answered questions, and shared the process behind weeks of research, testing, and problem-solving. With the support of our dedicated STEAM specialist, Mr. Andre, students are encouraged to think creatively, experiment, revise, and take real ownership over their learning throughout the school year.

These kinds of hands-on academic experiences are part of everyday life at Addlestone Hebrew Academy, where strong academics, innovation, and personal growth go hand in hand.