Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island

Inspiring Creativity, Developing Character, Embracing Community

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Why Give?

At JCDSRI and ALL other independent schools, tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating our students. What makes up the difference? Mainly, income generated from gifts to the Annual Fund and grants. Each year, parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends of the school are asked to contribute to the Annual Fund. These gifts provide a dependable and necessary source of financial operating support for the school. The Annual Fund supports the school’s greatest needs and priorities and helps maintain our standards of excellence.

Gifts to the Annual Fund help JCDSRI to maintain a supportive academic community that offers:

  • a rigorous, balanced curriculum in both general and Judaic studies
  • small class sizes and individualized attention for every student
  • a creative music and art program
  • varied classroom supplies available to all students
  • an always-expanding library
  • outreach and volunteer activities that enrich the lives of our students and the larger community

Giving to JCDSRI is an act of faith – faith in our school, faith in our religious tradition of tzedakah, and faith in our students. This tradition of philanthropy supports our mission and helps make a Jewish Day School education possible for all of our families. The Annual Fund sustains many of the qualities that parents value most about our school: a warm, nurturing environment for our children; a strong foundation in Jewish history that fosters a sense of cultural identity; and individual attention from a dedicated and well-educated faculty who truly enjoy teaching.

JCDSRI is a valuable asset to the Rhode Island and southeastern New England communities. Jewish Day Schools attract many young professional families, including medical professionals, professors, and religious leaders. Our school keeps not only the Jewish community, but also the larger community, strong and vibrant. A gift to the Annual Fund is a vote of confidence in the value of a Jewish Day School education.

Parents say..

JCDSRI is a gift to the local community, and I urge all parents in Rhode Island (and beyond!) to visit the school to discover the magic for themselves.  The school’s educators have a special ability to bring out a child’s true potential by fostering values and skills that are critical for success in today’s world.  Moreover, the school welcomes families from so many different Jewish backgrounds and has a unique ability to make everyone feel accepted.  Each student develops their own sen…
Adriane SchoenParent
My son has been loving this school—he seems challenged, cared for, and stimulated. Every morning he runs to get to school sooner. The teachers are wonderful and communicative, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the facilities are quite nice. We are very secular, and feel included in a welcoming Jewish community without pressure on us to be different than we are. A wonderful school that embraces diversity and makes it work!
Julia RivinPast Parent
JCDS both nurtures & challenges my kids! I love that they take the time to treat each child individually & have progressive academic programs in two languages. I am so happy that our kids genuinely love going to this school & are “hooked on learning” for life!
Kristin RoslerAssistant Professor, Johnson & Wales University
Our son started at JCDSRI this year and we could not be happier. The strong academic foundation he is getting is only the start; more fundamentally, he is learning that school is a place where his instinctive love for learning and curiosity is continued and furthered. The school truly focuses on the “whole child;” emotional intelligence is fostered just as much as are academic skills. Most impressively, core values such as empathy and gratitude are not just paid lip service: instead, they are wo…
Annie CookAssistant Professor, Johnson & Wales University
Thank you for all that you are doing. Thank you for fostering our son’s imagination, his confidence, his self-esteem and so much more! Thank you for helping him grow into a kind and awesome kid. Thank you for doing it with patience, creativity, love, high fives and smiles. I think you have one of the hardest jobs in the world, and you make it look so easy.
Barbara EnglerParent
JCDS has provided a challenging, nurturing, and caring education for both of my children. Their teachers are creative, innovative and focus on child centered learning. I am confident that my children will graduate from JCDS with a strong sense of who they are and will be ready for the academic rigor of middle school. I believe that JCDS is creating a generation of passionate, thoughtful and forward thinking leaders for the future who care deeply for their community and the world around them.
Alison WalterParent
We love JCDS. It’s our second year there. My son is now in first grade. Their approach is child centered and progressive. The kids are respected, challenged and supported by their awesome teachers and staff. The community of parents is amazing too. Very open and down to earth. I love the emphasis on Jewish values and spirituality. There is a range of families: interfaith, secular to modern orthodox, single parents, LGBT, varying socioeconomic income, AND all are welcomed!
Naama GidronParent
JCDSRI is an amazing school with a wonderful community of teachers, staff and families. It is my son’s 2nd year and he loves being there. The size is perfect for an elementary school- it creates an environment of learning and friendship throughout the school. One of the many great gems about the school is that there is buddy system- the PreK is matched with the 3rd grade “buddies.”. It teaches the older students about mentorship and the younger ones are thrilled to have this special person as th…
Rashmi LichtClinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Urology), Alpert Medical School of Brown University
JCDSRI is a warm and diverse community, and the school is wonderfully respectful of all different religious backgrounds and traditions. The school utilizes innovative teaching methods, in which creativity on the part of the children (and staff) is welcomed and appreciated.  Further, there is an emphasis on STEM within their academic curriculum, with a weekly “design lab” enrichment session, thanks in part to the partnership of the school with students from both RISD and Brown.
It truly is a w…
AnonymousPsychiatrist, Rhode Island Hospital