Greenfield Hebrew Academy's Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the expansion of M'silot/Pathways, a "school within a school" program at GHA for students with learning differences. In just over three years, M'silot has distinguished itself both at the national and local levels as the premier program designed to meet the differentiated learning needs of the Jewish community.

As one of the largest programs of its kind in the Jewish community in the Southeastern United States, M'silot is specifically designed for children with processing deficits. Each child receives customized instruction based on his or her individual learning profile. Students who qualify learn in small, self-contained classrooms with a one-to-five teacher-student ratio. This unique "school within a school" includes general and Judaic studies, and emphasizes remedial strategies to help children compensate for their learning differences. At various times during the day, such as recess and during physical education, M'silot students interact with their GHA peers.

The expansion of the M'silot program will allow the addition of self-contained classrooms and transitional classes to serve upper elementary students. "There is a waiting list and we've had to turn people away, so the expansion will help accommodate more people," said Phyllis Rosenthal, director of the program.

For the first time, M'silot will also include kindergarten. "Rising preschoolers will no longer need to leave a Jewish setting in order to have their academic needs met," Rosenthal added. GHA's expansion of M'silot allows these children to remain within Atlanta's Jewish educational channels.

The school's mission is to provide children with mild to moderate learning differences an environment in which they can become empowered learners who develop both a positive self-image and skills to maximize their potential. Parents who witness their children's transformation are grateful. "My child feels bright and successful, which will carry him throughout his life," said Raye Gray, a parent of an M'silot student who has been in the program for two years. "He is happy and eager to learn. I thank G-d everyday for this opportunity for my child."

Since 1953, Greenfield Hebrew Academy has been serving Atlanta's diverse Jewish population. With M'silot, GHA has found yet another way to meet the community's needs.

Greenfield Hebrew Academy is one of Federation's local beneficiary agencies, and received an allocation of $422,139 in FY04.