Carmel Academy

{{Short description|Jewish private school in Connecticut, US}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} '''Carmel Academy''' (formerly the '''Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy''', '''WFHA''') was a Jewish private school in [[Greenwich, Connecticut|Greenwich]], [[Connecticut]], serving grades Kindergarten through 8. Also including transitional Kindergarten <ref>" [http://www.carmelacademy.com/about About Carmel]." Carmel Academy. Retrieved on January 9, 2012. "270 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830"</ref> The school originally was located in [[Port Chester, New York]].

In 2020, Carmel Academy announced its plans to close at the end of the school year.

==History== The school opened in a rented space in [[Port Chester, New York]], in 1998.<ref name="Hagey">Hagey, Keach. "[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/1129003791.html?dids=1129003791:1129003791&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+18%2C+2006&author=Keach+Hagey+Greenwich+Time&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=JEWISH+SCHOOL+GAINS+ITS+OWN+PLACE&pqatl=google Jewish School Gains Its Own Place] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108065855/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/1129003791.html?dids=1129003791:1129003791&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+18%2C+2006&author=Keach+Hagey+Greenwich+Time&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=JEWISH+SCHOOL+GAINS+ITS+OWN+PLACE&pqatl=google |date=2012-11-08 }}." ''[[Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel]]''. September 18, 2006. 6A. Retrieved on January 10, 2012. - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94713089/ Clipping] from [[Newspapers.com]].</ref> The school was established by parents who were unable to send their children to the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester (now the [[Leffell School]]) in [[White Plains, New York]], as that school was oversubscribed. The parents wanted the teaching of [[Torah]] to go by themes instead of being taught chronologically, and it wanted the school to mix its instruction of world history with [[Jewish history]].<ref name="Jewish">Berger, Joseph. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6D61131F93BA25755C0A9609C8B63 A Kinder, Gentler, More Kosher Greenwich]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. June 18, 2006. Retrieved on January 9, 2012.</ref> The school had 24 students when it opened.<ref name="Hagey"/>

The school has been located in Greenwich since 2001. Originally, the school occupied areas within [http://www.templesholom.com Temple Sholom], the largest synagogue in Greenwich. The school's physical education program consisted of weekly visits to the [[YMCA]] and basketball, played with a basketball hoop in the parking lot of the temple.<ref name="Jewish"/> In 2005 it had 108 students. In 2006 it had 130 students.<ref name="Hagey"/>

In the 2000s, [[The Japanese School of New York]] (Greenwich Japanese School) had vacant buildings due to their decreased student population.<ref name="Jewish"/> In 2006, the Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy purchased The Japanese School of New York's 15 Ridgeway campus from the Japanese Education Alliance for $20 million,<ref name="Hagey"/><ref name="Jewish"/> and classes began there in September 2006. The Japanese School continued to the campus for classes. The Hebrew school leased several buildings on the campus to the Japanese school for up to eight years.<ref name="Jewish"/>

In 2006, Carmel school administrators decided to place a maximum enrolment of 325 students, with a maximum of two classes with 18 students each per grade, so that the school's students receive individual attention from teachers. As of 2009, the school has about 230 students.<ref name="About">"[http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Westchester-Fairfield-Hebrew-Academy-offers-3289.php Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy offers Hebrew language program]." ''[[Greenwich Time (newspaper)|Greenwich Time]]''. August 31, 2009. Retrieved on January 9, 2012.</ref>

The school received its final name in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=MacEachern|first=Frank|url=https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/greenwich-jewish-school-announces-name-change-1013315.php|title=Greenwich Jewish school announces name change|newspaper=[[Stamford Advocate]]|place=[[Stamford, Connecticut]]|date=2011-02-14|access-date=2024-05-26}}</ref>

In 2020, Carmel Academy announced that it would close down at the end of the school year. A letter from Carmel referred students to the Leffell School, stating that there would be integration of Carmel programs there, although Leffell stated that Carmel was simply closing and that it was not merging into Lefell.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2020/02/fairfield-county-is-rocked-by-the-close-of-carmel-academy/|title=Fairfield County is rocked by the close of Carmel Academy|newspaper=[[The Jewish Ledger]]|date=2020-02-12|accessdate=2022-02-11}}</ref> Leffell was to take many of the students at Carmel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kroeker|first=Jo|url=https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Greenwich-s-Carmel-Academy-to-close-15053395.php|title=Greenwich’s Carmel Academy to close|newspaper=[[Greenwich Time (newspaper)|Greenwich Time]]|date=2020-02-13|access-date=2024-05-26}}</ref>

The [[Brunswick School]], which was scheduled to acquire the Carmel Academy site, planned to convert it into a preschool and housing for employees. The Japanese School moved into another facility in Greenwich.<ref>{{cite web|last=Marchant|first=Robert|url=https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-s-brunswick-school-plans-former-carmel-17867019.php|title=Greenwich's Brunswick School plans to create faculty housing, daycare center at former Carmel Academy|newspaper=[[Greenwich Time (newspaper)|Greenwich Time]]|date=2023-03-30|access-date=2024-05-26|archive-date=May 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526062507/https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-s-brunswick-school-plans-former-carmel-17867019.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brunswick acquired the former Carmel Academy site in September 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://my.brunswickschool.org/news-detail?pk=1295772|title=A Significant & Strategic Step Forward|publisher=Brunswick School|date=2023-09-13|access-date=2024-05-26}}</ref>

==Campus== The campus, the former [[Rosemary Hall (Greenwich, Connecticut)|Rosemary Hall]] school for girls, had {{convert|16|acre|ha}} of space and 15 buildings. The classes of the Hebrew school and the Japanese school were held in separate buildings, while both schools shared the fieldstone gymnasium. The school was the only Jewish educational institution in the world to house a Christian chapel, St. Bede's Chapel.<ref name="Jewish"/> The chapel, which was designed by [[Carrere and Hastings]], was completed in 1909.<ref>Backcountry Jazz. "[http://www.connecticutplus.com/cplus/information/news/Entertainment_12/World-renowned-Fairfield-County-jazz-musician-to-lead-fall-benefit-concert-in-Greenwich1063710637.shtml World renowned Fairfield County jazz musician to lead fall benefit concert in Greenwich]." ''[[Connecticut Plus]]''. November 9, 2010. Retrieved on January 9, 2012.</ref>

==Curriculum== The school had Judaic studies, language arts, mathematics, and science. The curriculum included the history of the Jewish people, the Hebrew language, and information about Israel. The Hebrew language program taught the language as a modern language, and students used literature, newspapers, poems, and songs to learn the language.<ref name="About"/>

The school also offered the Providing Alternative Learning Strategies program to teach students with language-based learning disabilities.<ref name="About"/>

==Extra-curricular activities== Extra-curricular activities included a student newspaper, Chidon HaTanach Bible Contest, E2K, student government, and the Math Olympiad.<ref name="About"/>

In 2003 Carmel Academy had an exchange program with the Jaim Weitzman School in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Schneiderman|first=Ross|url=https://forward.com/culture/7864/cultural-exchange-helps-classes-broaden-their-bord/|title=Cultural Exchange Helps Classes Broaden Their Borders|newspaper=[[The Forward]]|place=[[New York City]]|date=2003-08-08|access-date=2024-05-26}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Connecticut|New York (state)|Judaism|Schools}} * [http://www.carmelacademy.com Carmel Academy]

[[Category:Schools in Fairfield County, Connecticut]] [[Category:Private elementary schools in Connecticut]] [[Category:Private middle schools in Connecticut]] [[Category:Private K–8 schools in the United States]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1998]] [[Category:1998 establishments in New York (state)]] [[Category:Greenwich, Connecticut]] [[Category:Port Chester, New York]] [[Category:Schools in Westchester County, New York]] [[Category:Private elementary schools in New York (state)]] [[Category:Private middle schools in New York (state)]] [[Category:Defunct private schools in Connecticut]]