August 22 • 2019 27
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mine the mission, strengths and chal-
lenges of the school. 
The first year involved conducting 
a survey to all members of the FHDS 
community, including board, faculty, 
high school students and alumni, as 
well as reworking the school’
s mis-
sion statement and strategic plan and 
bylaws. 
This year, the school community 
creates different study groups to com-
pile a comprehensive self-study report 
based on ISACS criteria and schedules 
a professional financial audit of the 
current school year. 
Next year, the self-study report will 
be submitted. ISACS representatives 
will then visit the school for obser-
vations, and the organization’
s board 
determines if accreditation standards 
have been achieved. 
“In this exhaustive prevue, we exam-
ine every aspect of education curric-
ulum instruction — even delving into 
issues such as building maintenance, 
financial health and our extra-curricu-
lar offerings,
” Berman said. 
As far as the general growth of the 
school, which in 2016 had enrollment 
of approximately 260 students in 
grades preschool-12, Berman said the 
student body is reflective of what the 
2018 Jewish Detroit population study 
revealed: Younger Orthodox families 
are moving into the Oak Park-10 Mile 
corridor. 
“We want to best serve our niche 
community of Modern Orthodox fam-
ilies,
” Berman said. “
And when an area 
like ours begins drawing an increased 
number of young families, a good, 
strong school where these families can 
feel confident sending and educating 
their children is a central part of that 
growth.
”
Outside of ISACS, Berman said 
other developments at the school 

include revamped chemistry labs to 
better accommodate AP chemistry 
experiments. At the elementary level, 
there will be an increased focus on the 
value of play in a child’
s social and aca-
demic development. 
Farber is working with the nonprofit 
organization Playworks, thanks to a 
grant from the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit to bring in a 
playground coordinator to work with 
children one week per month. The 
goals of the program are to empow-
er students with the ability to better 
navigate conflict resolution, develop 
leadership skills and improve academic 
success, all through the power of play. 
“We look forward to incorporat-
ing times of constructive play in our 
school to reduce bullying and increase 
inclusion and see how these benefits 
carry over into classroom instruc-
tion time,
” Berman said. “Play is now 
seen as an opportunity for teachable 
moments and it is a vehicle to encour-
age positive social behavior.
” ■

Farber students learn 

about robotics 
.

Sophie Thompson and Nava Feldman, 
Farber Hebrew Day School students from 
Huntington Woods

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