Shaked Darca Secondary School – Valley of Springs

The school serves around 500 students in grades 7 -12, with four classes in each age group, two for boys and two for girls.

The school boasts varied social activities, and promotes respect for one’s fellow man and a strong tie to the State and the land of Israel. Students volunteer at various organizations and institutions, volunteer to offer help and work in agriculture, and are educated for values of volunteering in the community and Jewish-Zionist endeavors.

The school sets goals for its students, with the aim of raising each graduate to be a compassionate human being, Zionist, observant Jew, scholar, in touch with his place and the region wherein he lives. We summarize these goals by the Hebrew acronym “local ATZIL”, literally a local nobleman.

The school staff believes that, through the joint efforts of teachers, student and parents, we can bring up a child who will take responsibility for his future and the future of his society and his country. Our vision may be summed up in the words of the intellectual and thinker Moshe Unna, who said that the objective of religious education is “to bring up a generation of observant Jews who will make their mark on Israeli public life.”

Students attend school five days a week. The school day begins at 7:20 a.m. with a prayer, and ends between 1:40 – 5 p.m. Each student has 12-18 weekly hours of religious studies, in addition to humanities and science studies at the highest level. Students’ matriculation exams include 5 units of Talmud and 3-5 units of Bible studies. In addition, as of the 2009-2010 school year, students who are so inclined may also study towards a matriculation exam in a new program of Jewish studies called Torat Haim, relating to different aspects of life, encompassing 5 units.

The school offers 8 tracks from which students choose, at the end of grade 9, one or two tracks for in-depth study covering 5 to 9 units: literature, physics, biology, the Land of Israel, art and design, mechanical engineering, music; and a final paper worth 4-5 units.

Shaked school has special groups for outstanding students, including the field/scouting program for grades 7-9 of up to 9 weekly hours, and the Heznek Atidim (launching the future) program for excelling students in grades 9-12.

In all age groups, the study of Jewish subjects is done for its own sake.

The flagship program of Jewish studies at the school is the Beit Midrash Program. In the 2011-2012 school year there are 8 “Beit Midrash” classes for 9-12 grade students. This program offers, in addition to the regular class schedule, morning, noon and evening classes at Maaleh Gilboah and Shadmot Mehola yeshivot (for boys), and the Ein HaNatziv midrasha for girls. These classes provide special emphasis on challenging and promoting the religious depth in our lives, and also offer additional activities to further strengthen the spiritual experience and commitment to Halacha, including Saturday studies in yeshivot and midrashot. So far, 30% of the school’s students are taking part in these classes.

The school also holds special groups – Mercaz Lemida (study center), Limudiya (extracurricular homework club) where students with difficulties get extra help in basic subjects and in subjects involving a lot of text. During the 2011-2012 school year these special education classes were held for 9th, 11th and 12th grade students, while in other grades the special-needs students are assisted within the regular classes.

The school has an excellent staff of around 90 employees, with a core of skilled, devoted educators who develop a meaningful relationship with the students, serve as a personal example and role model while at the same time capable of communicating with students on their own level. The staff also includes social coordinators, girls doing their volunteer service, and more.

The school guides its graduates towards studies in a pre-army mechina (prep course), midrasha (seminary) or yeshiva, before they enlist in the IDF or National Service for full-term service. Many of the school’s graduates opt for a year’s volunteer service before joining the IDF. Our graduates constitute a significant number of those serving in elite combat and commando units, (number one in enlisting from among all the country’s schools). After their military service, the graduates join the workforce in the forefront of technology, science, agriculture and society.

The school practices an alumni program which includes visits to the alumni during the year after their graduation, and holds study evenings and social activities for its alumni.

Among other forms of recognition, the school received the prestigious status of an experimental school on the subject “Shaked for Israel – walking in the paths of learning”. In addition, the school has incorporated the Mashov software, developed especially for schools, which improves follow-up and update procedures at the school.

The percentage of graduates eligible for a matriculation certificate has risen dramatically in the past few years, from 56% in 2005-2006 to 79% in 2008-2009.

Recently, the number of students at the school has been on the rise. Among the newer students are some from the Lower Galilee, as well as students from all over the country.