Students are required to have one Jewish parent to be eligible for admission.
 

Your child must be five years old by August 1 to start kindergarten that year.
 

We welcome children into HHAI who have limited or no Hebrew language instruction. We will pair up new students with a Hebrew teacher to catch up to grade level.
 

Given HHAI is a Jewish Day School we do follow kosher guidelines when we provide food to create an environment where all of our families are comfortable eating together. In order to include all children and families in school-wide programs such as birthdays, holiday celebrations, or class events, food brought into the classroom must follow the school’s kosher policy. The school offers the ability to purchase kosher lunches several days each week if desired. 
 

Parental involvement is both formal and informal at HHAI and is discretionary. We have a parent ambassador program that is open to any parent who is passionate about HHAI and building the local Jewish community, and who values the high-quality education that HHAI provides its students. These parents contribute their time toward student enrollment and retention as well as community building. We also have a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) tasked with HHAI community building and raising funds for teacher development and student or classroom investments. Informally, we invite parents and families to regularly come to school and our classrooms for special presentations and holiday celebrations.
 

Like other agencies in the Jewish community, HHAI depends on a number of sources for financial support. 

Tuition is the largest proportion of HHAI’s operating budgets. Direct payments to the HHAI scholarship fund or contributions made through the Institute for Quality for Education (IQE) are both accepted.

As a beneficiary agency, HHAI receives annual financial support from The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis.

Grants from local and national organizations (Jewish and non-Jewish) are diligently pursued by HHAI to fund capital, educational, and professional development resources.

Fundraising for supplemental tuition support and annual campaign needs are undertaken at least twice a year, with our largest fundraising events typically being held in December and May.

Our Parent Teacher Organization holds periodic fundraisers for teacher development and smaller student and classroom needs. Events include Friends and Family Day and Bingo Night and consumer product sales like mums and baked goods. 

Our donors include student families, alumni and their families, grandparents, and legacy founders of HHAI. The local Jewish community as a whole is a growing contributor to HHAI as many consider HHAI an essential and valuable institution to our thriving Jewish community.

No, but we encourage carpooling through our community of HHAI families.
 

After school care for students in grades K-8 takes place in the building from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm Mondays through Thursdays and ends between 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm on Fridays depending on the time of year. We do not offer a before school program. For more information on after school care and fees, please view our tuition information here.
 

Giving Tree Early Learning is a Reggio inspired, play-based early education program. We believe that all children have the right to high-quality education beyond the experiences found in the typical child care setting. Our educators and skilled caregivers hold various degrees and are professionals in the field of early childhood education. Each member of our team is well versed in early childhood development to support the health, wellness and development of your child. Our creative play spaces, such as the Light Studio, Art Studio and Outdoor Classroom, allow children to explore and discover the world around them. Our whole body approach to education includes a variety of gross motor experiences that develop body, mind and soul. Families in our program also share in the experiences of the Jewish faith and culture through hands-on experiences such as baking, music, storytelling and dramatic play opportunities. 

Giving Tree Early Learning is an On My Way Pre-K provider and accepts CCDF vouchers. To learn more about scholarship opportunities, visit the Financial Aid section.

Our parent ambassador program partners your family with a current family in our program. Learn from others who share similar experiences and make new friends in the process. Please contact Marissa Missan at mmissan@hhai.org to be connected to a parent ambassador. 

While Giving Tree Early Learning is a faith-based preschool, our play based approach brings both tradition and culture to life. Your child will share in a rich tapestry of traditions, Jewish holiday celebrations and cultural experiences. The Giving Tree Early Learning family is welcoming to all and seeks to create a strong sense of community regardless of faith. 

At Giving Tree Early Learning, we observe the Jewish holidays throughout the course of the school year as well as Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving. We do not celebrate Halloween or Valentine's Day. 

Families pack snacks and can pack or purchase lunches. For more information, see our Snack and Lunch Policy. You can also click here to get snack and lunch ideas.

Traditional preschool focuses largely on teaching children skills by repetition or through rote memorization. As a Reggio inspired program, we seek to follow the lead of the children as they make discoveries through their play and manipulation of materials. Our staff infuse invitations to play and provocations with early childhood development to create authentic learning opportunities. We recognize that children have the right to construct their own knowledge and view ourselves as facilitators of learning, sharing in the children's joy, wonder and curiosity. Our classroom environments are considered the "third teacher" and focus on natural elements and materials. Attention to aesthetics, intention and accessibility are characteristics of each classroom. We utilize loose parts, a collection of open ended materials, to help each child to express themselves creatively and constructively. We provide access to various mediums of self expression including music, movement and art as well as infusing Conscious Discipline and Responsive Classroom techniques. We firmly believe that children must be allowed to explore, create and innovate in order to maximize their potential, become confident learners and critical thinkers. 

Families use the following summer programs:

• Chabad 
• Beth El
• JCC (Kindergartenand up)
• Indy's Child (Collection of program opportunities can be found here)
• Interactive Academy (12 months-K)
• Orchard (Starts in preschool)

Our Seedling, Olive, Orange, and Almond students will receive daily reports with information on toileting, eating and sleeping habits. Since we are dedicated to being hands on and engaged with our students throughout the day, we ask that you check your child's classroom blogs for information on their learning process as we will update it regularly. There you will find pictures and information on the unit of study, experiences your child engaged in and the Early Learning Foundations standards that outline your child's development. More importantly, we encourage you to connect with your child's teacher to learn more about the unique experiences and moments of growth your child has had throughout the day. We strive to provide individualized points of connection to meet the needs of each family. 

We wanted to pick classroom names that fit the Giving Tree theme while also incorporating trees that have significance to the Jewish faith and Israel.  We chose Seedling for our youngest learners because they are the beginnings of trees.  Olive trees, one of the Seven Species of Israel, and Almond trees, a cultural element that signifies the beginning of Spring, were chosen for our two year old classroom and our transitional classroom.  Finally, we chose the Fig tree and the Oak tree for our preschool and pre-k classrooms because these are our older children who are growing up to be strong learners.  

HHAI offers what is known as a “dual curriculum,” which includes traditional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) English, and social studies as well as Judaic subjects, like Jewish history, textual Torah study, and Hebrew. We integrate our curriculum by synthesizing General Studies and Fine Arts with Judaics (ex. phases of the moon in science with the Jewish lunar calendar or the seven species of Israel with economics on natural, human, and capital resources.) We also offer student-selected electives across grades to explore other languages, robotics, computer coding and other supplemental studies. There are a number of factors that enable our students to learn, and in many cases, surpass the Indiana State curriculum requirements.

Educational success is determined by how time is used and not by the time available. Our class sizes are significantly smaller than the average public school class, with our classes having fewer than 12 students. This allows teachers to customize work for individual students to ensure they are progressing in their studies. By doing so, our classes can move forward with content in a shorter period of time than larger groups. In addition, much of our curriculum is at an advanced level. Each component of our academic program is carefully selected to be challenging and rigorous so that student learning time is maximized. We also capitalize on our smaller class sizes to create more writing opportunities, projects that teach research and presentation skills – across the curriculum (mock identity theft trial with Torah narrative of Jacob and Esav, debates, second grade Chumash play where students learn theater, drama and staging as well as content, monthly Rosh Chodesh programs for parents depicting student research). Our design thinking model has launched our student-managed Holocaust Museum to educate the community about the Holocaust and antisemitism. The annual Women of Valor program instills a sense of pride as female students select a Biblical, Talmudic, Holocaust or contemporary woman who inspires them through the lens of their resilience.

There are many benefits to a dual curriculum program. Students in dual curriculum programs not only become more easily immersed into a new culture, but they also tend to outperform their peers academically. Our students learn a second language at an early age, are exposed to different cultures and learn advanced text analysis. They develop strong and adaptable critical thinking skills and know how to apply knowledge across content areas.  

HHAI is accredited by the State of Indiana Department of Education. Our students participate in nationally recognized standardized testing programs including the ILEARN proficiency assessment and NWEA adaptive assessment as a Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). These assessments enable us to evaluate our academic program and students on a regular basis and ensure that our students are meeting the National Common Core Standards. Should a student need to transfer to other public or private schools at any point in their educational career, whether in Indiana or in another state, the results of these assessments are recognized across the country. In addition, teachers use various school-based formal and informal testing tools to assess student performance on a regular basis.
 

Yes, 8th grade students plan and fund their capstone trip to Israel during their final year at HHAI. The trip is a culmination of their years of studying Israel – including modern history, geography, and our ancient connection or tie to the land. It gives students the ability to experience first-hand what they have studied throughout their academic career at HHAI.
 

Given we do not have a Jewish High School in Indianapolis, the majority of our graduates attend local public and private high schools or choose to continue their Jewish education at schools throughout the country.
 

Yes! We offer several athletic, academic and wellness clubs and activities for students to enhance their experience as part of our after school program. Students in grades 4 – 8 are also eligible to compete in interscholastic basketball, soccer, and volleyball.

If you are interested in being part of a caring community rooted in a strong foundation of faith and love and respect for one another, HHAI is a great fit for you and your child! We welcome families and students who represent a wide array of Jewish expressions that exist in our community and encourage our students to understand and respect the varying lifestyles of their peers. 40% of our students come from unaffiliated families.
 

Our students distinguish themselves as refined, compassionate, open-minded, and well-rounded young adults with an expanded view of the world. With character development placed on the forefront of our school program, alongside high academic expectations, our children learn to be both good students, as well as good friends and good people. By participating in numerous community service projects, they develop a sense of responsibility for our world and the generations before them, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Our curriculum exposes children to various cultures and practices, as well as the fundamentals of citizenry and American national pride. Students emerge globally conscious, optimistic, and confident of themselves as citizens in the larger community. This pedagogic model offers close personal attention, encourages critical thinking, and creates “habits of mind” that prepare students well for future studies. In this way, an HHAI education enables children to make full use of their time, all the while experiencing the “best of both worlds.”
 

At school, teachers encourage children to understand that "different families observe Judaism differently" and that each family is wonderful and special regardless of how they choose to celebrate or observe holidays. We are sensitive to the varying levels of observance and work diligently not to place pressure on the student. We teach skills, not dogma, and engage students in character and interpersonal mitzvot through our Torah fair and service projects and holidays through experiential learning to create strong emotional memories.
 

At HHAI, your child will receive a rigorous curriculum that prepares them for college and post-graduate study. Nearly all graduates of Jewish Day Schools like HHAI attend secular high schools, colleges, and universities. Graduates of day schools are also known to attend the most prestigious public and private colleges at disproportionately high rates. More broadly, Jewish day schools provide young people with an extensive peer community that supports a positive and knowledgeable Jewish identity, and lifelong friendships. According to a recent study, 79% of Jewish day school graduates marry Jews, and 72% of day school graduates choose day school education for their own children. Graduates of day schools are equipped with a level of Jewish literacy that enables them to make life decisions inspired by Jewish values, traditions, texts, and culture. It also predisposes them to living actual Jewish lives.
 

Your child will be a part of a rich tapestry of families at HHAI that includes those of all Jewish observances and inter-faith households. Our students come from various socio-economic backgrounds and nationalities. We address diversity implicitly through our curriculum and advocacy programs. Research shows that Jewish Day School students enter the world comfortable with their own heritage, providing them with the confidence to engage with other people and places.