Meet Principal Beth Spier

Beth Spier is the Posnack Lower School Principal. A talented educator for over 25 years, she received her undergraduate degree and her master’s degree in education from the American University in Washington D.C. Ms. Spier taught at the prestigious Lab School of Washington in Washington D.C. and in Florida at the Scheck Hillel Community Day School where she was both a classroom and a mentor teacher. She went on to become a lower school teacher at the University School of Nova Southeastern University.

Ms. Spier has been a part of the Posnack School family since 2011 as a classroom and mentor teacher, Posnack Plus founder, and administrator. From 2018-2020, Ms. Spier led the Meyer Preparatory Jewish Day School, a Posnack Jewish Day School, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida as the lower and middle school principal. Prior to working in the field of education, Ms. Spier worked at U.S. News & World Report Magazine and Prentice-Hall, in Washington, D.C.

When Ms. Spier is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her three sons, Will, Marc (Posnack School Class of 2015), and Jonathan (Posnack School Class of 2020).

Futureproof Learning

Students in Kindergarten through 4th grade use iPads to enhance their daily learning experiences. This allows students to be more actively engaged in the tools we use daily to bring the world into the classroom. Our teachers strive to further engage learners and to better meet the individual needs of each student. Technology creates the opportunity to make essential review fun and exciting and to provide enrichments for those ready to move onward and upward. In short, this technology brings limitless resources to our students.There is no denying that we live in a technology dependent world. Thanks to the generosity of a caring donor, Posnack provides students with innovative technology, from Kindergarten through Grade 5. Students experience Posnack’ School’s outstanding curriculum in a true 21st-century environment.

Our 5th Grade students work with wireless slate technology (similar to that used in the upper school) on a daily basis. For students in 4th Grade, this tool will be available on COWS and 5th Grade students will gradually move to individual slates allowing for both school and home use. The slate computers integrate with classroom interactive whiteboards, allowing teachers and students to move from one device to the other as part of a differentiated classroom. This results in greater individual engagement, increased motivation and self-esteem, impressive technical skills, the ability to accomplish more complex tasks, as well as increased collaboration.

Academic Resources provides a range of academic and organizational support services to Posnack School students. Executive function skills, organizational and time management strategies, content comprehension, remediation of foundational skills, and accommodations will all be offered within the Academic Resources program in response to individual student needs.

In grades K-6, smaller class sizes and curricular modifications are available for students requiring more intensive support in specific content areas. For these students, Academic Resources offers remediation through replacement classes in the subject areas of math, reading and language arts. In this small group setting, prerequisite skills are reinforced and the pacing is often modified to ensure student success. Support offered for students in grades 7-12 will primarily focus on executive functioning and management of accommodations. The focus of executive functioning support is centered around adaptable thinking, planning, self monitoring, time management, organization and improving study skills. Regardless of the level of support received, students enrolled in Academic Resources participate in all aspects of the Posnack School community.

Appropriate academic placement is essential for student success. Students’ recommended level of support is carefully evaluated by a team of academic leaders (Academic Support Placement Committee) to determine the ideal placement, upon admission to Posnack School and/or once enrolled, based on a set of criteria, which may include; rate of learning, teacher recommendations, and standardized test scores as well as proficiency of prerequisite and grade-level academic skills, students’ executive functioning, need for accommodations and/or support as indicated by a current psychoeducational evaluation.

A current psychoeducational evaluation is required to remain enrolled in Academic Resources, as it provides reliable insight into general intellect, reading and writing, math, attention, learning and memory, visual and auditory processing, social skills and executive functioning. This evaluation is essential to providing appropriate student support.

The Academic Resources faculty is made up of highly-skilled, ESE certified, experienced  teachers as well as a Speech and Language Pathologist who are trained to meet the individual needs of our students by providing the most effective instructional practices. The support team has access to specialized resources specifically designed for remediation, intervention, and strategies including but not limited to: Lindamood-Bell (V&V), Orton Gillingham, Wilson Fundations, SIPPS, and Touchpoint math. All students enrolled in Academic Resources will benefit from ongoing teacher-student-parent communication, timely intervention and feedback, progress monitoring, and accommodation management.

Students who qualify for Academic Resources may have one or more diagnosed specific learning disabilities, a language based learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia, visual or auditory processing deficits, ADHD, executive functioning disorders, or other learning differences or academic challenges. As a reminder, Family Empowerment Scholarships are available for both income based and/or disability based needs. The State of Florida has recently expanded the criteria for eligibility making scholarships available for students with an expanded range of diagnosed disabilities. For more information, please contact Karen Kleiman and visit the Gardiner Scholarship/Step Up for Students website.

For more information regarding Academic Resources in grades K-5, please contact Tamara Zaslow, M Ed, Director of Academic Resources (K-5) 954-583-6100 ext. 342

The Posnack School Judaic studies curriculum is taught using Hebrew as a unifying element. From their first day of Jr. Kindergarten on, through music, games, role-play, and art, our students are immersed in the study of the Hebrew language, teaching of Torah stories, weekly parashot, and Jewish values, which enable students to develop their own Jewish identities.

The Judaic Studies curriculum, developed at the Posnack School, builds upon the principles of communicative heritage and language acquisition. It activates learning through a wide range of activities, utilizing multiple intelligences. The Judaic curriculum promotes communication, reading and writing skills, and the development of Jewish concepts and values. The goal is to develop the learners in a gradual process with a holistic and spiraled curriculum that provides each student with the skills needed to integrate and synthesize Judaism and moral values into their daily life.

In 5th Grade, our students are introduced to the study of Mishnah (Jewish law), Judaism’s oral tradition. Our students obtain familiarity with the original Mishnah sources and the skill to pursue independent study and creative thought. Students examine the material and define the connection between the written and oral traditions. Students also compare Jewish law to civil law. Further, students learn about the structure of the Jewish court system at the time of the Mishnah and the Great Sanhedrin and are able to compare it to the structure of the civil court system in the United States.

Meet Principal Beth Spier

Beth Spier is the Posnack Lower School Principal. A talented educator for over the past 25 years, she received her undergraduate degree and her master’s degree in education from the American University in Washington D.C. Ms. Spier taught at the prestigious Lab School of Washington in Washington D.C. and in Florida at the Scheck Hillel Community Day School where she was both a classroom and a mentor teacher. She went on to become a lower school teacher at the University School of Nova Southeastern University.

Ms. Spier has been a part of the Posnack School family since 2011 as a classroom and mentor teacher, Posnack Plus founder, and administrator. From 2018-2020, Ms. Spier led the Meyer Preparatory Jewish Day School, a Posnack Jewish Day School, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida as the lower and middle school principal. Prior to working in the field of education, Ms. Spier worked at U.S. News & World Report Magazine and Prentice-Hall, in Washington, D.C.

When Ms. Spier is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her three sons, Will, Marc (Posnack School Class of 2015), and Jonathan (Posnack School Class of 2020).

Futureproof Learning

Students in Kindergarten through 4th grade use iPads to enhance their daily learning experiences. This allows students to be more actively engaged in the tools we use daily to bring the world into the classroom. Our teachers strive to further engage learners and to better meet the individual needs of each student. Technology creates the opportunity to make essential review fun and exciting and to provide enrichments for those ready to move onward and upward. In short, this technology brings limitless resources to our students.There is no denying that we live in a technology dependent world. Thanks to the generosity of a caring donor, Posnack provides students with innovative technology, from Kindergarten through Grade 5. Students experience Posnack’ School’s outstanding curriculum in a true 21st-century environment.

Our 5th Grade students work with wireless slate technology (similar to that used in the upper school) on a daily basis. For students in 4th Grade, this tool will be available on COWS and 5th Grade students will gradually move to individual slates allowing for both school and home use. The slate computers integrate with classroom interactive whiteboards, allowing teachers and students to move from one device to the other as part of a differentiated classroom. This results in greater individual engagement, increased motivation and self-esteem, impressive technical skills, the ability to accomplish more complex tasks, as well as increased collaboration.

Academic Resources provides a range of academic and organizational support services to Posnack School students. Executive function skills, organizational and time management strategies, content comprehension, remediation of foundational skills, and accommodations will all be offered within the Academic Resources program in response to individual student needs.

In grades K-6, smaller class sizes and curricular modifications are available for students requiring more intensive support in specific content areas. For these students, Academic Resources offers remediation through replacement classes in the subject areas of math, reading and language arts. In this small group setting, prerequisite skills are reinforced and the pacing is often modified to ensure student success. Support offered for students in grades 7-12 will primarily focus on executive functioning and management of accommodations. The focus of executive functioning support is centered around adaptable thinking, planning, self monitoring, time management, organization and improving study skills. Regardless of the level of support received, students enrolled in Academic Resources participate in all aspects of the Posnack School community.

Appropriate academic placement is essential for student success. Students’ recommended level of support is carefully evaluated by a team of academic leaders (Academic Support Placement Committee) to determine the ideal placement, upon admission to Posnack School and/or once enrolled, based on a set of criteria, which may include; rate of learning, teacher recommendations, and standardized test scores as well as proficiency of prerequisite and grade-level academic skills, students’ executive functioning, need for accommodations and/or support as indicated by a current psychoeducational evaluation.

A current psychoeducational evaluation is required to remain enrolled in Academic Resources, as it provides reliable insight into general intellect, reading and writing, math, attention, learning and memory, visual and auditory processing, social skills and executive functioning. This evaluation is essential to providing appropriate student support.

The Academic Resources faculty is made up of highly-skilled, ESE certified, experienced  teachers as well as a Speech and Language Pathologist who are trained to meet the individual needs of our students by providing the most effective instructional practices. The support team has access to specialized resources specifically designed for remediation, intervention, and strategies including but not limited to: Lindamood-Bell (V&V), Orton Gillingham, Wilson Fundations, SIPPS, and Touchpoint math. All students enrolled in Academic Resources will benefit from ongoing teacher-student-parent communication, timely intervention and feedback, progress monitoring, and accommodation management.

Students who qualify for Academic Resources may have one or more diagnosed specific learning disabilities, a language based learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia, visual or auditory processing deficits, ADHD, executive functioning disorders, or other learning differences or academic challenges. As a reminder, Family Empowerment Scholarships are available for both income based and/or disability based needs. The State of Florida has recently expanded the criteria for eligibility making scholarships available for students with an expanded range of diagnosed disabilities. For more information, please contact Karen Kleiman and visit the Gardiner Scholarship/Step Up for Students website.

For more information regarding Academic Resources in grades K-5, please contact Tamara Zaslow, M Ed, Director of Academic Resources (K-5) 954-583-6100 ext. 342