Manhattan Day School is an Orthodox Yeshiva
with Torah as the foundation of our philosophy. Founded in 1943, MDS has been rooted on the Upper West Side and in New York’s citywide Modern Orthodox community for more than 60 years. Our ties to Eretz Yisrael are equally deep and abiding. The MDS teaching philosophy is clear: to build a solid foundation through superior secular, Hebrew language, and Judaic studies. Our learning environment is ever-evolving. We are open to innovative educational strategies and systems; we embrace cuttingedge technology; and we actively seek any new pedagogical program, instrument, or method that is empowering and enlightening. And because MDS teachers are also learners, we encourage and support their continuing professional development. In fact, one of the goals we meet every year is to make our great and accomplished teachers even better.

Our school is based on a three-tier structure: the Early Childhood program starts with toddlers and runs through kindergarten; the Lower School comprises grades one through five; and the Middle School consists of grades six through eight. Boys and girls study together until fifth grade, at which point they typically study independently of one another, except for certain advanced classes. Offering rigorous dual curricula that are integrated throughout the day and shaped to meet every child’s intellectual, spiritual, and emotional needs, we blend the best of two cultures: the secular and the religious. Today more than ever, MDS is focused on academic success. Our mission is to be as challenging as we are supportive, offering each student the individualized attention, enrichment, and remediation each one needs. The result: students with highly developed critical-thinking ability, academic competence, self-reliance, and effective interpersonal skills.

Think. Achieve. Excel.

A wide spectrum of programs supports our commitment to teaching children at their individual level. Think Tank is an enrichment program that offers extra challenge and greater growth for children capable of higher achievement. Students who need additional help in mastering skills benefit from our Mentor Program, which matches them one-on-one with teachers skilled in remediation. And in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, we monitor gifted students throughout their elementary and middle school careers, preparing them for the rigors of high school.