The school is run by two co-principals, and Arab and a Jew. Their laid back demeanor and warm relationship with the students sets a tone that is evident in all of the classes. The children call both principals by their first names and feel comfortable in their presence. The school teaches children from kindergarten through sixth grade. They hope to add seventh and eighth grade in a few years and the long-term dream is to add a high school.
Bilingual education begins in kindergarten.
When I visited, the room and the playground were full of fun, open-ended activity with the children using their native languages with each other. Everything in the classroom was labeled in Hebrew and Arabic. Computer games in both languages were available for the children to use. There was no heavy academic emphasis, merely an atmosphere of fun and harmonious interaction among the students and with the teacher. Once the children are in first grade, the teaching structure changes.