Home

Pre-School Program

Overview

PHILOSOPHY

The early childhood program at Solomon Schechter celebrates the uniqueness of each child. We respect individual differences in learning styles and growth patterns, and understand that children thrive socially, emotionally, and intellectually when they are provided with a developmentally appropriate environment. Teachers are available to support and facilitate children's interests and activities. Setting up an environment that is conducive to teaching responsibility, independence, and self-control is a main focus of our program along with conflict resolution and respecting the rights and values of others. As part of a Jewish Day School our children benefit from being able to see to see themselves as an integral part of the Jewish community and understand that Judaism is a way of life.

CURRICULUM

Our approach to learning is child-centered. We emphasize the learning process through carefully planned activities that invite children to make choices, to explore, to create and to develop what we hope will be a life long love of learning. Our curriculum is constantly changing and evolving while continuing to provide a basic framework that addresses all aspects of a child's development. This includes the physical, intellectual, emotional and social skills necessary to help children develop in to capable learners. Parents often ask us if we "teach the alphabet." Our answer focuses on the processes involved in learning to read. Instead of "teaching letters" we integrate literacy activities throughout the day. We accomplish this in a variety of ways.

Children learn to:

Recognize their names and the names of their peers
Create class experience charts
Recite songs, finger plays, nursery rhymes, and poems
Label objects in the classroom
Follow picture recipes
Participate in Circle Time games
Sequence stories and events
Dictate individual stories

Literacy activities can be found throughout all areas of the curriculum.

The schedule of the day is a balance of individual choice time, whole group, and small group activities. Opportunities for learning math readiness skills are also visible throughout the day. For example, during snack time children taste different apples and then graph the one they liked the best. During calendar time, children learn number recognition, patterning skills, and begin to understand the concept of time. In the block corner children learn about measurement, spatial relationships and physical properties like size and weight. We even make clean up time an opportunity for learning. When children put the blocks away on labeled shelves, they are learning to classify, match and sort.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Our early childhood center was renovated in 2001. We now have our own "WING" with new furniture and equipment catering to the specific needs of young children. Each classroom typically includes the following interest areas:

Blocks
Housekeeping/dramatic play
Art
Sand and water (sensory activities)
Library corner
Music and movement
Writing center
Table toys
Computers

In addition to the individual classrooms we have the use of the entire school including:

The library/media center
Beit Tefillah (chapel)
Auditorium
Music Room
Multi-Purpose Room
Gymnasium

One of the joys and benefits that occurs when a preschool is part of a larger school is the opportunity for integrating with the older students. There is nothing quite like watching "children teaching children". Whether they are reading a story they wrote on dinosaurs, teaching "The Four Questions", running a Purim Carnival, or reading fairy tales, both the older children and the preschool children benefit in countless ways. By taking advantage of having students of different ages in one building, the opportunities for developing skills of compassion, responsibility and leadership are numerous. The preschool children enjoy going to the auditorium to see various performances throughout the year, not to mention the RUACH (spirit) that is so evident during holiday celebrations.

The outdoor environment adds to our curriculum in so many ways. We have TWO playgrounds and the school itself is situated on an 2-acre campus. Preschool children at any given time can be found adopting a tree, going on a fall scavenger hunt, looking for signs of spring, painting snow or riding a tricycle on a bicycle path. We are located next to the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink and Cornerstone Pool. Many families take advantage of this close proximity and their children enjoy skating and swimming lessons after school. We now offer a Martial Arts Program for preschoolers and school age children. Solomon Schechter also rents out space in the building for children's birthday parties and other events.

CLASS SIZE AND RATIOS

The Two-Year-Old classroom has a maximum of 12 children with a 1-4 ratio. There is

one teacher and two teacher assistants. In the three and four-year-old program there are a maximum of 16-18 children with one teacher and a teacher assistant.

OUR STAFF

Each early childhood classroom has at least one head teacher with a Bachelor and/or Master's degree in Education. Many of our teacher assistants also have degrees in Child Development. ALL of our staff attends professional development seminars and workshops throughout the year. In addition to our highly qualified early childhood staff, we have a full comprehensive support system available to us. The administrative team includes:

The Director
The Assistant Director
Director of Pupil Services
Director of Early Childhood
School Psychologist
Speech and Language Clinician
Nurse
Librarian
Physical and Music Education Specialists

In addition to on-site support services, we work closely with professionals that provide support services for our students whether they are hired privately or whether they receive services from the town in which they live.

HOURS OF OPERATION

The hours of the program are from 8:50 A.M to 12:45 A.M. We offer an early morning program that begins at 8 A.M. Preschool children may use the early morning program free of charge after 8: 35 a.m. There is also an after school program that is available to preschool children on an as needed basis or full-time.

PRESCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

The after school program is available every day until 5:30 in one of the preschool classrooms. The children have playtime, rest time, music and story time, outside time (weather permitting) and a theme activity for each day. This program is offered to three and four-year-old children currently enrolled in the school.

Mondays - Jumping Jelly Beans (aerobics, yoga, movement, fitness activities)
Tuesdays - Kids in the Kitchen
Wednesdays - Library/Theatre
Thursdays - Crazy Concoctions
Fridays - Movie Matinee

Children are asked to bring a separate snack for the after school program. Mats are provided during rest time. Children may bring in a SMALL stuffed animal or blanket for rest time.

LUNCH AND SNACK

The school provides snack and juice each morning. Each classroom has a SPECIAL SNACK SIGN-UP SHEET, which allows children to bring in healthy nutritious snacks once or twice each year. Children are required to bring a DAIRY lunch from home. All snacks and birthday celebrations must be store bought and KOSHER. The staff is happy to assist in this area and provide parents with a list of kosher bakeries and symbols associated with the kashrut policies at Solomon Schechter.

JEWISH IDENTITY

As a Jewish Early Childhood Program, we know that Jewish education today is often a stepping-stone that ultimately provides a pathway into Jewish life for young families. We strive for excellence in education, the foundation of a strong, Jewish identity, and providing a support system for parents.

At Schechter, we are committed to integrating Jewish education and values into every day life. No Jewish early childhood program would be complete without an extensive holiday curriculum. The holidays are presented in much the same way as the general studies curriculum. There are opportunities for children to experience math, science, music, art, sensory, cooking, and literacy activities whether we are learning about Purim or The Ocean. Children are exposed to Torah, Bible Stories, Hebrew Language, Israel and Mitzvot. We integrate Judaism as a way of life on a daily basis. For many families this is a first exposure to the customs and traditions associated with being Jewish. We understand this and offer family education in a joyful and non-threatening manner.

Parents are provided with a school-wide newsletter and a preschool newsletter. There are many opportunities for parent involvement. We view parents as partners and value parents as major players in our preschool. During the year, there are many opportunities for parents to be a part of our program. Shabbat lunch, Chanukah celebrations, Israeli Dance Festival, and many Family Education programs throughout the year are just a few.

"We are truly a community school, a family. In fact, Solomon Schechter is more than a school, it is a way of life."

Thank you for your interest in our school. Please feel free to call and arrange a tour of our preschool. 561-0700 ext. 169.