About our School

Our Philosophy

Our experienced and professional staff of early childhood educators encourage Jewish values, exploration and growth. We believe that students learn best in a well-equipped environment that is stimulating, safe, consistent and nurturing.  We encourage parents to actively participate in the education of their children.

Developmental Preschool

Children are encouraged to learn through activities that are appropriate to their age and individual stage of development. The classrooms are set up with a “hands on” approach and children choose among several activities and can play alone or in small groups, with active facilitation from teachers. The group comes together for songs, stories, or other “circle time” activities during the morning, and spends time outside. There is a mixture of both self-directed and teacher-directed activities.

Joyful Jewish traditions and celebrations drive our curriculum, and teachers plan curriculum and activities to prepare the environment for learning through play with an emphasis on sharing, conflict resolution, and self-mastery. Each classroom works with children to master tasks that are age appropriate to his/her individual level of development.

The Academic Year

Our school year runs from September through mid-June.  We are closed for Jewish and Federal holidays.

Teacher/Child Ratio

We believe that every child thrives in an environment where their needs are met, both socially  and educationally. To ensure a well supervised environment for your child, we maintain the following teacher/child ratios:

• 1:3 in our toddler class
• 1:5 in our 2½-3½ year-old classes
• 1:7 in our TK class

Jewish Holidays and Celebrations

Our integrated programming emphasizes an age-appropriate and meaningful Jewish experience. The richness and beauty of Jewish holidays and customs form the basis of many school celebrations and a foundation for a  lifetime of Jewish learning.

Rabbi Ezray and our ritual director, Bill Futornick, are involved throughout the year. From leading Shabbat celebrations and Pesach seders to visiting us for Thanksgiving they are a vibrant part of our program.

Inclusion

Beth Jacob Preschool welcomes children with diagnosed special needs, and our teachers are skilled at recognizing red flags in development to assist families. In addition to our teaching staff, an Early Childhood Education Inclusion Specialist is available to work with teachers and parents to support all children.

The inclusion of children with special needs means teaching all children together, regardless of ability level. We celebrate children’s similarities as well as their different abilities. Research shows that inclusion helps children with special needs achieve higher developmental outcomes, develops communication and social skills, and promotes relationships with peers. At the same time, welcoming children with special needs helps all children to be kinder and more accepting of diversity.