Mandel JCC
Early Childhood 18 Months – Pre K
The Mandel JCC Early Childhood Center is Committed to
Excellence The Mandel JCC Early Childhood Center is committed to excellence in early care and education. Our program is inspired by Sheva (the Hebrew word for seven), a national JCCA program which guides our values, engagement and pursuit of excellence: • Children are Natural Learners: Our teachers inspire children to question their world and to appreciate multiple perspectives. • Early Childhood Directors as Visionaries: Our director works with parents, teachers and The J’s leadership to cultivate a diverse and vibrant learning community. • Early Childhood Educators are Professionals: Our educators are lifelong learners, always engaging in professional development. • Families as Engaged Learners: Family engagement builds a healthy school community. Our families are valued and diversity is embraced. • Environments as an Inspiration for Inquiry: Our classrooms provide spaces that provoke children’s wonder, curiosity, intellectual engagement and creative expression. • Discover CATCH as Sh’mirat HaGuf (taking care of our bodies): We encourage children’s love of physical activity and knowledge about healthy eating. • Israel as the Story of the Jewish People: Our educators create a connection with Israel through classroom activities and holiday celebrations.
What We
Believe Believe
Early Childhood Education is more than preparing children for future success in school. It is about honoring the process of childhood and supporting every child in realizing his or her full potential. Children learn best through play – they develop physically, cognitively, psychologically, emotionally, socially and linguistically. It is how they learn about themselves, other people and the world around them. Play reflects the natural rhythms of children’s concentration and curiosity. It is through play that children develop the skills of formal education including reading, math and science.
How We Behave We view relationships as the primary vehicle through which individuals learn and mature. Our school functions like a healthy family and our adult relationships serve as positive models for children to emulate. Our teachers never stop being students – they understand that growth and learning is as vital to them as it is to children.
Why We
Succeed Succeed Teachers create learning environments and experiences that spark children’s wonder and creativity, build children’s confidence and intellectual skills and nurture within children the disposition for life-long learning. Families are partners in the work that we do – together we are caretakers for each other and for our school community.
Where We
Differ Differ
Our program has the distinct advantage of being part of the Mandel JCC, which greatly enhances the experiences we provide to our young students. All children use a state-of-the-art gymnasium for gross motor play and physical education instruction. Everyone benefits by working with both a music specialist and a yoga instructor. Our 3 and 4 year-olds participate in our Red Cross instructional swim program with their Mandel JCC classmates! Our unique wellness program, Discover CATCH, stands for Coordinated Approach to Child’s Health. Discover CATCH includes providing children with high-quality nutritional snacks and cooking experiences, a children’s garden and corresponding curriculum and a unique physical education curriculum.
Our
Classrooms Inquisitive minds, rejoicing spirits and active bodies – our early childhood classrooms are inspiring spaces that encourage children to move, explore and experiment. Classroom learning centers support children’s active engagement, initiative and independence. Self-selected play combined with teacher directed experiences empowers children’s work at school!
Our
commuNitY Community At school children learn to see themselves as important members of a classroom community. This reinforces respect for diversity, the power of unity, the comfort of belonging and sets the tone for lifelong interactions and commitment to others. PARENT ENGAGEMENT “Community” is at the center of our Mandel JCC name and our influences reach far beyond the classroom walls. Our center provides programs that strengthen parent’s connections to both our school and to other families. A large array of social, recreational and educational programs for adults and families are offered throughout the school year. Our open-door policy welcomes parents into the classroom at any time!
Our
Values Values Our school is inspired by the richness of Jewish values and traditions. We use Jewish teachings on friendship, respect, inner strength, honoring others and taking care of our community and environment as a practical guide for teaching ethics and morals in today’s world. Our curriculum reflects Jewish culture by integrating traditions and customs into routine classroom experiences through music, literacy, cooking, art and joyful celebrations.
Our
Philosophy philosophy Our Early Childhood Program is grounded in the principles of Conscious Discipline, a social and emotional philosophy that increases a teacher’s skill set for self-management and classroom leadership.
Conscious Discipline provides a relationship based model of classroom management with the “school family” at the core of the program. It is supported by the following three tenets: • Controlling and changing ourselves is possible and has a profound impact on others Our teachers maintain a sense of calm and well-being even when children cannot. Adults who manage their own anger and frustration teach children emotional selfmanagement skills and provide them with a healthy model to emulate. • Connectedness governs behavior Our school structures and routines strengthen our family atmosphere and enrich children’s classroom experiences. Structures bring order to a classroom by helping children anticipate what comes next – rituals bring warmth and connection to a classroom by emotionally connecting children to their school experiences. At school children begin to appreciate how pleasurable it is to play and work with others. • Conflict is an opportunity to teach While most people instinctively try to avoid conflict – at school, we see conflict as an opportunity to teach children missing skills. With ongoing support, practice, and coaching children gain the confidence to approach conflict directly and learn to see it as a manageable part of daily life.
our Day Our Day Toddlers: 18-36 Months
Two Year Olds
Daily Schedule – Full Day
Daily Schedule – Half Day
7:30 am
Greet Children / Breakfast served
9:15 am
Arrival / Greet children
8:15 am
iscovery Time (classroom learning centers are D open including rich sensory experiences)
9:20 am
T eacher guided learning (all classroom learning centers are open)
9:15 am
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
10 am
Morning Circle
10 am
Hand washing / Snack
10:15 am
Hand washing / Snack
10:15 am
Circle Time
10:30 am
S pecialist Activity (music, movement or Discover CATCH activities)
10:30 am
S pecialist Activity (Movement, Music or Discover CATCH activities)
11 am
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
11 am
T eacher guided learning classroom learning centers remain open)
11:30 am
Story time
11:45 am
Clean-up / hand washing
11:45 am
Dismissal
12 pm
Lunch (provided by parent)
1 pm
Nap
3:45 pm
Hand washing / Snack
4:15 pm
Circle Time / Stories
4:30 pm
T eacher guided learning (classroom learning centers remain open)
5 pm
Indoor / outdoor gross motor play
5:30 pm
Books, puzzles, quiet activities
6 pm
Dismissal
our Day Our Day 3-Year-Olds (36–48 mos.) Daily Schedule – Full Day
Daily Schedule – Half Day
7:30 am
Greetings and breakfast
9 am
Half-day students arrive
8:15 am
Discovery Time (classroom learning centers are open)
9:15 am
Morning Circle
9 am
Half-day students arrive
9:30 am
Specialist Activity (includes: music, yoga, physical education, gardening and swimming)
9:15 am
Morning Circle
10 am
Hand washing / Snack
9:30 am
Specialist Activity (includes: music, yoga, physical education, gardening and swimming)
10:15 am
Outdoor Play / Indoor Gross Play
11 am
Teacher guided learning (classroom learning centers are open)
10 am
Hand washing / Snack
10:15 am
Outdoor Play / Indoor Gross Play
11:45 am
Hand washing
11 am
Teacher guided learning (classroom learning centers are open)
12 pm
Lunch (provided by parent)
11:45 am
Hand washing
12:30 pm
Dismissal
12 pm
Lunch (provided by parent)
12:30 pm
Half-day children dismiss
12:45 pm
Teacher guided learning (classroom learning centers are open)
1:45 pm
Story time
2 pm
Rest Time
3:45 pm
Hand washing / Snack
4 pm
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
4:45 pm
Discovery Time (includes rich sensory play and open learning centers)
5:30 pm
Books, puzzles and quiet activities
6 pm
Dismissal
our Day Our Day PreK – 4 Year Olds (48-60 mos) Daily Schedule – Full Day
Daily Schedule – Half Day
7:30 am
Greetings and breakfast
9 am
8:15 am
Discovery Time (classroom learning centers are open)
Half-day students arrive (all students sign-in after they enter the classroom)
9:15 am
9 am
Half-day students arrive (all students sign-in after they enter the classroom)
Group meeting (welcoming, reviewing, counting, sharing, celebrating)
9:45 am
Teacher guided learning / Snack
9:15 am
Group meeting (welcoming, reviewing, counting, sharing, celebrating)
10:45 am
Specialist Activity (includes: music, yoga, physical education, gardening and swimming)
9:45 am
Teacher guided learning / Snack
11:15 am
10:45 am
Specialist Activity (includes: music, yoga, physical education, gardening and swimming)
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
11:45 am
Hand washing
11:15 am
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
12 pm
Lunch (provided by parent)
12:30 pm
Teacher guided learning
2 pm
Dismissal
11:45 am
Hand washing
12 pm
Lunch (provided by parent)
12:30 pm
Teacher guided learning
2 pm
Dismiss from More-to-Explore
2:15 pm
Story
2:30 pm
Rest Time
3:45 pm
Hand washing / Snack
4:15 pm
Discovery Time (classroom learning centers are open)
5:15 pm
Outdoor Gross Motor Play / Indoor Gross Motor Play
5:30 pm
Books, puzzles and quiet activities
6 pm
Dismissal
For information: Joan Morgenstern, Director Early Childhood • (216) 831-0700, ext. 1375 • jmorgenstern@mandeljcc.org
26001 South Woodland Road, Beachwood, Ohio 44122 • mandeljcc.org/preschool