Early Childhood Education Department
Our early childhood education department provides a unique service for families which incorporates infant care, toddler care, preschool education, and extended care services. Our programs are designed to care for the whole child. Children thrive in an environment that is safe, nurturing, and stimulating. Our goal is to provide opportunities for every child to develop their social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and creative selves. Children are also introduced to Jewish music, stories, and holiday celebrations, cultivating the beginning of their Jewish identities.
Infant & Toddler Program
Our infant program is for children age 3 months to 18 months with a teacher/child ratio of 1:4. In our toddler program, ages range from 18 months to 2.6 years with a teacher/child ratio of 1:6. Both programs offer a warm, safe, and nurturing environment where children are closely supervised by an experienced and caring staff. The children are free to explore their ever-expanding world within a developmentally sound curriculum that focuses on the individual needs of each growing child as well as introducing Jewish values and traditions. Both programs are year round and daily hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Keshet/Gesher Transition Summer Camp
The Keshet/Gesher Transition Camp is designed for enrolled toddlers who will be 2.6 years in September and are ready to make the transition to preschool. This program is open throughout the summer, June through August. A staff member from the Toddler classroom moves with the children to the Transition Camp to maintain continuity for the children.
Preschool
Our preschool program, for children ages 2.6 to 5 years, is provided to stimulate, expose, and enrich students throughout a variety of hands-on experiences. This program focuses on the child's physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. These areas of development are integrated through the child's play (work) throughout the day with various indoor and outdoor activities. All activities are planned to encourage independence, confidence, and self- respect. Activities range from art, music, movement, literature, science, math, Judaica, and Hebrew. By providing the students with time and guidance to develop positive peer and adult interaction, listening skills, and appropriate emotional responses to their feelings, we are giving them the tools they need for a solid foundation for their elementary years.
Preschool programs follow the kindergarten through sixth grade calendar based on a 10 month program. The preschool teacher/child ratio is 1:12, however, Shalom School provides two fully qualified teachers as well as a full-time assistant in the youngest preschool class and part-time assistants in the two older preschool classes. This type of staffing keeps our teacher/child ratio at 1:8. Families are allowed to choose between a three-day program (M, W, F) and a five day program (M-F). Preschool hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Fridays, all Preschool classes participate in a special Shabbat lunch with music, family and guests are encouraged to attend. Also available to Shalom School families is extended care from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Preschool Summer Art Camp
The Shalom Preschool Summer Art Camp program is an extension of our school year program with an emphasis on art, the outdoors and our environment. All the morning activities take place outdoors and each day has a special activity planned (water day, messy day, gymnastics/movement, sharing, Shabbat, and more). The summer program provides an opportune time for children to become acquainted with their new room, schedules, and teacher. For those students who do not attend Shalom School during the regular school year, the summer camp provides them an opportunity to participate in our specialized activities, including Jewish Tradition, Hebrew Language, and Israeli dancing.
