 The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Preschool opened its doors in the fall of 2002. Since that time the school has reflected the values and traditions held by the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, an inclusive Reform synagogue with a history of community and social outreach. The caring sense of family and community that is central to the synagogue is incorporated into daily routines and the philosophy of the preschool.
Philosophy
We are dedicated to the belief that individual differences should be celebrated and that children learn best through play in a nurturing environment that cultivates their social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual development.
Jewish values, rituals and principles are carefully woven into daily classroom life. The celebration of Shabbat and holidays is integrated into the curriculum through literature, art, music, drama and dance.
Our program includes both large and small group activities as well as individualized learning times where children can develop skills that encourage confidence and a life-long love of learning. Through interaction with a variety of engaging materials, and with the support of dedicated professionals, children explore, predict, think and create.
Creating a classroom community where children feel secure and respected is the cornerstone of the BHS program. As children develop warm, trusting relationships with teachers and peers, they learn how to express their feelings, cooperate with others and solve problems. The close relationship between the home and the school becomes the source for enduring friendships and the foundation of community life.
How to Apply
Information sessions and tours of the school are held in the fall and early winter for admission for the following school year. Applications are distributed at the information sessions.
If you are interested in touring the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Preschool please call the Preschool Office at (718) 522-2070 to arrange an appointment.
After touring the BHS Preschool, please return the application as soon as possible. After we receive the completed application, we will contact each family by mail to set up a time for children and their families to visit the preschool. During this visit, the children will be into a classroom with several children and teachers. As the children play, parents will have an opportunity to talk further with the director or assistant director. Admission notifications are mailed the first week of March.
Please note: Children applying to the Twos program must be two by May 31st of their entering year.
Contact Information
tel: 718-522-2070
email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
address: Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Preschool, 131 Remsen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Programs
Groupings
The age groupings in classes change yearly for flexibility in accommodating returning children. As children get older, the age span in each group may increase.
Two-year-olds* and some young three-year-olds attend school either 2 days or 3 days a week from 9am to 12pm.
Three-year-olds attend school 5 days a week from 9am to 12pm.
Four-year-olds attend school 5 days a week from 9am to 2pm, with a noon dismissal on Fridays.
*please note: Children applying to the Twos program must be two by May 31st of their entering year.
Faculty
All of our teachers meet the requirements set by the Department of Health, Bureau of Day Care. Our faculty is comprised of dedicated, highly trained early childhood educators. Most faculty members have master’s degrees or are currently completing graduate work in education. The school has a strong commitment to continued professional growth, and the entire faculty participates in ongoing staff development and training.
Parent Involvement
We encourage parent participation and offer a variety of ways for parents to feel at home in our school. The parent community enriches the school and synagogue community by sharing their interests, abilities and time with us. Relationships between families and the school become stronger through participation in school events. Families often develop long lasting friendships that continue on beyond their children’s preschool years.
Parent involvement opportunities include attending Parent Association events, becoming a Class Parent and participating in committees such as the Book Fair Committee, Challah Club, Spring Benefit Committee, Chesed Committee or School Newsletter. Parents are also encouraged to attend Parent Breakfast Seminars led by our Preschool Consultant. | Curriculum
Twos Program
The goal of the twos program is to provide a gentle and nurturing introduction to school that creates the foundation of a lifetime love of learning. The year begins with home visits and a gradual separation period to help build positive and trusting relationships between the children and the teachers. As the children acclimate to the classroom and begin to engage with the materials and with their peers, they are provided with many rich learning experiences. Children have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of art materials, build with blocks, take on pretend roles in the dramatic play area, and join in on cooking activities. They start to learn about being a member of a group as they sit together at snack time and meeting time together. At meeting time, and throughout the day, songs, finger plays, and carefully chosen books are shared.
Threes Program
The threes program is designed to meet the developmental level of that unique age. The year starts with a gradual phase-in period as the children adjust to the classroom and the routine of coming to school five days a week. Learning occurs in all of the domains of development as children engage with the classroom materials, interact with their peers, and participate in classroom activities. The children play in increasingly complex ways in the block area and the dramatic play area. They are provided with open-ended art experiences. Age appropriate themes such as feelings, babies, or planting are incorporated in the classroom activities to allow children to develop the skills of critical thinking, observation, and discussion. Exposure to fine children’s literature is an important part of the classroom experience. Books are read to the children in both, large and small groups. Children are also encouraged to explore books independently.
Fours Program
The Fours program builds on the skills that have been developed in the younger classrooms. The children continue to have open ended play with materials such as blocks, building toys, and dramatic play props. Cooking is an important part of the fours classroom, as is the use of art materials to make large scale creations. As they prepare for kindergarten, the four year old class participates in more structured explorations that further develop their mathematical, scientific, and pre-reading skills. The learning in the classroom often follows a theme such as:
“What is a Family?”
“How Buildings Are Made”
“Who Works in the Synagogue?”
“Who Am I?”
“Places in our Neighborhood”
| | |
Judaic Component
The Judaic component of the curriculum is carefully interwoven into the classroom activities in a rich and developmentally appropriate way. The goal is for children to have a familiarity with and warmness towards Jewish traditions and values. The yearly cycle of Jewish holidays is celebrated. Young children delight in the sensory experiences of each holiday and become enchanted by the special holiday rituals. Children have the opportunity to cook and taste traditional foods. They sing holiday songs in both, Hebrew and English as well as read books and listen to stories that are tied into each festival. Shabbat is a special time of the week for children who attend school on Friday. A special snack time is set apart and the children share in the ritual of lighting candles, drinking grape juice and eating challah together. The emphasis is the special and warm feeling of being together on Shabbat. Families may choose to join the school’s Challah Club and take home their own challot each week.
Jewish values are also an important part of our philosophy and curriculum. The children learn about caring for the world as they tend to class pets or plants. Acts of loving-kindness are noticed and emphasized as the children interact with one another. Caring for others is encouraged as children make phone calls to classmates or cards for friends who are feeling ill.
Movement
Each class has a weekly creative movement time with a teacher specialist. The children have an opportunity to strengthen their gross motor skills as well as express themselves through creative movement. Each class begins with a warm up activity. The children are then led through a variety of engaging activities, carefully designed for their age level. Whether they are pretending to be animals, wind-up toys or trees swaying in the wind, they are also learning about moving their bodies in different ways and at varying tempos. Movement activities are often tied into the classroom curriculum. The children may dramatize a candle flickering or an icicle melting. They may imitate the motion of a dreidel as they learn about Chanukah or a seed growing into a flower as they discuss how plants grow.
Music
Music is a vital part of early childhood education. Music is integrated into the children’s day both in the classrooms, as well as in weekly music sessions with a specialist. Children are given opportunities to sing familiar songs as well as time to learn new songs. They learn about rhythm, tempo and volume by playing a variety of musical instruments. Music classes are tied into the preschool curriculum as the children sing songs connected to classroom themes and the Jewish holidays. | | | |
|
|
|
Keep up with the latest news and events from Brooklyn Heights Synagogue.
Sign up for the mailing list to receive up to the minute information.
|
| |
|
|
