Early Childhood
Welcome to the Early Childhood Division of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. Our program reflects our deep respect for children and provides a nurturing and dynamic environment for our youngest students. Guided by an understanding of how children learn best, we create many opportunities for students to grow socially through interactions with peers and teachers and to become inquisitive learners as they work and play together in our spirited and hands-on classrooms. In their journey of discovery, we support the children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development, fostering their growth as individuals and helping them become part of our caring community. We teach our young students the importance of helping one another and protecting our environment. Our faculty members model qualities of kindness, empathy and friendship throughout the school day. Through joyful and meaningful engagement, we cultivate each child’s Jewish soul and identity. At the heart of our immersive Jewish experience are daily prayers, blessings, hesed (acts of kindness), and the celebration of Shabbat and holidays.
The Early Childhood Division encompasses Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. Each class is taught by passionate and creative General Studies and Judaic Studies (Hebrew-speaking) teachers and a range of specialists. The daily schedule is designed to balance the child’s needs for active and quiet times, indoor and outdoor playtime, time for children to select their own activities, and time devoted to teacher-directed learning. As kindergarten is a bridge between Early Childhood and Lower School, school days include formal, structured lessons guided by research-based programs in literacy, math and Hebrew.
We value our partnership with parents on the educational journey. Ongoing connections and communications strengthen our understanding of the whole child and pave the way for growth.
Families are invited to spend time in our classrooms and join prayers and special events with us. We strive to create a welcoming, fun and supportive environment for every family, weaving a vibrant community together.
We invite you to visit us at Heschel to see our program in action.
Warmly,
Judy Wolf-Nevid
Early Childhood Head
The Program
We believe that young children learn best by doing. Play is the medium through which children explore and learn about themselves and others. Our classrooms are filled with engaging materials, such as blocks, sand, play-dough, costumes and paint. The students imaginatively express themselves, share discoveries, and build upon their learning. We provide stimulating experiential activities for children to collaborate with their peers and actively construct knowledge about our world. Individually and in groups, the children develop their understanding of simple concepts and use them to grasp more complex ideas.
We kindle children's curiosity and encourage them to ask questions, take risks in learning, make choices, and solve problems. We also support the children's social skills and their emerging independence. Our curriculum is built on an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Subjects such as language arts, social studies, Hebrew, math, and science are woven together. Our most powerful themes are drawn from Jewish and American holidays, family and community, and nature. During the year, additional topics emerge which reflect the interests of a class. In this way, we combine cultural identity, fields of knowledge, and an expanded view of the world.
