EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER

Transcription

1 The Isadore Joshowitz EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER HILLEL ACADEMY OF PITTSBURGH

2 The Isadore Joshowitz Early Childhood Center at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh is a warm, nurturing, and inclusive environment committed to the individual development of each child. Through an array of social and academic offerings, your child will experience an unparalleled education guided by Torah values and best practices. To learn more about our flourishing students, and how your child can become one, please contact us today. ADMISSIONS AND OVERVIEW CHECKLIST Enrollment has already begun. Don t miss out on giving your child the gift of a Jewish future. Step 1 - Contact our admissions team at (412) or by at crubin@hillelpgh.org for information and to schedule your tour. Step 2 - Visit Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh and meet with our Principal. Step 3 - Complete our paper or online application and supplemental paperwork. Step 4 - Receive notification of our admissions team s decision. Step 5 - Meet with our CEO and sign the enrollment contract. TUITION ASSISTANCE Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh believes that every Jewish child deserves a Jewish Day School education. We are committed to working with each and every parent to ensure that economics are not an impediment to experiencing an exceptional Jewish Day School education. Hillel Academy is an approved Pre-K Counts and CCIS facility. Call today to see if you qualify.

3 WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL EXPERIENCE Creative Curriculum At the Isadore Joshowitz Early Childhood Center at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, we employ the Creative Curriculum. This comprehensive early childhood educational system emphasizes a practical, easy to understand, approach to working with children. It promotes the use of 10 major interest areas as a way of providing experiences that promote cognitive, social, physical, and language development. Interest areas include: Blocks, Dramatic Play, Toys and Games, Art, Library, Discovery, Sand and Water, Music, and Movement. The Creative Curriculum identifies the knowledge, skills, and concepts important for children to acquire in each content area: literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. It also fosters a classroom environment that promotes positive relationships and encourages children to make friends and learn social problem-solving skills. Science The objective of the preschool science program is to encourage young children s natural curiosity about their world and to generate excitement about learning. Weekly minute science classes are designed to develop the children s: descriptive vocabulary observation skills sorting skills understanding of cause and effect ability to question, reason and guess

4 Classes introduce the children to a broad range of topics pulled from biological, physical and earth/space sciences, as well as math and engineering fundamentals. Over the course of a year, each tiered set of lessons addresses the majority of the NAEYC and PA state content standards for science. Subjects are chosen to mesh with classroom themes, including Jewish holidays, seasons, and letters of the week. The spiraling curriculum provides preschool children with opportunities to wonder, discover, and learn using all of their senses. Jewish Education Our students begin each day with tefillah (prayer). Students learn teffilot (prayers) including Shema, Adon Olam, and Modeh Ani, as well as various brachot (blessings) through song. Age appropriate instruction of the weekly Parsha and Jewish holidays is provided through thematically appropriate activities, including storytelling, crafts, and dramatic play. Each week, every classroom participates in a Pre-Shabbat party with students given the chance to serve as the Shabbat Ima (mother) or Abba (father). Additionally, students take part in a weekly school wide Oneg, where songs and stories are performed. Hebrew Language The main objective of the Ivrit program in our preschool is to introduce Ivrit (Hebrew language) through a semiimmersion approach, based on the Chalav U dvash program. Ivrit is taught completely in Ivrit, focusing on oral language and through systematic, spiral instruction that creates a solid foundation for speaking, reading, and writing in Ivrit. Teachers introduce language through songs, games, and simple conversation, to become part of our students everyday routine. A variety of teaching aids and activities such as puppets, story books, music, games, posters, illustrated cards, and fingerplay create a fascinating and inviting learning environment that engages all of the senses, stimulates the child s imagination, and fosters a love of the Hebrew language. Our program begins in the Tiny Tots and continues throughout Kindergarten, with the age appropriate adaptation for each group.

5 Physical Education Early Childhood students experience an array of activities in Physical Education. With the goal of promoting movement, gross motor, and listening skills, students are introduced to various concepts and exercises. Opportunities for skill development and heart rate elevation are provided, while participation and progress are encouraged. Library At the preschool level, the main objective is to develop a love of books and appreciation of the best in children s literature, both secular and Judaic. In addition, the objective of the preschool library experience is to aid in the development of the following skills: sequencing skills vocabulary skills oral communication skills attention span lengthened differentiate between fact and fantasy Library classes meet once a week and consist of songs, fingerplays, flannel board stories, and books read aloud by the school librarian. Learning about Jewish holidays is reinforced by all of the above.

6 Music Music for Early Childhood students is guided by dual objectives. We seek to create school culture, as well as provide opportunities for student expression. Music is experienced in multiple formats within the Early Childhood Center. Regular classroom lessons, weekly Pre-Shabbat Onegs, and public performances, enhance our school days. Each lesson and performance provides a safe environment for students to build confidence through validation. While increasing students phonemic awareness, musical principles of tempo, rhythm, pitch, and beat are addressed. These principles are reinforced through various technologies. Literacy Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Little Treasures Curriculum Little Treasures is a comprehensive literacy curriculum developed by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. Little Treasures is a thematic program with a scope and sequence designed to meet early learning needs and skills such as phonological awareness, alphabet recognition, print awareness, oral language/vocabulary, literature and listening comprehension, writing, and use of transitions. In addition to the focus on language and literacy, the curriculum also provides integration of mathematics, social science, social emotional development, as well as gross and fine motor activities. The curriculum is designed to assist children with the readiness skills that are needed for Kindergarten.

7 Mathematics Everyday Mathematics Program Everyday Mathematics is a comprehensive Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth Grade math curriculum embracing many of the traditional goals of school mathematics, as well as two ambitious goals for the 21st century: To substantially raise expectations regarding the amount and range of mathematics that children can learn; and To support teachers and children with the materials necessary to enable children to meet these higher expectations An ever-increasing demand for mathematics competence and problem-solving agility both in and out of school requires a change to both the mathematics that we teach and how we teach it. Beginning in Pre-Kindergarten, Everyday Mathematics makes these changes by introducing children to six major mathematical content domains: number sense, algebra, measurement, geometry, data analysis, and probability. The program helps children build and maintain basic skills, including automatic fact recall, while using every day, real-world problems and situations to nurture higher-order and critical-thinking skills. Assessment Ongoing and curriculum-based assessment assures individualization for children and classroom planning that is responsive to children s needs. Progress reports, issued twice each year, document children s progress in all of the key areas as defined by the Learning Standards for Early Childhood: Learning Through Play, Creative Thinking & Expression, Cognitive Thinking & General Knowledge, Scientific Thinking & Technology, Social Studies Thinking, Health, Wellness and Physical Development, Early Literacy Foundations, and Social and Emotional Development. Multiple sources of evidence comprise a comprehensive approach to assessment. These sources include portfolio collection, parent reports, child reports, anecdotal records, checklists, running records and observation. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year and include sharing the results of assessments. Assessment information is shared with Kindergarten teachers as part of the transition process. Accreditation Hillel Academy s Early Childhood Center is accredited by the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC s mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental resources. NAEYC supports our goals of improving professional practices, and achieving a high quality system of early childhood education. Hillel Academy s Early Childhood Center s continued partnership with NAEYC s quality standards and guidelines provides a framework of excellence which supports our children, teachers, families and community.

8 Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Program services shall be made accessible to eligible persons with disabilities through the most practical and economically feasible methods available. These methods include, but are not limited to, equipment redesign, the provision of aides, and the use of alternative service delivery locations. Structural modifications shall be considered only as a last resort among available methods. Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh 5685 Beacon Street Pittsburgh, PA Fax hillelpgh.org