- Registration Is Now Open for 2013-2014 School Year.
- Please contact Bonnie to schedule a visit or learn more about our program
- Learn about our Early Childhood program
Our Early Childhood Center is a part-day developmental program with a play-based curriculum. We are proud to have earned NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Accreditation--the mark of quality for early childhood education programs.
We weave Judaic values and traditions into daily activities of fun, experimenation, creative play and discovery. We offer:
- parent-tot classes for children under two, and
- preschool, summer camp, and Jewish enrichment classes for children two to six years old.
- flexible childcare before and after school, including a lunch program
In the JRC Early Childhood Center, we believe that children learn through constructive play. We provide a nurturing and stimulating environment to support children's social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Classroom activities are developed by early childhood professionals who are in tune with our children and their families, and who are responsive to their needs and interests.
Play in a stimulating, nurturing environment is how a child explores the world. Children can choose activities, spend uninterrupted classroom time playing with classmates, and have time each day for climbing, bike riding, exploring our beautiful new hand-painted interactive mural, and playing in our outdoor playground.
At JRC we use an emergent curriculum, meaning one that evolves to support the children's interests and encourages investigation and questioning. Teachers create environments and interact with children in ways that challenge children to problem-solve and think. In projects and use of materials we focus on the process rather than the end product, and encourage children to try different approaches, ask questions, and follow their own curiosity and enjoyment. Our professional teaching staff has formal training in early childhood education and continually upgrades their knowledge and expertise with classes and seminars.
We feel fortunate that Reconstructionist Judaism mirrors the same approach to learning that we support in our developmental program. Your child will share in the tastes, touch, and sounds of our weekly Shabbat celebration. Values of Judaism, such as Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World), Gemilut Hasadim (Acts of Lovingkindness), and Tzedakah (Bringing Justice to People through Giving) are practiced in our themes and activities.
We provide a nutritious snack each day, and we celebrate Jewish holidays with traditional foods, often prepared in our classrooms. On Fridays, we celebrate Shabbat with our rabbi and cantor, who lead us in blessings and songs.
Our Early Childhood Program is affiliated with Chicago's Community Foundation for Jewish Education and licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
We invite you to visit our Early Childhood Center, observe our classes, and meet our JRC family of staff and parents. We always welcome visitors. Please contact Bonnie to schedule a visit. When you come to JRC, please stop at the front desk to fill out a visitor form. We will be happy to take you on a personal tour of our center, where you are welcome to spend time observing classes and talking to Bonnie Silverman, Early Childhood Director, about the program in more detail.
Bonnie Silverman is our Early Childhood Director. You can email Bonnie or reach her at 847-328-7678, extension 2227. Bonnie looks forward to talking with you and sharing her enthusiasm for the school.