Who We Are
Gan Shalom Cooperative Preschool is a Jewish early childhood education program inspired by Reggio Emilia and supported by Hill Havurah for children aged 24 months through 4 years old.
Enrollment is open to both Jewish and non-Jewish students. At Gan Shalom we believe that children construct their own knowledge and develop the cognitive skills they will need throughout their lives through play and exploration. Our curriculum is designed to celebrate the competence of young children, to meet the individual needs, interests and developmental stages of each child, and to create an atmosphere in which children, teachers and parents are all active participants in the learning process. It is our desire to provide a warm, loving Jewish environment where each child feels secure and happy, and where learning is meaningful and fun.
Gan Shalom Cooperative Preschool believes that children’s first teachers are their parents, caregivers or guardians. Parents and caregivers have an active role in the Gan Shalom community. They often participate in classroom activities and have a leadership role in the governance of our preschool. We believe that teachers, parents, and the child have equal roles in their learning and value collaboration as the child grows during their time at Gan Shalom.
Gan Shalom takes COVID safety very seriously. Some of our current precautions include: all staff and volunteers are vaccinated and masked; we eat outdoors whenever possible; and when we’re indoors we ensure good air circulation and filtration, keeping our windows open and running HEPA air filters. As of March 2022, children remain masked both indoors and outdoors. We are continually evaluating and tracking COVID rates in our city and for our unvaccinated population of students.
Enrollment is open to both Jewish and non-Jewish students. At Gan Shalom we believe that children construct their own knowledge and develop the cognitive skills they will need throughout their lives through play and exploration. Our curriculum is designed to celebrate the competence of young children, to meet the individual needs, interests and developmental stages of each child, and to create an atmosphere in which children, teachers and parents are all active participants in the learning process. It is our desire to provide a warm, loving Jewish environment where each child feels secure and happy, and where learning is meaningful and fun.
Gan Shalom Cooperative Preschool believes that children’s first teachers are their parents, caregivers or guardians. Parents and caregivers have an active role in the Gan Shalom community. They often participate in classroom activities and have a leadership role in the governance of our preschool. We believe that teachers, parents, and the child have equal roles in their learning and value collaboration as the child grows during their time at Gan Shalom.
Gan Shalom takes COVID safety very seriously. Some of our current precautions include: all staff and volunteers are vaccinated and masked; we eat outdoors whenever possible; and when we’re indoors we ensure good air circulation and filtration, keeping our windows open and running HEPA air filters. As of March 2022, children remain masked both indoors and outdoors. We are continually evaluating and tracking COVID rates in our city and for our unvaccinated population of students.
Day in the life
Each day children are greeted with inviting provocations using open-ended materials and options for continuing ongoing explorations. Every morning includes opportunities for free play to allow children to independently structure their learning and pursue ideas they would like to further investigate. Children are encouraged to strengthen self-care skills in each part of our daily routine, including serving snacks, getting dressed, and cleaning. Children are often seen helping and supporting each other in these self-care tasks, based on individual areas of growth to help each other fulfill their individual needs.
Anavim/Tutim
8:30am Children Arrive
9:00amCircle Time
9:20am Explorative Learning Activities
10:15am Potty/Handwashing
10:30am Snack (outside whenever possible)
10:45am Walk/exploration/freeplay
11:50am Closing Circle/song/story
12:00pm Pick-up
Rimonim
8:30am Children Arrive
9:00am Circle time
9:20am Explorative Learning Activities
10:15am Potty/Handwashing
10:30am Snack (outside whenever possible)
10:45am Walk/exploration/freeplay
12:00pm Handwashing/potty
12:15pm Lunch
12:45pm Closing circle/song/story
1:00pm Pick-up
Afternoon Program
Open to Anavim, Tutim and Rimonim
12:00pm Lunch,
1:00pm Nap/Quiet time
3:00pm Snack
3:30pm Afternoon Circle time
4:00pm Outdoor Exploration
5:00pm Story and Free Play
6:00pm Pick-up
Through celebration of Shabbat (every Thursday/Friday) and Jewish holidays, we foster a Jewish identity while recognizing the diversity of our students and community.
Anavim/Tutim
8:30am Children Arrive
9:00amCircle Time
9:20am Explorative Learning Activities
10:15am Potty/Handwashing
10:30am Snack (outside whenever possible)
10:45am Walk/exploration/freeplay
11:50am Closing Circle/song/story
12:00pm Pick-up
Rimonim
8:30am Children Arrive
9:00am Circle time
9:20am Explorative Learning Activities
10:15am Potty/Handwashing
10:30am Snack (outside whenever possible)
10:45am Walk/exploration/freeplay
12:00pm Handwashing/potty
12:15pm Lunch
12:45pm Closing circle/song/story
1:00pm Pick-up
Afternoon Program
Open to Anavim, Tutim and Rimonim
12:00pm Lunch,
1:00pm Nap/Quiet time
3:00pm Snack
3:30pm Afternoon Circle time
4:00pm Outdoor Exploration
5:00pm Story and Free Play
6:00pm Pick-up
Through celebration of Shabbat (every Thursday/Friday) and Jewish holidays, we foster a Jewish identity while recognizing the diversity of our students and community.
Questions about Gan Shalom? Contact president.ganshalom@HillHavurah.org
For more information about the Hill Havurah, please visit: www.HillHavurah.org
