Early Childhood Program - Nursery & Junior Kindergarten

The Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School early childhood program fosters curiosity and facilitates children’s social, emotional and intellectual growth through formal and informal learning experiences. It plants the seeds of caring, giving, leadership and lifelong learning.

Building relationships & learning with others

Our early childhood program creates classroom communities that help our youngest students learn and play in different ways—there’s group time and free play, show-and-tell, and hands-on exploration at various stations. Every day is filled with art, music, computers, stories, language, movement and physical education. The physical layout of classrooms, meanwhile, encourages peer interaction and social development. Each classroom has multiple teachers to guide and support students on their journeys of self-discovery, friendship and learning, with sensitivity to each child's developmental needs and unique strengths.

Experiencing Judaism

Early childhood students experience Jewish holidays, traditions and celebrations, and begin to hear, speak and sing Hebrew, becoming familiar with the sounds of the language. Daily and weekly rituals like blessing food and drink, giving tzedakah and welcoming Shabbat provide students a sense of living Jewishly and foster positive Jewish identity. Dedicated Early Childhood Jewish studies teachers are an integral part of our program, and classrooms come together for festivals and celebrations as a vibrant Jewish community.

Early Literacy

Our program incorporates best practice in the field of early child education by providing extensive opportunities to build early literacy skills. Through age-appropriate journaling activities, students begin to develop an awareness of the link between their spoken words and their words in print. Classroom libraries, regular visits to the media center's storytelling nook, and quiet book-browsing time create print-rich environments. Lower School "reading buddies" develop special friendships with early childhood students to instill enthusiasm for reading.

The school's integration of reading and play sparks imagination and nurtures confident readers and learners. Pairing imagination with the reading process makes meaning accessible to children, allowing reading to be a powerful and joyful experience.

Early Math Readiness

Early math readiness and concepts begin in early childhood with number awareness, practicing with the calendar and learning about seasons and weather. Children begin to understand the passage of time, sequence, recognize patterns and develop an understanding of how numbers work in the world around them.

Curriculum in Focus: Fall Unit

In our study of the fall season, students explore the beauty of autumn within an integrated, thematic framework by reinforcing concepts across disciplines. Symbols of fall—leaves, pumpkins, apples and acorns—serve as vehicles for art projects and science experiments. Students paint and draw fall landscapes, and use drawings and words to record observations. Pumpkin seeds, apple varieties and leaf colors provide handy tools for graphing, tallying, counting and measuring. Students tap into their creativity and sense of fun through dramatic play by performing a scene from a favorite book about fall, and dictate their own stories to create books.

Parents as Partners

We invite a close relationship between parents and teachers to facilitate the transition from home to school and to maximize learning opportunities. Parents are vital partners, visiting classes as "mystery guests" or journal helpers, participating in holiday celebrations, and volunteering at school events. Families' active participation strengthens our community and enhances their children's school experience.