Our Philosophy and Goals
Our program is designed to help develop the whole child: socially, intellectually, emotionally and physically. We encourage the development of children’s inner resources: curiosity, creativity, imagination, independence, a love of learning and self-esteem. Learning to play cooperatively and building positive relationships with friends are fundamental components of our program.

We are a Welcoming and Inclusive Community
The physical environment is viewed as an integral partner in the learning experience. We provide classroom environments that are authentic and natural in appearance and engaging and stimulating in feel. The classrooms are designed to serve as an extension of the home environment to support the child’s feeling of safety and security.

We Inspire Jewish Journeys
Every day experiences are infused by Jewish tradition. We encourage an exploration of the cultural, spiritual and ethical aspects of Judaism through holiday celebrations, teaching and performing Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) and demonstrating respect for the world around us.

We Apply Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Through an understanding of child development, we provide a learning experience that recognizes and appreciates each child’s place in the developmental continuum. Teachers receive ongoing training in the field of early childhood education and support one another in applying best practices in the field.

Since 1935, the JCC Early Childhood Center has provided a nurturing, stimulating and enriching environment for children to grow and learn. Jewish values are central to our mission and are infused into all aspects of our curriculum, philosophy and goals for families and children. We believe that children are competent, curious, capable and deserving of individualized attention. Our curriculum is play-based, child-directed and emerges through the interests of each child

The JCC Early Childhood Center offers the highest quality of care for children 12 weeks to 5 years. We are open from 7am to 6pm and offer flexible schedules for both working and non-working parents. All children enjoy weekly gym and music classes and children ages three and older receive swim lessons once a week. We host bi-weekly concerts on Friday mornings and a weekly all-school Shabbat celebration. We also have a strong and inclusive special needs program.

The JCC Early Childhood Center is engaged in a four year, family engagement school change process. The Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI) has as its ultimate outcomes in sustaining and expanding the quality of Jewish early childhood education and move families with young children toward enriched Jewish life and ongoing Jewish learning. JECEI uses seven “lenses” which are based in Jewish tradition and serve as the windows through which we understand the world around us, our interactions and relationships. For more information about JECEI, visit www.jecei.org.

The JCC Early Childhood Center is a 3 Star Qualistar rated school. Developed by 150 early childhood experts, the Qualistar Rating measures quality in licensed early learning programs, both home and center based that serve children birth to kindergarten. This four star rating system (with four being the highest) outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the program and provides a detailed plan for continuous quality improvement. Trained observers, who spend several hours in each classroom, collect information on five different quality components. All of the points that programs earn in each of these quality components are added together to arrive at a Qualistar Rating. The areas of rating include: Learning Environment, Family Partnership, Training and Education, Adult to Child Ratios and Accreditation. For more information about Qualistar, visit www.qualistar.org.