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Save the Date of our Hanukkah Dinner and festivities....Dec 15th! ECC and Religious School registration info & Membership application, see below.

Home > Learning > Early Childhood Center

Early Childhood Center

Greenburgh Hebrew Center Early Childhood Center: serving the Rivertowns: Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Irvington, Tarrytown, Hastings and beyond

A private, non-profit preschool for children from 2 to 5 years of age.

Call it a Nursery School, call it a Preschool, we call it the Greenburgh Hebrew Center Early Childhood Center!

You are welcome to visit us and observe our children and staff enjoying their school day. The GHC Early Childhood Center offers a combined secular and Judaic pre-school curriculum in a warm, emotionally supportive, creative and fun atmosphere. We are committed to a high-quality learning environment and follow the standards of the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).

School Philosophy

Our purpose is to create an environment for two, three and four-year olds where self-confidence and self-expression are encouraged and supported. In the process, our children also learn responsibility, respect for others, and decision making skills.

All of our activities are age-appropriate and appeal to a variety of learning styles and personalities. Our teachers understand the differences in the development of the young child, and therefore all activities in the classroom are hands on and relevant to each child. Projects are open-ended and focus on the process rather than the product. Consequently, children of all abilities can succeed and self-esteem grows.

In each age group, learning is implemented through a hands-on, play oriented approach. The general goal of our program is to develop strong social, fine motor, gross motor and communication skills.

The Judaic component is an essential element of our children's educational experience at GHC. We feel that through the introduction of an age-appropriate Judaic curriculum in the pre-school years, our children will acquire a lifelong love and devotion to Judaism and the Jewish people. We strongly believe in teaching and practicing Jewish values. Our children are exposed to and participate in Jewish rituals, cultural practices, and holiday celebrations through song, story and art.

Curriculum

Greenburgh Hebrew Center Early Childhood Center follows a pre-school curriculum with experiences in:

  • Emergent literacy through story time and literature related activities
  • Pre-math skills
  • Science and nature exploration
  • Arts and crafts
  • Creative movement
  • Yoga  
  • Shabbat and Jewish holiday celebrations
  • Dramatic play
  • Music
  • Tzedakah projects
  • Outdoor and indoor play
  • Guest visitors

A typical day for our children includes time for individual and group experiences. Each day allows for the young child's need for high, moderate and low-level activities.

Goals

Our teachers have specific goals for their classes, and during the school year, work to implement and achieve these goals. At each age level the teachers structure the curriculum to foster the development of important basic skills.

In the two-year old class, the emphasis is on helping and encouraging children to achieve separation from their parent or caregiver. It is also very important at this age for children to learn to transition between activities without upset. During this year growing communication skills are encouraged, and this growth allows children to begin to change their play patterns from parallel to cooperative play.

In the three-year old class, language further develops as children are encouraged to talk about their creations in the block corner, describe their art projects, participate in finger plays, and listen at story time with increased understanding. Children learn about math through play and the activities of the classroom. The refinement of fine motor skills is an additional goal of the threes. As the three-year-old sense of self becomes stronger, the children become more socially aware and friendships take on new importance.

A major goal in the four-year old class is kindergarten readiness. One of the ways we accomplish this goal is by enhancing the pre-reading skills of the children. An experience chart is used on a daily basis familiarizing children with a group of sight words and the concept that letters make words and words make sentences. Children practice writing their names, and dictate and create class books throughout the year. Math skills are taught through sorting, counting, patterning, number recognition, and comparison through voting and measurement. Equally important in the fours is the growth of emotional development. This is accomplished by providing an environment where children learn to care about one another, embrace diversity, feel part of a larger social group, and embrace friendships.

Other Activities at GHC

Depending on interest, the school may offer a Mommy and Me Toddler class for one-year olds, designed to provide toddlers with a "taste" of preschool. Children in the Mommy and Me program may attend with either a parent or a caregiver. Consistent with our philosophy of Jewish education, all children and parents are invited to Mishpacha (family) Shabbat at GHC, as well as for lunch following services. Mishpacha Shabbat is designed for children 0-6 and their parents, and it is held once per month.  This is a very interactive service for young families where they will pray, sing, dance and play games.  Attendees will also enjoy a hands-on project dealing with the current holiday or Torah portion.  All GHC Early Childhood Center families are welcome and encouraged to participate in all activities and events at the Greenburgh Hebrew Center.
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If you have any questions regarding our ECC program, wish to take a tour or wish to learn about our rate structure, please contact our Early Childhood Director, Shaatrice Rossi, at eccdirector@ghcny.org, or call the office at 914-693-4260.  If you would like an admission application, please go to drop down menu on the Learning section on our home page.  
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Meet the Teachers

The warm and nurturing staff at the GHC Early Childhood Center is well educated, with extensive experience working with young children.  Each head teacher has years of teaching in the field of early childhood education.  The primary concern of every staff member is to meet the needs of each individual child. Frequent communication between school and home is crucial to your child’s success in nursery school and formal conferences with parents are scheduled twice during the school year as well.  The staff stays current with new developments in education by attending Early Childhood workshops every year.  All teachers are certified by the American Heart Association in Adult, Child and Infant CPR and First Aid.

SHAATRICE ROSSI - ECC Director

Shaatrice has joined the Greenburgh Hebrew Center Early Childhood Center team as the Early Childhood Director in 2023.  She is a certified teacher for general education, as well as for special education from birth to sixth grade.  With a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education with an extension in special education and childhood education, her passion and compassionate personality is a great asset for our school.  She currently lives in Scarsdale with her husband and daughter.  Shaatrice can be reached at shaatrice.rossi@ghcny.org .

Shelli Katz

Shelli is excited to be a part of GHC ECC, teaching our 2's Class. This is her first year working with us. She has many years of experience working in different Nursery school programs. Shelli is also a certified Child Life Specialist and has worked for almost 20 years in hospitals helping children manage stress and trauma. Shelli lives in Hastings with her husband and has three daughters who attended Greenburgh Hebrew Center, Early Childhood Center. It is exciting to have a teacher who was once a parent of our Shul, and we are ecstatic to have her and her compassionate nature here to share with our two’s class. For Shelli, watching 2 year-olds bloom is extremely rewarding.

Christina Quoka

Christina has four years’ classroom experience, as a teacher and paraprofessional. She was also a tutor and her love for children led her to be a character performer at Walt Disney resort. Christina lives close by in Irvington with her husband. She says the best part about working with children is watching them develop and learn new skills.

Stephanie Walters-Abdul

Stephanie comes from a long history of a family of early childhood educators. She has many years of experience volunteering on school trips, sporting activities and assisting in the classroom. Stephanie has a bachelor’s degree. Before joining GHC she was a nanny for 3 years. Stephanie has a teenage son who keeps her busy with swimming events. She says, “It is a joy, coming to GHC, to see how the children are eager to learn.” Stephanie states she is happy to be a part of the growth journey, helping children to reach important milestones.

Mary Presta

Mary has such a warm disposition; the children here are really drawn to her. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Mary is from Dobbs Ferry. She has worked close by in the community for over 12 years working with children at Dow’s Lane Elementary School as a Teacher’s Assistant and subbing for teachers. Mary has two children and five grandchildren, whom she spends her free time with. Mary feels her calling is to work with children.

 

 

Wed, December 4 2024 3 Kislev 5785