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Early Childhood Academics
At Park East, we see these key, tender early years as an opportunity to teach children to focus, trust, and be independent. We encourage them to become risk takers, problem solvers, and creative thinkers who are comfortable in their own skins, with each other, and with the adults who help guide them through their day.
Our Early Childhood divisions include:
Taste of School
1.5 hour non-separational program on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 9:30-10:45 AM
Transitional 2s (children turning 2 between September-December)
3 days per week – 9AM-12PM
Toddler 2s
3 days per week – 9AM-12:30PM
5 days per week – 9AM-12:30PM
Transitional 3s (children turning 3 between September-December)
5 days per week – 9AM-12PM
5 days per week – 9AM-2PM (toilet-trained)
Nursery 3s
5 days per week – 9AM-2PM
Pre-K
5 days per week – 9AM-2PM
Kindergarten
5 days per week – 8:15AM-3:45PM -
In Early Childhood, students learn through play—play is their work.
Learning is thematic, interdisciplinary, and center-based. Children increase their focus, follow multi-step directions, collaborate, and complete tasks. Pre-reading and pre-math skills are taught through the accomplishment of projects: everything from making a menorah to learning Native American beading patterns to baking cookies lays the groundwork for developing academic abilities. Parsha/weekly Torah studies teach children about their heritage and emphasize the morals, ethics, and values of our Jewish tradition.
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Program Highlights
- Warm, nurturing environment
- Experiential learning involving the five senses
- Strong emphasis on expressive and receptive language development
- Early literacy skills introduced through an interdisciplinary approach revolving around the Jewish holidays, Shabbat, Torah stories, Israel, and the calendar
- Waterford Early Learning program individualizes reading, math, and science instruction
- IBM computer centers provide games to supplement early math and reading skills
- Hebrew language immersion, prayer, customs, and traditions woven into the school day
- Focus on community building and ethical growth: children are taught to be kind, respectful, curious, and questioning