Washington DCJCC Preschool

• About our School
• Current-Year Information (forms, events, tuition)
• Tuition Rates for 2008-2009
• Required Forms for Current Students
• Special Events
• Holiday Calendar
• Preschool Waitlist A few spaces available in our older classes! Sign up online
• Now Hiring:  Preschool Substitute Teachers (a perfect fit for college students in particular)
• Preschool Parent Handbook
• Meet the Teachers
• Preschool Daily Schedule

   

ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

It is our intention to foster a nurturing environment of open-ended exploration, curiosity and growth for children, teachers and parents that deepens our connections to Judaism, the community and the world around us.

The Washington DCJCC Preschool is proud to announce our commitment to a Reggio Emilia-inspired program for our preschoolers. This “project approach” comes from childrens' interest and teachers' planning. Children can communicate in a “hundred different languages” with the written and spoken word, drawings, paintings, sculptures in clay and other materials, block construction, light, dance, music, movement and more. We are committed to values based on an image of children as curious, competent and capable of co-constructing knowledge.

In our Preschool, four-year old children are creating landmarks of Washington DC after their personal tour of the White House, two-year olds are performing on the stage that they built after a visit to Theater J, and three-year olds are sculpting clay with our studio art specialist.

Our caring teachers collaborate to help the children express themselves. Through observation, our teachers design in-depth investigations that emerge from the children's ideas and interests.  Documentation shows the process of the children's work and highlights the discoveries that have grown from their explorations.  This includes samples of the children's work, photographs, drawings and transcripts of their conversations.

Our environment itself provides the message that our program values the quality and instructive power of space. Our rooms are warm and welcoming and provide carefully designed spaces that encourage active exploration and creativity as well as areas that encourage reflection and concentration. We encourage them to use all of the available materials in their discovery process. In addition to these, our facility includes child-size bathrooms, a spacious gym, a movement area with soft play equipment, a dance studio and a swimming pool.

We invite you to visit our classrooms to see the children at play and to view the documentation of their processes and products. The children love seeing their progress, and you will, too!

Our program provides a day full of learning, enrichment and fun for children ages 2–5, from 7:30 am–6:00 pm year round.

The Preschool is licensed for children ages 2–5; therefore, a child must have had his/her second birthday in order to start preschool.

Preschool tours are available Monday–Friday before 12:30 pm by appointment. Please contact Sarah Rabin Spira, the acting director, at (202) 777-3270 or sarahr@washingtondcjcc.org for a tour.

Meet the Teachers

Preschool Daily Schedule

PRESCHOOL WAITLIST

For the 2008-2009 school year, we have a few spaces available in our oldest classes.  If your child was born between June 2004-March 2006, please contact the Director about placement:  (202) 777-3278, sarahr@washingtondcjcc.org

If you would like to have your child join our preschool family, please register for the waitlist online or download a waitlist application (wait-list Application-PDF) to mail, fax or drop off.

For the 2009-2010 school year (starting in September 2009), here is our general timeline:

January:  we will send an email to all of the families on the waitlist confirming each child's contact information as well as the schedule for fall admissions.  This is also the time for re-enrollment for all currently enrolled families (which determines how many classes will be allocated to each age group).

February:  we will make announcements for the first group of 2-year old classes.  If you do not make it in the first round, do not panic.  We will let you know, and we will continue admissions on a rolling basis.  Families will have a strict deadline for contracts and deposits upon acceptance (generally two weeks).  If we do not receive a confirmation by that deadline, we will offer the spot to the next family on the list.

March:  we will make announcments for the first group of 3 and 4 year olds new to our school.  Please see above for details.

A quick primer on our waitlist:

• We accept applications on a rolling basis.  The only requirement is a completed form and a $50 fee.  We do not require student evaluations.
• We do not require tours, but we are happy to schedule one with you to better acquaint you with our program.

Signed contracts are binding for the duration of the school year, and we do not refund deposits.  To confirm your space in our program, you must complete the contract and pay for September 2009 and August 2010, plus the applicable activity fee.

If you have other questions, please contact Sarah Rabin Spira, Acting Director, Early Childhood, Youth & Family Programs at sarahr@washingtondcjcc.org or (202) 777-3278.

Sally Foster Gift and Wrap Fundraiser

You may order online at any time.  Fifty percent of each purchase goes to the J's Early Childhood Programs.  Thank you in advance for your support!