I am a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Art History and a minor in Human Development. I love watching children discover new things and helping them learn new things!
Since my earliest memories, people have been telling me to do what I love. Taking this to heart, I searched for a job that involved a built-in nap time, institutionalized snacking, and paychecks. Where else but a pre-school?! Originally from New York, I graduated from Clark University in Massachusetts with a Global History degree (Archaeology/Classics concentration) and have held jobs assessing the pre-literacy skills of HeadStart students, instructing with a civic education group, stage hand-ing for a regional theatre, serving falafel until the wee hours of the morning, teaching for a few summers at St. John’s Pre-School in Georgetown, and performing poetry across the US and Europe. I firmly believe in the Reggio-Emilia philosophy and am committed to making the classroom a community-driven environment. Come play!
I am originally from Swampscott, MA, a small beach town located fifteen minutes north of Boston. I recently graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington with a degree in Elementary Education. While attending Indiana, I worked part time as a gymnastics teacher for children ages 4-11. During the last year of school, I participated in an overseas student teaching program in which I was placed at Croydon Hills Primary School in Croydon, Australia teaching kindergarten for two months. In addition to playing with kangaroos, I observed many classrooms that use Developmental Learning which is a play and project based curriculum. Since my return from Australia in January, I have been working at the JCC of the North Shore in the Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and afterschool programs; I was also the office manager for our off-base day camp, Camp Simchah, for the last four years. I am very eager to begin working at the DC JCC and am looking forward to meeting the new staff and families!
I am originally from South Jersey and moved to Pennsylvania for college. I moved to the DC area in 2005. I live in Alexandria and love to commute to the city. Also, I am a 2004 Pennsylvania State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Special Needs. This is my third year teaching preschool, and I have also taught special education for one year. I love the classroom and children and love to impact a child's life. I look forward to meeting all of you! On a personal note: I love sports! Come on by to chat about March Madness or football (especially the Eagles).
I graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Jewish studies with an emphasis in secondary education. Although I am a New Jersey-ite at heart, after graduating from UMD, I found myself in Washington, DC. This is my first year teaching preschool, but I am no stranger to the classroom. I have worked at a number of synagogues in New Jersey and Maryland teaching music and choir to students of all different ages. I am extremely excited to join the team at the 16th Street J and can't wait to meet all of the preschool families!
I am originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In May, I graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Psychology and Jewish Studies. Wanting to move to a city and start anew, I decided to come to Washington, DC. After spending a few years as a overnight camp counselor and religious school teacher in college, I knew that I wanted to work with children. I really enjoy watching children explore their surroundings and begin to develop themselves. I am very excited to work at the Washington DCJCC and am looking forward to getting to know your children and developing relationships with all the families!
Welcome to Pre-K! I am so thrilled to be working with Tal in the Pre-Kindergarten class this year, my first year at the Washington DCJCC. For the last ten years, I have been living either in Jerusalem, Los Angeles or New York City. Four of those years were spent achieving my Masters degree in Jewish Education through the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. For five years, I served at the principal for synagogue affiliated religious/Hebrew schools. Last year, in addition to part-time teaching positions, I worked for a program which provided intensive professional development for Jewish educators in and around New York City. I am a native Washingtonian, and I am so happy to again be living and working in my hometown.
I grew up in a suburb of Chicago and moved to DC to go to college at the George Washington University. I graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. I have always wanted to work with children, and being a psychology major, I was always most interested in the developmental aspect of it. I am so excited to work at the 16th Street J Preschool, and I hope to have a positive impact on the children and establish great relationships with the Preschool families!
My full name is Jettana McArthur, but the kids know me as Tana. I graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County in 2006. My passion for kids began in high school while taking child development courses, and I learned the fundamentals of the way children grow mentally, physically and spiritually. While on hiatus from school, I worked at Educational Etc., a resource store of insightful material for parents, students and teachers. I started working at the J as a floating teacher in September 2007, and then I was a co-teacher in one of the 3-year old classrooms. Although I’m relatively new to teaching, I believe in my capability to provide a loving and learning atmosphere. I’m so excited to learn and grow with your kids this year!
I came to the Washington DCJCC Preschool in May 2008, after graduating with a degree in Child Development from Mills College in Oakland, California. I am originally from California as well, so this is my first time living in DC, and I am really enjoying my experience so far! Over the past year, while I was as school, I taught two semesters of preschool at the Mills College Laboratory School. My first semester of teaching was in an Infant/Toddler classroom with children whose ages ranged from 6 months to 2 years. During my second semester, I worked in a mixed-age preschool classroom with children ranging from 3-5 years. My educational background at Mills was in Constructivist philosophy with an added emphasis on the Reggio Emilia approach, so I feel both prepared and excited to teach this year according to the methods of the 16th Street J. I am also very excited to be working with Tana McArthur, and I am confident that with your children’s influence as well as your own, we will be able to create a wonderfully caring and enriching classroom environment for us all!
I grew up in Cheltenham, PA, a suburb five minutes west of Philadelphia. Throughout my pre-professional life, the things I've done and jobs I've had have always been focused on working with children, whether it be teaching Hebrew school, teaching swimming at day camps or coaching basketball. In 2006, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Rhetoric, but decided I was not finished with my work with children. Last year, I lived in Philadelphia and was a Pre-K teacher there. In August 2008, I moved to DC for a change of scenery and have loved my time here so far. I love the Pre-K atmosphere, the excitement of exploration, discovery. The idea that I'm working with people who literally are learning something new all the time makes coming to work a wonderful experience everyday. I think of life as a journey, and I love watching and helping children navigate that journey at this age. At this point in my journey, I have figured out that I love being with children every day. I hope to go back to school to get a Master's Degree in a field related to Early Childhood Education or Development in order to continue that journey. I'm in the Pre-K Soosim class, come by and say "hi." Have fun!
I have been working at the Washington DCJCC since February 2003, starting as an assistant Preschool teacher and working my way up to a lead teacher, Camp Director, Preschool Assistant Director and now the Director of all of our Early Childhood, Youth & Family Programs. This has been a wonderful place to learn and grow and to share my passion for education, reading, play and child development with the many children we have had in our school. I have a Bachelor's in English (focusing on Children's Literature) and Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master's in Media and Public Affairs from George Washington University. Once I made a career switch from PR and Marketing, I supplemented my degrees with additional classes in child development at the University of the District of Columbia and Penn Foster College. I have taught various art classes at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop as well.
I grew up in Miami, Florida, as the oldest of five children, and moved to DC 10 years ago. I am recently married (to Mark, whom I met at the J). In fact, we had a pre-wedding during camp in 2007 so that all of the campers could join us. The campers planned and wrote everything, from decorating the chuppah to writing the ketubah to planning the party food at the "reception." We're a family at the 16th Street J, and I hope that your family will join us.
I graduated from Brandeis University this past May with a degree in History and a minor in Education. Although I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I decided to move to Washington, DC, after graduating. Throughout my last semester of college, I student-taught at an elementary school and received my license to teach while working at my campus' preschool. Teaching children has always been a passion of mine, and I am excited to be working at the 16th Street J!
After graduating from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Psychology, strongly concentrated in Child Development, I settled back here in DC. I am most interested in child and adolescent psychiatry and hope to pursue those interests sometime soon. But, I was not quite ready to jump back into several additional long years of education for myself so decided I couldn't resist the opportunity to teach young children! Throughout college, I worked with children at Kaiser, as well as served as a family mentor within a homeless shelter. I have to admit that the past six months (since I began working at the J), my days with Alex and the Zvi'im, along with the rest of the Preschool, have been incredibly motivating, happy, and filled with love!
Get Nurtured Preschool Homepage
Classes for toddlersCamps and classes for older children
ContactSarah Rabin SpiraDirector, Early Childhood, Youth & Family Programs(202) 777-3278sarahr@washingtondcjcc.orgRegistrar (202) 777-3256registrar@washingtondcjcc.org
f. (202) 518-9420