I recently graduated from 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!
I have been teaching at the Washington DCJCC since June 2007 and have had a wonderful experience getting to know the J's Preschool family. I graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelors degree in American Studies with a focus in education and history. While at Maryland, I had the priviledge to study and explore in London for a semester. I am originally from Baltimore and have loved my time here in DC. I really enjoy traveling whenever and wherever possible, playing and watching all types of sports, and reading (especially Jodi Picoult novels!).
I have always wanted to be a teacher. I enjoy being able to influence another person's life. Everyday I come to my class and look forward to another amazing day with the children. My first memory of being a student was being in a local Jewish preschool five mornings a week. I remember feeling comfortable and welcomed in my class. The teachers always had as much energy as I do in the morning and were always willing to get on the floor and play. School seemed like an extension of my home, and I looked forward to going to there every day. I am that teacher.
I have taken numerous courses in Early Childhood Education and have my 90-hour Child Development certificate through the Montgomery Childcare Association (MCCA), and I am pursuing my Child Development Associate degree (CDA). Through a great deal of patience and understanding of early childhood development, I understood early in my training that repetition and persistence are well received with the application of words and songs. I am able to relate to children in a positive and productive way, and I am looking forward to a lifetime of education.
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 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).
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 am originally from Evanston, Illinois, and I've been in DC since August 2008. I studied English at Amherst College, where I did my thesis work on fairy tales. After graduating in May 2006, I spent a year teaching English in Santiago, Chile. I love languages (I speak Spanish and Italian) and literature (especially stories for children). I've worked with children in a variety of capacities and settings--as a tutor, teacher's assistant, and camp counselor--for a number of years. I like the energy and dynamism of being in the classroom, and I love the imagination and enthusiasm that young children bring to learning.
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!
Kendall Nordin, our studio specialist/curriculum coordinator, is a DC area native. She has always, as she does now, worn many hats. Previous lives include Associate Producer for "The Ballad of Bering Strait," teaching English in the mountains of Costa Rica, playing live and recorded loud music, Lobbyist and Grassroots organizer for the Low-Power Radio Coalition and the Future of Music Coalition. She earned a B.A. from Georgetown University in Religion & Culture with a minor in Chinese language and Fine Arts. At that time she was honored to have been given a Lannan poetry fellowship. Since starting work at the preschool in 2003, Kendall has been a substitute teacher, a floater, a two-year old lead teacher, and most recently has been working with small groups for studio time. Somewhere in there, she escaped to Melbourne, Australia just long enough to get an MFA in Contemporary Art practice. Over the past five years she has studied the Project Approach, the philosophy of education in Reggio Emilia, and had the opportunity to work at National Children's Research Center and St. John's Preschool in their summer programs.
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!
ContactSarah Rabin Spira, Acting Director, Early Childhood, Youth and Family Programst. 202-777-3278e. sarahr@washingtondcjcc.org
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ContactSarah Rabin SpiraActing Director, Early Childhood, Youth & Family Programs(202) 777-3278sarahr@washingtondcjcc.orgRegistrar (202) 777-3256courtneyt@washingtondcjcc.org registrar@washingtondcjcc.org