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 Assistant Teacher
• Preschool Parent Handbook
• Meet the Teachers

    

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! 

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 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.

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.

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.