Temple Israel Nursery (Beth Hagan) School

Beth HaGan

Rachel Mathless, Director

The philosophy of the Beth HaGan program focuses on meeting the individual and unique needs of every child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Classroom activities are designed with the understanding that optimal learning occurs in a child centered atmosphere which stimulates self-discovery. The environment maximizes personal growth while encouraging children to feel welcome to make choices, investigate possibilities and freely express themselves. The variety of experiences and opportunities offered provide social interaction, cognitive achievement, physical challenge and a true feeling of self worth, security, and confidence.

The key to such growth is through play. Play is the way children learn what no one can teach them. It allows children to create their own logic at their own pace. Concrete thought patterns change to abstract as children make sense of their own world by interacting with and transforming it. It is the way children orient themselves to the world of space and time, of things, animals, structures and people. Play is a child's most valuable tool for preparing him or her for the future and its tasks.

The program is based on the principle of cooperation and communication between parents, school and child. Parent participation is considered essential as parents are an active part of their children's learning experience.

Statement of Purpose

At Beth HaGan we are committed to providing a warm, nurturing, and caring environment in which children can develop and grow. Here children learn to interact, respect, and trust others while learning about themselves. Our moderately structured learning environment provides opportunities for teachers to teach across the curriculum and assist children in seeing interrelationships of things they are learning. By establishing acceptable guidelines, we encourage positive behavior, fostering a sense of accomplishment and success.

Jewish experiences are brought to the children through their active participation in a specially planned curriculum of stories, role playing, cooking, dramatization, music and movement, Shabbat and festival celebrations.

Goals

	To foster a working partnership between home and school
	To help youngster become socially and emotionally well-adjusted
	To soften transition from home to the outside world by providing a safe, stable, and trusting-nurturing environment;
	To assist children in learning about the world around them by introducing them to a broad variety of integrated experiences and activities which are meaningful and relevant to the child's life experience
	To encourage a sense of responsibility and accountability
	To increase language development, positive social interaction, and readiness skills
	To establish a positive self-esteem by allowing each child to feel a sense of self worth and independence
	To lay the foundation for future schooling by fostering a respect for a child's individuality by challenging each child to fulfill his or her potential and by developing positive attitudes towards learning
	To maintain a classroom environment which instills curiosity, excitement and a desire to explore possibilities

For more information about Beth HaGan, contact Rachel Mathless at (516) 482-7800 x1115 or by email at rmathless@tign.org.

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