About Early Childhood
The JCC Early Childhood Department provides quality early childhood in a safe, warm, nurturing environment that helps children feel good about themselves and the world around them.
Features include:
- Mondays – Fridays, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Three locations - Carlyn H. Wohl, Marilyn Fox Buildings
and Epstein Academy
- Year-round care for children (6 weeks – 5 years)
- Preschool & Pre-K
- Full-time, part-time and combination schedules are available - you decide
- Accredited by the State of Missouri and licensed by the Missouri Department of Health
- Partnerships with agency such as Healthy Foundations and Jewish Family and Children’s Services
- JCC Early Childhood is an “Ethical Start School”
You Belong Here...
Other Benefits
Our children have the advantage of being part of the Jewish Community Center environment and participating in combined programs with other departments. Our children get to take advantage of other areas, including:
- Sports, Recreation & Aquatics
- Swimming (age appropriate)
- Summer Camps
- Music
- Adult day Services
- Jewish Life Department
Our chiildren also benefit from Health foundations, a comprehensive health services, education and preventive program whichprovides developmental screenings, educational programs and consultation to teachers and parents regarding health issues in children.
Jewish Programming
We present a year-round curriculum that teaches children Jewish stories, songs and celebrations. The wonderful smells of Jewish holiday cooking, songs of Shabbat, and the symbols and images of Jewish life fill the air. A strong emphasis is put on weaving Jewish values of friendship, respect and tzadakah/charity into the daily life of each classroom.
To allow parents the opportunity to participate in programs with their children, celebrations are often held at lunchtime and early evenings.
Our Judaic Learning Environment include:
- Weekly Shabbat Celebrations
- Jewish Holiday Celebrations
- Family Judaic Programs
- Programs on Jewish Values
An Ethical Start Program
Our pre-kindergarten children participate in
An Ethical Start curriculum. This is an exciting early childhood values curriculum, based on classical Jewish text, Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers). By focusing on values, the program goes beyond holidays and rituals to bring home the message that Jewish tradition is relevant every day. It helps direct children to turn ethical values into ethical behavior.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONMichelle Almengor Donna WickersCreve Coeur Chesterfield
314-442-3224 314-442-3450
Our Early Childhood Services program provides an atmosphere where children learn to question, to explore, to grow and to build self-esteem.