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Welcome to the Early Childhood Center
The Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Center is located at 10101 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895. We provide year-round or school-year preschool programs for children ages 2-5 years. Our hours of operation are September through August, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. We also offer a variety of programs, including year-round (12 month) and school-year (10 month) options. Some of our students attend from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. We also provide an early bird option to those who need it, from 7:30 am to 9:00 am.
We are very proud of our program and are delighted that so many children return to our school after their first year. Our families forge wonderful bonds of friendship and community. If this is your first year with our school, we look forward to having your family become part of our preschool community. Communication is very important to us! Early Childhood Center parents are welcome to stop by the ECC office at any time to talk. We look forward to getting to know both you and your child and sharing a rewarding preschool experience.
Our Early Childhood Center is a place where families and children grow and learn together in a nurturing and creative environment. Our values reflect our belief that children learn best in a rich environment that focuses on the interweaving of cognitive and creative ways of thinking and learning. Our staff is truly committed to working in partnership with you and your child to provide for the highest quality early childhood experience.
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Children are viewed as “strong and powerful…as unique, having rights rather than simply needs…having potential, plasticity, the desire to grow, curiosity…and the desire to relate to other people and to communicate.” (Rinaldi, 1993)
The Hundred Languages of Children
This term refers to the wide range of ways that children can communicate and represent their understandings, feeling and creative selves. These languages can be the written and spoken word, drawings, paintings, sculptures in clay and other materials, block construction, light, dance, music, movement and more.
Collaboration
Collaboration between and among all of the members of the school provides the support for teachers, children and parents to carry out the work of the school. Teachers and children collaborate on projects through large, small, and individual groupings and discussions. This allows for the co-construction of knowledge. Here at Temple Emanuel Nursery School we are also fortunate to be part of a community that also contributes to the collaborative work of the school.
The Project Approach
Projects are a group activity, planned by the teachers and a group of interested children. Projects have no specific time limit and are revisited daily in addition to other classroom activities.
Documentation
Documentation shows the process and the product of the children’s work. It includes samples of their work photographs, drawings and transcriptions of their words. It is displayed in the school as a way for children to inform the learning community about the work of the children
The Environment as a Third Teacher
The environment is thoughtfully developed to include welcoming and pleasing touches, such as flowers, plants, and a variety of materials that are arranged and organized to be visually pleasing as well as accessible to children. The environment includes areas that encourage active exploration and creativity as well as areas that encourage reflection and connection.
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