The one who teaches a child is as if one created the child.
—Talmud Sanhedrin 19b

Temple Beth Shalom Preschool is now enrolling for Fall 2011.

Limited spaces are available. Please call Leah Gibbons, Director, at 982-6888 for further information or email her at preschool@sftbs.org.

Temple Beth Shalom Preschool and Kindergarten is committed to supporting the child's innate joy of learning and sense of self through play. Each child is a unique being with his or her own special gifts and individual patterns of growth. We nurture the developing emotional, creative and intellectual needs of each child, while helping them to develop a positive and compassionate relationship with the world. Lifelong learning and a loving relationship with the world begins here. We provide a caring, safe, enriched environment in which to play and grow. Our mission centers on the tenets of Reform Judaism: Tikkun Olam,repairing the world,Mitzvot, doing good deeds, Tzedakah, helping others, B'al Taschit, taking care of the earth and Chesed, loving kindness.

Leah Lewin Gibbons, the Director of Temple Beth Shalom's Preschool and Kindergarten, has a B.A. in Art History and a M.A. in Art Education. Having grown up on the streets of Brooklyn, she loves being at TBS' "country" preschool, where art and Jewish education are emphasized. During her tenure, our school has gained accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Our teachers guide, encourage exploration and provide each child with opportunities for learning through active involvement.

TBS Preschool and Kindergarten is a non-profit program on the grounds of the Temple. The school has a spacious one acre playground, fully equipped with a bike track and natural hills and trees.

Our quality early childhood program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. TBS offers a 2 - 3 year old class, a 3 - 4 year old class and a Pre K/Kindergarten; The Pre K/Kindergarten is the perfect transition class for those children not yet ready for public school kindergarten or those born in the fall.The school prides itself on its low student-teacher ratio in each age group.

In our program for 2 year olds, the Doobim (teddy bears) class, we concentrate on building a sense of trust and security around the child's first school experience. The emphasis is on art and music; the teachers are nurturing and supportive. Our very low student-teacher ratio, 2:8, insures individual attention for each child.

In the three year olds program, the Dagim (Fish) class,student - teacher ratio of 2:12, the children begin to develop their social and emotional skills in a group setting. Our energetic teachers encourage the children to direct their own play and become independent.

The Kerashim (the unicorns),the 4/5s, with a student teacher ratio of 2:16, continue to flourish in an enriched hands-on environment. Honing their social and emotional skills, they begin to develop a positive relationship with their peers. They begin to work on their emergent literacy and numeracy skills within a fully integrated curriculum.

The Kindergarten program, called Kochavim, meaning "stars" in Hebrew, allows children to shine on many levels: intellectual, social, creative and physical. The Kindergarten day is based on a genuinely academic curriculum in which the goals are thinking, problem solving, sharing ideas, and creative exploration. The various centers in the classroom are designed to encourage children to grow through active, independent learning. Unfortunately, Our Kindergarten program is not available this year, 2009 - 2010. Please call for further information for next year.

We offer a nine week summer camp program, Camp Shalom for ages 2 - 6 year olds. Please call or email for further information