Preschool
The Dora L. Lewis Family & Child Development Center offers fully licensed preschool and childcare programs
serving children ages 2 –5. The preschool has been accredited by NAEYC since 1987. Preschool classes meet 2,
3 or 5 days per week for two-year-olds, and 5 days per week for children 3 – 5 years old. Childcare programs are
available 1 – 5 days weekly.
For more information or to get involved, contact Donna Peters, Early Childhood Director, at 804-545-8617 or [email protected].
Mark Your Calendar for these
fun winter/spring Preschool
Family events!
Preschool Family Model Shabbat
Dinner, Thursday, February 25
The Hamataschen Café,
March 17 – March 24
(see page 35 for details)
Parents Get Involved
Members of the Early Childhood
Committee (ECC) are parents of
preschoolers and help guide the
school in making policy decisions and
in planning special events. The Early
Childhood Committee meets once a
month in the evening. The Preschool’s
Parent Group Association (PGA) is the
branch of the ECC responsible for early
childhood fundraising and community
service projects that raise funds to
enhance the preschool, the playground
and programming. The ECC is comprised
of parents of preschoolers and the Early
Childhood Directors.
5
Classrooms Alive with
Investigation, Collaboration
and Creativity
Inspiration from the Reggio Emilia
approach enhances the very heart of our
programs, which provides an experience
that shapes not only children’s knowledge
and skill, but also their attitudes about
learning and intellectual curiosity. This is
a journey that the children and teachers
take together, requiring the teachers to
connect with their children’s interests and
follow their lead as they explore the world
around them indoors and outdoors.
Open and Diverse Community
Even though we follow Jewish tradition,
families of all faiths and backgrounds
are welcome in our preschool and
community.
An Ethical Start
–Value Based Teaching
The preschool program provides a
unique curriculum for the teaching of
ethics to young children. An Ethical
Start™ is based on the text of Pirkei Avot,
Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate on the
classic Jewish text on ethics. Through
study of the text, teachers find ways to
weave lessons on responsibility, dignity,
kindness, community, tradition and
respect throughout each child’s day.
Check out other fun recreation
classes for your Preschooler in
the activity-related sections in
this guide!
The Weinstein JC