Community Synagogue of Rye – Early Childhood Center: For over half a century, Community Synagogue of Rye Early Childhood Center (ECC) has welcomed families into a diverse, warm, and welcoming community.
Community Synagogue of Rye – Early Childhood Center: For over half a century, Community Synagogue of Rye Early Childhood Center (ECC) has welcomed families into a diverse, warm, and welcoming community. Their developmentally appropriate, play-based program is taught by highly trained and experienced staff, who are mindful of the changing needs in early childhood education. They are “proud to play an important role in providing students with the skills they need to successfully enter elementary school. This includes being socially confident, emotionally resilient, and intellectually curious.”
At the Center, staff seek to understand and nurture each child as an individual. They provide opportunities to explore a multitude of materials and means of expression, through paper mâché, clay, wood, painting, drawing, dance, yoga, and music.
When children arrive next month, a wonderful new vegetable garden awaits them. Working together with parents, this year the ECC will be launching an initiative to help students eat better and become more comfortable trying new and healthy foods.
Community Synagogue, ECC is licensed as a fully accredited day care center. This credential grants them the opportunity to provide a longer school day for ages 3-5. Children may stay until 2:15 pm, four days a week. They offer a range of schedules combining full and half-days. Hot lunches, as well as afternoon enrichment classes, are available.
The program for 2-year-olds is designed to be flexible and supportive, with classes meeting three, four, or five days a week. For the very, very young, they offer Toddler Time, where 1-year-olds, together with their parent or caregiver, enjoy music, yoga, sensory exploration, and large motor play.
During the summer, Community Synagogue offers a camp program for children who will be entering 3’s classes in the fall.
Community Synagogue Early Childhood Center
200 Forest Avenue, Rye , 967-7698
www.comsynrye.org/the-early-childhood-center
Director: Dale Oberlander
doberlander@comsynrye.org
Rye Presbyterian Nursery School: This year, Rye Presbyterian Nursery School celebrates its 56th year of working with young children and their families. Known for being a preschool inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early education, the school’s hands-on and engaging approach fosters a love of learning by challenging each child. Morning and afternoon sessions are available for ages 2-5, in ten spacious classrooms.
In 2013, they completed an exciting playground renovation. RPNS also has an outdoor track and a developing garden through the creative input of the children.
At RPNS, projects and investigations emerge from the students’ ideas and interests. The curriculum is centered on fostering these ideas through play and the exploration of natural materials.
Teachers actively encourage children to ask questions, engage in discussions, and become critical thinkers. This past year, for example, an investigation of air travel began in the block area.
As teachers introduced books and photographs about air travel, the children’s curiosity and interest grew. The students worked collaboratively to build an air traffic control tower using mathematical ideas. They created individual sketches of airplanes and explored literacy concepts by writing stories. As a culminating event, the children and their parents visited Westchester County Airport and took a special trip inside the air control tower.
By giving children the opportunity to explore their unique interests and capabilities, RPNS not only prepares children for the early elementary years, but also challenges each child to reach their full potential as an individual learner.
True to the Reggio model, RPNS is proud to have its own art studio space where children can build and create with their hands. The Studio teacher works with small groups of children, taking their creativity and imagination to new heights. In addition to their team of experienced teachers, RPNS has specialists, including a Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and Child Psychologist, to support children and families.
Rye Presbyterian Nursery School
882 Boston Post Road, Rye, 967-2073
www.rpnskids.org
Director: Emma Whitman
All Souls Preschool: All Souls Preschool was founded in 2012 as the result of a merger between two long established area Nursery Schools. When Rye Methodist Nursery School found itself without a home, The Pre-Day School at All Souls Parish reached out and suggested a merger. Having similar philosophies and ideas for future growth the two programs joined forces.
The spacious setting allows for the opportunity to engage in large group exploration and also small group interactions. A typical day finds children working together in a multi-age group for the first part of each session. After participating in a group music experience, they venture off into a child-directed choice time. Choices include fine motor manipulatives, painting, sand and water play, play-dough, dramatic play, and theme-related craft projects. As the first hour comes to a close, children work together to tidy up and prepare to move on to the next part of their day.
For the remainder of the morning, children work within their age groups. Through hands-on, interactive experiences students are introduced to age-appropriate concepts. Both group meeting times and smaller, more individualized instruction take place. The schedule allows for alternating between more active, large motor learning experiences and quieter, thoughtful learning times.
Snack and outdoor time are part of the daily routine. In addition to fueling and exercising their bodies, children also work to hone their newly developing social skills. Under the watchful eye of the teachers, children learn about manners, sharing, friendships, and other important social cues that will help them develop relationships throughout their life.
Programs are available for 2, 3, and 4 year-olds. For more information contact Gina Flusser at 939-4301 or info@allsoulspreschool.com.
All Souls Preschool
55 Parkway Drive, Port Chester, 939-4301
www.allsoulspreschool.com
Director: Sheridan Povemba
Christ’s Church Nursery School
Rye’s “small by design” nursery school program, Christ’s Church Nursery School clearly articulates the relationship between play and learning. Understanding that “faster is not better” when it comes to educating young minds, CCNS provides children an enriched environment to do what they do best: explore, discover, create, imagine…at a pace that is best suited to their developmental and cognitive growth.
The arts are infused into the curriculum; they are a means by which children learn to express themselves creatively. Children also develop their vocabulary and build their background knowledge. Both are essential to the mastery of literacy skills.
CCNS’s dedicated Block Room enables children to think creatively and scientifically. It also serves as a hands-on learning lab for a myriad of mathematical problems waiting to be solved.
Cognizant of the changing face of kindergarten, the school supplements the components of early literacy that are already featured in the classrooms with a program that is led by a former Rye City School District teacher.
At the Pre-K level, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and basic print concepts are emphasized. Poetry, storytelling, read-aloud, and bookmaking are some of the vehicles by which these concepts are conveyed. Skills are never taught in isolation; developing a love for reading is the goal!
Creative Movement, taught by a Brava Dance teacher, and a music program under the direction of Music Together specialist Jean Young round out the enrichment program.
CCNS strives to minister to the whole child: Addressing social/emotional development through positive teacher/child interactions and offering opportunities for children to take academic and social risks in a safe environment.
The curriculum is based on the tenets of the Bank Street School of Education, which places a strong emphasis on the community being the core of its program. The school’s small size allows them to be very intentional about building community. The week before school starts families are invited to participate in play dates by class/age on the playground. This year, the play dates have been replaced by a community picnic/ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the new playground. Back to School Night is held on a Friday evening. The format for Back to School Night is designed to both inform the parents about what to expect for their child during the upcoming year, as well as provide a time for the adult community to become better acquainted with one other at a reception hosted by the Parents’ Association in the Rectory.
The CCNS Fall Fun Fair, the culminating autmnal event, is open to the wider Rye community. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 20 from 10-2 in the school parking lot on Milton Road. All are welcome!
KinderBlocks is an afternoon extension program designed for current kindergarteners. Children engage in language and literacy experiences in a meaningful way, while further developing conventional literacy skills. Registration is limited and spaces are available for the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon sessions, beginning September 23.
A Friday morning toddler class is now being formed. Inquiries should be addressed to Director Lisa Pearson, director@ ccnsrye.org.
Christ’s Church Nursery School
Rectory Street, Rye, 967-5758
www.ccnsny.org
Director: Lisa Pearson
