Mission Statement
The mission of the Joy Greisen Jewish Education Center is to provide a Jewish early childhood center that is nurturing, positive and diverse as it provides a safe learning environment for children ages 6 months through 15 years. We blend secular and Judaic curriculum in a program that is enriching, fulfilling and exciting. We try to instill a positive and healthy self-image in each child through the love and care of the staff members and our program. We strive to use and adapt our program to fit the child as an individual in a loving and positive atmosphere and are committed to vibrant Jewish life in Alaska.
Philosophy
We believe that a high quality early childhood program provides a safe, nurturing environment that promotes physical, social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual development of young children and their families.
This is accomplished by developing safe, enriching and fun learning environments that promote:
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caring, nurturing interactions between qualified educators, children and their families;
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inclusive, anti-bias curriculum and policies that reflect the diversity of children and families in our community and the world around us;
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a commitment to exceeding the standards, goal and practices of State of Alaska Licensing Regulations;
continuing staff growth and development;
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an understanding of how children learn and grow and develop, and ways to support parents to the fullest.
The Joy Greisen Jewish Education Center provides a healthy environment for all children, regardless of their religious affiliation. We teach the basics - language arts, science and health, math, fine arts, social studies and physical education - through emergent curriculum1 and play. Every opportunity for fun is an opportunity to learn.
Our curriculum includes Jewish Living. We study the culture of the Jewish People, Jewish holidays, rituals and customs and beginning Hebrew letter recognition. We sing Jewish songs, listen to Jewish music and have Jewish art in the classrooms. Every Friday, we prepare for and celebrate Shabbat. Every child and every family is made to feel welcomed.
We'd like to welcome you to the JEC family.
Sincerely,
April Deeter Debbie Mastro
Administrator Associate Administrator
Congregation Beth Sholom Joy Greisen Jewish Education Center
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1 Emergent Curriculum is a process that studies what a group of children is interested in, then expands on that topic for a period of time. For instance, if the children mostly play with the animal toys in our room, we might include a study of baby animals (science), play like animals in gross motor development (physical education), learn about animals in different places (social studies), use animals to count and sort (math), read stories about animals (language arts), draw pictures or make sculptures of animals (fine arts), etc. This theme would last as long as the children had interest, or until they started
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Register online for the JEC by clicking here.
