Pre-School Directors Find Common Ground at Conference

A select group of 23 directors of Chabad preschools from around the country spent three inspiring days at the beginning of May with Stanford University’s Bing Nursery School master educators at a conference organized by CECE, the Chabad Early Childhood Education network, a project of the Shluchim Office.

The conference was organized exclusively for directors of Chabad preschools to address the unique needs of Chabad preschools, and for the Shluchos to learn together with colleagues who share the same values and goals.

Rivka Rabinowitz of the Chabad Preschool in S. Monica, CA enjoyed the opportunity to learn together with fellow Shluchos: “Attending Bing Institute with other CECE directors allowed the general and specific principles we learned to be translated to our individual community preschools. “

Bing is one of the foremost laboratory preschools in the US, and widely recognized as one of the most progressive preschools in the nation. The home of many leading studies (including the marshmallow study), Bing is a trendsetter in early childhood education and attracts educators and researchers from around the world.

Its program is based on the philosophy of knowing and respecting each child individually. This ties with the approach at Chabad preschools of addressing each child’s individual development and respecting the child’s unique strengths and needs. It was a wonderful opportunity for the Shluchos to work with and learn from the educators of this esteemed institution.

Working with the educators at Bing, the Shluchos learned new skills and strategies for reflecting about each child – his specific context and personality, and then developing learning experiences for each one to grow. Each child has a different development path – some will persevere and build an elaborate block structure, and others have shorter attention spans with blocks but will spend long times exploring water. They explored how to understand what they are observing and how to determine what next steps might be for that child, or for the whole group to inspire each child to continue to explore new concepts and master new skills.

A big part of early childhood education is about helping the children develop their cognitive, social and emotional skills. Much of that is based on the materials the children are exposed to, how those are presented to the children and how the children are encouraged to explore for themselves. The Shluchos had the opportunity to observe teacher-child interactions and listen into how the teachers talk to the children. Then, they had a chance to talk to the teachers as they reflected on what they observed, to better understand the intent of the choice and placement of the materials in the classroom, why the teacher chose to use those words, and what the next steps might be in certain circumstances.

For three days, the Shluchos were immersed in learning how to develop and build the preschool program with a guiding vision and how to be more intentional about what is done in the school – from the partnering with the parents, to the schedule of the day, to what materials are brought into the classroom, to what songs are sung in circle time, to making dramatic play more meaningful, to meaningful interactions with the children. The conference participants came away from the experience newly inspired and enthusiastic to implement these strategies and techniques in their schools, and to share ideas with their staff, communities and parents. They derived enormous benefit from networking with their colleagues and the support they can give each other.

Rivka Denburg, of Torah Tots Preschool in Boca Raton, sums it up: “The Bing preschool opened my eyes to a world of wonder and discovery for children. I am eager to share what I have learned with my staff and parent community and begin to bring these new ideas into our program. “

The Shluchos all enjoyed a working vacation in California, where they had the opportunity to be pampered with delicious food and accommodations, including a fine wine and elegant dinner on the patio at the BenChaya Estate, followed by an engaging farbrengen of inspiration and comraderie.

The conference organizers Devora Krasnianski of the CECE, and Esty Marcus, Director of the successful Chai preschool in San Mateo, CA, earned the gratitude of the participants. Partial sponsorship came through a generous donation of the Lent Family and a grant from Dr Joseph Walder, the Skokie, IL, philanthropist who some years ago had the vision to create CECE Network which was established by Devora Krasnianski who continues to run the project.

The CECE (Chabad Early Childhood Education) Network was established five years ago by the Shluchim Office to serve as a central support and resource network for those who run or direct a Chabad preschool, to help directors make their local Chabad preschool the preeminent choice within their community.

The CECE provides a framework for deeper thinking about how preschools can help the children and their families create long-lasting connections with Judaism in their lives. Among its many services, the CECE Network provides · an online forum, annual and regional conferences, a peer review system, online workshops, conference calls, seminars, articles, guided online discussion groups.