Leading the way, The Seattle Hebrew Academy is a fully licensed, developmentally appropriate program, with a nurturing staff and a terrific, best-practice curriculum for children who will be 1, 2, 3, or 4 years old by August 31. Early Childhood at SHA offers large classrooms and great child-teacher ratios. The curriculum focuses on learning through play. Developmental milestones of each child are matched with appropriate activities in a warm and creative environment. The program follows the rhythm of the Jewish calendar. Torah, Shabbat, holidays and Israel act as the springboard for the content of the program, both in Judaic and general studies. Oral Hebrew is intertwined throughout the day in every class. The 3- and 4-year-old classes use a Hebrew immersion program called “Chalav U’dvash,” put out by the Jewish Agency in Israel.
Devoted staff members afford continuity and mutual growth from year to year. The program is intimate enough that staff members get to know each child, which helps to create a caring and comfortable learning environment, where a child’s unique abilities can be recognized and fostered.
EC at SHA provides a sound general studies program as well as a strong Jewish curriculum, rich in Torah values. Families from all backgrounds are comfortable and can benefit from EC. Thanks to its central location, children come from many neighborhoods in the greater Seattle area.
Community service is an important way to show the importance of caring for others. A few ways EC has become involved include Jewish Family Service’s holiday food drive, visits to The Summit at First Hill to build relationships with older members of the community, the daily collection of tzedakah (money for charity) to benefit various projects, and for the last several years, the Muscular Dystrophy Hop-a-Thon.
Field trips and class visitors provide enrichment to the program.
Other forms of enrichment for all EC students include weekly Music Together program and Library Lessons, and an all-EC pre-Shabbat sing-a-long on Fridays. The Bookmobile visits monthly from the Seattle Public Library system. The 3- and 4-year-old classes experience state-of-the-art science in the science laboratory. The 4-year-old class takes a weekly swim lesson.
EC at SHA appreciates parent volunteers as another source of enrichment to their students. Families share skills, talents, professions, and, mostly, their time. Volunteers may help in the classroom, at home or on field trips. There are many options.
EC at SHA begins at 8:15 a.m., and pick-up options are 1:30 or 3:30 p.m. Children in the 4-year-old class attend five days a week. Younger children may attend either three days (MWF) or five days a week.
For more information or to schedule a tour, call Sari Weiss.