A CARING PARTNERSHIP
Just as you express your care and devotion as a parent, we offer Temple Sinai's Kasselman Early Childhood Learning Center as an expression of our caring for young Jewish families and our devotion to the perpetuation of our Jewish heritage. We invite you to join us in a partnership between parents and professionals working together to create a learning environment that will stimulate your child's natural curiosity, develop interests and skills, and enhance self-image.
The Kasselman School welcomes infants from 6 weeks to children 5 years of age. We offer an assortment of educational and enrichment opportunities to meet our families' differing needs. A variety of programs is available to meet your family's needs including: full-time, part-time, Mommy and Me, and infant programs. In addition, we offer extended hours for the convenience of working parents.
Our school is a warm, loving environment that prides itself on the commitment tofamily. Our “Open Door” policy encourages parents to visit and become involved in their children’s daily routines. Shabbat services, holiday activities, classroom parties, and conferences are planned throughout the year for all families to attend. Our very active Parents Association plays an important role in the school’s educational, social and fundraising activities throughout the year, and its efforts directly benefit the children.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We base our philosophy and teaching approach on addressing the growth and needs of each child. With your involvement, we lovingly guide your child according to his or her unique development and characteristics. We offer a Jewish environment, reflecting the precious values of our heritage, an important aspect of your child’s growth and total development.
We understand that early childhood can be a period of rapid growth. We expect that graduates of our school will have developed readiness skills which will enable them to advance successfully in our ever-changing world. Our school is recognized regionally for its excellence and nationally by our NAEYC accreditation.
CURRICULUM GOALS
The current philosophy in the field of early childhood education emphasizes active learning in an enriched classroom environment through a variety of developmentally appropriate activities. We want children to become independent, self-confident, curious learners who work well with others. We do this by creating purposeful and productive play experiences that help children grow in all areas.
Our core curriculum includes:
Reinforcement of social skills, sharing and making friends, self-control, self-confidence and problem solving
- Development of fine and gross motor skills, coordination and body awareness
- Development of awareness of the community and the world around
- Development of the ability to express oneself through role-playing and dramatization
- Development of language/communication through a variety of media including reading, writing, and question-asking
- Knowledge of mathematics/logic skills including sorting, classifying, patterning, sequencing, and numeration
- Weekly enrichments including music, Judaica, media center/computer lab, and creative movement
The weekly Shabbat get-together is an activity which the children eagerly look forward to and includes candle lighting, songs, blessings over the challah and grape juice, and a special Shabbat performance each week by a different class. Parents, grandparents and friends are always welcome to join us for this weekly celebration. Throughout the year we will highlight Jewish holidays and life cycle events.
OUR BEAUTIFUL FACILITY
Temple Sinai’s beautiful campus is centrally located in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in south Broward County. Thanks to a generous gift from Harriet Kasselman and the family of Kenneth Kasselman (obm), we have recently completed a major renovation of our entire campus. All of our classrooms have new furnishings and state-of-the-art teaching tools.
Our children play in three age-appropriate, well-shaded, fenced-in areas that are fully equipped with contemporary playground equipment.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Your child’s safety is paramount to us. We have several levels of security measures in place designed to ensure a secure facility.
AN EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY
Our school boasts an outstanding faculty. As a DCF accredited agency, all staff are registered with the State of Florida and undergo a rigorous background screening. Many of our staff members hold advanced degrees in early childhood education and all take classes annually to update their skills.
Each classroom has a very low child-to-teacher ratio. Additionally, the total number of children in each classroom is kept to a minimum, giving your child more room in which to learn and play and maximizing the personal attention he or she requires.
NAEYC ACCREDITATION
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) administers the most professionally sponsored early childhood accreditation system in the United States. The Kasselman School is proudly accredited by the NAEYC and has been so for the past nine years. We are very honored to have achieved this elite national status.
In addition, we have earned the Gold Seal of Excellence Award from Florida Department of Children and Families for more then the past decade. This award is given on the basis of quality and excellence in early childhood education.
VOLUNTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM (VPK)
In 2002, the State of Florida created funding to subsidize pre-kindergarten education for every child who turns 4 by September 1st. We are now a VPK provider. Interested parents need to CLICK HERE and follow the on-line instructions.
Please call the Kasselman School for more information or to make an appointment for a personal tour of our Early Childhood Learning Center. The direct telephone line to the school is (954) 987-1694 or email the Director, Donna Anton at Donna@SinaiHollywood.org. We look forward to meeting with you!