Early Childhood
Sponsored by Stanley & Cookie Chera
Click here to apply to 2025-2026, registration is open!
Want to see more? Click to join a guided tour of our incredible facility.
For more information contact Inbal Khabieh at (718) 954-3135 or Inbal[at]SCCLive.org
We Learn to Play and Play to Learn
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The most powerful tool we can give our youngest learners is the power of play! Play sets children up to be critical thinkers, risk takers, scientists, mathematicians, orators, writers, and good citizens of their community.
Your educational program is centered around experiences, and led by the children, their interests, and their abilities. Play provides children with the opportunity to actively explore, manipulate and interact with their environment and each other. This provokes children to question, problem solve, construct new ideas and discover the world around them. At the Center, the children learn through hands-on experiences. By exploring and being actively engaged with their environment, children make sense and develop a new understanding of the world around them.
Children also learn best through the use of all of their senses. They need to see, hear, touch, taste and smell in order to have the richest learning experiences. In the Center’s Early Childhood Program, children are given the freedom to explore, to learn and to grow in a loving, nurturing, and exciting environment full of opportunities that support their development in all areas.
Our beautiful facility offers a state-of-the-art sensory gym, a 25-yard swimming pool, a STEM room, Rooftop Playground, and an Outdoor Classroom with Imagination Playground Blocks. All of this adds to the children’s physical, emotional, cognitive and social growth.
PRESCHOOL
Curriculum
Our curriculum focuses on children’s social and emotional, physical, cognitive and language development. It is developmentally appropriate and has specific goals in each grade. Our curriculum is integrated and connected to themes which are often child directed. Our goal is for each child to thrive and reach their potential.
Social Emotional Development
Social/emotional development during the preschool years is about socialization. This is the process through which children learn values and norms of behavior. At the same time, children are also learning to become competent and confident individuals.
The goals for social and emotional development include:
Achieving a sense of self – building a child’s self esteem
Fostering a growth mindset
Taking responsibility for self and others
Behaving in a prosocial way
Physical Development
Physical development includes children’ gross (large muscle) and fine (small muscle) motor skills. Developing these skills allows children to take care of their personal needs (such as dressing themselves). Physical development can promote social and emotional development and self confidence as children learn to take control of their actions.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development refers to the mind and how it works. It involves how children think, how they see their world and how they use what they learn.
Goals:
Promote curiosity, wonder and expression
Learning and problem solving
Thinking critically and logically
Representing and thinking symbolically
Language Development
anguage development includes understanding and communicating through words, both spoken and written. In early childhood, language becomes the main tool for establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and other children. Because words represent objects and ideas, language development is closely related to cognitive development. Language and literacy also go hand in hand. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing develop interdependently in children. Language development includes receptive (understanding language) and expressive (being able to communicate with words) language.
Learning Centers in Early Childhood
At the Center Early Childhood Program the classes are set up in “learning centers”. Each center is designed to promote a specific goal. The classroom design helps encourage appropriate use of these centers. Teachers further foster these actions by asking leading questions and directing children to notice and question what they are doing. Below you will find a brief description of each center and how they help us to reach our goal and encourage children to investigate and build on their social, language and cognitive skills.
Block Area
In the block area, the children learn about shapes and sizes, problem solving and math concepts. A tremendous amount of thinking and decision making goes into block building. Block building encourages collaboration and teamwork. As children clean up blocks, they learn about sorting, categorizing, counting and the names of geometric shapes.
Dramatic Play
The dramatic play center is one of the most social aspects of the classroom. Children learn to work together, share and explore their creativity. When children play roles, they have to use the past experiences to help re-enact these roles. Studies have shown that children who are better at pretending can think about different possibilities and outcomes. The dramatic play center offers many opportunities for expressive and creative language.
Art Center
The art center is a critical part of the early childhood curriculum. Art allows children to express their creativity in many ways. The art center offers many different open ended materials, including, crayons, paint, collage and a favorite in many classrooms – loose parts. These are materials that are used as non permanent art and can be manipulated and changed. Teachers take pictures of the finished project and encourage children to verbally expand on what they have made and even tell stories associated with their art. Teachers focus on the process, not the product which gives the children the freedom to develop a sense of independence and the ability to take a risk.
Library
Every classroom has a center dedicated to exposing children to literacy. The library houses classroom favorites as well as books related to current Jewish holidays and themes. Children are encouraged to take books on their own and “read” them to themselves or even sometimes with a friend. Loving books is the first step in early literacy.
Taking learning and growing to a new level
The Center is thrilled to have a state-of-the-art Sensory Gym which is used by the entire preschool. We have an Occupational Therapist on our staff who has trained the teachers to use the space productively and positively for all children. The children climb, swing, and jump into action in this inspired space.
The STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics space is a wondrous space of learning, discovery, questioning and inquiry. Children are given the freedom to explore with materials such as magnets, a light table, large Geoboard, Lego, tunnels and tubes and a recycling center. Children are encouraged to think, figure things out, work together and take a risk to try something new. These skills are critical for future learning as they don’t know the outcome of their trials. It is an exhilarating experience for children of all ages.
Special Programs:
Swim (Rising Stars and Pre-K)
Indoor Gym
Sensory Gym
Hebrew Language through Music
Instrumental Music
Music and Movement
Outdoor Play
Holiday Celebrations
Weekly Oneg Shabbat
Monthly Rosh Chodesh Celebrations
Special Events:
Pajama Night
Menorah Workshops
Father-Child Breakfast
Grandparents Day
Mother-Child Workshop
Classroom Structure
Our classroom structure ensures that all our age groups are getting classes and programs specifically geared towards them and their skill sets.
Pre-K: Age 4
(by December of the current school year)
Monday–Friday
Our Pre-K program focuses on English and Hebrew letters, sounds, and other reading readiness skills. Our goal is to prepare children for formal yeshiva schools in the community.
Accredited UPK program by the NYC Department of Education.
Rising Stars: Age 3
(by December of the current school year)
Monday–Friday
Our Rising Stars program reinforces language and readiness skills in order to prepare our 3 year-olds for the next level. It focuses on developing children’s independence and self-help skills.
Terrific Toddlers: Age 2
(by October 31 of the current school year)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 12:50 PM (option A) or 9:00 AM – 2:50 PM (option B)
Fridays: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Our Terrific Toddler program introduces children to the preschool setting. It focuses on aiding in the development of language and verbal skills of toddlers.
Jumpstart: Age 2
(23 months upon entering school)
Monday – Friday: 9:10 AM – 12:15 PM
Our Jumpstart program is a first separation experience for toddlers in a warm and nurturing environment. We focus on helping the children develop language skills and social skills.
Lunch included: Click here to see the menu. Home lunches must be pareve and nut-free.
Bounce and Bond
For crawlers & walkers. Open to members and non-members.
Caregivers and children will develop relationships while having quality playtime with music, movement, and beginning social skills.
Monday, 10:45 AM: Sensory Play with Jacqueline Balassiano
5 sessions: Feb. 10, Feb. 24, March 3, March 10, March 17
Members $125 ($25 each session) | Non-members $175 ($35 each session)
Hi! My name is Jacqueline Balassiano. I’m a dedicated pediatric occupational therapist and a proud mom of two. With a deep passion for working with children and their families! I love to create meaningful connections and empowering parents in their child’s developmental journey.
My approach centers on collaboration, partnering closely with families to create tailored strategies that support each child’s unique needs and potential.
Tuesday, 9:45 or 11:00 AM: Music Class with Little Jammers
5 sessions: Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, March 4, March 11
Members $100 ($20 each session) | Non-members $150 ($30 each session)
Hello! My name is John White, I’m a music educator at Encore Music focusing primarily in Early Education. I’ve spent much of my life working with children in the creative and performing arts, from after-school theater programs to summer camp music classes.
I’m so looking forward to meeting your little-ones and together exploring the earliest foundations of music!
Wednesday, 10:30 AM: Free Play in the Sensory Gym
5 sessions: Feb. 12, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 5, March 12
Members $75 ($15 each session) | Non-members $100 ($20 each session)
Dive into the enchanting world of Morah Dina’s famous finger puppets! Enjoy a delightful story time session while sharing a meal, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Thursday, 10:45 AM: Free Play in the Teen Lounge
5 sessions: Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 6, March 13
Let your little ones unleash their boundless energy! The Red Gym is a haven for active fun, promoting gross motor skills and endless excitement for your child.
Bundle days and save 10% off total price
Secure your spot today! Call (718) 627-4300 to register for this program.
Contact
For more information please contact us:
Inbal Khabieh, M.S., Ed, SpEd: Education & Admissions: 718-954-3135
Lisette Lalo, M.A., EC Student Services & Program Operations: 718-954-3156
Estefania Rodas, Administrative Assistant: 718-954-3159
For questions about applying and general inquiries, email E.Rodas[at]SCCLive.org
For questions about the PTA, email PTA[at]SCCLive.org
Lisette Lalo
Director of Student Services and Program Operations
“I want to make a difference in children’s lives, help them succeed and reach their full potential.” Lisette’s dedication to her work as Director of Early Childhood Education is evident…
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Inbal Khabieh
Director of Education, Admissions, & Teacher Development
Inbal Khabieh has been with Early Childhood Special Education for over 10 years. Holding a Bachelor’s in Political Science Inbal pursued a career in Journalism but found her passion…
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