NAEYC Accreditation

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest organization of early childhood professionals in the United States. As a an independent group of specialists and educators, NAEYC sets child care standards of excellence in the areas of staff qualifications, learning programs, health, safety, classroom environment and children’s activities. This distinguished organization has provided leadership in the early childhood field for over 90,000 members.
NAEYC accreditation process is not an easy one. There are many different aspects of a program that must meet its high standards and it takes months of preparation. Only a small percentage of the centers operating in the United States meet and have the qualifications for the NAEYC accreditation. We are proud to say that The Sarah and Irving Pitt Child Development Center has been NAEYC accredited since 2002. We are one of the only centers in the area to receive this benchmark of quality. If you would like to review a list of accredited centers in your area or if you would like more information on NAEYC you may visit the website at www.naeyc.org.

Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten program is for children who are five years old by December 1st. Children must attend a minimum of five half days (9 a.m. – noon) and may attend half days with lunch (9 a.m. -3:30 p.m.) of full days (7 a.m. – 6 p.m.). The limited class size of our Kindergarten ensures personal attention for each child. Mornings focus on academics. Reading, math, science, phonics and social studies help prepare each child for future school experiences. Enriching subjects, including swim lessons, gym, cooking, computers, Hebrew and art keep the afternoons exciting. Celebration of Jewish holidays, traditions and values are all part of the curriculum. The teacher plans and structures an environment in which each child can progress at his or her own rate with confidence.

Preschool

Our preschool classes are designed for children 2 ½ to 5 years of age (must be toilet trained). The program provides a wide variety of developmental experiences. Daily activities are led by a qualified teacher and an assistant in each group of 16 to 18 children. In our activity centers, decision making, social interaction, imaginative play, perception and fine-motor skills are developed as your child chooses and explore materials according to his or her needs.

Children enjoy weekly music, swim, gym, library, computers, science and cooking. Celebration of Jewish holidays, traditions and values are all part of the curriculum. There also are many unique activities, such as intergenerational programs and visits from storytellers and safety experts. Children have opportunities to play on CDC age-appropriate playgrounds and to explore nature on our outdoor trails.

Preschool also is a time for growing intellectually. Circle time, stories, songs, finger plays and discussions help children develop listening, comprehension, memory and language skills. Hebrew words, songs and arts-and-crafts are introduced. As your child’s skills develop, new experiences are added to help your child grow. Morning snack, afternoon snack, and lunch are provided by us.

Playgroup

Our playgroup program is designed for children 2 – 2 ½ years old, who are ready for preschool, but are not yet potty trained. It serves as a natural bridge between Infant/Toddler and Preschool, and potty training will continue to be worked on. We maintain a maximum child to teacher ratio of 4 to 1 that insures immediate attention of the child’s needs. This developmentally appropriate program consists of lots of play experiences including art, construction, creative movement, circle time, songs, stories and much, much more. Parents provide a kosher style dairy lunch for their child as well as diapers. The class size is limited to 8 so it is a very small class and great for that first preschool experience.

Both teacher and child-initiated activities encourage the child’s natural curiosity and independence. Special preschool enrichment activities such cooking and computer class are provided during the fall and winter sessions.

Parents may choose 9 a.m. – noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday or Monday-Friday. This class runs for 19 weeks per session in the fall and winter and 5 weeks per session during the summer.