preschool at hps
the road to brilliance...
Our preschool program incorporates play-based learning with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) philosophy and Judaic values. All learning experiences are hands-on.
Through this learning philosophy, our students learn topics in the secular, Jewish, and specialty curriculum.
Secular Curriculum
- Space: planets, the sun, the Earth and moon, space ships and space station
- The Ocean: water, waves, coral reefs, water life
- Earth: rainforest, mountains, deserts, glaciers, weather, air, rivers
- Animals and Insects
- Nature: trees, plants, leaves, seeds, gardens
- Buildings and Transportation: airplanes, cars and trucks, boats, trains, bridges, ramps, houses, skyscrapers
These topics will be incorporated into a spiral curriculum structure, focusing on each sub-category in an alternating pattern. This way, students are exposed to all of the topics throughout the year, building upon their knowledge.
Your child will participate in art, science and engineering projects each week based on that week’s theme. Through these memorable experiences they will be able to more easily recall what they have been taught.
In addition to these projects, your child will read one story book and one non-fiction book each week related to that week's topic. Based on each book, students will be learning two letters of the alphabet and their sounds, laying the foundations for them to begin letter recognition and reading.
JEWISH Curriculum
Judaica: Throughout the year your child will be learning about:
Holiday traditions, traditional Jewish foods, prayers, traditional Jewish foods, and Shabbat.
Each Friday we have a Shabbat celebration during which we sing Shabbat songs, bake challah, and make kiddush and hamotzi. Parents are particularly welcome and encouraged to join us for this time.
Hebrew: We are proud to have created a program in which students experience and utilize Hebrew as a living daily language as well as a subject of study. Our Israeli teachers ensure that our students hear and see Hebrew throughout their day, whether it be in classroom contexts, playground games, or lunch requests. Additionally, we work with the ground-breaking Hebrew curriculum from the Jewish Agency, Chalav u'Dvash, which is founded on auditory and sight-word learning. This curriculum is structured to allow students to use and recognize Hebrew vocabulary through age-appropriate multi-sensory activities such as songs, games, and dramatic play.
Holiday traditions, traditional Jewish foods, prayers, traditional Jewish foods, and Shabbat.
Each Friday we have a Shabbat celebration during which we sing Shabbat songs, bake challah, and make kiddush and hamotzi. Parents are particularly welcome and encouraged to join us for this time.
Hebrew: We are proud to have created a program in which students experience and utilize Hebrew as a living daily language as well as a subject of study. Our Israeli teachers ensure that our students hear and see Hebrew throughout their day, whether it be in classroom contexts, playground games, or lunch requests. Additionally, we work with the ground-breaking Hebrew curriculum from the Jewish Agency, Chalav u'Dvash, which is founded on auditory and sight-word learning. This curriculum is structured to allow students to use and recognize Hebrew vocabulary through age-appropriate multi-sensory activities such as songs, games, and dramatic play.
Specialty Curriculum
Each week students participate in specialty classes which include yoga, Israeli dancing, Spanish, music and safety.
Yoga: Yoga has been found to enhance children's physical flexibility, balance and coordination, focus and concentration, self-esteem and self-confidence, and the mind-body connection. Each week students will participate in a reinvigorating and beneficial yoga session. For more information on the benefits of yoga for young children, click here.
Israeli dance: Dance teaches children to follow directions, develop independence, and enhance their rhythmic and social skills. Additionally, dance is a fun vehicle to promote physical fitness, increase attention span, promote group interaction, and improve balance, coordination and agility. Integrating the importance of dance with our Jewish culture, each week our students will participate in Israeli-style dancing.
Spanish: Studies show that the best time for a child to learn another language is in the first three to four years of their lives. Each week students learn Spanish vocabulary through songs connected to that week's theme. Music allows for repetition and rhyming of new vocabulary, which helps students learn language with ease.
Music: Research has found that music enhances children's memory, language, cognitive, social and motor skills. Additionally, music helps to teach preschool children the values of cooperation and collaboration. Each week, students will have a music class which teaches them about rhythm, instruments, and movement in relation to sound.
Safety: Safety is of the utmost importance and we take it very seriously. This is why we incorporate monthly safety themes into our preschoolers' education.
Yoga: Yoga has been found to enhance children's physical flexibility, balance and coordination, focus and concentration, self-esteem and self-confidence, and the mind-body connection. Each week students will participate in a reinvigorating and beneficial yoga session. For more information on the benefits of yoga for young children, click here.
Israeli dance: Dance teaches children to follow directions, develop independence, and enhance their rhythmic and social skills. Additionally, dance is a fun vehicle to promote physical fitness, increase attention span, promote group interaction, and improve balance, coordination and agility. Integrating the importance of dance with our Jewish culture, each week our students will participate in Israeli-style dancing.
Spanish: Studies show that the best time for a child to learn another language is in the first three to four years of their lives. Each week students learn Spanish vocabulary through songs connected to that week's theme. Music allows for repetition and rhyming of new vocabulary, which helps students learn language with ease.
Music: Research has found that music enhances children's memory, language, cognitive, social and motor skills. Additionally, music helps to teach preschool children the values of cooperation and collaboration. Each week, students will have a music class which teaches them about rhythm, instruments, and movement in relation to sound.
Safety: Safety is of the utmost importance and we take it very seriously. This is why we incorporate monthly safety themes into our preschoolers' education.
- September: Safety in School
- October: Safety at Home
- November: Poison Prevention
- December: Stranger Safety
- January: What do I do if I get lost?
- February: Safety with Medicine
- March: Car and Street Safety
- April: Fire Safety
- May: Sun and Water Safety
