When Kristina Brown and her children walk into the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, she can tell they feel safe and secure. The J and its Early Childhood Center are their home away from home.
“My kids have this sense of confidence, safety and being at home,” says Kristina, who serves as president of the ECC’s Parent Teacher Group. “They know everyone. They walk ahead of me, like ‘I’ve got this. I know what I’m doing.’ They know that they belong there. To watch that, as a mom, is something you want every day for them.”
The ECC is a play-based preschool for children age 6 weeks to pre-kindergarten, with a strong emphasis on academic preparedness and developing Jewish identity. That was a big draw for Kristina, who loves that her children know the Shabbat blessings and holiday practices.
The preschool is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and partners with Pre-K Academy, which uses multisensory lessons to prepare children for the Arizona Common Core Standards.
Kristina says that the program did a great job of preparing her 6-year-old, Zoe, for kindergarten. “It gave her the foundation to want to learn and to love learning,” she says.
With many of The J’s amenities available to the ECC, Kristina feels that it offers a level of enrichment that other programs can’t touch. “The kids don’t stay in the classroom. They’re like big kids. They walk out with their teachers and they go to music, sports, swimming and yoga. It’s building their self-esteem, their confidence as individuals – ‘look at these things that I get to do.’ There are so many different avenues for the children to learn.”
On top of all that, the ECC also offers optional extra-curricular classes such as basketball, science, gymnastics, math and cooking.
Kristina says that another area where the ECC strives to create a secure environment, is the way in which teachers and staff go above and beyond to accommodate children who have food allergies or dietary restrictions. In addition to being a peanut-free and kosher facility, the ECC does its best to ensure that classrooms and play areas are clean and safe for kids with allergies, without making them feel excluded or singled out.
The Browns feel like part of a community at The J. Kristina hopes her kids will continue to meet up with their preschool friends. She envisions The J playing a central part in their lives as they attend summer camp and school days out, hang out at after school, maybe even work or volunteer there as they get older. “They definitely have met their lifelong friends,” she says.
Registration for the 2016-2017 school year opens in early February. Tours are given by appointment only. For information, contact 480-659-7769 or earlychildhood@vosjcc.org, or visit vosjcc.org/preschool.
