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Home > Learn > Preschool 24-25

Agudas Achim Preschool

 
Interested in enrolling for the 2024-25 school year? Click any of the links below.
 
 
 

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Contact the Preschool Director, Jen Halpern, at 703-998-6072 or send her an email.

Founded in 2005, Agudas Achim Preschool is a warm, welcoming, inclusive, nurturing community preschool. Our children’s experiences are guided by Jewish values and traditions and a developmentally appropriate curriculum. We cultivate an active, reflective, and creative learning environment, supporting the total development of each child: spiritual and moral, cognitive, social-emotional, and physical.

Throughout the day the children will explore nature and their classroom environments and make new discoveries about the world around them. They will create open-ended art and work on craft projects. They will engage in social and dramatic play with their friends and take part in teacher-guided explorations. They will sing and dance, run and jump, read and wonder. They will learn to love learning.

Our Philosophy

We focus on the whole child, ensuring that all children are respected, supported, engaged, and challenged. We emphasize Jewish values such as: b’tzelem Elohim (we are all created in the image of God); derech eretz (common decency and appropriate behavior, literally translated as “way of the world”); kavod (respect for one another); and tzedakah (charity, helping others).

Our program is play-based and child-centered. Children need many opportunities throughout the day to playfully and joyfully explore their environment, discover new concepts, and practice new skills. Along the way they will feel success as well as frustration. As their teachers, it is our responsibility to create learning experiences for them that are challenging yet achievable. We aim to support every child on their developmental journey, no matter what their starting point.

Learning, Growing & Developing Skills

In our program, children develop:
  • social and emotional skills by gradually assuming more responsibility for themselves, their emotions and actions; becoming more aware of others’ needs and feelings; being part of a group; and building positive relationships with peers and the adults in their lives. 
  • problem solving skills by engaging with toys, materials, and their friends in new and challenging ways; and cooperation and collaboration skills by solving new and challenging problems, skills that are essential in today’s ever changing, technological world.
  • early literacy skills by participating in activities such as read-alouds; group discussions that build vocabulary and understanding; nursery rhymes and finger plays that teach phonological awareness (such as syllables, onset and rime); and recognizing and writing letters.
  • early numeracy skills by taking part in activities such as classifying and sorting objects by color, shape, and function; solving puzzles by applying logic and reason; counting; and recognizing numbers.

Our Facility

Our classrooms are spacious, well-equipped, and full of natural light. Our class sizes are small, and our teachers are experienced and dedicated.

Every day our children spend lots of time on our Jerusalem-inspired playground running, climbing, digging, and pretending. With swings and slides, tall trees and open grassy areas, it is the perfect balance between a traditional outdoor play space and a natural playground. 

The children also explore the synagogue grounds, tend to their Havdalah herb garden, and play in the Sukkah courtyard.

Special Programs & Events

Music and Movement classes are offered on alternating weeks. Our music teacher is a trained Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach instructor, and our movement teacher is an occupational therapist.
 
Ivrit (Hebrew) classes occur weekly. The children are introduced to conversational Hebrew and learn about Israeli culture. 
 
Our STEAM Lab offers the children opportunities to continue their exploration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Collaborating with each other, experimenting, and creating, our children learn problem solving skills that are essential in today's ever changing, technological world.
 
Families are often invited to attend special programs over the course of the year, including the Thanksgiving Community Feast, Purim Parade and Purimspiel, Storybook Day, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day). The preschool also holds at least two family Shabbat services/dinners annually.
 

Flexible Enrollment Plans

With our flexible schedule, creative programming, and commitment to teaching Jewish values and traditions, Agudas Achim Preschool is unique among early childhood programs in Northern Virginia.
 
We welcome families of all faith traditions and levels of Jewish observance. 
 
In keeping with the policies of the local public schools, children must be two years old by September 30 to enroll.
 
  • Two-Year Old Classes
  • 2-Day Class: Tuesday, Thursday
  • 3-Day Class: Monday, Wednesday, Frida
  • 5-Day Class: Monday – Friday
  • Three-Year-Old Classes
  • 4-Day Class: Tuesday – Friday
  • 5-Day Class: Monday – Friday
  • Four-Year-Old Classes
  • 5-Day Class: Monday – Friday

Preschool Schedule & Hours for Gan Chaverim (9am - 1pm)

All children enrolled in the Agudas Achim Preschool participate in Gan Chaverim, our core morning program. Gan Chaverim, which translates as “Garden of Friends,” operates 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Throughout the morning, the children spend about an hour playing indoors and about an hour playing outdoors. They have meeting time, story time, and song time. They enjoy snack and lunch with their friends. They make arts and crafts. Most days every week they also have a special such as music, movement, Ivrit (Hebrew), STEAM Lab, or trike riding. Four hours go by very quickly!

Snacks and lunches are brought from home, though the preschool serves special snacks for special occasions: Shabbat, holidays, and friends’ birthdays. Since the synagogue is a kosher facility, no poultry, meat, or shellfish or foods made with poultry, meat, or shellfish is allowed. We are not a nut-free preschool, though we can make a classroom nut-aware if a child has an allergy.

We celebrate Shabbat every Friday. Challah (braided egg bread) and grape juice are served for snack, and before dismissal the class cohorts gather with the rabbi, hazzan, or shlichah (Israeli emissary). We sing songs and prayers, share stories and teachings, and welcome Shabbat as a community.

Preschool Schedule & Hours Our Optional Afternoon & Extended Morning Programs

Sha’at Mischak (optional afternoon program) | 1 - 4pm

All children enrolled in Agudas Achim Preschool’s Gan Chaverim program are eligible to participate in Sha’at Mischak, which translates as "play time." The optional afternoon program operates 1 pm – 4 pm, Monday through Friday.  
 
The program offers flexibility to enroll for one, two, three, four or five afternoons per week, provided that the child has attended Gan Chaverim on that day. To allow for unexpected changes in families’ schedules, enrollment in Sha’at Mischak is on a month-to-month basis.
 
However, space is limited. You are guaranteed a spot only if you register before the start of the school year. After the start of the school year, registration is subject to availability.
 
Children who stay for Sha’at Mischak participate in the following activities:
  • 2-year-olds
  • nap time for 2 – 2 ½ hours
  • snack
  • Most 3-year-olds
  • nap time for 1 ½ – 2 hours
  • snack
  • free play
  • Some 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds
  • quiet time for 30 – 45 minutes
  • audio books
  • free play
  • snack

Boker Tov (Optional Early Drop-Off) | 8 - 9am

To accommodate the schedules of working parents, Agudas Achim Preschool offers Boker Tov (early drop-off). Boker Tov, or "Good Morning," is available 8 am – 9 am, Monday through Friday.  During Boker Tov, children have free play in their classroom.
 
This program offers flexibility, but space is limited. You are guaranteed a spot only if you register before the start of the school year. After the start of the school year, registration is subject to availability.
 

Erev Tov (optional late pick-up) 4 - 5pm*

We also offer Erev Tov (or late pick-up), for children who have stayed for Sha’at Mischak that day. Erev Tov, which means ‘Good Evening,’ is offered from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
 
*In order to give our families and staff time to prepare for Shabbat, there is no Erev Tov on Fridays. Our school day ends at 4 pm every Friday.
 
Erev Tov offers flexibility; however, space is limited. You are guaranteed a spot only if you register before the start of the school year. After the start of the school year, registration is subject to availability.
 
During Erev Tov, children gather into a mixed-age group and play outside, on the playground, or in the classrooms. Children can be picked up anytime between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Thu, November 21 2024 20 Cheshvan 5785