Rabbi Joseph Weinberg ECC

Our Early Childhood Centers’ philosophy is rooted in the Social Constructivist approach where children and teachers co-construct the learning in partnership. We believe children learn through hands-on experiences (and play!) where they can use all of their senses and be fully involved in the learning experience. We strive to promote 21st-century life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, perspective taking, communication, and collaboration. We draw inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach, noting the importance of the environment and its connection to learning. Judaism frames the arc of our year as well as our values. In particular, the Jewish belief that each child is unique and created in the divine image. We LOVE talking about our philosophy and invite you to reach out if you want to learn more or discuss our approach.

We know the pandemic has been difficult on every member of our society, including children. Many children (and adults) spent the last year in ways that were different than they would have imagined. We believe our role is to help families begin to heal at this time of transition.

Our schools prioritize the safety and well-being of each community member. This means we follow all regulations and implement precautions, including mask-wearing, appropriate physical distancing, and rigorous cleaning (among other things).

We do not subscribe to the notion that children need to “catch up” following this time of pandemic. Instead, we believe children are constantly in a state of becoming, based on their environments and experiences. Now, as students re-enter the physical classroom, we look forward to working with each child to help them feel comfortable exploring and growing in this new place.

Classroom placements are based on a series of important and complex variables. Our priority is for students to develop friendships in their class; we also know that longstanding relationships are important. We accept two “social requests” per child and will consider these as we create the classes. We do not guarantee any social requests. We do, however, promise to work with each family to promote their child’s well-being and sense of comfort and community within their class. The development of meaningful friendships and relationships is core to our mission!

Each teacher is qualified according to the standards established by MSDE (the Maryland State Department of Education). In addition, we weave professional development for each teacher into our program.

We love how many families are familiar with teachers from our community! Our school places the highest emphasis on matching teachers and students. To do this, we consider a host of complex variables, including the teacher’s experience, knowledge of the age group, growth mindset, and more. We do not take teacher requests. We absolutely welcome and invite you to share information about your child, their disposition, and the best potential variables that will lead to a good match.

If there is sufficient interest, we hope to offer extended hours at the RJWECC in Potomac, Maryland, opening at 8:30 am and ending the day at 5:30 pm. In following the latest regulations and guidelines, we will know if this is possible as we near the start of the school year. If you are interested in before- or after-care, we encourage you to indicate your preferences when you register so we can plan accordingly.

The school day at our E-T ECC in Washington, DC, will begin at 9:00 am and end at 3:00 pm.