The Katz JCC is excited to expand its already trusted and accredited education programs with new curriculum and partnerships with several area agencies. Partnerships include the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, the Atlantic City Aquarium and the ShopRite of Somers Point. These agencies will provide monthly programming in our preschool and day care classes.
“It is our hope that these partnerships will continue to inspire a love of learning in each and every child that passes through our door, creating lifelong learners,” Jan Higbee, Early Childhood Education Director.
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey has created a curriculum especially for preschool children centered on endangered species indigenous to New Jersey.
The Atlantic City Aquarium’s curriculum will focus on marine life native to the Jersey Shore, with classes culminating in a field trip to the Aquarium for our three & four-year-old classes.
Jesse Tannehill, Dietician at the Shop Rite of Somers Point will be providing fresh fruits and vegetables for our children to sample. In addition we will be revamping our community garden this coming spring and engaging students in a farm to table project of growing produce to use in their classrooms.
The JCC Early Childhood Education Center is currently in the process of becoming accredited with Grow NJ Kids, which is New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for schools within the state. Accredited schools are assessed and rated after Grow NJ Kids has observed classes within each school, giving parents a consistent rating system to compare child care centers.
Through participation in the Grow NJ Kids program, we were able to purchase a complete set of Creative Curriculum materials for each classroom. Teachers are currently reviewing the new materials and will receive training from a certified Grow NJ Kids representative by the end of October.
The Creative Curriculum utilizes both whole group and small group instruction to guide students through 38 learning objectives that directly align with the NJ State Early Childhood Learning standards.
To learn more about Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies, please visit teachingstrategies.com/curriculum