Gan Chaverim is Hebrew for "Garden of Friends"
Our Transitional Kindergarten, Gan Chaverim, offers a highly personalized experience in early childhood education. It’s a specialized program that provides a rich tradition of academic, social, and emotional growth, and integrates Jewish values and content into all we do. From their initial student assessment to Transitional Kindergarten graduation, our children develop positive and meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers as a foundation for cultivating curious minds and caring community members.
2023-2024 Transitional Kindergarten Registration is open!
We are thrilled to announce that we are now a
NAEYC Accredited
Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten!
We are among 2% of NC childcare centers to earn the distinguished NAEYC accreditation. Congratulations to our incredibly hard working staff!
Highlights
- 15:2 Student to Teacher Ratio. The class has a maximum of 15 students with a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. With the small group size, we are able to offer an education and experience tailored to each child, meeting them where they are and helping them grow and flourish throughout the year.
- We believe that children learn best by doing. We provide lots of hands-on activities to encourage skill development, discovery, and exploration. Direct instruction is accomplished through small group and one-on-one interactions between teachers and students.
- We believe strongly that children need to move their bodies and be actively engaged in learning, so we alternate active and quiet times throughout the day to give children a chance to fully participate in the day.
- We match our curriculum standards to the North Carolina standards for Kindergarten. In order to address all areas of development and learning that students will need to be successful in first grade, we utilize Creative Curriculum for Kindergarten as well as Letterland for Kindergarten to provide structure while allowing for flexibility to pursue topics of interest to the children.
- We incorporate Jewish values and education into our daily learning along with traditional academic subjects and specials such as music, art, gym, and Hebrew Through Movement. We partner with Temple Beth Or to provide age-appropriate Shabbat services every Friday. Every month, students learn about a different Jewish value, and our tzedakah is donated to a charity that relates to that value.
- We focus on communicating clearly with peers around play activities, class projects, and conflict resolution. Children are supported by staff in all areas, and we expect our students to work toward both academic and social goals. Our classroom is specifically designed to promote appropriate behavior. The classroom space and schedule are arranged to provide structure that clearly communicates expectations.
A Day In The Life At Gan Chaverim
8:30-8:40
Arrival
8:30-9:00
Morning Work
9:00-9:30
Morning Meeting
9:30-9:50
Snack/Storytime
9:50-10:20
Language Arts
10:20-10:45
Math
10:45-11:15
Specials (PE, Yoga, Art, Music, Hebrew Through Movement)
11:15-12:00
Science or Social Studies or
Continuation of Math or Language Arts
12:00-12:30
Lunch/Chapter Book
12:30-1:00
Quiet Time
1:00-1:45
Recess
1:45-2:45
Free Choice Centers
2:45-3:00
Daily Roundup
3:00
Dismissal
Gan Chaverim Town Hall
Want some further insight on our program and community? Check out our recent Town Hall meeting about Gan Chaverim. Below are timestamps of key topics and FAQs that were addressed at this meeting. Still have questions? Contact us! We love sharing about our community and program!
| 0:00 | Welcome, Gan Chaverim Presentation |
|---|---|
| 7:48 | Q&A with Megan (School Director), Patty Rorick (Gan Chaverim Teacher), Rachel Gallo (Gan Chaverim Parent), and Kelly Stewart (Gan Chaverim Parent) |
| 8:14 | Where are the Kindergarten students planning to go after graduating from the Gan Chaverim program? “What seems to be the current trajectory for the current class?” |
| 11:24 | Kelly highlights why she disenrolled her son from public school kindergarten after a week and chose Gan Chaverim instead. |
| 13:47 | How are the Kindergarteners being prepared for a larger class setting after the smaller settings that are at TBOP and Gan Chaverim? |
| 19:46 | Patty talks about the students learning independence and gaining confidence in themselves. |
| 28:39 | Do they still get a nap in kindergarten? |
| 29:29 | Patty walks through the structure of a typical day. Quiet time is built in! |
| 34:05 | Megan explains the components involved in learning projects, such as the previously discussed seeds project. Patty highlights the student led “tangents” that enhance the learning. |
| 40:31 | Megan talks about beginning to solidify the Jewish learning at this age |
| 41:57 | Rachel and Kelly share honest thoughts on their concerns about enrolling their children in a new program. |
