Shalom Children’s Center Early Childhood Programs
The mission of Shalom Children’s Center is to raise each child to form a community of peace. We serve our community by developing positive self-awareness and self-esteem in our children, while fostering an understanding of each child’s interconnectedness with the rest of the world.
Have questions? To schedule a phone call with Aislinn McShane, Program Engagement Coordinator, please click here
Unique offerings in our curriculum include:
- Reggio-inspired indoor and outdoor environments that invite play-based learning and exploration
- Hands-on activities and lessons incorporating universal values through a Jewish lens
- Year-round weekly group swim lessons during the school day (for 3’s and up)
- Weekly activity sessions with a music & movement specialist
- Weekly musical learning sessions with a song-leader specialist
- Nature inquiry small group learning with a nature specialist (pre-k)
- Our Children’s Garden Curriculum to inspire meaningful lessons in nature
- Celebration of Jewish holidays
- Need-based scholarships available through the Esther and Hyman Burstein Scholarship
- Shalom accepts NC Child Care Subsidies (vouchers)
| School operating hours | |
| Monday | 8am – 5pm |
| Tuesday | 8am – 5pm |
| Wednesday | 8am – 5pm |
| Thursday | 8am – 5pm |
| Friday | 8am – 5pm |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday | closed |
Classrooms
Children 0-5 years of age are provided opportunities to engage and grow with a supportive learning community.
Hilde’s House – infants/toddlers
Levi’im (little lions) – older toddler/twos
Taglit (discovery) – 2-3 year olds
Olam Echad (one world) – 2-3 year olds
Reim (friends) – 3-4 year olds
Teva (nature) – 3-4 year olds
Ahava Pre-k (love) – 4-5 year olds
Keshet Pre-k (rainbow) – 4-5 year olds
Children are placed in an age-appropriate group upon enrollment and move up to the next classroom with their age group at the beginning of each new school year.
A Community of Peace
Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace, and it is this vision of a harmonious world that we strive to build with our children. We celebrate Jewish culture and draw from a code of ethics that teaches us to respect and care for the earth and all of its inhabitants. Children, families, and teachers are connected through a circle of care and respect, which expands to the broader world of all human life and nature. While we explore Jewish traditions together, we also honor and learn from the diverse experiences and traditions of all who participate in our program.
Our Philosophy:
Children as Constructivist Learners
Children are natural learners. A Jewish expression of values emphasizes that teachers inspire children to question their world and appreciate multiple perspectives. Teachers and children engage in research as a way of co-constructing knowledge based on an image of the child as a competent and capable learner full of potential. When children are agents of their own learning, they build life-long critical thinking skills and are more deeply invested in the process.
Our “emergent inquiry” approach to learning engages children in exciting explorations of developmentally appropriate ideas and concepts to encourage learning across multiple disciplines. Children offer input, raise questions, and work together to solve problems. Through discussions, experiences, and materials, the children’s ideas and interests emerge into thematic play.
We immerse children in a literacy rich environment, using books to reinforce their ability to propose and carry out their own research, and offering numerous opportunities for written and verbal self expression. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) learning is interwoven into the class environment through open-ended materials and hands-on experiences. Innovation, creativity, problem-solving and social skills are fostered with children and adults engaging together to create meaning and allow for the growth that comes with taking risks and making mistakes.
