There are 4 main tenants of our school’s philosophy

Jewish
We foster Jewish values through everyday living. We learn values through the seasons and stories of the Jewish holidays, and we embrace the world and all cultures through a Jewish lens. We aim to foster values of chesed (kindness), chaverim (friendship), kavod (respect), kehillah (community) and tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Reggio Emilia Inspired
We view children as capable individuals who construct meaning of their world through their interactions and relationships. We see educators not as directors of learning, but as co-constructors and co-creators of real-world learning experiences. We believe our relationships with children and partnerships with families are vital to a child’s development.

International Baccalaureate: Primary Years Program
We believe that international mindedness is fostered through the 10 attributes of the learner profile, in conjunction with our Jewish values. We believe that inquiry-driven conceptual curriculum and connected, transdisciplinary learning within an environment where child agency is the driver, best supports the development of critical thinking, self-development, and passionate learner skills.

Nature-Based
We believe that nature is the best learning environment. We support outside time to explore children’s developing theories about the world, as a means for developing self-regulation and healthy practices, and to foster a respect for nature. We want our children to become stewards of their environment.

Our dedicated educators facilitate the learning process by actively listening to and observing the children. Teachers enable opportunities for discovery and problem solving, guide and document the learning process and nurture individuals and relationships. Teachers help build a sense of community in each classroom and school wide.

Meet our admin team here.

At Temple Emanu-El ECEC, we value our local and global community as well as the individual. In order to show respect and openness for others and their perspectives, we aim to create a safe place for an exchange of perspectives and ways of being to exist. As professionals devoted to the field of education, and seeking to leave the world a better place through our tikkun olam (repair the world) service, we strive to maintain a growth mindset approach in all that we do. With this approach, focused on growing ourselves and thus improving our communities, we create a positive, supportive and welcoming environment for all.

Temple Emanu-El Early Childhood Education Center is committed to providing children with special rights (physical, emotional, social, behavioral) a safe, nurturing, stimulating and developmentally appropriate environment within our regular classroom setting. The ECEC’s goal is to be inclusive and accommodate children with special rights which are determined on an individual case-by-case basis.

The mission of the Parents’ Association (PA) is to create a welcoming, caring, child-centered community for Temple Emanu-El’s Early Childhood Education Center families to connect through events, fundraising opportunities, social action, and other engagement opportunities. All TE-ECEC parents are members of the PA.

Temple Emanu-El’s Early Childhood Education Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for having demonstrated substantial compliance and excellence with nationally recognized criteria for high-quality early childhood programs.

Temple Emanu-El ECEC is an authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program school. We are part of a global community of educators known for their dedication to learner agency, developing critical thinking, supporting play-based inquiry, and international mindedness. TE-ECEC has aligned our Reggio Emilia approach and our Jewish values with the IB framework. This has facilitated a culture of international mindedness throughout the school by promoting the learner profile, recognizing, and celebrating all cultures represented within our school.

The ECEC is licensed by the Texas Department of Protective & Regulatory Services.

Temple Emanu-El’s Early Childhood Education Center participates in the Early Childhood Education of Reform Judaism, The North American Reggio Alliance, Dallas Association of the Education of Young Children (DAEYC), the Teacher Learning Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas and the Jewish Preschool Director’s Council.

You do not have to be a member of Temple to have a student at the ECEC. If your Jewish family is interested in becoming members of Temple Emanu-El, please contact Alexandra Horn, Director of Membership.

Non-Jewish families are welcome at the ECEC.

At Temple Emanu-El ECEC we work hard to develop a strong, trusting relationship between the educator and child. If a challenging behavior does occur, we begin with a positive and gentle approach. We believe that the purpose of guiding behavior is to teach self-regulation, and we rely on redirection, reinforcement and modeling.

No. When your child becomes interested in toilet training, our teachers will work with you to help support your child.

Our school nurse should be made aware of any allergies your child may have. An Allergy Action Plan from your child’s physician is required along with any necessary medications. All food brought into the ECEC must strictly adhere to both our nut sensitive and Kosher-Style policies. Teachers will make all parents aware of any allergies within your child’s classroom. This is imperative for the safety and well-being of the children in our Early Childhood Education Center.