Preschools Staff Plan Year

Last Wednesday, over 130 preschool educators from 16 schools around the New York area (ranging from Philadelphia to Connecticut) came to Crown Heights for a Joint Orientation & Networking session of the Chabad Early Childhood Education (CECE) Network, a project of The Shluchim Office.

The event’s purpose was to provide an inspiring push for the upcoming year together with an environment full of opportunities for the directors to share and learn from each other as they plan. To that end, the program was designed with exercises to work with and opportunities to learn from each other.

Participants also heard about the importance of the work of the Chabad staff from several perspectives – from directors, teachers and parents of children who attend the schools. They touched on crucial topics such as professionalism, communication, responsibilities to the children and aligning practices with beliefs about the purpose of a Chabad school.

Mrs. Suri Kleinman, a veteran and much loved educator at Chabad Upper West Side, shared many important points about how we can choose our words to interact effectively with children. Mrs. Chaya Abelsky, a leadership coach, presented several important communication tools for working with children, colleagues, and everyone else.

Throughout the day, teachers from various schools had opportunities to network and share ideas, challenges and solutions. These relationships will hopefully continue throughout the year, so that all schools in the region can learn and gain from each other’s experiences.

The CECE (Chabad Early Childhood Education) Network was established five years ago by The Shluchim Office to serve as a central support and resource network for those who run or direct a Chabad preschool. Its goal is to help directors make their local Chabad preschool the preeminent choice within their community.

The CECE Network provides a framework for deeper thinking about how an excellent preschool can create long-lasting connections with Judaism. Among its many services, the CECE Network provides an online forum, annual and regional conferences, a peer review system, online workshops, conference calls, seminars, articles, and guided online discussion groups.

For more info, visit shluchim.org/CECE