Community Corner

Registration Open for Temple Sinai's Toddler & Me Program, Now In Its Second Year

The following is a press release from Temple Sinai: 

Registration is now open for Temple Sinai’s Toddler & Me class, designed for toddlers thirteen to twenty-three months old.  Located in Summit, NJ and part of the Temple’s Early Childhood Education Program (ECEP), this toddler-caregiver class is aimed at introducing young children to the preschool experience. The thirteen-week class is open to Temple members and non-members alike, and is taught by ECEP Director, Amy Damast.  “The Toddler & Me program introduces young children to a wide variety of new sensory experiences. Children experiment with sounds and textures that they may not encounter in their everyday lives,” Damast says.  “We ask parents and caregivers to dress the kids in their messy clothes so that they can dive into paint, shaving cream, flour, mud, snow and the like without any concerns,” she adds. The class includes free exploratory play (art, sensory, and fine-motor activities), snack, and circle time (books, songs, dramatic movement).  Activities will vary each week, and a familiar routine will be established.  “Toddlers and young children who are starting school for the first time tend to embrace these first steps toward independence when they are familiar with the routines of their new program.  When their new environments are predictable – after we clean up, we eat snack – children make smoother transitions and develop trust in their teachers,” explains Damast. Offered on Friday mornings beginning on October 4, the Toddler & Me class takes place in one of Temple Sinai’s renovated classrooms.  Situated in the historic Todd mansion, the temple and the ECEP have a distinctive “homey” feel throughout their indoor and outdoor spaces.  Toddler & Me is the ideal introduction to the philosophy of the ECEP, which -- based on the best practices from a variety of different educational approaches -- has been designed to be an active environment that will inspire creativity, imagination, and a love of learning in children.  Families are invited to visit Temple Sinai’s ECEP to observe the rich and creative experiences it offers.  For more information, they may contact Amy Damast at 908-273-4921 x31 orAmy@templesinainj.org.
About Temple SinaiLocated at 208 Summit Avenue in Summit, NJ Temple Sinai (www.templesinainj.org) is a warm, dynamic, 60-year-old Reform Jewish congregation welcoming families from all religious backgrounds and phases of life.  

Temple Sinai resides in the historic Todd mansion, a beautifully renovated and expanded space with convenient drop-off and parking.


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