Prospective Families
Our Approach
We are a preschool for children ages six weeks to five years in Minnetonka, MN. We provide an excellent educational experience through a curriculum of Jewish values, literacy, mathematics, and science. We prepare our children for kindergarten and a lifetime of educational development. Our professional teachers and rabbis welcome children of all backgrounds into the Bet Shalom family of friends.
Your child benefits from daily rabbinic involvement, small class sizes, and qualified teachers in a program strong in kindergarten preparedness and the formation of Jewish identity.
At Bet Shalom Yeladim Preschool, our children explore and develop natural curiosity through play and hands-on experiences. These experiences are carefully designed to develop large and small muscle coordination, language, scientific, and mathematical concepts, a sense of independence, and positive self-esteem. Children are encouraged to work in groups and as individuals to solve problems creatively and respectfully.
Families have a variety of options for scheduling, toilet training, and enrichment opportunities so that Bet Shalom Yeladim becomes an extension of their family’s culture and dynamics. At the same time, they receive information on health and development that enhances their unique parenting style.
Growth & Development
We believe in understanding how our students are developing, and using that information to better guide daily student activities.
For further information about any of our student development guidelines, please contact your student’s teacher.
Ounce Scale (up to 42 months)
The Ounce Scale helps us get to know children better by observing their everyday activities at home and in the program. We will record notes in your child’s Observation Records to keep track of your child’s behaviors and accomplishments.
Over time, we will meet to share the Observation Records. We will use what we learn to plan ways we can work together to help your child grow.
The Ounce Scale is not a test. It is a way to observe children as they play and take part in daily activities, such as eating breakfast or snacks, dressing, playing, and being with children and adults. Te Ounce Scake focuses on what children can, not what they can’t do.
Together, we will keep track of the following areas of development:
• How your child shows trust
• How your child expresses who she is
• How your child acts around other children
• How your child understands and communicates
• How your child explores and figures things out
• How your child moves her body and uses her hands
Work Sampling System (42 months & beyond)
The Work Sampling System helps us provide systematic feedback for our older students.
The Work Sampling System is designed to help teachers learn about your child’s skills, behaviors, and academic achievements in school.
Work Sampling gives teachers the information they need to work effectively with your child, build your child’s motivation and self-confidence, and report student progress to you. It is used with children from preschool through Grade 3.
The Work Sampling System focuses on seven areas of the curriculum:
• Personal and Social Development
• Language and Literacy (with performance indicators for English language learners)
• Mathematical Thinking
• Scientific Thinking
• Social Studies
• The Arts
• Physical Development, Health, and Safety