Chabad of Northeast Queens: The Early Learning Center & The Academy

About

A progressive early childhood and elementary school located in Bayside, Queens.

Description

At The Early Learning Center and The Academy, we think learning is a passionate experience. We stress the importance of the process of learning. Students come to the realization that often knowing how to find the answer or ask the question is more useful than the answer itself. We encourage children to try things for themselves, to explore and draw conclusions without fear of failure. We provide opportunities though which children come to value themselves, other people, ideas, skills, responsibilities, and hard work.
We see children both as individuals and as members of a group. We encourage them to develop in their own ways. We want children to know the satisfaction and excitement of their own creativity and expertise and to know the shared joy and inspiration of the Group. We expect children to appreciate the unique qualities and contributions of themselves and others.
Our curriculum builds on the strengths, development, and learning style of each student. Each day, students work one-on-one with their teacher and in small family groups on language arts, reading, writing, math, and science. In our 1st Grade – 5th Grade classrooms, children are placed in multiage groups. Multiage classrooms benefit students as they first learn from peers, and then have the opportunity to lead in academic and social areas. The benefits of a multiage classroom are multi-faceted. The younger children are surrounded by thinkers who are more accomplished in the subject at hand. The older students benefit as well, since acting as a guide and explaining how to do something requires an deeper understanding of one’s subject. In our Kindergarten classrooms, students are placed in leveled groups to replicate this learning style.

We view the environment as the “third” teacher. The classroom is a resource to be used by the children; a safe, well-planned setting in which constructive work and creative dramatic play can take place. Our teachers carefully choose meaningful materials for developing responsibility and age-appropriate work standards in our classrooms as well as in the outdoor area and Art Studio.

The Early Learning Center and The Academy are places where:
Children are respected;
Children are active participants in their learning;
Children develop the skills necessary to pursue their love of learning;
Children are expected to become responsible members of their Group and the School community;
Children learn to recognize and accept strengths and weaknesses in themselves and others;
Children develop pride and excitement for Judaism and Israel through exploration of their rich heritage;
Children become lifelong learners.

Take a moment to view this short video to learn more about our school and what parents are saying: http://vimeo.com/81118796

Call us today to schedule a tour! 718.279.1457

Mission

Believing that education is fundamentally a social process, we strive to create a vital school community that supports each child’s innate passion for learning while also expanding his or her understanding of communities and cultures that exist beyond school and home. Our goal is to foster a feeling of Ahavat Yisrael, unity among our students and by extension to the greater community. The teachers’ place is alongside the child, posing questions that elicit imaginative thinking, problem solving, and decision making in the pursuit of a deeper perspective. In the partnership of learning among children and teachers, community is lived through purposeful experiences that foster responsibility, cooperation, active participation, care, and respect-qualities in a Torah rich environment.
With Science and the Arts as the core of our curriculum, enriched through mathematics, language arts, Judaic studies, and social studies, students are offered varied opportunities to explore, question, and creatively respond to the world around them. Academic and practical skills are embedded in contexts meaningful to children, within larger, in-depth investigations.
The Academy and Early Learning Center students are rigorous, original thinkers who embrace inquiry and experimentation as a means toward discovery. Compassionate in spirit, supportive of the needs and ideas of fellow citizens, and sure of their ability to solve problems, they move confidently into the world and contribute positively throughout their lives.