Western Connecticut Jewish Community Plans Full-Day Kindergarten

SOUTHBURY — The Federation, Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut, in collaboration with Maimonides Academy of Danbury, plans a full-day kindergarten program for next fall. It will be housed at the Walzer Family Jewish Community Campus on North Main Street in Southbury, and will build on the success of the William and Audrey Walzer Alef Bet Preschool, which serves about 70 children from toddlers through age 5.

“This will establish a connection between our growing Jewish community and Maimonides Academy, which has served the Danbury area for 26 years as a Jewish day school with state accreditation,” Robert Zwang, executive director of the federation, explained.

“We will start with kindergarten and hope in time that we can add more grades and establish a day school here,” he continued. “It will permit us to continue the development of varied services to the Jewish population of northwest Connecticut.”

Cory Chargo, head of school at Maimonides, will be in charge of hiring staff an establishing curriculum for the kindergarten, which will be known as Gan B’Yachad, Hebrew for “A Garden Together.”

“We will follow state curriculum and include introduction to reading and writing, science, math, social studies, music, art, and physical education,” Mr Chargo noted. “There will be a Hebrew and Jewish culture component as well. We will use a developmental approach, following the rhythm of growth of the individual children. Stress will be on socialization and helping children to learn through play.”

The student/teacher ratio at Maimonides is 7 to 1, a ratio Mr Chargo will continue in Southbury. “We are prepared to start the class with a minimum of six children enrolled,” he said. “This is a new program, and we are beginning rather late in the season, but I am sure that a number of families will want this kind of education for their children.”

Tuition for the full-day program, from 8:10 am to 3:30 pm, will be approximately $10,000. Scholarships will be available.

Elaine Beitman, director of early childhood education and head of the Alef Bet Preschool, will serve as site facilitator and will coordinate programs and resources with Maimonides. She is very enthusiastic about the planned kindergarten. “At Alef Bet we went from a small school in cramped quarters in Woodbury to a growing preschool in our lovely new building,” she explained. “Our [Danbury] classes are now fully registered for the next year by February,” she explained. “I trust this new program will have a similar success!”

For further information on the Southbury program, contact Ms Beitman at 267-3387 or email Mr Chargo at cochargo@mawcschool.org.