Shoresh Preschool is a play-based program that focuses on specific educational objectives for each age group. This means our classrooms all have various stations and the children are allowed to self-dictate parts of their day and what they will be interacting with. The development of social and emotional skills are at the forefront of our school as our teachers work hard to create an atmosphere of discovery, exploration and appropriate risk-taking. Academics are woven into our students learning as integrated activities within various play themes: nature, seasons, Jewish traditions, STEM, puzzles, movement, and athletics.
We welcome children of all religions, races, and family styles. Our student body comes from Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and surrounding communities attending our program. Individualized attention and the ability to provide a nurturing safe environment is made possible by our small class sizes and low teacher /student ratio. Our highly qualified and experienced teachers and assistants love what they do and understand the developmental needs of the children they teach. This allows each child to develop at their own rate in a comfortable and nurturing environment.
Our preschool classes begin at 18 months and continue until age 5. Our curriculum is play based. It is through play that children strengthen and develop their social emotional skills, which is essential for learning. It is through play that children develop early literacy skills, number concepts and cognitive skills, in a warm and nurturing setting. The curriculum also includes art, music, movement, cooking, science and nature. Children learn best through play and exploration of their environment. Through hands-on learning experiences the children become active, curious and creative learners. Judaism is integrated throughout our program. We celebrate the Jewish holidays and we come together as a school on Fridays to celebrate Shabbat. We encourage the development of a positive Jewish identity and Jewish values, helping others. We are inclusive and welcoming of children in all faiths and backgrounds in our program.
Programs
Shoresh
offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of our families. We offer extended morning hours for working parents as well as after-school hours. Our afternoon enrichment classes offer you the option of a longer school day with a different enrichment class each day of the week for our three’s and four’s.
Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the whole child. We ensure that the children experience a balance in scheduling, which includes independent play, group activities and quiet time. The classrooms are set up with different centers to give the children the opportunity to choose their play area. Some of their choices include dramatic play, painting at the easel, book corner, blocks, manipulatives, playdoh, and a writing and coloring table. As the children experience these different centers, they are working on so many important skills. They are learning how to use their imaginations, express ideas, cooperate with others, make decisions, develop hand-eye coordination, improve their fine motor skills, and become problem solvers.
Typical Schedule:
Facilities
Shoresh Preschool features a first-rate facility designed to allow learning through play and exploration. Bright, cheerful colors are present in classrooms and hallways, with bulletin boards displaying children artwork of current lessons and seasonal celebrations.
Our newly renovated (winter 2022) playground features a main climbing structure, three slides, a balance log, with a smaller section for our younger students, a crawl through caterpillar, and a play house. Our grounds have four vegetable garden beds, two herb garden beds, a log circle, and large outdoor lawn space. We also utilize our parking lot for outdoor bikes and chalk play.
Inside, students enjoy a fully equipped play area, filled with age-appropriate toys, riding equipment, tumble mats, and much more. Our space also features a large multi-purpose room, sanctuary for singing and prayers, and newly designed dress-up station.
Shoresh Preschool has a full-time security guard on site Monday- Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm (4:00pm on Fridays). Our building is equip with newly installed cameras (everywhere except the classrooms and bathrooms), upgraded security access system, and shatter proof glass.
2024-2025 School Year
Our goal at Shoresh is to instill in each child a sense of self-worth, to give each child a meaningful, happy, and successful experience learning and interacting with peers/teachers. We provide a nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment that reinforces a child’s natural curiosity. Each child, as a unique individual, is allowed to progress according to their own rate of development.
Young children learn through play and need the opportunity to explore their environment in a way that feels safe and secure to them. Our teachers provide age-appropriate learning activities that guide the children through the important areas of language, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 will be Meet and Greet for our students to meet their classmates and their teachers. The first day of school will be on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 with the last day of school being on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Throughout the year, we have a Thanksgiving break, Winter break, and Spring/Passover break. We observe all major secular holidays (President's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Columbus Day, and Memorial Day) and Jewish holidays (High Holy Days, Passover, and Shavuot).
Shoresh's policies and procedures can be reviewed in the Shoresh Family Handbook.
Each child must have their own form filled out along with a non-refundable fee of $1,000 broken down by:
- $250 for administrative fees
- $750 deposit for September tuition.
Register Here for the 2-year-old and 4-year-old programs.
Our 3-year-old program is full. Join our wait list at 2024-2025 Shoresh Waitlist.
Programming:
- Two-year-old classes (for children who are at least 18 months of age by August 31, 2024) meet Monday – Friday or three pre-chosen days from 9am – 1pm or 9am – 3pm.
- Three-year-old classes (*children must be 3 by October 1, 2024) meet Monday - Friday from 9am – 1pm or 9 – 3pm.
- Four-year-old classes (*children must be 4 by October 1, 2024) meet Monday - Friday from 9am – 3pm.
*Our 3- and 4-year-old program cutoff age follows NJ Public School guidelines which require a child to be that age before October 1st of the school year. There will be no exceptions.
*Yearly Tuition:
2's Three Day Option, 9:00am - 1:00pm: $7,500
2's Three Day Option, 9:00am - 3:00pm: $9,000
2's Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 1:00pm: $11,700
2's Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm: $14,100
3's Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 1:00pm: $11,700
3's Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm: $14,100
4's (Pre-K) Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm - $14,100
Morning Club, 8:00 am - 9:00am, 5-Days: $2,600
Morning Club, 8:00 am - 9:00am, Per Day/Year: $550
Kids Club, 3:00pm - 5:30pm, 4:00 pm on Friday, 5-days: $4,700
Kids Club, 3:00pm - 5:30pm, 4:00 pm on Friday Per Day/Year: $950
A one-time Security Fee of $200 will be applied per child to September's tuition. This will help offset the cost for full day security.
Sibling Discount, if applicable, one time: $300 for each additional sibling in the program in September.
Spots are given on a first come basis. The deadline for registering for the school year is April 31, 2024.
*Tuition is billed monthly, September through May, and will be posted on the 15th of the previous month. It is due on the 1st of the month, and a $40 late fee will be added on the 11th of the month if tuition is not paid. If you would like to pay in full or prefer auto-payments each month, contact the Shoresh office to set-up.
If you remove your child from the Shoresh program mid-year for any reason, you will be responsible for paying one full month tuition beyond the month the child has left the program. The same policy holds for Morning Club tuition and/or Kids' Club tuition.
If you have any issues filling out this form or have any questions - you can reach out to us by email at Shoresh@nertamid.org, call us at 973-338-1500 ext.120.
You can pay your non-refundable registration fee, and all tuition payments with a credit card and incur a 3% fee or through your bank account without a fee. If you prefer to pay by check or have any difficulty with payment, contact the Shoresh office.
The Right Start program through the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest offers a gift voucher toward the cost of tuition for families enrolling their children in a Jewish program for the first time. Applications will be available May 2024.
Shoresh Summer Camp
Shoresh Summer Camp is a fun-filled 8 week, weekly themed adventure with pirate treasure, rocket ship rides, and a "trip around the world". Each sunny day we enjoy water play, scooter riding, playground, and more. Our indoor facility is a great place to spend the rainy days. We have a special class daily where we create messy art, cook something yummy, or explore STEM. Shabbat with all the campers completes our week.
Each week we are treated to a special guest including Bubble Dad, the Bloomfield Fire Department, a petting zoo with pony rides, and many more exciting visitors! We enjoy a complimentary pizza lunch 2 times during camp. On the last day we savor cold, delicious treats from the ice cream truck.
Shoresh Summer Camp follows all guidelines of the Shoresh Family Handbook.
Below is all the information we will need to enroll your child in Shoresh Summer Camp. Shoresh Summer Camp is for children between 20 months old (as of June 1, 2024) and entering Pre-K in the fall.
Each child must have their own form filled out. Every registration form must be accompanied by a $200 non-refundable registration fee.
Registration is closed. To be put on our wait list, register here: Shoresh Summer Camp Wait List
2-Week Session Options:
Session 1: June 24 - July 3 (closed July 4 & 5)
Session 2: July 8 - July 19
Session 3: July 22 - August 2
Session 4: August 5 - August 16
** Sessions cannot be split
Tuition Rates:
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Session 1: $550 (closed July 4 & 5)
Session 2 - 4: $700 per session
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Session 1: $750 (closed July 4 & 5)
Session 2 - 4: $900 per session
Kid's Club, 3:00pm - 5:30pm, Fridays until 4:00pm:
Session 1: $225 (closed July 4 & 5)
Session 2 - 4: $300 per session
$32 a day drop-in
A Security Fee of $100 to help offset full-time security during the camp day will be included in your tuition statement.
You can pay your non-refundable registration fee and tuition with a credit card and incur a 3% fee or through your bank account without a fee. If you prefer to pay by check or have any difficulty with payment, contact the Shoresh office.
If you are interested in attending Shoresh Preschool in the Fall for our 2s or 4s programs, the registration form can be found at Shoresh 2024-2025 Registration.
Reach out to Shoresh by email at Shoresh@nertamid.org or phone 973.338.1500 ext. 120 should you have any issues filling out this form or any questions.
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Shoresh Leadership
What Parents Are Saying
"Shoresh is hands down the most loving and nurturing environment for children we have found- including what we had in Brooklyn. Our eldest (5) and youngest (2) both have attended. Our eldest entered Kindergarten with all the skills necessary to adjust to the public school environment. They are amazing at teaching developmentally appropriate material in a way the children want to learn, through ample time to play. The Director is very involved in the children's day and is incredibly available to parents. They host a number of community gathering events so we feel connected even beyond the school to our larger community. And we are not Jewish, and have never felt like we needed to be in order to be fully connected. It's an incredibly inclusive environment which makes us want to be even more involved. Our girls have loved it here. As parents, we have loved everything about it as well." - Suzy G.
"I love this preschool! The teachers are loving and engaging. We are now about to start our 4th child at Shoresh and I can't imagine sending her anywhere else. I always felt supported and listened to as a new mom and now I feel valued as I've learned so much along the way. I wish that I could attend Shoresh!" - Allison G.
PJ Library
PJ Library is a free program that mails your child a wonderful, age-appropriate Jewish children’s book or CD every month. PJ Library is available to any family raising Jewish children from 6 months through 8 years old, whether affiliated, unaffiliated, interfaith, or non-traditional.
PJ Library in Greater MetroWest NJ is more than just the books! Once you subscribe you’ll be in the loop on all the Jewish holiday celebrations, mitzvah activities, and special programs we host throughout the year. You’ll also have access to our constantly updated JFamily Calendar and receive our monthly e-newsletter filled with information on family events and resources throughout the Greater MetroWest NJ area. Events are open to all and are a great way to connect with other families.
Children with special needs who are older than 7 who would benefit from our books are also welcome to receive a PJ Library subscription. Call (973) 929-3128 to enroll.
What are you waiting for? Sign up for PJ Library today.
We know you’ll look forward to receiving your monthly PJ Library surprise as much as your kids do! And don’t forget to tell all your friends.
PJ Library in Greater MetroWest is a gift from our lead donors Maxine and Ted z” l Murnick, Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Temple Ner Tamid