May Family Nursery School

Our Philosophy

Each child is a unique individual. Our program is designed to maximize the development of the whole child–intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally. The children encounter many learning opportunities and challenges in a stimulating and happy Jewish environment. By providing challenging hands-on activities within an atmosphere of acceptance and warmth, we strengthen each child’s sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.

Our Teachers

Our teachers are experienced, mature and highly-trained early childhood educators. All of our head teachers have master’s degrees as do several associate teachers. The entire staff participates in on-going professional development through workshops and conferences.

Meet our teachers.

Our Curriculum

2s Program

Separation and adjustment to school are the first steps in the formal learning process. Our sensitive, mature, and creative teachers have a deep understanding of this rapidly changing age. They support the emotional, social and language development of the children through predictable routines, art, music, movement and Jewish ritual.  The two’s program is separated into two sections: Building Bridges and the Purple Room.

3s Program

Children learn to be respectful members of the community–in their class, in the school, and in the Synagogue. We introduce conceptual learning topics, such as colors, shapes, numbers, and the weather.  The children participate in school-wide Shabbat services and holiday observances.

4/5s Program

We engage children’s budding life skills with meaningful thematic units, “Hand-Writing Without Tears,” field trips, and activities that capture the interest of this age group before they are launched into kindergarten. This exciting year of graduation is also one focused on the on-going school “exmission” process for parents, whether applying to private or public schools.

Enrichment Program

Through visits to the school’s lending library, children share the joy of reading together. Singing and music are an important part of our curriculum and are enhanced by weekly classes with the music teacher. Every day our children run and play on our school’s rooftop playground and 2nd-floor patio. In addition, they attend weekly movement classes where running, dancing, jumping and yoga are all part of the experience. In short, our children are busy inside and outside the classroom.

Jewish Curriculum

Our children celebrate Shabbat together every week in their classrooms with each family invited to join them once during the year. Our three, four and five-year-olds come together for a school-wide celebration each week. The Jewish calendar provides a rhythm to the school year with each Jewish holiday studied and celebrated. Music, storytelling and art projects all play a role in holiday observance.

Jewish values are at the core of our program. In addition to celebrating the holidays, children participate in tikkun olam (social justice) doing their part to repair the world through tzedakah (charity) donations and activities to help those in need. Through our rich Jewish curriculum, children embrace Judaism joyously and appropriately for their age, which eases the transition into Religious School.

Admissions

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Applications must be received no later than October 15.

All applications submitted after this date will be “wait list status.” All applications will be grouped according to age and a lottery will be used to select the realistic number of children we can see for the number of corresponding available spots. Priority will continue to be given to current sibling families, Synagogue members and alumni/legacy children whose families have maintained active membership. Families who are selected in the lottery will be notified based on the previously stated criteria. You will be notified in a timely manner, and as always we follow the ISAGGNY notification dates.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a list of available tour dates. Please contact the nursery school office by phone or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to arrange a tour date that is convenient for you. We encourage Synagogue members to sign up for one of the first four tour dates.

After you have toured the school, you will be notified by mail about your child’s school visit. Children’s visits will be scheduled in December and January. We see many children and respectfully ask that you be accommodating to our schedule. Our goal is for all applicants to feel that genuine attention has been afforded to them by meeting the children in groups of manageable size.

We are an accredited member of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), and the Parents League of New York.