High quality early childhood education lays an essential foundation for intellectual, language, physical, social and emotional development. Here at the Stoler ELC, your child can fulfill their full potential in a secure and loving environment, led by experienced educators.
Rooted in and inspired by the Jewish culture and values of compassion, respect, and acceptance.
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Our state of the art, self-contained facility features a variety of spaces for children to discover.
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Our structured, yet flexible schedule allows for individual and small group instruction, collaborative learning, and whole class activities.
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Child-centered, constructivist approach to education, play-based philosophy, swim lessons and more!
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We strive to create a positive, respectful, and collaborative partnership between home and school.
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We believe that all children deserve a positive preschool experience that provides them with a safe and nurturing environment.
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We follow county, state, and federal guideline and protocols, as well as recommendations from our medical partner, LifeBridge Health.
MOREEarly Childhood Education at the J is rooted in and inspired by the Jewish culture and values of compassion, respect, and acceptance. We believe that children and their families should be immersed in a community that reflects these values and promotes ongoing community engagement.
Early Childhood Education at the J is an extension of the learning that begins at home. We view families as respected partners in nurturing their children’s growth and development.
We believe that all children are capable, inquisitive, and excited about expanding their worlds.
We believe our educators are nurturing and creative professionals who continue to learn and grow their practice. We value and respect their contributions to our children, their families, and our community.
We believe our Early Childhood Centers are spaces where we come together to co-construct an environment that lays the foundation to support a child’s life-long love of learning.
At the ELC, our educators are responsible for facilitating interactive, engaging lessons that align with our curriculum and are inspired by the individual needs and interests of the children in their class. Educators are reflective practitioners to ensure that their daily lessons are meeting the needs of their students and create opportunities for social interaction, physical activity, creative expression, and Jewish experiences.
We believe that learning is a collaborative and social endeavor. It is a process of constructing meaning to make sense of concepts. Our teachers encourage students to be responsible for their own learning. They ask high level thinking questions to enhance reasoning skills and increase strategies to promote conversation while creating a safe learning environment.
The JCC and the Stoler Early Learning Center are committed to providing ongoing professional development for our educators through college course work, workshops, teacher meetings, and ongoing coaching and mentoring. Our educators view themselves as lifelong learners, constantly engaging in the pursuit of learning opportunities, as prized by our Jewish tradition. Their combination of education, experience, and passion enriches our entire community.
Our state of the art, self-contained facility features a variety of spaces for children to discover! From our warm and welcoming classrooms, to our teaching kitchen, three incredible playgrounds, two full sized gymnasiums, the Shapiro Aquatics Park complete with five outdoor pools and the splash pad, the indoor pool where all of our students (ages 3+) receives American Red Cross Certified instructional swim lessons, to the trails for Farm and Forest, our wide range of activities provides every child the opportunity to foster their independence, build friendships, explore new concepts, and thrive.
Our warm, nurturing classrooms are led by Maryland Certified Early Childhood Educators who believe that all children are competent and capable thinkers who create and construct knowledge through interacting with the world around them.
As members of our Early Learning Center, you will receive complimentary membership to the JCC as a whole and we can’t wait for you to be a part of our community!
While each educator designs the day to best reflect the rhythm of the individual class community, the daily schedule will be structured, yet flexible, and provide for a variety of experiences and levels of difficulty.
Educators will allow time for individual and small group instruction, collaborative learning opportunities, as well as whole class activities. A balance of indoor and outdoor activities, specials classes, as well as active and calm experiences, will be incorporated into the program each day. Child-initiated learning will be blended with teacher-guided activities for a comprehensive educational experience.
Following morning centers, our classes begin their daily routine with a Community Meeting. They will tell stories, sing songs, play games, share their thoughts and ideas, talk about their plans for the day ahead, and conduct ongoing discussions regarding the children’s interests and their areas of inquiry/study (project-based learning). Children thrive on structure, predictability, and routine, and in order to allow them to have a voice in their plans for the day, children should arrive by 9:15am.
SHMIRAT HAGUF: TAKING CARE OF OUR BODIES
In order to be able to respect others, one must first respect oneself. Physical well-being is an important aspect of a child’s over-all development. We believe in fostering a love of physical activity in children and encouraging them to explore, learn, and have fun while exercising and developing locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills in a series of age-appropriate, non-competitive activities. These opportunities teach myriad of skills including gross motor skills, self-esteem, balance, coordination, and teamwork.
We are proud to continue our nationally recognized, award winning, Healthy Choices initiative, a program that uses an integrated approach to teach and raise awareness of the importance of taking care of our bodies by making healthy food choices and the benefits of being physically active. The Stoler ELC was one of twelve schools in the country to be nationally recognized by the White House for its participation in the Let’s Move! Child Care initiative. We were also chosen by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s as a best practice site for the Let’s Move Childcare Initiative and by the Penn State University Better Care Program to help adapt the initiative. healthykidshealthyfuture.org.
Our educators work directly with the children in our teaching kitchen, to follow recipes, cook, practice safely using a knife, and learn about My Plate: the five food groups, proper serving sizes, and how to achieve a well-balanced diet. By encouraging and modeling these behaviors, it helps our community develop lifelong healthy habits and promotes a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle.
As members of our Early Learning Center, you will receive complimentary membership to the JCC as a whole and we can’t wait for you to be a part of our community! Learn More >
We view family engagement as essential to building a healthy school community. We work to ensure that each family and child has the best possible experience during their time at the J and strive to create a positive, respectful, and collaborative partnership between home and school. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch once wrote, “The home can do little without the school, but the school can do nothing without the home.”
Aligned with the educational philosophy and values, our Family Association works alongside school leadership to enhance the children’s education and pre-school experiences through fundraising, family engagement, and community outreach. Made up of the overall parent community of the Stoler Early Learning Center, monthly meetings are comprised of volunteers who are invested in fostering community relationships and interactions by creating and planning social events, organizing tzedakah opportunities, supporting the school and our educators, and serving as positive liaisons between school and home.
The Stoler Early Learning Center is an inclusive early childhood learning center. We believe that all children deserve a positive preschool experience that provides them with a safe and nurturing environment to promote their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, while responding to the needs of their family. Through the lens of Tzelem Elohim: Divine Image, we celebrate the dignity and potential in each and every member of our community and value each person’s unique contribution.
We welcome all families, regardless of race, religion, color, sexual orientation, or other protected groups and celebrate diversity. We encourage every child to explore and express their identity. Our students are taught to accept, respect, and value differences though modeling, positive behavior support, and by cultivating empathy and community.
We ensure a safe and healthy school environment by following CDC guidelines, protocols, and procedures from the Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore County’s Department of Health, as well as recommendations from our medical partner, LifeBridge Health.
Staying up to date on vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many different infections. The Stoler Early Learning Center follows Maryland State guidelines and requires all children to be fully vaccinated. We have trained our team in prevention and mitigation strategies to slow and limit the exposure and spread of contagious illnesses.
A Registered Nurse is with us 8:15am-1:15pm daily. The nurses are responsible for dispensing medication, administering first aid, and communicating pertinent medical issues to parents. When the nurses are not present, our administrative team will assume those duties, as we are trained in medication administration, first aid, and CPR.
More details coming soon!
We offer need-based scholarships to enable as many qualified individuals and families as possible to take advantage of our wonderful facilities and campus.
At the Stoler Early Learning Center, we understand that cost of high-quality preschool programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, can be challenging. We are proud to partner with the state of Maryland to participate in the MSDE Child Care Scholarship program and encourage all families to take advantage of these Grant Programs to provide financial assistance with childcare costs to eligible working families. The state has made this process as straightforward as possible, so you may get started and approved in as little as 10 days.
Visit the Maryland Department of Education website at earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org
As members of our Early Learning Center, you will receive complimentary membership to the JCC as a whole and we can’t wait for you to be a part of our community! Learn More >
Can anyone join the J? YES! Pay as little as $42/month for youth and $52/month for adults, with no annual contract. Try Our Three Day Trial.
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