About
CURRICULUM
The objectives of a good nursery program is to create a warm, healthy and happy environment where small children can grow and developemotionally and cognitively as well as physically.
At GanShalom Pre-Nursery School we strive to do this in a most professional and caring manner. Additionally, we endeavour to impart a love and flair for the beauty of our religion and culture, as well asnurture and develop faith and trust in G-d. We hope to inculcate a love for Israel, all things Jewish and an involvement in the performance of the Mitzvot. Ivrit – Hebrew language is used in both formal and informal instruction and becomes apart of the daily routine, as well as holiday fun and games.
Children will do daily prayers, learn about Jewish historym, holidays and customs as part of their religious instruction.
In early childhood, the seeds of learning, Jewish identity, curiosityand caring are planted. Our program spans a period of intense personal, socialand academic growth. Young children develop at different paces.
Our teachers are sensitive to the wide range of abilities anddevelopmental levels within this age group. They offer creative activities that fit into the broad developmental continuum represented by the students.
Teachers guide the children and promote active learning, problem-solving, discovery of friendship and exploration of their new, expandedlearning world. The classroom is a community in which Jewish values are modeledand reinforced and Hebrew language is introduced through songs, games, and simple conversation. The curriculum combines structured and unstructured activities that encourage young children’s most important work-creative play. Every day is filled with art, music, stories, language, Jewish living, and hands-on exploration.
Our classrooms are all well-outfitted with state-of-the-art preschool furnishings.
GOALS
At Gan Shalom we endeavor to
- Encourage your child to make choices, with respect towards him/herself, others and his/her surroundings. This helps develop your child’s self esteem, self-efficacy and belief in him/herself.
- Nourish your child’s heart and mind, as we develop cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills, so that your child will be a well-rounded person capable of solving problems and adapting to new situations.
- Educate your child in a creative, supportive, and warm Jewish environment, so that your child will not only learn about life as a Jew, but will learn to love it too!
Gan Shalom seeks to create a stimulating and enriching educational environment for each and every child. The school is devoted to helping children learn socialization skills, building theirself-confidence and teaching them the preliminary skills to explore andexperience the world independently. In addition, we seek to ignite a spark in each child to lay claim to his Jewish heritage and commit him or her to a lifetime passion for learning.
FACILITY
Gan Shalom will be located at 157 Falkirk St. at the corner of Brooke Ave. & Falkirk St. The site is sunny, modern and equipped with all the requisite amenities of a first-class Preschool including indoor play areas and an outdoor playground.
PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy is one of nurturing, growth and development, relationships and understanding – all in the goal of establishing a love for learning, a fascination with holidays and life cycles events, and a passion for approaching the world in a Jewish way.
Children are treasured for their uniqueness and individuality, and are encouraged in self-expression.
The basic philosophy behind our curriculum is that children learn best by doing. The program activities are therefore designed to help children learn more about the world, their heritage and their values through hands-on activities and active involvement.
We believe …
- that the home is the most important factor in a child’s development. We will always strive to support and complement the family in order to promote healthy development of children and parents.
- that loving, trusting, and respecting each child makes that child capable of loving, trusting and respecting others.
- that each child should be guided and encouraged to have a positive self-image.
- that children need a nurturing, safe and happy environment which promotes their natural curiosity and desire to learn.
- that play is the work of children and through it children explore the world around them by using their senses.
- that children deserve to have teachers whose values enable them to be excellent role models.
At Gan Shalom. we see each child as a unique and precious gift entrusted into our care. This concept is what governs our school’s educational approach. At Gan Shalom, emphasis is placed on the individual child and on encouraging each child’s innate inquisitiveness and thirst for knowledge..
PRIORITIES
Priority groups include low income families, indigenous families and other racialized children.
Program
Our Nursery Program emphasises on Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Mathematics. We also incorporate art, music, and cultural activities.
Practical Life
The child is attracted to activities that give him independence and control of his own life. One of the most important needs of a young child is to develop his muscles and coordinate his movements. This need is addressed through practical life exercises such as sweeping, polishing, carrying and pouring water, and other common activities. Special materials enable the child to practice tying, buttoning, snapping, and the use of many other fastening devices. The purpose of these exercises is to develop concentration, the ability to pay attention to details as the child follows a regular sequence of actions and learns good working habits. These activities provide the very foundation on which the child approaches more intricate academic exercises.
Sensorial
Sensorial materials in the classroom are designed to sharpen the senses of the young child and enable the child to understand the many impressions he receives through them. Each of the sensorial materials isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, or smell. The sensorial materials help the child to distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what he already knows.
Language
The child begins reading when he is ready and proceeds at his own pace. His experiences in Practical Life and Sensorial education serve as a preparation for this. With cut-out letters, the child builds his own words on a mat. The materials free him from the fatigue of his still developing writing skills, and yet still gives him the opportunity to pursue his interest in words. These activities serve as a preparation for the time when the child assimilates what he knows and begins writing.
Mathematics
The materials for mathematics introduce the concept of quantity and its symbols, the numbers 0 through 9. The quantity is introduced by a series of rods which the child can count and compare. He matches sets of symbol cards with the rods. Using a variety of beads and symbol cards, the child becomes familiar with the numbers as a decimal system, including concrete experiences with the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These exercises not only teach the child to calculate, but they provide a deep understanding of how numbers function.
Curriculum
Our comprehensive and developmentally appropriate program is designed to promote each child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional growth. All games and activities are skill-based and goal oriented, so that the children grow with everything that they do.
The curriculum at our school is based on age-appropriate developmentally accepted practice. The classroom set up is comprised of learning centers which include blocks, art, dramatic play, books, manipulatives and scientific discovery. These centers allow the children to have choices and to actively explore. They learn by interacting with their peers, teachers and the varying things in their environment. Each center has a specific aim and with the teacher’s guidance, helps the children’s emotional, cognitive and physical growth.
The daily schedule is planned to include active and quiet times, gross and fine motor activities and child-initiated as well as staff-initiated activities. Outdoor (weather permitting) or indoor play is scheduled each day.
INTEGRATING TRADITION AND JEWISH PRIDE
Lesson plans at Gan Shalom are built around the events influencing the children at the time that they are being taught. Weather changes, special animal habits, national celebrations and holiday seasons all determine what will be brought into the classroom at any particular time of year. All these are laced into the general curriculum to allow the children to learn from what is going on around them.
During the season of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, when it is traditional to dip apple into honey and blow the shofar (a ram’s horn), we take the opportunity to make the holiday a scientific experience! The children learn all about apples, honeybees and how they make honey and about the different kinds of animals with antlers. During Chanukah, when it is traditional to light a Menorah in the home, the children learn about fire safety, firefighters and how they help our communities. This is the pattern that follows our curriculum throughout the year and provides the children with experiences that give them pride in their tradition!
ACTIVITIES
Here are some of the many activities that the children enjoy:
- GROUP ATTENDANCE/CALENDAR
- GROUP SHOW AND TELL/SHARING/CALENDAR
- FREE PLAY
- PHYSICAL EDUCATION
- MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
- ARTS AND CRAFTS
- HEBREW LANGUAGE
- SHABBAT PARTY
- CHALLAH BAKING
- BIBLE STORY
- HOLIDAYS
- FIELD TRIPS
Full Day Daycare:
DO NOT REGISTER OR ADD TO THE WAITLIST IF THE CHILD IS NOT YET BORN!
Preschool Program:
REFUND POLICY:
Deposits and installments are NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-TRANSFERABLE once cashed.
Tuition amounts are subject to change based on governments policies.
Preschool Program Registration Process (not daycare) – 2026-2027 School Year
Wednesday, October 29 – Registration opens for:
LJC Members, Current & Past Families (2023–2025), Priority List
Registration will be processed in this order of priority: LJC Members → Current & Past Families → Priority List.
Thursday, October 30 – Registration opens to the community.
You will be notified by Thursday, November 6, 2025 if your child has been accepted into the program.
Please respect the registration process and times. If you register before your set time, the registration will be void. Thanks for your cooperation.
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
DIRECTOR
Mrs. Esti Spalter
416.546.8770
[email protected]
Contact
LOCATIONS:
Ledbury Jewish Centre
157 Falkirk St. Toronto
Toronto, ON M5M 4K4
Cortleigh Jewish Centre
396 Cortleigh Blvd
Toronto, ON M5N 1R5
DIRECTOR
Mrs. Esti Spalter
416.546.8770 x203