Early Childhood Summer Program

On July 6th, the quiet hallways of Portland Jewish Academy were once again filled with voices and laughter; as a group of children ages one through four returned to school for PJA’s Early Childhood summer program. Educators, children, and families have all expressed immense gratitude for this opportunity; after months of uncertainty in the world around us, we are not taking for granted the simple yet powerful ability to connect with others. We are so grateful to be able to share in stories, songs, traditions, and conversation together, to engage with our community, and to nurture our relationships. Children have come bouncing into the building each morning, holding their lunch boxes with pride and talking with their friends. During the end of the day, the same enthusiasm can be witnessed, as children proudly run into their families' arms with art projects and stories to share about their day.

In our youngest classroom, children have been greeting each other with enthusiasm and a newfound language that they didn't possess four months ago; one child now excitedly says his friend's name each morning before school. In our oldest classroom, the children recently read Pete the Cat and his Treasure Hunt, and since then the educators have followed their lead and the class has been going on treasure hunts and sailing on a pirate ship! 

Our Early Childhood Educators share their reflections on the summer program: 

“Welcoming our PJA families back to school in the midst of a pandemic, full of uncertainties was sure to bring on a wave of emotions but our resilient team of educators put in the hard work and dedication which made the summer program a complete success. It was bittersweet to watch the children pick up where they left off, while also bringing their new knowledge of the world around them. Summer 2020 was transformative and I’m forever grateful for the teaching experience.”  
~ Nicole Moylan, 2s classroom Educator

"We leaned forward and with courage and strength. We brought our collective love for children, our experience and respect for each other as educators, and we stared down a tunnel of the unknown in extremely challenging times. King Solomon wrote in his Proverbs, 24:16 " A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up". During these challenging times, we as educators preserved and successfully taught the concept of love. Love that was brought forward from within each of us to our Little Ones and visa versa. This is the core of Jewish education."
~Sue Stone, Infant and Toddler Educator