Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference Booklet 2018 by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON presents

Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference HEAR OUR VOICES

Shema Koleinu

December 13, 2018 Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Israel Congregation, 6301 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852

Schedule of the Day 8:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m................................... Check-in 8:30 a.m.–9:15 a.m...................................... Welcome Remarks Framing of the Day Presented by Sharon Freundel 9:15 a.m.–9:30 a.m..................................... Snack-on-the-Go 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.................................... Session I 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.................................... Lunch & Networking 12:15 p.m.–12:30 p.m.................................. Transition to Session II 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.................................. Session II 2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m................................... Session III 4:30 p.m.......................................................... L’hitraot (farewell) * Vendor and Resource Tables will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Page Directory: Session I............................................................. 4–9 Session II........................................................... 10–15 Session III.......................................................... 16–17 Presenter Biographies.............................. 18–23 Notes................................................................... 24

Shema Koleinu —Hear Our Voices

Federation’s 2018 Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference provides us with the opportunity to learn and grow together, to listen to one another and to make our voices heard.

Shema Koleinu—The Jewish High Holiday liturgy includes these words in a prayer in which we beseech for our voices to be heard. Many commentaries add that this prayer conveys our hope that God will listen to both the words and the emotions that propel them. The process of speaking and listening is a complex set of behaviors; one that needs to be perfected through practice and experience. It takes intentionality. Early childhood educators recognize that the voices of the children we teach are what guide our work and influence our days. Listening to children’s voices provides a framework for their participation as valued learners and as partners in the learning process. This work is as sacred an endeavor as prayer. To hear someone’s voice is to become aware of them, and to listen to them with attention. By truly hearing someone’s voice, we gain knowledge of who they are and what interests them, thereby granting kavod (dignity) and gravitas to both parties. It is imperative for all who work in early childhood education to acknowledge the voices of all who are involved in our holy work. The children, the parents, the teachers, the administrators and the physical environment of the early childhood center inform the important work that we do together. The educational philosophy and practices of the Reggio Emilia approach have served as an inspiration to many programs in our community and around the world, by modeling how to include the voice of the child in our educational practices. As Carla Rinaldi wrote in Innovations, “The teacher should listen to the child in order to develop as a teacher, listen to the parents to further understand and listen to each other to stimulate professional development.” As we gather together as a community of Jewish early childhood educators, we should also be mindful of our collective voice reminding the community at large how important it is to provide high quality Jewish early childhood education. The presenters and workshops offered today will provide opportunities for how to hear and how to listen, in a variety of environments and with a variety of materials. We hope you also come away with many new ideas of how to find your own voice. In this way, you will return to your classrooms empowered to help the children not only to find their voices, but to rejoice in them. The Talmud invites participation in its ongoing discussions and debates with the phrase, “Ta sh’ma, Come and hear.” Come and hear the voices of the early childhood education experts we have gathered today, and use their teachings to strengthen your own voice.

Framing of the Day What Can King David Teach Us About Speaking & Listening? Presented by Sharon Freundel

“The Hundred Languages of Children” is a metaphor for the many ways children have to express, think and communicate. How can we hear our children’s voices in their “Hundred Languages?” We will look deeply into the Hebrew words shema (listen UP!) and koleinu (our voices) and draw from the ancient teachings. How great it is that a 3,500 year-old tradition of wisdom can guide us in our modern world as we start the next generation of Jewish and global citizens on their life-long educational journey! Shema can mean “hear,” “listen” or “understand.” Unpacking this word using the universal book of poems/prayers/supplications, the Book of Psalms, may inspire our educating and spiritual practices. What does King David mean in Psalm 27 when he beseeches the One saying, “Shema, O God, when I call with my voice, and be gracious to me, and answer me”? How can we “shema” our children when they “call with [their] voices”? How can we be gracious towards all of them and how should we answer them using Jewish lenses and values? We can bring divine behavior into our schools as well as extend children’s learning. We will frame our thinking for this day of learning and development by delving into this chapter of Psalms and gleaning lessons from it.

Sharon Freundel Sharon Freundel, managing director of the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, attended Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland. She did graduate work at Teacher’s College of Columbia University and earned a Master of Arts Degree in Jewish Education at the Baltimore Hebrew University. Following several years of working in the nursing field, Mrs. Freundel became engaged in the teaching of Torah. She taught and was the department chair for TaNaKH (Bible) and Torah SheBa’al Peh (Rabbinics) and was the Mashgicha Ruchanit (Spiritual Guidance Counselor) of the Upper School at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. Most recently, she was the Director of Jewish Life at the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital. She teaches adult Jewish education classes throughout the Greater Washington, DC, area on topics such as TaNaKH, Jewish philosophy and contemporary halakhic issues in multiple venues, and has lectured in Canada, Australia, Israel and throughout the United States.

Session I

SESSION I 5

1. H ALF NOTE PRESENTATION: Using a Child’s Voice as Your Guide Presenter: Dr. Kay Abrams Professionalism, Child Development Listening goes beyond hearing. Listening to a child requires us to be present. Children respond and cooperate best with caretakers who listen well. This kind of attunement invites safety and security. Both are essential for learning cooperation, coping with frustration and building subsequent flexibility. Listening says, “I see you and will be able to guide you.” Yet, there are important boundaries to establish in the balance of responsively listening to a child who listens and responds to you. In this presentation, we will address: ●●

Attachment, Safety and Expressed Voice

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Initiating a Child’s Voice

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Nonverbal Voice

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Boundaries, Voice and Choice

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Looking for Themes as Guidance

Dr. Kay Abrams Dr. Kay Abrams is a psychologist in private practice and the parent of three young adults. She brings to us twentyfive plus years of experience working with children, adolescents and families. In addition to providing individual and family therapy, her group practice, Abrams & Associates: Center for Family Psychotherapy, in Kensington and Rockville, offers social and behavioral assessments, play therapy, teen girls groups, social skills groups and parent consultation. Dr. Abrams works to bring psychology to the community through her public speaking, media work and writing. She is the author of the “Parenting with Confidence” column which appeared in Washington Parent Magazine. Many of her articles and podcasts may be accessed on her website, abramsandassociates.com.

SESSION I 2. Equal Voices: Partnering with Toddlers Presenter: Brenda Coggins Child Development, Curriculum

3. M aking Learning Visible Through the Use of Materials: Panel of Pedagogistas and Atelieristas Share Projects and Learning Moments, Giving Voice to the Children’s Work Presenter: Laura Cohen Professionalism, Curriculum

4. P utting the Jewish Voice into Jewish Early Childhood Classes Presenter: Sharon Freundel Curriculum

5. H earing the Voices of the Land: Practices in the Garden, Outdoor Environment and Classroom that Deepen How We Listen to Nature Presenters: Jacob Ifshin and Sarah Gladkov Curriculum

All children have a voice. Even when they aren’t “speaking,” they share themselves with us and ask us to recognize them as individuals with rights. How do we as educators slow down in a busy room of toddlers to hear and honor those voices? What does it look like when we seek cooperation by partnering with children, rather than compliance? In this session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon the unique challenges and joys of the toddler/twos classroom, and discuss practices grounded in the belief that children are competent from birth. We will explore together the act of truly listening, and share ways to construct an environment where daily routines and interactions provide the platform for building strong relationships in which children have equal voices.

Through a panel presentation of Pedagogistas and Atelieristas from a variety of schools in our community, participants will explore specific projects or learning moments that highlighted and made student learning and thinking visible through the use of materials. Through a powerful presentation of process and pedagogy, participants will deepen their understanding of how the use of materials can evoke ideas and creativity, document the learning process, and give expression and “voices” to theories and thoughts. This session will emphasize choice of meaningful materials and the valuable effect these materials have on learning.

We will explore how to frame learning in early childhood utilizing Jewish lenses, including quotes, values, stories, mitzvot, kavanot (intentions) and other Jewish approaches. Through both theoretical discussions and hands-on group planning and sharing, teachers will leave with a road map for framing project-based learning, social-emotional learning and other classroom explorations and activities in an authentically Jewish way. You are encouraged to bring a computer, tablet or other device with which you can create and share your work with your colleagues.

How are we as educators guiding children to hear the voices of the land? Are we ready to listen to the voices of the children as they bring their curiosity and theories about nature and gardening? Join Jacob and Sarah as they share their approach and practices to listening to these important voices. They will elaborate on how to develop the skills and confidence to work with children in the garden and in the woods, and how to design provocative nature experiences for young children of all ages. We will also hear from graduates of their 2018 “Beyond Parsley for Passover” course on how they have started gardens and composting projects at their own schools.

SESSION I 7 6. P artnering with Parents, Validating Their Voices: An Approach to Building Strong, Positive Relationships with Parents to Collaboratively Address Children’s Challenging Behavior

One of the most powerful ways we nurture children’s healthiest development is by building a strong, trusting relationship with their parents. How we are with families is as important as what we do for families. This interactive workshop will present an approach to partnering with parents that forges an effective and respectful collaboration for addressing the range of challenges children experience in the early years, such as coping with separation, learning to manage their emotions and actions, getting along with peers and following rules and limits. Ample opportunity to put this approach into practice will be integrated into this session.

Presenter: Claire Lerner Child Development, Professionalism

7. Resonance Workshop for Israel: The Echo of Israel’s Voice in the ECE Classroom Presenter: Tzachi Levy Curriculum

8. T he Positive Ripple Effect: Using Powerful Interactions™ to Help Teachers find Their Voices Presenter: Monica McCarthy Professionalism

Join Federation’s Imagine Israel Congregational Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) to explore various topics related to Israel. In this interactive workshop, we will learn as chevruta (group study) together with eleven Israeli emissaries about the land of Israel, and explore developmentally appropriate ways for young children to form strong bonds with Israel. Based on our shared experience and knowledge, we will develop educational materials to help us bring Israel into the classroom together. Each participant will leave with a deeper connection to our shlichim, as well as with resources and toolkits to bring back to their classroom

This interactive workshop for early childhood directors and leaders will focus on creating Powerful Interactions™ with adults using a strengthsbased approach to support continuous improvement of teaching practices. We will explore Powerful Interactions™— what they are, why they matter and strategies for creating them. In this context, a leadership approach for creating and sustaining a positive program climate will also be addressed. * Please note: This session is for Directors, Assistant Directors, Pedagogistas and Atelieristas only.

“

Learning is a result of listening, which in turn leads to even better listening and attentiveness to the other person. In other words, to learn from the child, we must have empathy, and empathy grows as we learn.

”

—Alice Miller

SESSION I 9. T he Parents’ Voice: Building a Successful Partnership with Parents Presenter: Natalie Merkur Rose Child Development, Professionalism

10. L istening to Every Voice: Understanding the Diverse Needs in Your Classroom Presenter: Meredith Polsky Special Needs

Parents’ voices can be many things: loud, absent, clear, complicated, focused, distracted, helpful, supportive and critical. What is behind the parents’ voices we hear? How can we welcome and acknowledge preschool parents? What are appropriate roles for parents? How can we honor their voices, help them to be partners for teachers, children and our schools? What strategies and approaches can we employ to help parents hear our voices as we strive to create a positive learning environment and community for our children and families? Participants will have an opportunity to share frustrations and concerns, as well as successes. Strategies and new perspectives will be offered to help teachers develop their own ways of working successfully with a variety of parents.

As early childhood educators, we use our voices in many different ways. We sing, read, talk, inquire and advise. We shift our voice as we speak with children, parents and colleagues, and we seek to find the right balance for each of these interactions. We can usually change from one voice to another many times throughout any given day. Sometimes, however, the needs of a student or family go beyond what we expect and we are not sure how to listen to their voices or use our own. Such challenges can impact the class, the team dynamics and the relationships within the preschool community. Our typical roles are challenged and we have to consider unexpected responsibilities— new ways of using our voices. This workshop will help you understand best practices for meeting the needs of all children in your class, whether they are developing typically or have special needs. It will give you the tools to better recognize both typical and atypical development and provide you with methods to assess and support complicated situations. Furthermore, it will provide you with suggestions for how to use your voice in collaboration with parents and students, creating a foundation on which to build future success.

11. Giving Babies Their Voice: Putting Words to the Research and Development That Defines the Brilliance of the 0–3 Years Presenter: Amy Weaver Child Development, Curriculum

Infants, toddlers and twos are goal-oriented, and they work, without any fear of failure, towards achieving and understanding. Loving adults often lump children in this age group together where curriculum is watered down or non-existent because they are ‘just babies.’ Join me for a humorous and interesting journey into the educational experiences of the youngest of our children. Learn strategies to better hear the child’s voice—to understand the child’s learning process, provide authentic materials, meaningful activities, design schedules that are intentional in design and are developmentally appropriate. Most importantly, learn ways to share the brilliance of these young scientists with families, coworkers and anyone else who will listen. This multi-media approach, with hands-on exploration and shared experiences, will give us much opportunity to learn about this oftenmisunderstood age group.

SESSION I 9 12. Speaking and Listening: Giving Voice to a Covenantal Act Presenter: Avi West Curriculum

Jewish tradition views the uniqueness of humans in their “spirit of speech.” And that spirit (ruach) comes alive when speaking AND listening are done with the goal of building relationships. The model for a healthy and productive relationship is called brit, a covenant that binds people in a two-way connection. Friends, spouses, even God and humans should aspire to be more covenantal in their communication, i.e. speaking and listening with respect, consideration and granting gravitas to each other’s words and ideas. In our session, we will look at a few illustrations from the bible and prayer book that help us understand covenantal communication. We will then apply these ideas to our classroom community. The theory of Dialogic Pedagogy will be explored, and we will look at the Model2Talk method of building our skills in this area. Participants will see how we can say “shalom”, and make shalom (wholeness and peace) at the same time!

13. Turning the Young Child Inside Out: A Teacher’s Guide to Emotion Coaching Presenter: Dr. Ari Yares Child Development

14. T he Voices of Worries: Understanding and Managing Anxiety in Preschool Presenter: Orly Zimmerman-Leizerov Child Development, Professionalism

15. M aking Our Jewish Curriculum Visible Through Our Children’s Voices Presenter: Dr. Naama Zoran Curriculum

Preschool can be an intense environment and can bring out the best and the worst in our students. Emotion Coaching is a strategy to help children better understand and express their feelings. Using this strategy, teachers can help children develop healthy emotional vocabulary and build coping skills for complex emotions. Participants will learn strategies for supporting children’s healthy emotional growth and increasing their availability for learning.

Anxiety is highly common in early childhood and seems to be getting more and more prevalent at an early age. In this interactive discussion, you will learn about common factors contributing to anxiety in preschool children, how to identify the signs of anxiety, understand the severity and intensity of the worries, and apply effective classroom strategies to manage anxiety in the classroom. Practical, applicable classroom strategies will be presented for managing different types of common preschool anxiety manifestations such as separation anxiety, social anxiety, perfectionism, toileting fears and more.

One of the major questions teachers have about the Jewish curriculum is connected to the integration of Judaic themes with Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), with the school’s affiliation and the general studies curriculum the school has adopted. In our session, we will bring examples of different themes, along with practical tools that will show how the Judaic and the general curricula can complement each other. In that context, we will explore how, when we focus on the children’s theories and thoughts, we can enrich every theme and better connect the two major parts of the school’s curriculum.

Session II

SESSION II 11 11

A. H ALF NOTE PRESENTATION: Creating Powerful Interactions™: Using Your Voice to Help Children Find Their Voices Presenter: Monica McCarthy Child Development, Professionalism This session will invite you to consider how you make a difference as a decisionmaker and a leader by creating Powerful Interactions™ in which you intentionally connect with children and extend their learning. Building responsive relationships with children and helping them see themselves as thinkers and learners happens in the context of Powerful Interactions™. Learn what they are, why they are important and strategies for creating them.

Monica McCarthy Monica McCarthy is an early childhood and special education expert with more than thirty years of experience in the field. She has taught early childhood special education, directed an early intervention program serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families and been a specialist at state departments of education in both Virginia and Maryland. For the past twenty-one years, Monica has been an independent consultant, providing professional development workshops, technical assistance, coaching and facilitation, as well as writing and designing curricula and resources. Monica’s work has been with early childhood and special education program staff and professionals, administrators, professors and researchers at multiple levels across the nation. Her passion is facilitating the successful inclusion and support of all children in early care and education programs.

12 SESSION II

B. P utting the Jewish Voice into Jewish Early Childhood Classes Presenter: Sharon Freundel Curriculum

C. Hearing the Voices of the Land: Practices in the Garden, Outdoor Environment and Classroom that Deepen How We Listen to Nature Presenters: Jacob Ifshin and Sarah Gladkov Curriculum

D. Partnering with Parents, Validating Their Voices: An Approach to Building Strong, Positive Relationships with Parents to Collaboratively Address Children’s Challenging Behavior Presenter: Claire Lerner Child Development, Professionalism

We will explore how to frame learning in early childhood utilizing Jewish lenses, including quotes, values, stories, mitzvot, kavanot (intentions) and other Jewish approaches. Through both theoretical discussions and handson group planning and sharing, teachers will leave with a road map for framing project-based learning, social-emotional learning and other classroom explorations and activities in an authentically Jewish way. You are encouraged to bring a computer, tablet or other device with which you can create and share your work with your colleagues.

“

Pausing to listen to an airplane in the sky, stooping to watch a ladybug on a plant, sitting on a rock to watch the waves crash over the quayside—children have their own agendas and timescales. As they find out more about their world and their place in it they work hard not to let adults hurry them. We need to hear their voices.

”

—Cathy Nutbrown

SESSION II 13 E. Listening to a Child’s Inner Voice Presenters: Eve Margol and Heidi Tacktill Child Development

F. Finding Your Voice When Your Families Face Hardship Presenter: Meredith Polsky and Arlen Gaines Special Needs, Curriculum

G. Conversational Reading: Creating Space for Children’s Voices During Storytime Presenter: Sarah Rabin Spira Curriculum

A child’s brain is the command center for emotions, relationships and experiences—a collection of thoughts, ideas and voices. Most often we only concern ourselves with the voices a child hears—parents, educators, caregivers, telling them what to do, what to learn and how to behave. But children speak as well. We talk to them about “inside voices” and “appropriate voices,” but we often pay little attention to their inside voice— the internal voice that is the key to the command center. We, as educators and parents, would like to knock on the door of the command center, listen to the child’s voice, be heard and go in. This training will support educators that regularly work with children who may have undiagnosed behavioral challenges— voices that have not yet been heard. One of the best ways to foster selfunderstanding in your children is to ask them questions that will let that inner voice be heard and shed light on what they understand. Educators will walk away with strategies and tools to take in to their groups the next day, as well as language to help parents follow through with this support at home. This workshop will focus on emotional regulation, executive functioning and mindfulness strategies for both typical and exceptional students.

It can be hard to know what to say to families when they face challenging life transitions, like the death of a loved one, divorce or other difficult circumstances. Based on their successful I Have a Question book series, co-authors Meredith Polsky and Arlen Grad Gaines will use their books as a jumping off point to help YOU help the families you serve.

How can we engage children more deeply by presenting books in an interactive format? Storytelling is a sacred part of Jewish ritual (think: Passover seder)—how can we best honor this tradition? This workshop will address the use of books as effective conversation starters, techniques to make your storytelling more engaging and ideas to continue the learning after the book is closed. Books can be a sensory experience as well as a listening experience. We will discuss and practice asking leading questions and debriefing questions with the intent of helping children to be heard.

14 SESSION II

H. Spaces Speak: Bringing the Voice of Nature to Your Schoolyard Presenter: Nancy Striniste Curriculum

An experienced landscape designer and educator shares insights and inspiring images of her earth-friendly, child-friendly designs, as well as natural play and learning spaces from across the US and around the world. Participants will learn about current research on children and nature; they will see sustainable, engaging spaces that bring nature to the places where children are, and will explore a process for designing and creating nature play spaces. Participants will discover essential elements of natural play and learning spaces and their importance for healthy development: natural climbing, digging and pretending places; the importance of loose parts; outdoor art and literacy spaces; attracting wildlife; sensory play; and beautiful native, edible, kid-friendly plants. There will be time for questions, discussion and small group brainstorming about how to apply what was learned to their own spaces. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop in teams of at least two from their school, so that they can work together afterwards to bring nature to their play spaces and schoolyards.

I. G iving Babies Their Voice: Putting Words to the Research and Development That Defines the Brilliance of the 0–3 Years Presenter: Amy Weaver Child Development, Curriculum

Infants, toddlers and twos are goal-oriented, and they work, without any fear of failure, towards achieving and understanding. Loving adults often lump children in this age group together where curriculum is watered down or non-existent because they are ‘just babies.’ Join me for a humorous and interesting journey into the educational experiences of the youngest of our children. Learn strategies to better hear the child’s voice—to understand the child’s learning process and provide authentic materials, meaningful activities and design schedules that are intentional and developmentally appropriate. Most importantly, learn ways to share the brilliance of these young scientists with families, coworkers and anyone else who will listen. This multi-media approach with hands-on exploration and shared experiences will give us much opportunity to learn about this oftenmisunderstood age group.

J. Speaking and Listening: Giving Voice to a Covenantal Act Presenter: Avi West Curriculum

Jewish tradition views the uniqueness of humans in their “spirit of speech.” And that spirit (ruach) comes alive when speaking AND listening is done with the goal of building relationships. The model for a healthy and productive relationship is called brit, a covenant that binds people in a two-way connection. Friends, spouses, even God and humans should aspire to be more covenantal in their communication, i.e. speaking and listening with respect, consideration and granting gravitas to each other’s words and ideas. In our session we will look at a few illustrations from the bible and prayer book that help us understand covenantal communication. We will then apply these ideas to our classroom community. The theory of Dialogic Pedagogy will be explored and we will look at the Model2Talk method of building our skills in this area. Participants will see how we can say “shalom” and make shalom (wholeness and peace) at the same time!

SESSION II 15 K. Turning the Young Child Inside Out: A Teacher’s Guide to Emotion Coaching Presenter: Dr. Ari Yares Child Development

L. T he Narratives That Are Hidden in the Voices of Children Presenter: Dr. Naama Zoran Curriculum

The narrative is the way by which we, from birth, organize our experiences and memories about human behavior. Children, from birth, share their narratives with us and their interpretations of the narratives we share with them. The more tools we have which allow us to connect ourselves and interact with their narratives, the deeper the ability of children to articulate their knowledge and ideas with the world. In our session, we will widen our understanding of the narratives concept, share listening tools that will deepen our understanding about the ideas and messages children are sending us and learn practical tools to give visibility to the narrative voices.

“

Children are not the people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be—the unknown person inside each of them is the hope for the future.

”

—Janusz Korczak

Session III

SESSION III 17

Moving Forward—Growing and Developing Your Practice Curriculum, Professionalism There are many aspects to consider when we think about the role of the teacher in the early childhood setting. In this session, we will discuss and share our new understandings of this complex topic. We will review the changing role that classroom teachers play as they interact with children to enhance their growth and development in all domains. We will consider how pedagogy and curriculum can help us support and strengthen these vital skills, and we will strengthen our knowledge of the current research supporting the teacher’s role. You will have the opportunity to discuss and share your ideas on how to enrich our skills and to think reflectively about where you are on your journey and what your next steps of professional development will be. Time will be set aside for each participant to develop a personal growth plan. You will be assigned to a reflection session with your Director.

“

Speak up. Learn to talk clearly and forcefully in public. Speak simply and not too long at a time, without over-emotion, always from sound preparation and knowledge.

”

—Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Presenter Biographies

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES 19 Dr. Kay Abrams

Laura Cohen

Dr. Kay Abrams is a psychologist in private practice and the parent of three young adults. She brings to us twenty-five plus years of experience working with children, adolescents and families. In addition to providing individual and family therapy, her group practice, Abrams & Associates: Center for Family Psychotherapy, in Kensington and Rockville, offers social and behavioral assessments, play therapy, teen girls groups, social skills groups and parent consultation. Dr. Abrams works to bring psychology to the community through her public speaking, media work and her writing. She is the author of the “Parenting with Confidence” column which appeared in Washington Parent Magazine. Many of her articles and podcasts may be accessed on her website, abramsandassociates.com.

Laura Cohen is the Pedagogista at The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School in Washington, DC. She received her bachelor’s degree in American Studies, with a focus in Education and Jewish Studies from the University of Maryland. Upon graduating, she taught preschool and served as the Pedagogista at the Edlavitch DCJCC Preschool. After receiving her master’s degree in Elementary Education at The George Washington University, she taught kindergarten and first grade. She has over ten years of early childhood education experience and continues to be inspired by her visit to Reggio Emilia and her years of study of the Reggio Emilia approach. She feels passionately about offering young children the opportunity to be at the center of their own learning and believes that children learn best through a multi-disciplinary and emergent curriculum.

Brenda Coggins Brenda Coggins is the Pedagogical Executive Director for the Young Schools, six Maryland-based preschools designed for infants through pre–K children. She developed their state-approved curriculum for three to five year-olds that has been implemented successfully in a multi-age Reggio-inspired setting. Brenda’s passion for fulfilling the potential of young children and the teachers of young children drives her work to elevate quality in classrooms of all ages. She has a master’s degree in Education from the University of California at Berkeley and more than twenty-five years of experience in early childhood education as teacher, curriculum and environment specialist, administrator, trainer/mentor, and learner. Brenda is a current member of the DC Reggio Emilia Alliance steering committee, a study group for educators inspired by the Reggio approach, that continues to deepen and enrich her work.

Sharon Freundel Sharon Freundel, managing director of the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, attended Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland. She did graduate work at Teacher’s College of Columbia University and earned a Master of Arts in Jewish Education at the Baltimore Hebrew University. Following several years of working in the nursing field, Mrs. Freundel became engaged in the teaching of Torah. She taught and was the department chair for TaNaKH (Bible) and Torah SheBa’al Peh (Rabbinics) and was the Mashgicha Ruchanit (Spiritual Guidance Counselor) of the Upper School at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. Most recently, she was the Director of Jewish Life at the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital. She teaches adult Jewish education classes throughout the Greater Washington, DC, area on topics such as TaNaKH, Jewish philosophy and contemporary halakhic (Jewish law) issues in multiple venues and has lectured in Canada, Australia, Israel, and throughout the United States.

20 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

Arlen Gaines

Jacob Ifshin

Arlen Grad Gaines, MSW, LCSW-C, ACHP-SW is a clinical supervisor and licensed clinical social worker with an advanced certification in hospice and palliative social work. She received a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, with a specialization in Aging. She has worked at the Jewish Social Service Agency in Rockville, MD for a decade, and has developed a specialization in supporting families who have children with special needs around issues of loss and grief. She is the co-author of I Have a Question about Death: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs (JKP, March, 2017) and I Have a Question about Divorce: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs (JKP, February, 2018).

Jake Ifshin is a community organizer, green entrepreneur and educator based in Silver Spring, MD. After being deeply inspired through leading his first garden program at Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Center, Jake decided to make a full-time commitment to sharing the joy of growing food and exploring nature. One of his specialties is making horticulture accessible to the youngest and oldest members of our society through innovative techniques and adaptive intergenerational programs. He brings his passions for nature, music and creativity to each of his projects. Jake is the executive director of Everybody Grows, a nonprofit that equips and inspires people in the Washington, DC, area to grow their own food. He is also the proprietor of Ifshin Gardens, a business with the mission of connecting communities to nature through gardening, wilderness and regenerative programs that has partnered with companies such as Discovery Communications and Senior Lifestyle Corporation. Jake has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from St. John’s College where he studied philosophy, ancient languages and the history of science. He has pursued many learning opportunities in his field including a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) the Center for Creative Ecology at Kibbutz Lotan and a certification as a DC Urban Master Composter.

Sarah Gladkov Sarah Gladkov is an educator, herbalist and certified yoga teacher who received her PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) while living and teaching on Hava Ve Adam Eco-Educational Farm in Modi’in, Israel. She has a passion for teaching, especially in any early childhood setting and a love for herbal medicine. Integrating nature and gardening into a classroom is her specialty, as well as finding a child’s connection to the land. Understanding that the outdoors is just as much of a classroom as any indoor setting is a message that she enjoys passing on to others.

“

Stand aside for a while and leave room for learning, observe carefully what children do, and then, if you have understood well, perhaps teaching will be different from before.

”

—Loris Malaguzzi

Claire Lerner Claire Lerner, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker and child development specialist. She served as the Director of Parenting Resources at ZERO TO THREE for more than eighteen years, where she oversaw the development of all parenting educational content. Claire currently serves as the Senior Parenting Consultant at ZERO TO THREE, enabling her to spend more time working directly with families. Claire is the author of numerous parenting publications, curricula and articles, in addition to a podcast and video series for parents and professionals. Claire has also been a practicing clinician for over thirty years, partnering with parents to understand the behavior and development of their young children. She has also participated on numerous national advisory panels and task forces related to early child development including the National Parenting Education Network and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Early Childhood Development. She has been selected as a Top Social Worker by the International Association of HealthCare Professionals. Claire received a Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Master of Social Work from New York University Graduate School of Social Work. She also received a Certificate in Infant Mental Health from Wayne State University.

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES 21 Tzachi Levy

Monica McCarthy

Tzachi Levy is in his second year as The Jewish Agency Senior Shaliach (Israeli emissary) to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Most recently, he served as Director for The Jewish Agency’s Shinshinim Shlichut Program. Tzachi has a Bachelor of Arts from Beit Berl College in Informal Education and History, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Sapir College. Prior shlichut opportunities have allowed Tzachi to serve as an emissary in Pittsburgh, PA and South Africa. As a thirteenth-generation Israeli, Tzachi’s strong family roots and Zionist youth movement education serve as his motivation and energy for working at Federation and in the Jewish world.

Monica McCarthy is an early childhood and special education expert with more than thirty years of experience in the field. She has taught early childhood special education, directed an early intervention program serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families and been a specialist at state departments of education in both Virginia and Maryland. For the past twenty-one years, Monica has been an independent consultant, providing professional development workshops, technical assistance, coaching and facilitation, as well as writing and designing curricula and resources. Monica’s work has been with early childhood and special education program staff and professionals, administrators, professors and researchers at multiple levels across the nation. Her passion is facilitating the successful inclusion and support of all children in early care and education programs.

Eve Margol Eve Margol is an educator with sixteen years of experience in the classroom and individualized instruction and is the Program Director and General Studies teacher for the Junior Kindergarten at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS). Eve was an integral part of the team that developed the curriculum for the new Gurim (junior kindergarten) program, now in its third year at CESJDS. She is also the co-founder and co-owner of LinkEducation Resources, an organization that provides support, education and skills for both the individual and group setting to both parents and educators. With a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a concentration in Special Education, training in the Phono-Graphix® reading technique, Handwriting Without Tears® and Lindamood-Bell® Learning Process, Eve’s guiding philosophy is to create a specialized learning environment that offers differentiated instruction designed to help students learn.

“

The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.

”

—Maria Montessori

Natalie Merkur Rose Natalie Merkur Rose is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. She has thirty years of experience helping individuals, couples and families, schools and synagogues. Natalie holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University, as well as a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She has devoted her career to providing psychosocial and mental health support to the Jewish community in a variety of ways. Over the past sixteen years, as part of her work as Director of Jewish Community Outreach at JSSA, she provided consultation and training to preschool teachers and directors individually, in groups, and to the Preschool Directors Council. In addition, she has offered consultation, workshops and groups for preschool parents. Natalie has particular expertise with parenting, grandparenting, complicated family issues, interfaith/intercultural families, life transitions and caregiving. She enjoys helping to facilitate communication and understanding within families, classrooms and organizations.

22 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

Meredith Polsky

Nancy Striniste

Meredith Polsky founded Matan (www.matankids.org) in 2000 and serves as Matan’s National Director of Institutes and Training, as well as the Developmental Support Coordinator at Temple Beth Ami Nursery School in Rockville, MD. Meredith is a nationally sought-after speaker on Jewish Special Education. She holds master’s degrees in Special Education and Clinical Social Work and a graduate certificate in Early Intervention. Meredith is a 2017 Covenant Award recipient, and co-author of I Have a Question about Death: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs (JKP, March, 2017) and I Have a Question about Divorce: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs (JKP, February, 2018).

Nancy Striniste, founder and principal designer at EarlySpace, LLC, has a unique background as both a landscape designer and an early childhood educator. Her passion is creating spaces that nurture and heal both the earth and the people on it, spaces that draw people outside, connect them to nature and nourish their souls. She has worked since the mid-80s with schools, childcare centers, municipalities and organizations in the mid-Atlantic and beyond to create sustainably designed natural play and learning spaces and to teach teachers and others about how to use the outdoors for teaching and learning. Her recent projects include the Bender JCCGW Preschool in Rockville, MD and Constitution Gardens Park in Gaithersburg, MD. Ms. Striniste is the author of the forthcoming book Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children to the Natural World. She is a faculty member at Antioch University New England in their Nature-based Early Childhood Education Graduate Program, serves on the Maryland Partnership for Children and Nature’s Nature Play Workgroup and on the Leadership Team of NoVA Outside. She is a member of the International School Grounds Alliance. She received a bachelor’s degree in Education from Wheelock College and a master’s degree in Sustainable Landscape Design from George Washington University.

Sarah Rabin Spira Sarah Rabin Spira runs PJ Library® in Greater Washington in partnership with The Jewish Fderation of Greater Washington and works with over three dozen community partners to offer over 400 events each year to 6,400 families with children age eight and under. She also implements PJ Our Way, the newest program of PJ Library, which offers books and unique programs to kids eight and a half to eleven years old. She has been working in Jewish education for over fifteen years and worked in public relations, planning, organizing and outreach before that. She loves bringing her marketing, programming and education background to engage and connect local Jewish and interfaith families. Sarah studied children’s literature at the University of Florida and has a master’s degree from George Washington University.

Heidi Tacktill Heidi Tacktill is a learning specialist for the youngest students at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and co-founder and co-owner of LinkEducation Resources, an organization that provides support, education and skills for both the individual and group setting to both parents and educators. Heidi has over ten years of experience working with students, teachers and families. Her master’s degree in Mental Health with an emphasis on School-Related Achievement guides the social-emotional aspect of her work, while her Education Specialist degree brings knowledge and strategy to strengthen and develop skills. Throughout her career thus far, she has been trained in Orton Gillingham®, Lindamood-Bell® Learning Process, Framing Your Thoughts, Handwriting Without Tears® and has spoken at Harvard University regarding an Executive Function curriculum she helped design and implement for lower school students.

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES 23 Amy Weaver

Orly Zimmerman-Leizerov

Amy Weaver’s child care career began thirty years ago working as a substitute in the first infant care program in the state of Maryland. She has worked at nearly every position in the child care field including owner of a center for 350 children and 88 staff. She is known throughout the community college system as a dedicated and passionate instructor and is currently working throughout the United States as a trainer and consultant specializing in infant and toddler care, classroom environments/management and curriculum for both gender and diversity. As a vocal proponent of high quality child care, especially for infants and toddlers, she has traveled all over the world studying about the respectful and authentic caregiving practices throughout many cultures. She looks forward to bringing insights and practical applications of common sense child care practices back to the child care population.

Orly Zimmerman-Leizerov is a highly experienced child and family therapist working in both clinical and preschool settings in the Rockville, MD area. She is the co-founder and director of Growing Minds Center for Child and Family Therapy and serves as the Bender JCCGW Preschool Learning Specialist. Orly has over a decade of experience working with children and families with a wide range of mental, social and physical abilities. Her methods combine holistic, mindful and strengths-based approaches to assessment and intervention. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland, as well as a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology and Communication from George Mason University. She has extensive experience in developing and providing training for teachers and parents.

Avi West Avi West is The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Senior Education Officer and Master Teacher. Avi integrates accessible and inclusive Judaic content into instructional and identitybuilding experiences for learners of all ages. As a specialist, he collaborates on the Adult Learning team to make a more robust framework for adult Jewish learning in Greater Washington. Avi consults with educational leadership and offers professional development workshops for educators and Jewish life presentations for parents. Among his teachers and influencers are his six grandchildren—three in Israel and three in Gaithersburg, MD.

Dr. Ari Yares Dr. Ari Yares is a licensed psychologist based in Potomac, MD. He has more than fifteen years of professional experience working with parents and children facing learning and behavioral challenges. He trained as a school psychologist at Temple University and currently supervises special education evaluations for preschool age children in Washington, DC. He has previously worked as the Head of School at Gross Schechter Day School, Upper School Principal of the Schechter School of Long Island and the Head of Middle School at Krieger Schechter Day School. He has also served as a school psychologist for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Ari is an alumnus of the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI).

Dr. Naama Zoran Dr. Naama Zoran is a Developmental Psychologist, with a Ph.D. in Education. Naama is a field person. Her belief is that it is most important for educators, directors and other field workers to have tools for reading children and understanding the messages that are sent to us via different behaviors. Naama is an educational systems consultant, and her unique approach is focused on working on teachers’ pedagogical awareness level (i.e., the awareness to be able to meet children in the deepest way, with the ability to understand the personal places the teacher herself is coming from). Naama presents frequently in different settings, conferences and workshops, in Israel and in the USA. Since 1997, Naama has dedicated her life to the learning and the understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach. Since 2009, she has been the formal representative appointed by Reggio Children for the State of Israel. She has learned Italian in order to be current with all the Italian publications. The values-based vision of the Reggio approach connects beautifully with values-based Jewish thinking and educational understanding, and Naama works on deepening the Judaic educational level in the schools. Naama has broad knowledge in child psychology, adult psychology and learning, as well as different and updated approaches to learning and development. She brings all of the above in an integrated way to her teaching.

Notes

Thank You

to our wonderful Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference leadership CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS: Laura Cohen Pedagogista, The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School Michelle Singer Director, Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center

CO-CHAIRS OF THE ECE DIRECTORS COUNCIL: Beth Adler Director, Gates of Discovery: The Rose and George Teller Preschool of Shaare Tefila DJ Schneider Jensen Head of Schools, Early Childhood Education, Washington Hebrew Congregation

LEADERSHIP OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON: Gary Berman President Gil Preuss Executive Vice President & CEO Sharon Sherry Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement Specialist