Beth Sholom Pre-School

My son loves it here! On the weekends he asks about school and he is always singing the songs he learns at school. So happy to see him happy and growing… Ms. Edna is so sweet and genuinely concerned about each families needs

Our son has been attending Beth Sholom for a little over a year, and we’ve been very happy with experience. We checked out a lot of preschools and daycares in the area and although we’re not Jewish, we picked Beth Sholom because it simply had the warmest, most stimulating environment. They keep the kids really busy with music, gymnastics, outdoor play, and lots and lots of art. There are also a lot of family activities – insect night, a yearly carnival, pizza night – at which we have been able to see how much our son loves it there, and have gotten to know other parents. Best of all are Ms. Edna (whose knack with kids cannot be overstated) and the other teachers, all of whom are fantastic.

We looked at different preschools before making a decision for our 2-​year-​old, and Beth Sholom was an obvious choice for us. I appreciate the Jewish-​based learning and the fact that the director speaks Hebrew, but more than anything, I love the energy and the focus on kids learning by enjoying themselves. Kids don’t need a bunch of rules — they need to be safe and loved and to grow through activities and FUN. They have music, book readings, gymnastics, and lots of art. They also help Ms. Edna cook, or prepare Challah for Friday!
My son loves the preschool, and often I have a hard time getting him to say ‘bye’ at the end of the day when it’s time to go home! I love picking him up and seeing all the art he’s created during the day. He’s learned a ton of important skills, like socializing with other kids, cleaning up after himself, washing hands before eating, and even saying a prayer before having a snack or a meal.
It’s a very structured day, and while I bring his lunch (no meat or shellfish), the preschool provides healthy snacks in the morning and afternoon. The student body is very diverse, and so are the teachers. Best of all, they allow kids with diapers.

Our youngest just finished three years there, and made some good friends, and really bonded with the teachers. He was very caring and nurturing with the «babies,» as he called them. This is what Ms. Edna and the other teachers encourage: a very social and interactive learning environment. Overall, we, and our son, had a great experience at Beth Sholom Preschool.

My son attended Beth Sholom for two years, from just after his 3^rd birthday until the start of kindergarten. He thrived there and I feel he is well prepared for kindergarten. The director, Ms Edna, is amazingly patient with the children, and responsive to parents’ questions and concerns. When there was a little bit of a bullying situation, she talked it through with the class and the problem disappeared. I would highly recommend Beth Sholom. It is a warm, diverse, stimulating environment and we feel lucky to have part of the community these last two years.

My nephew just graduated from this preschool and had an amazing experience! He loved all of the staff and couldn’t wait to go to school everyday. Ms Edna is the absolute best! The teachers are kind and the kids learn a lot even though its not an academic preschool. My youngest nephew will be enrolling there as soon as he’s old enough.

We have three children who attended Beth Sholom Pre-​School. Our children thrived in that environment and are very loving sociable children. The entire staff have an genuine passion for teaching. Miss. Edna (head of the school) is the best, and understands children and knows how to bring out the best in them. She has over 20 years experience and it shows as she patiently works with each individual child. My 5 year old twins continue to talk about their favorite teachers and Miss Edna and my 13 year old fondly recalls memory’s at Beth Sholom.
We feel that Beth Sholom has thoroughly prepared and provided the necessary tools for our children to continue forward with their academia lives.

My son attended Beth Sholom Preschool for two years (ages 3 – 4). Edna, the director, is fantastic. I learned so much about parenting just from watching her interact with the kids. It is very reflective of the Bay Area, with kids from all different backgrounds, including bi-​racial kids like mine. While my son was there, his dad and I separated, and the school helped us keep the transition as smooth as we could. There is a social worker, Iris, who gives parent workshops and she was able to help me quite a bit. The preschool will help you join Temple Beth Sholom if you wish, and once you join, you are family. We keep up with some of my son’s former preschool classmates at temple and all the kids are doing well in school. Probably because they had such a great start at the preschool: D