On Monday, January 6, over 230 early childhood educators from six schools, representing 1,100 young children, gathered for the Early Childhood Day of Learning. This event, organized by the Federation-convened Early Childhood Director’s Council and generously funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, provided a meaningful opportunity to honor and empower the teachers.
The participating schools closed on January 6 to ensure teachers could attend and engage in professional development. Many participants expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate and learn alongside colleagues from across the community. It was particularly significant, as this was the first in-person gathering of early childhood educators since 2019.
The teachers began the morning with breakfast and ice breakers to foster networking and relationship building, followed by a keynote presentation, Unlocking Child Development: From Typical to Atypical and Beyond! presented by Amy Cushner, the Associate Head of School at The Shelton School and Evaluation Center in Dallas, TX.
All Dallas area Jewish Early Childhood Schools are invited to participate in the Directors Council. Schools participating in the Day of Learning included, Akiba Yavneh Academy Early Childhood Program, Ann & Nate Levine Academy Weinreb Family Early Childhood, Congregation Anshai Torah Preschool, Goldberg Early Childhood Center of the Dallas JCC, Temple Emanu-El Early Childhood Education Center and Torah Day School of Dallas Preschool.
